31 Dec (I did it!)

Given the fun we had this year, I don't think anyone would have blamed me for quitting, but I didn't.  I used my camera every day in 2011.  Some of the pictures were horrid, but I have quite a few keepers.

I wanted to take a picture of the final sunset  of 2011, but the colors weren't as dramatic as I hoped (plus it got cold).  So I did some self portraits.  My only wish is that I would have brought my external flash, as that would have made it a bit better (something I learned this year!)

now to figure out next year...what do I want to do?

30 Dec

Got to play golf today, then took a walk.  Not sure of the plant type, the 'leaves' were paper thin.

29 Dec

Maybe I'm getting a hang of that food photography things...

No Moose ;-(

I heard that there are moose at one of the cross-country skiing areas.  So, I went.  Did I see any....nope, none, nada, niente...oh-well.  One thing I did learn, xc trails are not flat...this one was sort of like the bunny slopes, except you were expected to ski up them as well as down.  I'm going to hurt tomorrow.

27 Dec

can't quit now...so close to the finish, but boy am I running out of ideas.

yes, my mirror is dusty...if you don't like it, hire me a maid (first someone needs to get house to a point a maid can enter without fear)

26 Dec

Octopus for dinner tonite...

Merry Christmas

Sorry, lots of photos...spent the afternoon at the Bear River Bird Refuge.  I think I saw one other car on the entire 36 mile loop.

Does Parking ON the sign count?

It's nice when the light cooperates...

Now to get a bigger lens so I can get better detail (ok, only joking...)

More Herons...what are they still doing here.  I think I saw about a dozen of them.

I think this Tundra Swan is hurt...It looks like his wing or leg had problems when he got into the water.
But I did see another later, so maybe there are a few strays left

I had a blast watching these coots with this fish.  He kept dropping it, retrieving it, then fighting off the others.  Finally, he went to the ice to eat it.

My only problem with the series is that the black is hard to work with.  I wish I could see more details in their heads.

A Harrier going in for the kill...not sure if he got one of the blackbirds or not.

The shadows made it hard to get details of his face, but this is some of the first shots I've been able to get with them in flight, especially in the dive.

I think this is a a Yellow Headed Blackbird, except he was more orange than yellow and his top of the head is darker, so maybe a 'old' juvenile?

Some landscapes...

Flowing water

Sorry for the duplicate.  I didn't like the first one as much, so I re-edited the picture to make it stand out better.

23 Dec

What in the world is this guy doing here????

22 Dec 11

popcorn time....

21 Dec

So i just discovered today why it has been so hard to id the birds I am seeing in UT.  The main book I have is Eastern Region, with the line of demarcation being the 100th Meridian.  I was trying to id the quail  I saw...and couldn't find it... California quail

I'm not even going to guess...I now wonder if some of the raptors I'm seeing are not Prairie Falcons instead of Kestrels...

A couple of little birds...i'm thinking my earlier id of a juvenile white crowned sparrow is incorrect, given the number of these guys i found all over...

20 Dec

yum!!!

BTW

I really like the bird pictures this week...it was nice to see shorebirds, although I can't wait till the spring to see white pelicans on the Great Salt Lake!

15-19 Dec

Sorry for the delay, went out of town to see Mark in Tampa.

15 Dec:  Delta Lounge for Military:  They have set this up every year for the last 42 yrs in the Atlanta Airport, etaffed by Delta Employees.  Mark and I took advantage of this a few years ago when traveling to Italy.  Turns out my flight to Tampa was right next to it....They had Nutcrackers for each service, although the AF was the typical pilot....this one seems to fit our present mission....

16 Dec:  Tampa.  Mark had to work, so I wandered around

17 Dec:  Ybor City

I couldn't believe this ibis was trying to eat the frog...in the end he dropped it and decided against it.

18 Dec:  Saying goodbye again...wind was blowing quite hard

19 Dec: Oranges

Christmas Lights

So I went out tonite to take pictures of some of the neighborhood houses.  As I wandered back to my house I heard lots of noise in the cul-de-sac.  As I got closer to my house, I could see people gathering in front of my door.  Imagine their surprise when I came up behind them... a group of the neighbors were out singing carols and delivering goodies.  What a treat!

I go by this every night on the way home...I didn't realize that, in addition to flashing, it played music.

13 Dec

Only 18 more to go after tonite!

12 Dec 11

This year's ornament showed up...Swarovski has been doing christmas snowflakes for 20 years, Mark and I have 15 of them, one for each year we've been married...

I like the photo I took in Jan of our 1996 ornament better, but the light was different.  Putting up the tree was bittersweet.  I wanted to put it up, but not having Mark here makes it tough.

11 Dec (another photo heavy day)

I like the weekends...I can do nothing but take pictures. I went to Antelope Island and took a trail I hadn't before.  I was getting worried about photos, as there was an ugly hazy that obscured the landscape and nary a bird in site...

So in the shadows of the mtns, these cool ice crystals were growing

Haze let up enough for this shot...

I heard some noise as I was leaving the mts that sounded like Coyotes...I saw one way off, then as I got back closer to the car this guy was nearby

I'm pretty sure he's a rough legged...the harriers kept flying off

I didn't realize the the Salt Lake could freeze, but close to shore there were ice floats and some snow still sitting on it. (or is it salt???)

I've seen more Kestrels in the last 4 months than my entire life... He let me get pretty close before flying off

10 Dec 11 -- Total Lunar Eclipse

Beginning (way too early in the morning):

Middle (it's really cold out right now):

Total Eclipse (I can't feel my fingers or toes, but worth every minute of seeing this...), sun while not visible is starting to show light from the east as well