Sure Signs...

Sure signs that Summer is nearly here!

The mountains at Sedona, AZ

This was taken on a mountain above the town looking back across the top of the town. I was near one of the famous vortexes when I took this photo.

Black Bear Skull

Stephanie and I went for a bike ride last Sunday afternoon, eventually we stoped for a rest. Where we stoped was a wide spot along the logging road. I had a look around the nearby woods and there I found the final resting place of a poor Black Bear. What you don't find...

The lazy deer

I guess the deer in Oklahoma don't swim. They just lay in the shade trying to hide from the humans. You can't see it well in the photo but there is a second buck just behind and a little left of the first buck hiding in the shadows under the tree.

What you don't see...

Several times over the years I've seen a lone deer swiming from one island to another, but never had a camera with me at the time.

This time I had my camera and saw 2 bucks and a doe heading across the inlet. Where they were crossing was 3/4 of a mile from shore to shore.

Deer swim suprisingly well! I don't think I could have kept up had I been in the water swiming with them.

Is it a close up of cauliflower?

Vegetables? Not me, I'm a steak and potato man. This was taken with a Tamron 18-250mm lens as a storm was approaching the city I was in this weekend. This is a close up of the thunder storm cloud.

A photo of the whole cloud, as it was approaching is below. These were both shot at the same location at the same time.

Small forest fire

The weather around here has been unseasonably hot and dry (usually not like this until August). A couple of days ago a small fire of unknown origon got started within a few hundred feet of where the water treatment plant draws it's water from.
Fortunately the wind was calm and the fire was quickly brought under controll with only 1/3 of an acre burned.
I took quite a number of pictures but these ones of the chopper bucketing the fire were the most interesting.

Flying Scissors

I was out for a hike yesterday and just as I was getting ready to enter the area I was going to this scissortail came flying by. He landed on the fence wire a little ways from me and I got a few more photos but I didn't think they were as good as the in-flight photo.

I might also mention that the hike wasn't the smaretest of ideas. I was in Oklahoma and it ended up being very sunny and 95 degrees with about 90% humidity. I definitely like hiking in the winter better!

Dandylions

It must be that there had been no wind for a few days when I found this roadside patch of dandylions. Having not seen this many in one area at one time I took a few pictures. The next day I drove past the same place and there wasn't a dandylion to be seen, the wind had blown them all away.

Polly want a cracker?

I couldn't resist taking a few photos of some tropical birds that were on display in our hotel. You just can't pass up the colors.

A bit of sun

All that rain and cold has given way to warm sunny days! Then suddenly as if on cue everything blooms! Just like Hawaii around here for about 3 months a year... Gotta like that!

Yet another Bird of Paradise

Well as long as we're on a Hawaii theme...

This wasn't much of a picture to start with but after making corrections for light, colour, croping and some cloning out of clutter I was able to get to this... What did we ever do before Photoshop?

No Work, No Worries, No Problems

This was taken somewhere along the West Maui Coast, I think near Napili with a Minolta 35mm camera. It was just one of those spots where no one else was around and you could sit in the shade and listen to the ocean. I guess I should have been paying more attention to where I was but hey, it's an island, how am I going to get lost?

All this photo needs is a small table with a couple of Coronas sitting on it and I could be making a commercial!

Black footed Ibis

Ok I made up the Black footed part but it sounded good.

An Ibis riddle: (you have to say it out loud to apreciate the twisted tounge part)

"What kind of noise anoys an Ibis?"
"A noisy noise anoys an Ibis!"

Found this fellow just hanging around watching the world go by while we were visiting Hoomaluhia Park Botanical Gardens on the windward side of Oahu.

Point & Shoot

It looks like we are going back to Hawai'i, my favorite place!

This was taken from our lanai one evening using a Sony DSC H-1 point and shoot. At the time it was one of the better point and shoot digitals on the market at the time. It doesn't compare to a DSLR but at 5MP it's not a bad camera. I would also say the operator of the camera was still in the digital learning phase and under the enfluence of a few "island drinks" at the time. LOL

The pool is at the Hyatt Regency on Maui.

Time to mow the lawn...

You will recall the picture of the Byodo-in Temple I posted, well this is a small portion of a clump of bamboo that covers about a half an acre behind the Temple and stands 40 ish feet tall! I would love to get a cutting of this for the yard... (I left the "stupid tourist" in the picture to give an idea of the scale of these things).

Stalking the big game

I haven't been able to get out and do much photography the last few days so I have been stuck looking for things to shoot around the house. I decided to try a little more up close and personal shots with the "wild life". LOL

Video from Rumble Mountain

So here it is, my first and probably only video blog posting... It only took about 25 minutes to upload this 5 second clip. By the way this is D90 "Hi Definition" video...

I wish my neck was this flexible!

I came across these swans a few days ago at a "pond" in the city. I guess one of those city boys wanted some live yard art for his big yard.

Day at the races

The Rumble Mountain Rage is a downhill race held every year in nearby Port Alice. For the first year ever it didn't rain and the 2.5 mile down hill course was dry!

The first picture is my stepson Jake who lives for this sort of thing. The other two pictures are as shot. I took about 300 pictures today, I'll be able to do something with about about 1/4 of them.

It's summer time!

It's definitely summer time. Lots of colors sprouting around here. These are a few of many different flowers my wife has planted around the property.

Happieness is...

"Sunny" decided to dig himself a nest... Nothing more satisfied than a dirty dog!

Old time electricity

This is a steam powered electric generator that was built in 1887. The generator was used to supply electricty to an underground cavern where the owner gave large parties. It was used until 1917 when they replaced the steam powered generator with a kerosone powered generator. The ingenuity of the common man never ceases to amaze me!

Rare exotic orchids?

Actually I found these exotic looking flowers attached to a Chestnut tree in bloom. Who would have known?

Doing the chicken dance

OK, technically it's a rooster and I think he was more mad than dancing. The sad thing is I think the rooster is a better dancer than I am! LOL

Sunset in the woods

The weather here on the West Coast continues to be hot and sunny! The last several days have seen temperature records broken. Today at dinner time it was 33.9° C. on the shady side of the house, that would be just over 93°! Usually we figure we're doing good to get to 75° around here in the hotest part of the summer, and it's only the begining of June!

But you won't here any compalints from me! I love golbal warming! Bring it on! Let's hear it for Al Gore and the NASA Scientests! LOL

My intended target

These water lilies were my intended target the other day until the visitor showed up. They don't even look real but they are!

Old boat graveyard

Where do old boats go to die? The boats in this picture found themselves on the bank of the Tsulquate (pronounced snow=qua=tea) river a short walk from down town Port Hardy. If nothing else they have made a great place to play with a new lens or try out a photographic tecnique over the years.

La Grenouille (the frog)

This started out as a shot of two water lilies until I had a surprise visitor pop up so I changed my focus just a little, literally and figuratively.

He seems to have a pretty nice "pad". LOL

Todays theme: Focused

Last few days have been sunny, hot and dry wich is totally out of character for this part of the world, but it sure is great for taking pictures!

The last from Fantastic Caverns

Here are the last of the photos of Fantastic Carverns. I don't want you getting bored with a big hole in the ground!

These are called "the Twins". Can you guess why?

These last two photos are of the same formation. The bottom photo is from an angle and the top photo is from directly beneath the formation looking up.

More from Fantastic Carverns

This is the original carving left by the group of women that first explored the caverns. It's amazing that they went in there with just candles and could see anything. Without lights it is truly pitch black underground.

As I said before, they have some of the bigger features lit so that you can see them and give them a little dramatic effect.