Owl Bayou Canal

This post wraps up our July 4th afternoon. You can thank me now for not taking photos of the alligator that had to be "disposed of" because it was hanging around the canals. *shivers* I felt sorry for him, but we just couldn't risk the safety of the youngsters. Besides, it wasn't my call to make. Anyway! These are random shots of the day.

This is the highway marker for a community of camps situated along the bayou.
A "camp" in Louisiana is a modestly built home, usually elevated on tall posts due to frequent flooding.
Most are accessible only by boat. Many people have them as a weekend get-away for family and friends.

My uncle's party barge--wish it wasn't blurred.

Dragonflies were everywhere and they seemed particularly smitten with Uncle Bubba.

YUM. Simply angel food cake, whipped cream and berries.

Double D was mighty proud that he was the first person Cowgirl allowed to pick up and pet.
Look at her winking at me like, "Haha, stole him from you." Saucy little tart!

She soon warmed up to me too.
Look at those eyes! Have you ever seen a chihuahua with such blue eyes and a blue merle coat?

She appointed herself Patrol Captain of the bayou, barking at all the watercraft that went by.

That's my aunt and uncle's camp in the background. Two bedroom, two baths and two huge living areas. Very spacious.
This photo was taken because the people on the boat unknowingly left their little yorkie on the dock.
As they obliviously zoomed away, several of us were yelling and waving at them to come back.
Finally, they realized what they had done and were so grateful to us for rescuing their little dog.

One of the hosts with her granddaughter walking onto my Uncle Bubba's deck.
This will have to do for Tex's Good Fences meme. Sorry, I know I've been stretching the rules lately!

Can you believe I went a whole week without posting a bird photo? I can't either!

Have a good weekend everyone. Catch you next week.

Smoke on the Water

We had a great day at my aunt and uncle's camp on July 4th. The star of the show was their golden retriever, Smoke. He's named after Nascar driver Tony Stewart, whose nickname is Smoke. If by some bizarre happenstance you meet my aunt, never, ever mention the name Jeff Gordon or you will get the stink-eye. Anyway, Smoke had surgery on his hip last year, and at 110 pounds, it's painful for him to exercise. So my uncle bought him a life vest since water is buoyant and easier on his joints. This was Smoke's first day to try out the new gear. He wasn't too sure at first, but he eventually caught on and liked it.

Oh, I'm not sure about this!!

Oh, wait...I can have a drink while I'm here.

Dad, are you sure about this?

My uncle tossed a rubber chicken into the water several times to get him going.

Rubber chicken! Must retrieve!!

Got it!

Neighbor Maggie looks on with excitement.

The handle was used to help Smoke out of the water.

More to come about our July 4th adventures. Stay tuned!

Imagine

Imagine you are in your home, trying to eat a meal or just relax, and a giant woman is walking around peeping through every single window. Not only is she peeping, she is holding a strange device and pointing it at you, making loud clicking noises that sound like sonic booms to your ears. A stalker? A terrorist? What is happening???? When peeping doesn't satisfy her, she tries opening the windows and jiggling the door knobs. Your home suddenly feels like a tornado is hitting it with every wave of her arm and every exhalation of her breath. Oh dear, what to do? She says not a word, just circles and circles your home, pointing and clicking. Then she leaves.

The End.

Signed,

A confused and frightened green anole

Linking with sweet Eileen at

Saturday's Critters!

Come join the fun. :)

Also joining Camera Critters:

God's Handiwork

Before the heat and humidity zapped my will to live, I was able to spend about an hour at the local arboretum on the 26th of June. With sweat dripping into my eyes and soaking wet clothes, I know I looked a fright. Nearby were a few photographers planning a wedding reception with a bride, and every now and then they looked my way. I must've looked like some crazy lady as I scoured the plants for bugs, inspecting leaves with my readers, groping through tall stalks, kneeling on the pond's edge. Yes, I was ashamed at how awful I looked, but I kept my head down as much as possible, not only to avoid their pitiful stares, but also to at least come away with a few decent shots. Okay, enough babbling. Here is my offering to you today...

All I know is that this is from a magnolia tree. Sadly, I have no idea if it's a bud or a spent bloom.

I love this photo despite the fact that it's not technically correct in many ways,
but because I kept thinking how wonderful it would be if my world was a flower petal
and how lucky this little fella was to have such a wonderful space in which to live and explore.

Some type of beetle I think. I watched him climb from the bottom of the stalk all the way to the top.
I was like, "You GO, little dude!" Not out loud, though. The people there already thought I was not right in the head.

I don't think this creature appreciated me peeking in on him.

Finally! I was able to see two damselflies mating.
I have waited several years to witness this beautiful spectacle.

Uncropped--resized for blog.
When I first noticed this from a distance I thought it was a stick shaped like a heart. Then "it" flew off.
I'm sorry to say I violated the ethical codes of wildlife by stalking these two lovers. They finally got used to my presence
and stayed still on one leaf, so perhaps they weren't too traumatized by the paparazzo! lol

The storm clouds were gathering so I had to leave. I would have fainted eventually anyway.
Saw the arboretum fence and thought I'd better get the shot for Tex's Good Fences meme since I don't know
when I'll be able to get back outside again.

The beauty, diversity and complexity of our world astounds me, always. Yes, I complain frequently about the weather conditions, yet I always come away from these nature outings convinced of a creator, the one true God.

Romans 1:20 (CEV)

God’s eternal power and character cannot be seen. But from the beginning of creation, God has shown what these are like by all he has made...

I wish everyone a safe and happy 4th of July in the States! Double D and I will be attending a barbecue at my aunt and uncle's camp on the bayou.

Please click the photo to take you to the link-up and enjoy
fences from around the world.

Also linking with sweet Eileen at

Saturday's Critters!

Come join the fun. :)

Bird & Butterfly Stand-off

The heat and humidity has worn down my desire to be out in nature and take photographs. And if it's not hotter than a 600 degree sauna, the hard rains arriving almost daily make me wish I had a little boat to paddle around the neighborhood. So you may see a decrease in posting from me for the rest of the summer. Sorry about that. I will still be visiting you, but won't be posting as much until I can once again enjoy the great outdoors.

A titmouse image from January 7, 2014.
I added the butterfly from JoesSistah's collection on Flickr.

Please visit our wonderful host, Anni!

Also linking to
Our World Tuesday.

and

Wild Bird Wednesday!

Thank you to Hilary of The Smitten Image for bestowing a Post of the Week award on this post!