Missing My Blind

I miss using my chair blind. Even though it hasn't been a bad summer as far as heat and humidity goes, the idea of sitting in an enclosed structure right now is not appealing at all. When fall comes I'm going to be sittin' pretty in my blind.

These shots were from May 8th. For a large bird the Blue Jay sure is a scaredy cat. This one knew something wasn't quite right. Every click of the camera made him turn his head this way and that. Finally, he had enough of my shenanigans and flew off.

Although quite common in these parts, I find the Blue Jay a very beautiful bird and never tire of taking their portraits. Due to their skittish nature they are not easy to photograph, making them somewhat of a challenge. The thrill of the chase is part of the reason I love bird photography so much.

Please visit links of other
birds around the world!
Mucho thanks to gracious
host, Anni.

Bayou Brothers

These are my sweet second cousins. Brody is almost 6 and Eric is 16. We spent over 2 hours on the party barge and had a blast, zipping all over Lake Des Allemands. The boys know when I'm around that a camera will be pointed at them, but they didn't seem to mind. Well, maybe a little. I took 207 photos of these hams; it was difficult choosing a handful to show. Hope you enjoy!

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Our World Tuesday

Blooms, Birds and More!

I've been meaning to post these since the end of April. So, without further delay, here we go!

Can anyone help ID this flower?

I think this is a Cosmos.

Walking trail at Bluebonnet Swamp.

Indigo Bunting

Juvenile or female Indigo Bunting.
Spring is such a confusing time for identification.

Leucy the leucistic Cardinal.

On a completely different note, do any of you like jigsaw puzzles? If so, there's an app for that! It's called...can you guess? Jigsaw Puzzle! They offer a free puzzle of the day and several other free ones to choose from. You can select the number of pieces from 4 to 400, background color, the ability to scatter pieces, show only the edges, etc. Oh, you can even choose one of your own photos. I have lost countless hours and a few bucks buying new collections. It's totally addictive! Don't hate me. You have been warned. :)

IOS Version

Android Version

Enjoy your weekend!! See y'all on Monday.

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Saturday's Critters

Thanks, Eileen!

Fishing

Last week, my dad and I made spur-of-the-moment plans to fish at a private pond near his house. I drove up the day before and spent the night. We arose early the next morning and headed out. The day was PERFECT! Low humidity, mild temps (for the end of July), and a gorgeous setting. We were blessed. The sunburn I got wasn't a blessing, but a lesson learned for next time.

My dad setting up shop.

An Eastern Kingbird.

Daddy's first catch: a pretty bream (or perch...same thing).

Finally I caught one, too!

Side view of my prize. I was able to reuse the worm for another fish!

An Eastern Amberwing kept trying to perch on my line. I'm probably the only fisherwoman with
a huge camera and lens on her lap. The owner drove by in his four-wheeler and admired my gear.
He was so nice and I thanked him repeatedly for letting us come onto his property and fish.

My first bass!! Daddy said I was lucky to get it because the hook was meant for the smaller bream.
I told him I had just been standing there thanking God for the beautiful day when this fish tugged on my line.
He doesn't believe such things, but I felt compelled to share it with him anyway.

A pair of Eastern Amberwings hovering.

All totaled we caught twelve bream and one bass. Daddy caught most of the bream, but I had the grand prize and bragging rights of the bass. Next time we're going to fish with artificial lures. Worms and crickets are too messy and make me queasy. Daddy didn't seem to mind hooking them for me, but I felt bad that he did all the dirty work.

Before leaving we stopped at the pottery shop that the couple owns. We wanted to buy something to show our appreciation. I chose a beautiful round plate in green with a leaf embossed in the center. Daddy bought it for me which was very nice. He made me feel very loved on this visit, telling me how proud he was of my catches and my photography and how much he loves me. I'm very grateful to have these nice new memories to replace some of the old, unpleasant ones. My younger years were wrought with pain after my sister's death at age 3, and my dad didn't really enter my life until I was in my late teens. He paid child support, but I guess because he worked odd hours as a policeman, I didn't see him much. Anyway, it's never too late. One just needs an open mind and forgiving heart. God has graciously given me that.

Thanks, Anni!

Thanks Tex!

Garden Visitor

A couple weeks ago this little turtle found his way into my flower bed. After admiring him for a few minutes I ran inside to grab my camera, then remembered some carrot pieces in the fridge. My mama always taught me to offer food and drinks to any visitors. By the way, I offered a cold glass of water to the plumber and he threw in the camera scope for free; a $300 value. He actually told me that was why he did it. Remember that, kids! Anyway, I said to my visitor, "Look, I'll take your photo and here's some carrots. Deal?" Well, he was not impressed. I read later that these turtles are carnivores. Live and learn!

Focus on the eye

Focus on the scaly arm. Wish I could've gotten focus on the eye, too.

"I'm outta here! Buh-bye! Thanks for nothin' lady."

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Our World Tuesday