Dave Wrote: Hi Jim, Here are some pictures for the blog. The spring migration here in the Rome, NY area is just about non- existent. The neo-tropical insectivores are almost gone. They are the warblers,tanagers. thrushes and orioles. For someone like me who is really into birding and bird photography it is very depressing.Here are some pictures of birds at my feeder set up. That is about the only area where we are seeing any birds. Dave
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The Great Outdoors is a great place to see animals – some very wild and some sort-of used to people. I do send this message to you – enjoy them but be careful. Keep the Great Outdoors the Great Outdoors as long as we can.
Now days I have time to go out and about to look for animals. I often use my iPhone camera to snap what I see. Here are three snapshots:
I love snakes. I was thinking this is one of the most beautiful Pygmies I have ever seen – shinny, as large as I have seen, and tail rattling just like a Rattler should do. I was also thinking, “Why did he take off like a Racer as I jumped off my bike? Most often they do not move so rapidly.”I am afraid I did not respect this guys space as I should have. I walked up to him, talking all the while as if I was talking to a human – “How has your day been? Did you find some good food for lunch?” He/she looked at me as if we were old friends. As you can see by its posture, now, I was invading its space. Off it flew – in disgust with me, I am sure. But I enjoy watching any bird in flight – it is a mystery to me how they can fly.Did not have to go far to see this. WOW – Three good sized gators right off my back porch! I wonder what each of these four animals were thinking – I am sure they each knew of the whereabouts of the other three. I think the bird on the far shore was singing “Praise the Lord, I saw the Gators” – It flew off shortly after I snapped this photo.As you swing through life, be with nature, enjoy nature, and be careful – Maybe try to think about what the animal is thinking.
Dave wrote: Hi Jim, It has been a cold wet spring here in upstate NY. I haven’t been out in my blind to photograph Wood Ducks very much. It has been mostly dark and wet. I did get out a few times when we had some sun. Here are a few shots of Woodies plus a shot of the permanent blind we built a few years ago on one of the ponds behind our property. Dave
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You know, Spring is my favorite time of year. I try to spend hours outside where ever I may be. In Florida it harder to know when spring starts and winter ends than many places I hav been in spring, but plants and the animals knows when it is spring.
Plants show flowers, grass is growing , and animals are out and about. I captured, with my iphone camera, a few of the many I see each day. Not all are as artistically beautiful as the Wood Duck but they are all fun to see and enjoy:
CURIOUS – I see you, you see me – sounds like a country western song titleDINNER – This rushing run-off water is this birds fishing ground – all day long he/she is there – I did not weigh it but I bet it gained a few pounds.CURIOUS – Why do they grow in circles?FRESH – A composition of contrasts in shapes and color.GRACE – Nest time you see one of these, watch them slide across the road, study not the snake but study it’s movements – Should be a Broadway Show of dancers – Pure graceTHESE TWO DIFFERENT ANIMALS ARE A VIEW OF PRE-HISTORY – You might say they are ugly – but I love to watch their determination to get where ever it is they are heading for. Only they know where that is maybe they are just out sightseeing, maybe looking for food, maybe looking for a partner, maybe I do not know!PRETTY – Just a baby and I think it is prettyNOT A BABY,- HUNGRY, ANGRY, MEAN – I do not know which. Only he/she knows – BUT IF YOU ARE IN GATOR COUNTRY, BE CAREFUL – STAY AWAY FROM THEM – THEY ARE FAST AND IF ONE GETS HOLD OF YOU THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY TO GET AWAY – DONATE TO HIM THE ARM OR LEG HE GRABBED! This smaller gator was swimming around not long before I snapped this photo. Then the fight began. As you can see he no longer is swimming around and he did give up a leg to no avail. Sorry I had to insert such a gruesome photo. I wanted to enhance your view of the natural world in order to encourage you to be careful.As you swing through life, enjoy nature, be careful, and remember animals live by different rules than we do.
Dave wrote: Hi Jim, Here are some pictures for the blog. Spring has gotten here in upstate NY. We went to a big swamp near where we live. We had an American Bittern come out. Here are a few shots. Bitterns are very secrative and hard to see. We feel lucky to see and photograph one. Many birders never do see one. We know where we can find them with a little luck. Dave
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I took a photo of a thistle with dew and here is what I got
April viewAs you swing through life, add a passion for birds, wild animals and add time to step up to your window or go outside and study them and where they live – study their secret hideaway
Dave Wrote: Hi Jim, here are some pictures for the blog. We have a Bald Eagle’s nest 3 or 4 miles from where we live. Here are some pictures of both the male and female at the nest. The female seems to be sitting on eggs. The male is usually somewhere near by. The last picture is by our grand daughter who we just set up with a camera and lens. She is so excited she can hardly stand it. That is the fun of being a grand parent. Dave
04 07 2023 DAVE CESARI04 07 2023 DAVE CESARI04 07 2023 DAVE CESARI04 07 2023 DAVE CESARI04 07 2023 KAYAs you swing through life, enjoy sharing your activities with a young person – then smile as you drift off to sleep – knowing it was a job well done.
I Wrote: I lost these photos and Dave had to remind me – I am sure glad I found them – No one can make me enjoy a snowy day in up-state New York the way Dave and his photos do. Hope you enjoy them that much too:
Dave wrote: Hi Jim, Here are some pictures for the blog. Yesterday was a snowy, stormy day here in upstate NY. Our feeders were very active all day. I had to trudge out in the snow to refill them several times. Dave
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“Where did I put those keys?” … “What was it I wanted when I opened the frig door?” … What was that phone number I just looked up?” I just was not focusing.
As I get older this happens to me more often. So, to help me practice focusing, I use street photography as one of my hobbies. When out on the street looking to photo people doing interesting things, I need to focus.
In the next three photos I was focusing on people that were focusing. Of course they were in their own world, so I did not know what they were focusing on.
I added Dave’s Cardinal, so that when you viewed my photos you would have something that you thought they were focusing on. Ha Ha!
What was the driver focused onI love NYC streets for photography. But to find this lady focusing was a special find.At the airport – people focused in their own world – another special find.
Now you know how I practiced focusing by focusing on those that were focusing!
As you swing through life, sprinkle a little snow on the view out your window even if it is sunny and 90 degrees – that is also a beautiful way to enjoy snow.
I Wrote: I lost these photos and Dave had to remind me – I am sure glad I found them – No one can make me enjoy a snowy day in up-state New York the way Dave and his photos do. Hope you enjoy them that much too:
Dave wrote: Hi Jim, Here are some pictures for the blog. Yesterday was a snowy, stormy day here in upstate NY. Our feeders were very active all day. I had to trudge out in the snow to refill them several times. Dave
04 04 2023 Dave Cesari04 04 2023 Dave Cesari04 04 2023 Dave Cesari04 04 2023 Dave Cesari04 04 2023 Dave Cesari04 04 2023 Dave Cesari04 04 2023 Dave CesariAs you swing through life, sprinkle a little snow on the view out your window even if it is sunny and 90 degrees – that is also a beautiful way to enjoy snow.
DAVE WROTE: Hi Jim, We are well covered with snow now. Here are some pictures for the log. Horned Larks and a Snow Bunting. The larks breed all across the USA. The Bunting breeds in the high arctic on the tundra. In the winter they both gather around farms and in the fields where farmers spread manure. This was a little odd a there were only 3 buntings with 2 or 3oo Larks. Dave
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HERE ARE SOME OF MY THOUGHTS ABOUT ANIMALS:
Our world is of animals and people. By assigning human features to each individual animal, we can understand and enjoy our world better.
We relate to each of our acquaintances based on the features our brain automatically assigned to them – each acquaintance gets different features assigned to them because we are all different and our brain knows that .
Each animal is an individual also, but we need to help our brain think about the individuality of each animal. If we do, that it will help us better enjoy our association with the world through the human and animal residents of the world we cohabitate.
Heather has 3 dogs – They each watch the bird feeder as if it was a TV – I never saw an attempt to disturb the birds. This wall is Ivy’s private TV chair. Just like my Mom had here own TV chair – no one would dare sit in it and no other dog attempts to take Ivy’s wall.Ivy has her TV watching chair even in the snow!This dog wants to perform. It is in her brain to perform like a movie star dancer. I have a Granddaughter that wants to be a star in the performing arts – You see, Granddaughters and dogs each have their individual features.
In the video below, why did that one crane lay down and the rest kept moving? I do not know how it is different – but it is. Anyway, I think I can assign the feature of grace to all the cranes – they really move with grace. Just like a movie star of the 50’s gliding across the floor.
Jim was at the barn with Sue, his wife , and her horse. He assigned the feature of human boredom to her horse. He said he did not know a horse got bored. I said he is looking at you – Dance or something – he is telling you that you are boring him.Macy is not bored – She found a groundhog! AND it is not groundhogs day!Heather assigned the human feature of hunger to the Groundhog and tried to fix that human feature.
In this case, it worked. – Click on the link below –
Lake Judy – I bet he is hungryDO NOT EVER EVER DO THIS — DO NOT FEED THE ALLIGATOR!!!!!!!!help….. BEYOND HELP… NEVER FEED THE ALLIGATOR – ALL GATORS WILL EAT YOU – SOME WILL KILL YOU FASTER THEN OTHERS – THAT IS THE DIFFERENCE
Each day I see three different armadillos – I have been trying to train them – this one shows promise and the others do not – they are each different – I tap the soil and this one will come to the tapping stick – he comes to investigate – he finds no worm or beetle and goes away. Maybe I can get him to roll over if I bring a pocket full of beetles to reward him – not there yet – he just turns and moves away! Click on the following
As you swing through life, think of animals as individuals , each with its own features. That will help us enjoy our world more.
DAVE WROTE: Hi Jim, Here are some pictures for the blog. Well we finally got some winter weather here in upstate NY. Snow and freezing rain. Everything is ice covered. My feeders are very active with the change in weather. Here are a few pictures. Dave
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WHERE I CAME FROM THEY STILL KNOW MY NAME:
Street photography is like a game: it is fun, unpredictable, and challenging.
Street photography is, also, a like spice: it help us enjoy the flavor of life.
In street photography, it is the quality of the story that is fun and spicy. I apologize for the image quality. It is difficult to get quality photos when shooting with a cell phone camera through a tinted windshield traveling 50 MPH.
Last week I had to return to the place of my up-bringing to visit a family member. While on that trip, I spent 24 hours, (pronounced 24 R’s) in the passenger seat of my son’s pick-up – traveling through the Pennsylvania Appalachian Mountains where the people I know have lived their whole life.
The spice of life I pondered as we traveled are things that have meaning to us.What is a tasty spice to me is not that spicy to you or to Jim Jr..
Of course, all of that was an introduction for me to show you some street photographs I took during the 24 r’s I was riding with Jim Jr. I was looking to record some of my history in photographs – my own spice to add flavor to my memory of life:
That little stuffed horse on the dash added spice to the life of Jim and his wife Sue. They have a name for the horse and Jim often referred to it by name. He mentioned how much it meant to he and his wife Sue. I listened, but that stuffed animal really did not trigger real meaning in my soul. The real story to me is the “Flat Top Ridge” the horse is looking at – but that mountain top meant nothing to Jim I know – He did not hike there, ski there, hunt deer or grouse there, ride bikes there, park there with a young lady after a Friday-night high school football game – none of that – but for me that ridge is where I come from – it is the people I know. So, with Jim Jr doing the driving, I took more street photos of the place I come from – and, always included Jim and Sue’s stuffed horse in the foreground.Just a mountain creek (pronounced crick) that the horse is looking at – but special to me – Around age 14, I was baptized in that crick – baptized into the “Shade Creek Congregation” of the Church of the Brethren.An old abandoned steal mill that Jim Jr’s and Sue’s horse is looking at. To me it is special, It is the first job, off of the farm, I ever had. I was twenty and I got a summer intern job at US Steel, Inc. in Johnstown, Pennsylvania doing “time and motion study” to help US Steel negotiate wage-rates with the Union. I learned things on that job I carried to all of my 50 year’s of jobs that followed. I think that experience of negotiation techniques was a major help to me 30 years later, when I worked for IBM in Europe, negotiating business commitments between corporate leaders in each country. That is why street photos of those old buildings have a unique spice to me.How ’bout that old house – it means a lot to me. I was born in one of the second floor rooms – almost 87 years ago – I do not think it means any thing to the horse. Jim Jr saw the house but it could not have the same emotional spice of life that that I have when I look at that house and barn.The horse, Jim Jr, and most folks in my TGO community have no experience with the coal mining towns built in the early 1900’s. Each coal mining town had a Company stores, Company houses, script, miner’s caps with carbide lamps, mine – ponies, and much more. They mean a lot to me. When I was 6 years old, each day I was bused from my insular-isolated farm home to a two room school house in Company Town One (Named for the first mine shaft in Cairnbrook). It was my first new world experience with the people I learned to know. That experience of new worlds started me on a life’s journey full of new world experiences – many travels, new towns, new countries, new jobs , new people – spices of life. This photo means a lot to me – I love it but I don’t want to go back – I want my Street Photos to be the spice I add to my day of memories.This tree just happened to be felled the day before we arrived. It stood for nearly 100 years. I saw that tree ever day for my first 20 years. Many times I drove nails into it to attach and mend the fence that kept the cows out of our front lawn. They tell me each of those black marks/streaks are the resulting wounds made by those nails! Standing by that stump brought spice to my day. Jim Jr and the Horse just saw it as a large old tree stump.Let me introduce you to Louie, named after Louisville, KY. It was purchased by Jim and Sue to support an Off Track Rescue Farm. Horse rescue is one of Sue’s keen intrest’s in life. So a photo of Louis has an emotional spice to Sue’s day. . Jim keeps Louie on his dash board to demonstrate his love of Sue and to show his support for her horse hobby. So Louis brings an emotional spice to Jim’s day. Now, Louise’s image brings some meaning to me because he is in each of my street photos on that trip back to “the people I know”. I really loved having Louie in each of my photos but the real deep spice he brings to life is between Jim and Sue.As you swing through life, taste the spice that is uniquely yours, sprinkle a little on your life each day – and share it with others – and watch them smile as they taste your life through the “street photos” you show.
Dave wrote: Hi Jim, A dark rainy morning here in Rome, NY. 32 degrees F. right now. It looks like spring but we know it is still a way off. Here are a few shots of a Barred Owl I took this morning. For a dark day they are not to bad. Dave
02 10 2023 Dave Cesari02 10 2023 Dave Cesari02 10 2023 Dave Cesari02 10 2023 Jim Brubaker – Are these reflections of Sue, in my friends super car, real? If you are not sure, just ask George Santos.As you swing through life, let thoughts that make you laugh sneak into your mind every day.
I love to relate to my family in all that I do. For example, My Granddaughter is in college studying in the performing arts.I heard that a summer job doing stand-up comic may be in her future.
That potential job caught my attention.You see, I think stand-up comic is just like the sit-down comic I do with PhotoShop.So, I started researching stand-up comedy.
Jerry Seinfeld says stand-up comicsexplore their life for material. He says, funny “comic material” is in everything and everybody they meet. That is me – it is the way I think – every photograph I take with my camera contains material for a funny PhotoShop photograph.
So you see, Maya and I have the joy of laughing at everyday happenings in common – I love it! Looking forward to one of Maya’s Stand-Up comedy sets if she gets the opportunity.
In New Jersey hot dogs by the boardwalk and playing in the waves at the beach are a way of life. But how are you going to sell hot dogs to the consumer dressed in a wet suit?Take the hot dog dinner to the consumer, of course.Lazy days in New Jersey are for reading and strolling the streets – but what are the dangers of reading – be it laying down with a book or be it reading your phone while strolling.Are you watching where you are walking while on the phone – falls are often the number one killer of older people.Now this tree has a shapely body but it needs a beautiful face to go with the body.Heather to the rescue!As you swing through life, be a stand-up or sit-down comic – laugh and help others laugh.
