James Brubaker

Look at the neat “Blue Sky” Gull. – See the way this gull tucks the feet away – I assume to reduce air drag!  It would really be fun to soar like this – with our outstretched wings (I mean arms)!  But a lot of flapping and feet movement is requited to get to or to leave this soaring position.  I will show you.

Study the feet. Run, Run……

We are off!!! Are geese right hand (footed?). Is it the right foot that is first to leave the ground. I do not know – Think I will study that question this summer!! Soon, Anyway, now no foot work required – Tuck the feet and the wings take over.

I chose this to show you – and for you to be prompted to study feet when you see a bird landing – See Geese land flat footed – Gulls seem to come in with toes pointed to the ground!

Flying saucer chasing me – Toes pointing down!.

Love this zoom-in. – Is it a flying saucer?  Oh, the white head, the red spot on lower mandible identify it as a Herring Gull. OOPS – head and mandible are hidden here – maybe you can see them on previous photos.

Yep – study feet and wings – see you later!

Some think Gulls are not worth watching – I love them – here one is hanging in mid-air!

Sometimes Gulls confuse the Mallards – Do you see the poor Mallard?

Sometimes they hold private morning gossip conversations.

Then I stopped and looked at new growth on this pine.

And thenI looked at long-gone growth – ready to re-start the cycle on this Dandelion.

Just a wet leaf – If I had more time I could try to photo the reflection – maybe tomorrow or next week!

Wild blossoms

More – Wild blossoms I stopped to look at.

More – Wild blossoms I stopped to look at.

More – Wild blossoms I stopped to look at.

More – Wild blossoms I stopped to look at.

More – Wild blossoms I stopped to look at.

More – Wild blossoms I stopped to look at.

Gotta Boogie on out of here – Garden, Horses, and Golf — Maybe a canoe ride – Catch you tomorrow

So what was I thinking – I wondered where all of these rocks got here – Thinking Glacial Melt back.

See the St Mary’s River – That is where we live. Drummond is right at the end of the river.

Now, I (and you) know how those rocks got there – they were in front of an advancing glacier. 12,000 years ago – the last glacier pushed them there from way up north – bet the Tundra is missing a lot of big rocks, 10,000 yeas ago it melted back and of course the big rocks just sat there!!!

It is hard to see from a photo just how big the are but——

Let me zoom back and get a big rock-moving machine in the photo – That might help show the size better.

That is my “photo story” about my thoughts. Only 10,000 years ago – where we humans around then? – bet that will be a future set of Thought Photos

He plowed, he harrowed, he hauled props, hauled fertilizer, he sowed first oats. – how did he do all that —  He purchased a mare for $142 of course.  Let me show you how he did all those chores with the horses he owned! -but first of all what is a prop and what is a harrow?

His Black mare would have been a draft horse – not shaped like a horse winning the Belmont.

This is a plow like he would have used

This is a harrow like he would have used.

Miners installing a prop like Grandpa hauled to the Hooverville mine.

OOPS, Grandpa  cut one too long for the low mine roof!

This is how he plowed.

This would be how he hauled fertilizer .

This is how he wold have hauled Props.

This is how he harrowed.

This is how he would have planted his “First Oats”

As you can see Grandpa did his daily living work with horses – I play with them every day – Is it all Grandpa fault – are horses in my DNA? Remember he wrote in 1903 – Actually,  I did all that horse work chores while growing up in 1950’s

Go back to the top and see if you can find other chores Grandpa did with the horse! That is my thought for now!

It all started in the year 1710 they tell me, that is when John came to this country. Feel sure I got most of the facts correct. John (my great,great,great,great,great grandfather came to this homestead area in Pennsylvania in late 1700s they say and rumor has it that he is buried right near the house)  –  the line is ……,…., John Jr. Jacob, Abraham, Michael, Charles, Kenneth then finally me followed by my children followed by their children. Abraham built this barn and house in Somerset County PA – I was born in the room with the window upstairs in the house – Of course it has been modernized and reduced in size – back then we had large families (Records show Abraham and Anne had 14 children).  My first memories are of playing right here in this yard, and in later years riding my pony in down that dirt road, looking for my Dad plowing in the field across the way. Oh what about magnify photos:  will show you.

I magnified this stone so we could read it. This little cemetery is within a good walk from the old barn and house – Anne was Abraham’s wife – my great, great, great grandmother. I do not know what happened to Abrahams tomb stone but I often read it and it said something like this “Remember me as you stand here, As you are now, so once was I, As I am now, soon you will be, Make peace with God and prepare to follow me.”

Grandpa Charles build this barn around 1900 on the same property as the house I was born in – Dad was born here and he farmed both places all of my growing up years. Later my brother farmed it – So you see the family farmed this property for over 200 years – each generations birth alternated between the two houses. Oh what about magnify photos: will show you.

Did you ever look up close at a Hex sign – Now you did. I do not know who made it for my Grandpa. Oh what about magnify photos: will show you.

Grandpa kept a record of important things that happened most days – Take note of the important thing that happened on the 24th – He hauled coal, harrowed, brought lumber — Oh by the way  “baby born”  That was my Dad! – Your Great Granddad!

Now, look closely at your photos – add a story to each – and keep record of the important things in your life – so that I and future generations may look at the details and ponder them.

The photographer, Grandma,  studied the photo print and created what she really saw via brush, pigment, and creativity. “A story of friendly pride in ones work!” – of both the baker and the artist.

The photographer saw the Falcon – and took many photos . Why did the Falcon choose this back yard in Brooklyn to sit and pose?

The Falcon says she loves me so I will perform and stand side-way 

The photographer named this “The Brooklyn Polar Bears” – The story is told by the young Granddaughter – she is a true actor – acting out a part for Grandma – communicating – not in words but with body language! With body language the tough man (Grandson) is communication “Sissy” lets play frisbee!  Mom says – Here, I will break up the ice for you.

The Photographer (Grandma) saw this on a seven mile hike through NYC and saved it to study so that she could create what she saw via brush, pigment, and creativity. The story here is composition – the uniting of Nations – That is what the building was constructed for.

I stole the photograph  from Grandma – created what I saw vie Digits, PhotoShop and my best at creativity! The story is that PhotoShop developers gave me the power to do funny thing with a photograph!

Or maybe – “Elvis” on black velvet

Or the Vegas Strip

Simple – The photographer called this  “BAD DOG”  The dog said why did you call me that? – Is it bad to make little things our of big things – I say you shred paper in your office – are you a bad woman? I do not think so!

As my brain sees it!

Jackson about to catch the Game winning fly -Congratulations – But but note that even an outdoor sport is not void of animals – see the dog by the wood in the background!

From a very good friend and partner in the Great Outdoor Photo Club she coordinated the establishment of our first Photo Gallery. Then took off on a multi year tour of the United States. she wrote “We have been having a great time in our travels and seen some wonderful sights. I took the attached picture this morning from my bedroom window of the sun setting over the Sangre de Cristo mountains.

Talking to the bear – This is a funny one Grandma took – it was really taken in a city – but the city needs animals too.

Go out and about – look for cute, funny things!

Look at the legs – these Tundra Swans are doing what I call “Synchronized Swim”

Doing a morning “Scratch the Itch”

Taking a morning drink of the swan version of “Coffee”

Looking Majestic – Trunda Swan style – He or she learned how to do it on the Jersey Shore – Spent all winter there – As the name implies – In a few day they will head for the Tundra north of Hudson bay! The fly in small groups – maybe only 6 in their flock!

Exploring the camera – getting the lens wet!

Mergansers showing the world that he is very polite – Gave the seat to his wife! Some of the friends will travel with the swans to the Tundra but these stay here and raise a family I think – not too well liked by the fishermen – they both want the fish – the fish do not like either one of them!

I chose this as my last photo – Cause it is a deer waving good-bye as I work on my photos and blog. BYE

Send photos of your family (or other animals) doing things – Thanks!

Into the deep dark wood I go looking for ???? Maybe the home of Grandma and the wolves? Or the Johnny Run-around.

Hey, I found some over there to the right – I will try to find the real name sometime and let you know . But it covers rocks and stumps – In this telephoto it looks like a view of the Pennsylvania Mountains from the Turnpike which I just took west last week.

A field of Dandelions overlooking the bay.

Lets use my Tamron 18-270 and zoom in. WOW, that is great – but what are the black dots?

Lets use my computer and PhotoShop and have a closer look – so that is what is is — a BUG — the lens and the RAW format really show the recent technology advances in image recording — What is RAW format? Don’t know — look it up on GOOGLE – More technology advances!

I showed you a woods shot, and a field who – Now a stream shot. – But what duck is it?

To PhotoShop and I see it is a Common Golden Eye – Has round white spot (Not a Barrow’s Golden Eye)  and no black on breast. I love the way it takes off — big splash behind — did you see the crystal fish yesterday? Here is why I only carry my camera – with a lens from TAMRON —This lens delivers a remarkable zoom ratio of 15X (28-419mm equivalent) and is equipped with a highly effective Vibration Compensation (VC) mechanism. Designed exclusively for digital SLR cameras with APS-C sized image sensors2, the new lens delivers outstanding image quality over its entire zoom range and its exclusive VC anti-shake system facilitates sharp handheld photography even at the longest telephoto settings.

Om my next out and about I will look for this artistic  mouse and ask for some help taking better photos.

Look at this poor photograph of Whitney Bay on northern Lake Huron. Did you know that the surface area of the lake is 23,000 square miles! – the third-largest fresh water lake on earth – and on the earth and the moon!

Look closer – see what others do not see?

Well, I will zoom in a little more – ’cause I love photographing hearts – especially those that others do not see – like in the clouds(see the heading to this web site), in the shadows, in the gravel on the shore – and yes even road beds. Now go re-look at the previous photo – see the heart?

Look at this Common Merganser taking off – we have many different Diving Duck around here this time of year. Goldeneyes, Buffleheads were see yesterday. And Loons – all fighting for their woman. Think I saw a Loon trying to impress female Merganser??? Oh well, it is that time of year – Young men, you just can not trust them! – What did I see that others may not?

Now do you see it?

I see a crystal fish jumping and blowing bubbles – Ponder that, if you will.

For the moment all the fish seem to be happy – but I fear for three of the four- So what did I see? Well, I only pondered it and in my pondering I saw an artist who decorated the house on Whitney Bay – an artist with a good sense of humor! Oh, by the way, did you notice that the fish are not the same – two of one breed and two of another?

Think I will go see which ducks got married over night – who paired up with who! (or is it whom?)