I will attempt to update the photo club pages about 5 times per week with a photo and a thought of the photo – or some comment. Tell me what you think after you look at the photo blog/facebook for several days. Thanks.Ok, off I go to do work – am I really getting anywhere?
Did you ever stop to truly gaze at an evergreen branch? – Why not? – You know to the point where you “Can’t see the tree for the branch” – That is a an old Grandpaism for the expressions “Can’t see the trees for the forest” or “Can’t see the forest for the trees” or What ever!!!The horses and the friends of mine are not posing – so this is a study of the nature in the trees (the forest) – not each branch – and how nature formed true beauty in the wood in the old Finnish Homestead home!!! – and how nature has shaded it from the bright sun – kind of forces you to stop and study each detail.Is this a study of nature in the the flower basket or in the simulated “Old nature weathered shingles” — NOPE it is a study of nature in the eyes of the tiny red squirrel posing for his photograph!!!Can you see nature in the form of a pair of ducks — maybe you can — BUT, sometime stop to study nature in the form of grass. This is a photograph of grass and the ducks just got in the way – This grass has been legal in every state since their first charter, I think! As a photographer, did I improve on nature by using a large aperture and a little Photoshop? Unless you are near-sighted, this photograph is only a piece of art work – so, photographers are not true journalist – a photograph is what the camera recorded – not a statement of things as they are – Is it real because we saw it? – But then, my eye sight is different then yours so, is what I see real? OR is what you see, with your good eyes, the real thing?
“All fishermen are liars” – that is the title of a book I enjoyed. Well, I will title this blog posting as “All photographers are liars” – That is a Grandpaism
A far off freighter, a neighbor’s pleasure boat, and my canoe, Here is a statement – I think – It is of boats (ships) made by folks – not really of nature – but think about it – would they be worth looking at if it were not for the natural setting I found them in – my answer – of course not — what do you think?Look at the nature water surface — It was an evening of drizzle type of rain a little wind – and look at the nature surface – a pattern we would like to have on our counter top, our bed spread, our rug – — I think we would like to preserve this pattern of nature for our daily viewing on these items – What do you think?A nature spider hanging onto his web – the shadow cast in the lower right is interesting – I kinda like it. what do you think? He/she has a few bugs caught in the lower left — quite a dinner plate waiting for the spider and his/her friend at their evening meal!!! They need a bottle of wine and a little candle light!Do you hate dandelions in your lawn? I just mow them off every day or two and catch the seed so they do not take over – but a few are quit a nice view of nature — Wht do you think?Clouds aree one thing that always seems to be under looked at by most folks – I always look at nature in the sky – see a boy with a blue eye and a base ball cap – I do — What do you think?Hey – I found this guy on my deck – He/she is true nature – Beauty, Mystery, or ugly. What do you think?Since i am a nature artist – or rather – God is the artist – and I try as hard as i cane to view his art work and let my Nikon and/or iPhone save it for this blog – What do you think of my capturing?
On our lunch break – In a beautiful open field by an early 1900 Finnish homestead – consisting of two log buildings – First with the sauna shown here – I am told that the family lived in the sauna while building the log home. notice that Perla has only a bareback pad on her back – I do not ride with a saddle – I like the feel of the pad only – gives me a much better sense of the the horse – I feel we are closer to one – She senses my instructions better & I can anticipate her thinking better. – Plus it is much easier to “Saddle” up – the pad is very light and it is only one item to place on her back! I feel we are a real team by using just the pad. No stirrups though – it does make mounting up a little more difficult for an on guy like me. You should see this old man trying to jump up on a horse – it is not a pretty sight — but Perla just looks back – shakes her head and says OK I will put up with you. Perla is a very great horse – she will stand by me after we take off the bridle and bareback pad – so I always brush her down — but when released to do her own thing – says she – “I GOTTA SCRATCH MY BACK!!!”We saw this slipper left by a tiny lady – These tiny ladies live out in the woods along roads and trail — not like a troll under the bridge.Three slipper hanging out to dry – Lady number 2 did only stepped in the pool with one foot – she is still wearing the other slipper – It is good luck to see and photograph the slipper but I warn you do not photograph the ladies – that would be bad news — But I assure that none of the ladies has ever been photographed – That is good news – That is why we have such a wonderful wooded land to live in. “NOW DO YO BELIEVE THAT TOTAL STORY?”See you later – I have new wagon to assemble, Horses to tend too, golf balls to carve, walking sticks to carve and put calligraphy on – oh you do not want to hear of all that — Bye!
This is evening — but morning and noon and mid-night are good too!Half of the fenced in garden – no I did not fence it in to keep the flowers and vegetables in – You guessed it — I put the fence up so the deer could look at the beautiful flowers and tasty tomatoes. Like a picture window for the deer! ain’t I nice to the wildlife of Drummond.I told you a while back I was practicing my paining – You know famous people – like George W – take up painting in their retirement years! This is a Photograph though.This is my painting!Here are three photos of my three mostly herb gardens – no fence – the deer will be able to look at the herbs all natural – folks tell my the are not tempted to eat herbs – We will see – i will keep you informed! I put the heart rock there to tell the deer we love them if they do not eat in my gardens.The deer survived the cold snowy spring on Drummond by eating the buds off this lilac bush, But they missed two buds on the very bottom – why? they were covered with snow of course — see the flowers that resulted.What do you think of this pot? See that tall grassy weed in the middle – I had to purchase 4 of those grassy weeds so that folks could not tell if they are planted there by intent or if I just did not get around weeding — That is my side of the story – Grandma, insists the the pot is greatly enhanced by adding weeds – oops I mean by adding the spiked height to the flower pot – As soon as a neighbor saw the pots – they commented on how wonderful the tall green plant in the center made the pot – it made the flowers stand out – Gee, I am glad I thought of adding the!!!
Ok, I got to go get to work – weeding and stuff like that!
I like my front window view – always changing – ducks, minks, geese, deer, otters, boats, kayaks, canoes, — even people go by.My canoe – just waiting for a pilot – I volunteer!In the evening mist we head for the “Big Water” – Lake Heron directly ahead!OOPS, I see a 700 foot freighter crossing beyond the Gap – heading for the Soo Locks – Maybe I better head back to our safe bay! No Gorillasl on the Island. No Jane either, that I know of. How about a title – “FREIGHTERS OF THE MIST” You got all that?What is that about me training ducks???? OOPS! Here he comes – Pa, wake up and get moving — NOW!!But before crossing the road “LOOK LEFT”Then “LOOK RIGHT” – See how well I have them trained!!!And you thought I was really a “dog trainer” – Well, he does what I command – I know some will say I am wrong – I should ask an animal to do what I want it to do. Some times I do ask – most times I command – Sometimes I let it decide. Anyway, the ducks did not get run over by a car!!!
Actually this is a North Carolina flower from the garden by the Blowing Rock Inn that we stayed in. But it was an evening just like a Drummond evening when I took the shot – Just so you could get a sense of “Nice Evenings” where ever you are!Bet you could find some Lilac’s where ever you are – They are like America’s Flower – every where and if you find one – Go sniff it — WOW But after all that – with Grandma’s critique – I have concluded it is a Rhododendron — Tell me — what do you think? Pretty anyway!!!These are the flowers we purchased for our garden – it is waiting for me to put up the deer prevention fence – today I hope and tomorrow the flowers go in – See the spaded garden at the top of the photo? We will see flowers from our kitchen window, our 2 patios, grill area, and our front door all summer we hope – My friend did suggest, just this morning, that I leave the fence down so the deer will get fatter for his venison stew in the fall!Ma is always looking for danger – you know? The man with the camera may come around.OOPS! Here he comes – Pa, wake up and get moving — NOW!!Let’s fly off into the sunset!I love running around and getting nowhere – But really I must get going – Garden, lawn, golf – get me out of this wheel so I can do real work!
Our temporary home away from home – Welcome to The New Public House and Hotel located in historic Blowing Rock. The 1921 building, the former Sunshine Inn and Crippens Country Inn, has been renovated and modernized by the team behind Gideon Ridge Inn and Bistro Roca.The Dinning Room – nobody there – choose any table that you want – Well it was not really that way for dinner – many people came – but for breakfast which came with the room – we pretty much had it to ourselves — we could order from the menu any thing we wanted – we wanted a lot – let me tell you – the scales told me we ate a lot – or was it the iceream I had at the local cream shop every night?Grandma is learning from a Master PotterI am learning from a Master musician!I did not buy a song – but I stole it and hummed it all day long – but Grandma bought this bowl from the Master, to hold fruit on our counter at home on Drummond.Oh, say you – “What is it” The Morel is America’s mushroom – they are coveted by mushroom hunters all over America. In every state and even in New York City, I am told? But never follow the information you get from a Mushroom Hunter. — “No, I did not find any Morels around here – i heard that old Mushroom joes is finding a lot of them in the next county over – I suggest you travel over there and ask for Mushrom joe – he will help you locate buckets full of them!” – “Oh, I hear he also has a bridge for sale – I think it is caLLED THE LONDON BRIDGE – AT A REAL GOOD PRICE TOO”As I took it – A barn with a quilt pattern on the end. Seeing that Grandma is an Artist – we must photo all forms of art work!As I cropped and HDR’ed it. Some say do you post process your photos – Say I – YES. Say they BAD. Why – photos are to represent reality. – You kid me Unless you are Near Sited – a photo shot at 1.2f is not real. But it looks more pleasing to us humans – less background distractionBackground blurred and only flower included in the shot – Really not as I saw it – but as the camera saw it with the setting I gave the camera – see no post processing! BUT NOT REALLY REAL – Think about that!I am allowed to paint what I feel – not like a photographer who must photo what is real -Ha Ha!!
Just getting up of course!Every time I take the saddle pad off and brush her down – out of the barn she goes and rolls. So, I went to the web and ask why? Dear Dr. McDonnell, Almost every time I let my horses out of the stalls after feeding them, they roll in the dirt, dust, or mud. Why? Here is what I got: Rolling associated with turnout after feeding is a slight variation on the more usual question of rolling immediately after a good grooming or a bath. Owners often ask why their horse “hates to be clean,” or tries to “ruin his coat,” and seems to deliberately roll to “spite you for grooming him.” The short answer to rolling when turned out is that it’s normal horse grooming and social behavior to roll whenever turned out from the stall to an open area. But since rolling is one of the most interesting equine behaviors, I’ll take the opportunity of your question to explain in greater detail how and why rolling is normal. In horses living outdoors all of the time, especially those living under natural herd conditions, rolling behavior is one of the most conspicuously frequent social and grooming behaviors. While we don’t know precisely what stimulates rolling and what it means in all circumstances, it likely serves several purposes. These would include: Speed drying and refluffing of a wet or matted coat to restore maximum insulative properties. Covering the coat with dust that reflects the sun and possibly helps repel biting insects. Aiding in shedding. Increasing comfort by scratching.On our way to the Soo to pick up my truck from the service garage – we took the 7:10 and just down the road here is what we saw through the windshield. Beautiful it was! but cool – never made it to 50 degrees all day! that is about 20 degrees below normal.What is this bird? — photo across the bay – used the 1000 mm zoom on my point and shoot camera. I think it is an immature eagle — What do you think?Do you see the well hidden eggs of the Killdeer? Their name comes from their frequently heard call. These birds will frequently use a distraction display (“broken-wing act”) to distract predators from their nests. This involves the bird walking away from its nesting area holding its wing in a position that simulates an injury and then flapping around on the ground emitting a distress call. The predators then think they have easy prey and are attracted to this seemingly injured bird and away from the nest. If the parent sees that a potential predator is not following them, they will move closer and get louder until they get the attention of the predator. This is repeated until the predator is far from the nest, and the killdeer suddenly “heals” and flies away.[Now that I am back on the Island, I will try to update my story to the grandkids mor often – and anyone else who may chance upon the site!
Who woke me up? Compared to people, horses seem to require very little actual sleeping time. While we consider a healthy night’s sleep of eight hours to be about right for us, how much sleep do our horses actually need? Generally occurring during the night time hours, the average horse spends any where from a few minutes to as much as 3 or 4 hours per day actually sleeping, with another 2 t0 3 hours per day relaxing in a standing drowsy state.HITTING THE HAY! “Horses have sleep patterns typical for prey species that evolved on open plains,” says Sue McDonnell, PhD, head of the Equine Behavior Lab at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine. All horses can sleep standing up. Your horse has a sort of internal hammock-a system of tendons and ligaments called the stay apparatus. This system lets him lock his legs in position so (unlike you) he can relax his muscles and doze off without keeling over. Even when he’s not sleeping, he uses the stay apparatus to rest muscles and reduce fatigue. Being able to sleep standing up is a great advantage for a prey animal. If a mountain lion comes creeping through the underbrush, the horse can be off and running without wasting precious seconds struggling to his feet. Horses plan for a quick getaway in choosing resting places, too. Out in the open, they go for sheltered areas but position themselves to get out fast–butts to the windbreak, heads pointing toward a likely escape route. “They’re like volunteer firemen who back their cars into parking spaces so they can pull out fast,” Even though they’re able to snooze standing, horses apparently need to lie down for rest and sleep at least some of the time. In fact, scientists think horses must lie down to go into deep stages of sleep. Like humans and many other animals, horses experience both slow-wave sleep (SWS) and rapid-eye-movement (REM) deep sleep.I am a Pony – so why does my shadow look like the head of a camel? Don’t you know, Camel is a brand of cigarettes that was introduced by American company R.J. Reynolds Tobacco in the summer of 1913. Most current Camel cigarettes contain a blend of Turkish tobacco and Virginia tobacco. In 1913, R.J. Reynolds developed an innovation: the packaged cigarette. Most tobacco users who smoked cigarettes preferred to roll their own, and there was thought to be no national market for pre-packaged cigarettes. So named because it used Turkish paper, in imitation of then-fashionable Egyptian cigarettes. Reynolds undercut competitors on the cost of the cigarettes, and within a year, he had sold 425 million packs of Camels. Blame many bad health events on R.J. Reynolds – just suppose he smoked many cigarettes before he invented Camels and suffered the consequences – would the world be better?
Stay with me – this is a budding piece of art work — Having an artist wife puts me in a very special place – I get to study pieces of art work at shows, I get to listen to in-depth analysis of of pieces she is developing, and I get to — well, in simple terms, it seems my life in immersed in art – — So say I, maybe I will try some myself and keep showing you as I move these projects forward.Very difficult doing art one digit at a time. ByeThis is more like it! Bye
