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I know, yesterday I told you to be the one to make change happen — safely and smart and your way — but some change God will not give you any control over – I think those things were put there for your pure observation and enjoyment – sort of a decoration given to you…..

……… without you having to go to the shopping mall to purchase items to decorate your life.  Stop, look and smell the roses (“the given decorations”), from time to time as you make your changes happen.

Oh, do not forget to look at the clouds too – they are free and their change happens very rapidly some days when the wind up there is just right.

But as you walk down your street, through the pasture, or along the hiking trail — ponder about the change that the objects in nature went through – how long it took them, and what they were like in their “hay day”.

Look at what nature did here — Lightening started a fire – this tree  met it’s demise in seconds – the one in the foreground – just seconds later.

This mushroom had but days to appear beneath the leaves.

These seeds had – what? maybe a month?

These leaves and feather – several months.  The spider web over the feather  maybe 3 days?

This partial log – had years before it was floating in the water.  Now, a beautify piece of art work  — bet a store in the mall could sell this log to you if  the store could capture and sell you the ocean to float it in — Na, some things you do not get at the store.

Seventy years brings about a lot of change — Was this guy thinking about change, his role in it, and enjoying your company in the future? The answer is NO! But, I was thinking about malls the other day – Then, some thoughts about change just flew into my head. So, I gathered up some

….. photos (including the featured photo)  and wrote a little about some change – then and now .

And that lead me to think–Oh, for you Grandkids, it is not about then and now — It is about now and beyond — What fun changes will you create as a base for your beyond generations.  Sure hope you will have fun creating!  I also, hope you do it safely, in a smart way, and in your own way  —  so that the future will say you were a WOW person.

Go tell your parents to be kind to you, because you will be creating the world they live in – in their old age. You see, your parents generation is creating my old age world.  Even with the House and Senate debates – my life around here is pretty good – so tell your parents, thanks for me. OK?

Time passes and things change. My Grandpa is not here today to purchase a mare and harness. But through his daily labors of many years ago, he left a beautiful homestead that the family of many still, after 110 years, call the homestead.

This beautiful buck has left but a relic,  his beautiful rack lying among the down branches, but in the morning, on the Island, I am likely to see an offspring of his swimming across the bay – returning from a trip to the other shore, defending his right to begin the creation of future generations for my offsprings to enjoy.

Maybe an offspring – a new generation buck seen swimming the bay:

In 1968  THE LEDGER reported:

By Gary White
THE LEDGER

Miraculous Profits Await You in Miracle City Inc. – Titusville, Florida. …the largest and most modern shopping center in the fastest growing area in the country. …Miracle City is a 330,000-square-foot, air-conditioned mall as modern as the space age activities of its neighbors.

Forty-three years later, the name Miracle City Mall drips with unintended irony. The woebegone mall is a relic.

TITUSVILLE, Fla. — 2013

Eyewitness News has new pictures of what an empty shopping mall will look like when it’s redeveloped.

WFTV found out about the $60 million plans to revitalize Titusville’s Miracle City Mall last fall.

Developer Allen Goins shared renderings of his project.

The open-air mall would encompass 300,000 square feet and would likely include restaurants, retail shops, and a movie theater.

The new mall is seen as a focus of north Brevard’s revitalization efforts. Could this be a rendition of the future?

So, say I to you –things will change – To my Grandkids I say –Look forward to that change — Better yet – Look forward to creating that change — Some watch change happen, others make change happen, others say what the hell happened.   Be the one in the middle –  make change happen. 🙂

It is not always possible for me to get the photo I want to show you while I am out on my bike — In this case I found a Pygmy Rattler  —  but I was only able to get the tail end of his body — with rattles though — so I thought I would show you the very safe Garden Snake (Garter Snake) in our flower garden on Drummond —  But in a special way — as the front end of a Pygmy Ratter found on the road by our home in Florida.  There is nothing wrong with me showing you two snakes in one if I tell you that once again I see things that are not there  — Right?  Look at his tiny rattlers.

Just for comparison, here are three rattlers from Diamondback’s on our ranch in Texas a few years back — you can see they are a little more impressive in size. Of course a 5 foot Diamond back is much easier to see then a 1 foot Pygmy.  I have seen several  Pygmies here in Florida though.  They can be aggressive and they truly are very hard to see   —  small, and blend in with foliage  – so it would be easy to be within sticking range while gardening.  I am very careful when out and about.  I had a friend that nearly lost her dog to a Pygmy — the dog was a Shelty that did many agility shows with Dyna – and we trained together for several years. The vet bill was quite high too.

These Pygmies  only attain an average length of less than a foot.  Their small size & moderately mild venom keeps them from being a serious threat to human life, but the bite is still extremely painful. One man I know was bitten severely enough by a pygmy that he was hospitalized for several days.  Despite their small size, they can act as if  they were 6 feet long.  Locals say, if you give the snake half of an opportunity to bite you, it will happen.   Don’t count on hearing the rattle,  — it does not produce much noise, if any. I never heard it anyway!

In the town of Mins, FL just north by about 7 miles. I discovered it is the home of: H.O.R.S.E. Inc. & Feathered Friends
Helpers, Organizing, Rescue, Service, Education
Nonprofit 501 (c) Organization Since 2000
Office 5236 International Ave Mim’s Fl,32754
Visits By Appointment Only
H.O.R.S.E. Inc. has been a Nonprofit 501 (c) Organization Established in 2000 dedicated to providing
shelter,care,rehabilitation,and adoption services for abused, neglected, abandoned and unwanted horses. We
also rescue parrots in need.

I found this site while researching mushrooms and the extent of people being poisoned by bad mushrooms — Horse farms in Florida have many mushrooms growing in manure piles and in the pasture — so see kids, I find connections of all my topics – Horses and mushrooms this time – bet you did not expect that connection.  So, I used their site to gather some information – I presented it at the end of this posting.

But first, I was asked, yesterday, where was the cloud angel — You know, I see things that are not there — well, they are there, but only in my mind:

another example:

I personally do not eat wild mushrooms – guess I recommend that you, Grandkids, do not eat them either — but they are sure fun to photograph — sort of like playing with a poisonous snake – I do not play with them either — well, I have eaten rattle snake  — not the poisonous part  — I would rather photograph them – at a proper distance of course!

How many mushroom ingestion’s happen in a year?
Every year across the United States, more than 9,000 cases of mushroom ingestion’s are reported to
the American Association of Poison Control Centers. Children under the age of 6 years account for a
majority of these cases. The consequences of mushroom poisoning can be severe.
Mushroom or Toadstool whats the different?
Because there is so much misinformation about toadstools and mushrooms, the terms need
definition. Some people mistakenly believe the word “mushroom” means an edible or safe variety and
the word “toadstool” means a poisonous or bad mushroom. This is incorrect. Many mushrooms are
poisonous and some toadstools are edible or safe.
How poisonous are mushrooms?
Medically speaking, “poisonous mushroom” means any mushroom or toadstool that causes an
adverse or negative reaction when eaten. Symptoms can range from 6 hours of vomiting to lethal
liver or kidney failure.
How many poisonous mushrooms are there?
In the United States, there are about 5,000 types of mushrooms. Of these, about 100 are
responsible for most of the cases of mushroom poisoning. Less than a dozen species are considered
deadly. However, death from other species, even so-called “safe” mushrooms, has occurred in very
young children or in very ill adults.
What are the facts and fiction about mushroom identification?
FICTION: A mushroom is considered safe if:

• The mushroom grows on wood
  
• Slugs or other insects eat the mushroom
  
• Squirrels, rabbits, or other wildlife eat the mushroom
  
• The mushroom is dried, boiled, salted or pickled in vinegar
  
• The mushroom does not have a ring or skirt on the stalk
  
• The mushroom is pure white in color
  
• Just because someone else says “I have ate those their safe”
  

FACTS:

• Some people can have allergic reactions to eating “safe” mushrooms.      
  
• Some mushrooms are only poisonous if eaten in large quantities.
  
• Some mushrooms are poisonous when raw but become harmless when cooked.
  
• Some mushrooms are poisonous regardless of how they are cooked or prepared.
  
• Some mushrooms are poisonous only if eaten with alcoholic beverages.
  
• Some mushrooms are classified as poisonous because they are hallucinogenic.
  
• Stewed Mushrooms juice is a dangerous hallucinogenic drug, that can cause serious damage
  to your health permanently even death.
  

MORE FACTS:

• Some mushrooms that are edible when fresh and young, poisonous when they  are old, hit by
  frost or decayed.
  
• Some mushrooms, for unknown reasons, are poisonous in one part of the country, are not
  poisonous in another.
  
• Some mushrooms that are poisonous to animals do not cause major problems in humans.

  

  
  

What does this cloud angel in the sky have to do with your sport? or mine?  I will try to make the connection for you. You see, the cloud ANGEL in the skymade me do it.

Here is how it started. Monday, Granda came back from an art class and I returned from the wood shop. Each at around 5:30 in the evening. Say we to each other — how about a couple holes of golf before we prepare dinner. Say us to us — Great idea.  She says “Lets go to hole #3.”  We like to start on hole #3  for several reasons 1. It is fairly easy – no hazards that are likely to jump out and take your ball away!  and 2. It is private — no happy-hour people sitting on their back porch shouting “BOO’s” when you screw up a shot!

When I saw the angel in the sky watching our every move, however, it triggered my re-focus from golf to the sport of photo opportunities. When that happens, Grandma always says to me “I came out here to play golf, not watch you laying on the ground looking at mushroom!”  Hey married men, you know that she did not tell me what to do or not do, but you know there was a message in that statement — Right?  “OK, I will hit the ball!”

I want to do is show you some of the distractions that the angel threw at me.  Would you be distracted? If you say “Yes” then I feel justified in mixing the sport of golf and the sport of nature photography.

Oh, after hole # 7 (we skipped 4 and 5 – do not like them) we went home and  had a great meal of BBQ chicken, shrimp, and beans, and a little white wine!

TURTLES AND UGLIES! — The outdoor world is most interesting this time of year — The reason that I said that is to highlight to you that that statement is applicable each and every day of the year! — I guess I could have said each just “day” — I did not really need to say “day of the year” to convey my meaning — or did I?   — What do you think?  

Oh, why did I say interesting in the first place — because I find things run in time based cycles. Deer rutting happens in a season – so all the deer in your area behave in the same way – then time moves on and the deer behave in a different way.  I find change interesting.  So, say I – this time of year is different then the previous time of year — that equals change equals interesting. Got all that?

In my Florida area, at least two other things are happening this time of year — Mushrooms sprout up over night – I think if I stood at the correct place I could see them spring up like a grasshopper hops.  The other things is  many turtles are out and about.

Oh, well lets talk about UGLY.    What is ugly?

Each day I ride my bike (actually a bike we bought for Grandma) – with camera – except yesterday I only had my iphone — WOW what a great camera it is – see this beautify; creature.

QUESTION: why did the turtle cross the road?

A neighbor came by while I was laying on the road taking this photograph — “Ohhh, one of those ugly turtles”.

Now, why did he say that?  Now I know this turtle’s mother spent a great deal of effort placing the eggs in the sand and covering all tracks — Just so that her son would grow up to be this beautiful specimen.

This beautiful speciman then looked up at me and spoke so that his mother, hiding some where that I did not see and said “Ohhh, one of those ugly humans”.  With that I got on my bike, rode on to my next adventure, and pondered just what made me so ugly?

Actually our next adventures included a walk on the beach — Playlinda Beach – just north of the old shuttle launch site.

Bet, the Beach is “Closed” to day — it is a National Seashore  — and the strategy of negotiations going on in the Government include pinching by each side – until  one or the other says Uncle — my sister and I used physically pinch until one or the other said “uncle” — ask Grandma, maybe we do our own form of pinching — I mean negotiating   — You know, deciding where to spend money, when/how to travel, what to have for our meals  — HELP! — Can any one of you tell me how to win the negotiations — just once?

Back to the beach and things that happen in specific seasons in the outdoors!  This is a sign on the beach that was open to the public before the shut down:

 Each yellow stake marks a nesting sight!

This stake identifies who and when to expect a beautiful specimen to emerge.  I assume is says the eggs were laid on 8/14/2013, by a Loggerhead sea Turtle — Should emerge in about 2 weeks.  Some stakes say Green, and some say Leatherback — these three kinds of turtles that lay eggs on this beach.  Do not know what the other information means — The fencing on the ground, I assume is to protect the eggs from bad things – people walking , animals digging, sand blowing away, ???  — If we have no Government money next year we may have fewer turtles next year — Guess, I like having turtles  — So, say I — sure glad I can afford to pay my taxes  — Really, our taxes and our form of free negotiating government have built a BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY – I LOVE IT!  So you folks in Washington — keep on negotiating to accomplish the best of the best — I am sure you will — I will pay whatever I have to to have such a wonderful national park, and to have so much more –Yea!

Today we try out a new format – hope it works for you — I expect to make more then one post per day – usually only one subject per post. Let’s see how it goes!

When on the Island, I play/work/enjoy being with Perla every day at 4:00 pm.  A typical day consisted of me walking out to the pasture – most often with my friend – he with a three foot string (small diameter rope) and me with a rope halter.  He has taught me many things about natural horsemanship.  But, he supports me doing the details a  way that is most comfortable for me.  My comfort way, may  be a little different than his, but  he and I both believe one of the most important things to remember, when you play/work/enjoy being with animals is consistency – Especially with prey animals. In the case of horses, if you do the same gentle thing to them for several days and you did not eat them, they relax and tend to respond to your every wish.  First,  they must make sure that you are not a lion, tiger, or bear   — ’cause their momma told them watch out for lions, tiger, and bears — they will hurt you – maybe even eat you!  Run away quickly!

As I said, I have learned much, much, much from my friend about natural horsemanship.  Consistency of course, how you approach a horse in the pasture, and much more.   So when I approach Perla, I have a definition of a win, — We win if we prove our enjoyment of being together.   Here is how we get to WIN.  First, I did not go to the pasture to catch her —  I want her move to me — to catch me — come to me for something — no not food — for GROOMING and our connection  — a hug.This is not a horse hug – It is a people hug. Horses do not hug and connect with each other this way.  But they do hug  — a mother horse will turn her head along her side and push the colt up against her body with her head – that is a horse hug — Perla (and all most all horses) love to be groomed, after Perla catches me each day — I do not put the halter on — I groom her. — I do it in the same way each day.  She turns her head and gently pushes me against her body – that is a horse hug. We connected – she knows that I ask her to trust me and she does trust me.  The routine sets us up for our fun activities of ground work/play, riding, and round pen hooking-on. Who knows in the future we may do Whitney Bay road touring, agility, and driving?

She even lets me clown around with her.  We are becoming a team — wonder where this team will pick up when I return to the Island?

Sometimes we need to hug our tractors too – I am ready to get to the Island and do some road work and set up my brand new garden area for next year — Sorry Perla.  Catch me later.

Today – My topic was mushrooms as I did my bike ride: (I’ll show you two views of one mushroom)

What did I do all day? biked/exercised, cleaned house, to DMV to update license. I Have CDL and they require answers to questions every now and then, got Grandma snapper fish for dinner — I had leftover pork! – we played a few holes of golf –that is it so far.

You know, I was thinking about what I said the other day — I like to go out search for one target topic to photograph — I said the target could be smart dogs, dumb dogs, mushrooms, birds, garbage, leaves that are not green,….. what ever .

Max, I know, years ago was looking for license plates from every state. — think he got them. My brother looks for clocks. I have a neighbor that looks for rocks. These later folks are collectors rather than photographers. But you see, Max did not have to steal/buy the plates, just photographed them. — much less expensive that way, and not all, but most photo targets are legal.

Grandma just came in and told me of an article she read about older folks, I think as old as nursing homes, — but any way — they lived longer and were happier if they lived a life with the excitement of a passion. I think she was telling me that her wonderful passion with the arts is a good thing — Now, I am sure you grandkids knew that it is a good thing — Each of you were taught, taken to see, and/or received finished products of her passions in fiber arts, oil painting, watercolor painting, — and yes live stage performances.

So I went back thru some of my photo archives to see what some of my targets of the day were (called TODs )  — I have a short attention span for my passions – not a life time like Grandma  (Oh, I just rationalized me — I have a life time passion for passions!). anyway, I will pass along 1 photo from some of my photo targets – maybe they will trigger a thought in your mind!

1. How ’bout paintings on walls, railroad cars, billboards….

2.  You know I do clouds. How about food:

3. How ’bout fountains: (or fountain pens) oops I tweaked this one a little:4.  I run a photo club in our community and we often do field trips for one target topic — sometimes Grandma goes along — here is one of her selections when the target was – feathers5. The end – many opportunities to search out things that are “Over the hill” – Grandma says, take a self portrait — I made that up!6.  These seeds could be the end or the beginning

7. Faces is a fun target:

You got the idea!  — Rest assured, I do have thousands of Photos in many different target topics —  Before I go, here is one from Grandma’s photo club shoot – target = doors:

Or how about  a target of Decals/Bumper stickers:Or last but not least target “Patterns”Now I go — My Target is Read and Sleep!