FISHERMAN - PLEASE DON'T LEAVE YOUR LINES AND HOOKS LYING AROUND

I've seen several injured ducks since we've lived here.  Almost every day when we walk the lake there will be a duck limping or a coot having a problem.

Luckily Mike saw this coot in trouble and scooped it up to help it.  We used my jacket to contain him as he was not liking our help in the beginning.  There was fishing line wrapped several times around his foot and also we think he swallowed the part of the line with a hook in it. 

We had nothing to cut the line with but luckily a guy fishing nearby had a pocket knife.  Took about 5 minutes of careful cutting (it was so tight it would eventually make the foot useless or dead cutting off the circulation)) and we were able to free him.  The only thing we could do to the line in his mouth was cut it very close and hope that the hook didn't injured him further - we never did see the hook - only assume it was in there because we tried and couldn't pull the line out and he did not like that.

As soon as he was free he was off swimming with the other coots.

 all in all he was pretty calm - even when i took the knife close to his "toes" and had to do a saw type movement.   

he was about free by now.

This morning's sketch - is a new series I'm starting - American Coots at Lake Gregory.

I wanted to emphasize those cute feet - so they are kind of bright in my sketch.

I have enjoyed these birds a lot over the last couple of years when I see them and until a few years ago had never thought anything about them until I learned from my brother in law they were called coots .  Now I see them all winter long at the lake. 

If you've never seen them run across the water with these feet - you're missing out on quite a funny spectacle. 

For the most part they disappear in the spring and summer except for just a handful who stay at the lake.  I don't know where they go but they come back in fall and winter.  I was fortunate enough this last year to visit a different lake at a lower altitude (well of course now I get where they go) and it was during the time they were having their coot babies.  I even was able to get photos of it.  Saying this reminds me to sketch one of the babies. 

RED HEADED DUCK

There were five of the red heads at Lake Arrowhead.  I way overdid it with photos of them but will post these four right now as I may want to sketch them.

Listen.... the wind is rising and the air is wild with leaves
Winter is an etching
Spring is a watercolor
Summer is an oil painting
But autumn.....
a mosaic of them all.


Don't know who to credit that saying above.

ANOTHER SEAGULL PHOTO I WOULDN'T HAVE POSTED

But I wanted to try this pose.

I have a lot of photos that are in focus but some I'm shooting so fast as several are coming in at once that not all turn out good - this is one of those.

 I haven't seen this particular landing before - i liked the way he was floating down.

SUNDAY FUNDAY

On Sunday while Mike watched football, I spent some time at Lake Arrowhead (one of my favorite mountain lakes).  Most of my time was spent photographing ducks because the reflections in the water were amazing.  I also wanted to see if the Monarch butterflies were still there ...but it appears they have moved on. 

Here are a few examples of what the water looked like.  Should make for a fun sketch soon.

SEAGULL ON THE SHORE OF LAKE GREGORY YESTERDAY

I don't like the reference photo and probably wouldn't post it except for the fact that this is the pose I wanted to sketch and paint.  So up it goes.  The fog was rolling in yesterday and it was invigorating to be out in the mist and chilly air.  Today it's really foggy but I suspect due to my excitement about photographing the lake in the fog, that we will go out walking today - the only drawback is the somewhat breezy conditions which make it feel chilly today plus the fact that the fog will make my clothes damp (whine)...

Note:  When I choose a photo to sketch from - it's what I feel at the time I want to express in the sketch - and I'm not trying to be realistic with the sketch so it varies a lot from the photo itself.

 I'm on a countdown until I visit my sister so I think I'll at least continue the seagulls until the end of the month.

Once I visit up there, the variety of shore birds I can photograph will be exciting to me.  My niece works at a hotel at the central coast that sits on a cliff overlooking the ocean - there we will be for a few nights and then over to my sis' house for a few nights.  I can't wait!

I'M OFF TO THE LAKE AS SOON AS I POST THIS

Even though it is somewhat windy but I can't pass up this time of year seeing the duck and seagulls and of course the old coots battling the breeze or in the case of seagulls taking advantage of the wind currents - so fun to watch!

The photo is actually dull but I interpreted it with energy and color.

I wanted to explore how
I feel when I walk the lake while expressing this
in a messy colorful sketch.

I realize the minute I get
out of the car and start
walking the path everything just feels so
happy.

It has been more windy than usual at the lake and the wind causes wave action - it causes the seagulls to jump on a current and  ride it - the coots are hilarious to watch as they run across the water with the wings out and their big  green feet splashing as they run - ....and then there are the mallards which soon I will be illustrating them.  I have tons of photos to choose from - some folders of photos entitled ducks in flight - so lots of material there.

Life is good - don't you agree?

TODAY AT THE LAKE

One of many beautiful seagulls flew by and luckily I got the photo.

I decided if I use a photo to sketch from I'll put the sketch up with the photo.  This photo inspired a colorful sketch I did of the seagull at the lake.

I've taken so many photos lately
of seagulls I'll probably do quite
a few more.

A WHOLE SUMMER OF PHOTOS TO POST

I made so many day trips during the summer to various lakes.  Also we made a trip to San Francisco.  I will start posting some of my favorites for the next few weeks.  I know I'll be at the coast in a few weeks and gather even more photos so if I don't get some of these from summer posted, I'll forget about them.

We went over to Hesparia lake about the middle of October (okay there will be some fall photos also - because I don't go in order).

The day we went there the sun on the water was so golden - these are some geese that were swimming around that day.

 Depending on where you stood the water looked like this.  But when we moved the water took on a much more green look.

CHIPMUNK'S BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS - PEANUTS

I love to watch these little guys.

When I throw peanuts out for the stellar jays - I know he will soon show up.  Actually not just him but about 8 others who live here.  Could even be more as I don't actually sit out there and count them.  They seem to live on the other side of the back fence in the little forest of trees that are there and spend most of their time in the yard foraging for food - they seem to like the peanut shells also.

DUCKS IN FLIGHT

My new hobby - getting a folder full of ducks in flight - clear enough to make a halfway decent photo.

I'll post them here and there along with hundreds of photos I haven't got posted yet:)