LOOKING FORWARD TO RETURNING THERE - A FAVORITE PLACE OF MINE

San Diego!!

Here are some shots from our visit a few weeks ago.  We were walking along the sidewalk on Shelter Island when I took the trees and clouds photo.  The weather was so beautiful while we were there.

Looking across the bay to the city.  Using my new camera close up lens.

Eating dinner one night at the hotel restaurant we had  a beautiful view of the sunset looking outside towards the marina.

Walking along the marina one evening at sunset

It will be too expensive in the summer but we will definitely return in the fall.

MY HOBBY

Watching goldfinches come to the nyjer sock in the late afternoon while sipping a margarita.  Well, that's one of my hobbies.

Can you imagine someone placing a goldfinch in a cage on top of a grave.  Thomas Hardy could.

Thomas Hardy wrote the following poem

Within a churchyard, on a recent grave,
        I saw a little cage
That jailed a goldfinch. All was silence save
        Its hops from stage to stage.
There was inquiry in its wistful eye,
        And once it tried to sing;
Of him or her who placed it there, and why,
        No one knew anything.
 

CHARTER IS HAVING PROBLEMS

The internet is so random this weekend - sometimes just sits on a site and won't go anywhere and other times it's okay - rarely is it okay in three days.

I'll see if this goes through - it's a song sparrow  making a beautiful song at the lake - the conditions were hard to get a good photo - contrast was strong and i had to try and lighten them up.


His scientific name - are you ready ....Melospiza melodia.  Like I could ever remember that.  I can hardly remember "song" sparrow.

HE ENTERTAINED ME TODAY

Thanks Chip, I had fun watching you.

(I was real far away and edited them and sharpened them and some of the textures of the photos i liked so i kept. 

 '

HE WAS REALLY SURPRISED.

CLAREMONT BOTANICAL GARDENS

A few shots from the gardens in Claremont.   These ducks were outside in a pond near the entrance/exit area.  I thought the setting was pretty.

I don't remember the artist's name but his work was being displayed in the gift shop area.

 Laura - this drawing right below is entitled Montana De Oro - thought you might like it because of your visits there to hike - I also love the area and hope we can go again next time we come up.  i remember the forest of trees we pass through on the way to the cliffs overlooking the ocean.  Maybe that is where the inspiration came from for this sketch.

 This diagram explains and names each painting below on the wall.

TO TAKE A BREAK FROM DUCK PHOTOS

I'll post these cute photos of this little juvenile house sparrow having a great time in the bird bath.  I was at  "Lowe's" yesterday and happened to have my camera with me as I wanted to document the kind of plants I want to get in the future - the kind that will grow in the mountains.  I was only buying a few to get started yesterday.  Because I had my camera - when I heard a bird chirping and saw it land in one of the many birdbaths - I was right there clicking away to capture these.  A lot of birds evidently hang out in the garden section of Lowe's - I was surprised to see that they keep a little water in all of the bird baths.  (This is why I take my camera everywhere I go - you never know when a photo op will take place).

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE DUCKS LATELY

More photos from a different lake.  Since we had  baby ducks at our local lake Gregory - we went to Lake Arrowhead so I could see if there were any babies.  We did see two female mallards with their babies.  One female had 11 babies and the other one had 7.  Over at our lake - each of the two females we've seen with babies have 3 which seems a low number.

Here are the Lake Arrowhead babies.  We were there on Saturday and a lot of boats were in the water.  The babies looked like they were purposely swimming out to ride the waves back to shore.  We watched them for quite awhile and finally I had to be strong and pull myself away and stop taking photos.  I can't believe how many I took - this is a small amount, lol.

Most of the ducks on the shore were the male mallards so I think more females are probably tending hatchlings in the nest.  

They were so fun to watch in the water.

 
This one is out of focus but i like the light on the duck's wings

With the water surrounding and washing over them it was difficult to get clear photos at times.