Celebrating Half a Year!

It's hard to believe, but it has been six months since I went to pick little Piper up from the foster home where she was living back in April.

She's a good girl and has come a long way. She now knows how to sit, stay, lie down and do an automatic sit (which helps when I stop to take pictures). 

Piper is still very sensitive to sound and nothing I have tried is helping. She doesn't like going out on walks in my neighborhood right now, since we're sort of surrounded by vineyards that are shooting off cannons every five minutes or so to chase birds away from the grapes (and the bunnies have gone into hiding, so there aren't enough of them around to distract her from the booms). We'll both be very happy when harvest time is over!! 

Anyway, she got a new bone this morning and we'll be taking a trip to a quiet spot for a walk this afternoon (if we can find one) to celebrate the day. Maybe we'll even take a trip to the dog treat store. :) 

An Adventure in Autumnal Appreciation

I'm behind posting pictures - these are from a couple weeks ago (as it turns out, life just keeps on happening). I've been taking quite a few photos along my walks with Piper, but haven't taken the time to download them from the camera and get them sized for the blog. Sorry about that.... 

So, today's adventure is, as the title suggests, appreciative of autumn. The Eastern phoebes have mostly flown to warmer climes, and we can look forward to them coming back next spring. While I often hear them in the treetops, I rarely get to see them during the summer when the foliage is more dense and, even when I do, they're moving way too fast for me to focus! Flycatchers are like that...

Leaves have been a little more muted this year, since it's been so dry, but it's still beautiful to see the reds and golds. I always say that Mother Nature gives us the brilliance of autumn to remember through the gray winter months, until the fresh greens start to reappear! 

Kingfishers are moving southward, too, but they stop along the way to take advantage of local fishing areas as they rest and refuel for their journey. 

This one held still long enough for me to zoom in for a closer look. That hardly ever happens. They like to dive and look for tasty tidbits and if they notice me pointing a camera in their direction, they fly to the other side of the marsh, just to spite me (or they may simply have another appointment and it just seems that way). 

I hope you don't mind that some of the upcoming posts will end up being way out of sequence and season, because I have a couple really good ones to put together from back in August, when I was busy helping at the family homestead and didn't have much time to do anything computer related. (I know -- teaser...) :)

Familiar Fall Friends

This time of year, the marsh area I love to visit has quite a few visitors to watch as they take a break on their way south. I can also catch the last few sightings of those that have raised families over the summer and are getting ready to hibernate or hightail it to warmer climes. 

Madame Wood Duck is always shy, so it's a special treat to get to see her. She was way out in the water, so I had to zoom in pretty hard. That's probably why she kept paddling and preening. 

An egret took flight from a tangle of cattails and brush and it was beautiful to see its bright white plumage in contrast to the trees. 

Speaking of white, fall fungi have been less prevalent this year, since it has been so dry, but every little rain will make a few pop. This one created a lovely white on white arrangement, growing on a birch tree. 

And, of course, flocks of geese are gathering and honking almost continuously as they jockey for position in the line flying south. 

It's fun to watch them shift position and form their classic V flight pattern. 

Random Wandering

Sometimes a walk will suggest a theme, and sometimes I collect enough pictures of a bird or beast to warrant a profile piece. But, sometimes a walk will just present random little delights. 

Random bits of serendipity are always welcome, though. A song sparrow on a fencepost brings a smile every time. 

Watching a cottontail rabbit keeping a wary eye on Piper as she goes into a perfect point and then slowly tries to sneak up on her prey is quite entertaining. (The bunnies always take off long before they're in pouncing distance.)

Following a monarch butterfly around as it searches for nectar is both a challenge and a pleasure. (They are camera shy - or maybe just shy of Piper, even though she doesn't take much notice of them.)

While purple loosestrife is an invasive species, it's still pretty to see glowing in the early morning sunshine. 

So, it's well worth keeping an eye open for random little treasures along the trails when out wandering. They're some of the very best discoveries! 

Apologies and the Solution

Sometimes life just does life things.... So, I apologize for being a little late with the solution, although I'm pretty sure most of you saw the star of the puzzle pretty easily. I'll go through the usual process, just in case. :)

Clue number one showed the larger view, and if you check out the lower left branches on the big tree on the right, you can see something perched there. 

Clue number two zooms in a bit, so it's easier to see who might be out on a limb... 

Here's the final payoff. The great blue heron was preening and primping, so it stuck around for a long time, allowing me to get a pretty good focus and a few nice pictures. 

Piper was also very patient as I snapped a bunch of shots of this guy. Pretty handsome bird, don't you think? It was really fun to watch. 

 

Another Episode of Spying

As our mysteries usually go, first I will post the original picture clue, so you don't have to backtrack to see it. 

So, there it is. (And I think I forgot to mention yesterday that you can enlarge the picture by clicking on it.)

I know that some of you saw it yesterday, but this somewhat zoomed version should make it a lot easier to spot, just in case you haven't already found it.

I'll post the close-up version tomorrow. That should make a confusing start for October! :)
 

Scenic Sunday Spying

Here's a fairly simple little hunt, but I thought it was sort of a fun one. 

Even without the mystery, it's a pretty scene, looking out over the marsh. But, there's something in particular to find. 

Did it catch your eye? 

Duck Back Riding

Things have been hectic and I haven't taken time to sit down and prepare pictures for the blog. I have been taking them, though, and finally got a few ready to post. Stories and pictures will probably be out of sequence, at least some of the time, for a while. 

I loved the mother merganser giving her little ducklings a ride. They were concerned when Piper and I wandered out to the boat launch to see who might be around. 

Piper also likes to get a drink and take a little swim when we walk that way, so I guess mother merganser had reason to move the youngsters away from us. 

They're awfully cute floating fluff balls, aren't they? They have grown nearly as big as their parents now, but still hang out and go fishing together. 

They got far enough away that they started paddling around on their own again.

Then, mom gave them a lesson in how to go fishing for breakfast. 

My brother continues to improve and I was able to come back home two days before the local art show to get a few prints into frames and mats and ready to display. 

Now, I need to start catching up on things like cutting and preparing Tan-Z and Firm Kut and doing an ink order for Stampeaz. Not to mention, culling through more pictures to find good ones for the blog. :)

Fantastic Feathered Family

A pair of sandhill cranes has been coming to our family property for a number of years now. The first few seasons, they tried to raise a family and failed, but for the last three years, they have had success. First a they had single youngster, last year they raised a pair of chicks and this year they had another single baby. 

They have gotten used to us doing things around the property, so they don't immediately fly off. In fact, when my brother seeded the big field with wheat and rye, they stuck around the edges and ate the little piles of seeds that dropped when the hopper was filled. The picture above is one of the parents. It has that beautiful, bright red face. 

They also like to poke around in the newly grown wheat/rye grass, so I get to see them when I go out to take care of various chores. Junior is facing left, with buff colored feathers on the face. (The picture above made me smile - it almost looked like a three headed bird.) 

Here, one of the parents (left) is facing off with Junior, who is just as tall, but just a little lighter color and with no red on the face. 

There's been a second (unsuccessful) pair for the last couple years, but they're still very shy of us, so I haven't gotten any pictures of them - they're always in the air and flying away by the time my camera is on and ready to focus. 

It's always a delight to see these beautiful, tall birds.

Fungus for Fun

I'm still away from the usual haunts and resources, but Piper and I have seen some marvelous mushrooms on our rambles. I'll leave identification chores to BetsyLee and the rest of you guys, since I don't have any books with me. (My brother is doing well, by the way.)

This enormous polypore is growing on a maple tree. It's huge - bigger around than dinner plates. 

This one looked like the awning over a fairy dwelling to me. It's very close to the ground and has wedged itself where there's a crease in the trunk. 

Piper did a little photo bombing with this Indian pipe fungus. 

These little guys were cute, providing some contrast with the browns and greens on the forest floor. 

Birds nest fungus are always fun to find, too. They aren't very big, but they're unusual and interesting. 

There will be more later on, but I managed to get these prepared and sized for uploading. :)

A Tremendous Trio

As Piper and I were out walking a couple mornings ago, we encountered some very handsome fellows out for a walk of their own. 

 

There are rewards for getting up particularly early - it opens up entirely new possibilities for chance meetings. 

All three were beautiful, and antlers still covered in velvet are always extra impressive. They look even bigger than they really are. 

Piper got to study them for quite a while as they checked her out. She even sat down on the trail and watched them quietly, as I snapped some pictures. Eventually, they all turned back around and disappeared into the woods again. 

A Field of Feathers and Fur

There are so many wonderful little creatures living their unobtrusive lives out in the field and they are so easy to overlook. I try to pay attention to small movements or changes of light as Piper and I walk along and, sometimes, I am rewarded with a special treat. 

For example, I spotted a chipping sparrow bringing a tasty bug home for the youngsters in the nest - and it even held still long enough for a photo. 

A song sparrow posed quite charmingly with ripening mulberries. 

Spotted knapweed provided a colorful foreground to this red squirrel perched on a fencepost, eating breakfast. 

So, while Piper noses around looking for bunnies and ground squirrels, I try to cast an eye around to see what interesting things I might be able to spot. (Obviously, she spotted the red squirrel, too.)

 

Getting Satisfaction on Sunday

 Finally, the big (or little) reveal! First our original clue:

Then, we have the zoomed hint:

The little mystery you're looking for is pretty well centered from top to bottom, but is a bit to the right of center when measuring from side to side. 

This cheeky chipmunk was far enough from the trail that it felt safe standing in the open to watch our progress along the path. Piper had no trouble spotting it, though she can do some fancy cheating with her excellent nose! 

I hope you enjoyed this minor weekend diversion. :)

Saturday's Second Installment

As usual, we begin with a reminder of yesterday's clue, so you don't have to backtrack. 

As an aside, it was a lovely walk, with the sun filtered through the leaves, giving everything a soft glow. 

Then, here's the second clue, zoomed in on our mystery, just a bit. :)

A Friday Morning Mystery

The world is a mysterious place and there are all kinds of wonders hidden in plain sight, if we keep our eyes open. Piper always keeps her eyes open - and her nose on high alert!

So, here's the first clue teaser for today's little diversion. We hadn't done one of these in a couple weeks, so I thought it might be fun. :)

More Welcome Wild Things

I had no idea spider squeamishness was so prevalent. So, to make amends for the discomfort, we will wander around and look for wildflowers together this morning. 

This Queen Anne's Lace flower with its halo of spotted knapweed made a pretty combination. 

Piper took a rest among the daisies and knapweed out in the field. 

Chicory is blooming all along the roadside. I love the serrated petal edges. 

This bumblebee collected quite a lot of pollen from the mullein flowers. 

I'm not entirely sure what this flower is, but I love the burst of stamens - each flower looks like a little celebration. I'll have to get out my wildflower books and look this little beauty up. :)