Rando photo fling

Gotta go do fieldwork, but gonna fling a few photos 'cause it's TIME, jeepers! =)

Lovely cosmos face in November.

The Three Faces of Eve (or 3 stages of a cosmos blossom).

We got 2 inches of rain a few days back, so I looked for soggy green stuff.

Lichen and moss assemblage on the shady side of a rock.

First hygroscopic earthstar I've seen this year.

In order to keep my solitary hen company,

she lives with a mirror that she can cuddle up to.

It needed washing, so I brought it outside in the shade & this happened.

One of the joys of stormy weather: places for the sunset to play.

xoxoxobb

Falling through November...

 Found yet another ootheca, this time under the greenhouse eaves.

 Wonder how old this one is... years?

Was tracking a red-shouldered hawk,

when this raven decided to shoo it away.

Many insects seem to be loving ANYTHING that's blooming in November.

Which includes our zinnia, which is going bananas.

Moby (hen) struts by, headed for the cherry tomatoes...

Among the flower-fans:

This painted lady eyed me whilst it drilled for nectar.

I want to call those little frills eyelashes, but don't actually know that, so...

 I'll just call them super cool.

Fawn post-rain, chewing cud, enjoying the sun.

Fawn and mama, who's got her eye on me. =)

Big ol' gang moved through, taming the greenery for us.

And trimmed up the circular driveway. Thanks!

The deer are looking SO much better than this summer, now that there's actually FOOD. =)

Their faces are fuller, muscles are back, 

and this one even has a shine to her coat--hooray!

That's fall in this climate: the long-awaited return of water,

and all the life that it brings.

xoxobb

quiz answer: what's up, buck?

In short, this is the answer to the quiz re: what the above creature has on his mind is

Romance.

As many of you guessed, this buck was lookin' for love.

The doe seemed mostly to be interested in this:

"yum."

The buck also spent time standing very still, not looking at the doe.

Among the other things he'd detect are rivals (far right is another buck).

"Hey, wait a minute..."

Reaction:

"Oh, hell, no."

"And stay out!"

(pardon reflectiness--windows & sun...)

Que macho hombre, no?

=) Vanquished.

So, CONGRATULATIONS to everyone who was correct!

And thanks, as ever, to EVERYONE who submitted a guess--

y'all are brave, smart, funny, and creative.  Nice!

And thanks to Sue for the detailed info re: such behavior.

Gotta love a "guess" where the questioner learns from the questioned. =)

Caveat: I must admit, it is possible that

a) someone was (per Hugh) holding chocolate chip cookies offstage

to get the buck to hold his original pose, and 

b) I actually really hope that he was attempting to plank,

as Sue posited. It could be the new sexy.

Come to think of it, maybe this is where PEOPLE got the idea.

Planking = Sexy.

Who knows?

xoxobb

one more aspen hit

Because, tho' I went from the Pacific (see header)

to pronghorn antelope in one (glorious) day

this last weekend, I'm not feeling blog-posty.

So, here's this. =)

xoxobb

Deer snowstorm,

"Dear Snowstorm:

Thank you for bringing these tasty leaves

nearer to our noses. 

(Munch, munch, munch...)

Breakfast was so yummy,

we told our friends.

Love,

Even this little guy can reach the leaves, today.

The Deer.

Transcription provided by: biobabbler.

pointillism, schmointillism: aspen art

nature's pointillism

When I was in high school I got into pointillism

when both my English and French classes

were in art history mode.

And, there was Georges Seurat,

painting in such a strange way.

It was weird. And beautiful.

And I couldn't stop staring.

Le Chahut (1889-1890) by Georges Seurat

Last weekend, pointillism was everywhere.

And I couldn't stop staring.

Of course, cameras cannot fully convey this experience.

Those trees shimmer.

Each tiny leaf wiggles to and fro,

in the faintest of breezes,

flashing brilliant colors this way and that.

*sigh*

And, the "shshshshsh" sound is amazing.

(like the Seurat detail shots in text books...)

We'd stopped near Lee Vining,

seeing umpteen trucks pulled over at a really nicely lit group of trees.

Thought it was a photography class.

Nope.

Just two dozen photographers very quietly staring at

and shooting this amazing phenomenon.

The power of that beauty yielded a respectful silence.

People tip-toed here and there,

breathing it all in,

grateful to witness such a glorious exhibition.

=)

xobb

Tongue-tied Tuesday

Mumday fall foto

because I'm a snob

Mono Lake, October.

And because I can't look at those tomato slices one more second.

This is not a produce stand.

This is a place for nature to quit being demure, and shake it.

'Cause that's what we like around here.

We like it a lot.

xoxoxobb

don't fall in the desert

Again, not flower blooming time so, like Yosemite, it's kinda dull now.

Joshua Tree NP in October (all these are from 10/2010)

And rocks don't change, so if you've been there once...

Plus last time I went there in fall, it rained.

Bummer.

So, if I think of places that are good to visit in fall,

I'll be sure and let you know.

xobb

p.s. Do you have any favorite places to venture in fall? DO tell. I am curious.

wallpaper du jour

Thinking about changing my computer's wallpaper more frequently,

and posting the images I use, if they're ones I shot.

Just for fun.

The above beauties are from fall, 2010,

on a hike to Illilouette Fall

in Yosemite National Park.

Great hike, amazing views pretty much the whole time,

and saw lotsa thirsty birds, drinking from mountain side streams.

And, obv., the snags I adore.

I highly recommend it.

xobb

p.s. Really curious, do you "manage" your computer wallpaper? If so, do you use your work? Other people's? Both? Or, do you just leave it with the image the computer came with?

A new meaning to canvasback (canvas buck?) fm. 10 min ago

 

Was walking towards a doe south of our house, slowly,
with camera in hand, padding across living room floor,
then noticed at my left elbow, this handsome creature.

Took 2 pics, then slowly left as I'd clearly surprised him.

Minutes later, looking for evidence
that I'd not scared him off our property, I found him steadily eating.
First manzanita berries, then many, many nice, fatty acorns. =)

Tho' these aren't all nicely focused
(and are crops of march larger images),
I just love the shadows of the oak on the buck's body.

Lovely.

=)

And I'm glad we got our shed painted red.
A good background for this gorgeous creature.

xobb

fall = horny (well, antler-y) bucks & pretty leaves

ooh, pretty!
(doe = off camera)

grapple, grapple
(mild, not intense; one on right is
clearly smaller, not as muscular)

grapple, grapple

 ooh, pretty!

...annnnd they leave, following the doe off stage. =)

speaking of leaves, the sugar maple in our yard
(Acer saccharum)
(per usual, nicer if you click 'n' zoom)

ooh, pretty!

Happy autumn. =)

xobb