County fair chickens, cowboys & ribbons--quite the summer blowout

I just learned a blogging friend entered her photos into the county fair

after being inspired by my post about doing just that.

Competing chicken beauties we ogled...

This made me happy.

Then she tells me her husband saw her example

and he screwed up the courage to enter his baked goods

into the local county fair (there's a men-only category).

Very cool 'do!

This made me even more happy.

So, I've decided I should risk accusations of bragging and write about this year's results

'cause maybe another person would be similarly inspired. =)

I don't pretend to understand 4-H economics. Wow!! =)

Plus, I just learned fair organizers say that

the more people enter stuff, the better the fair.

This duck looks like a deep thinker to me...

So, you are helping your community by doing this, not merely seeking approval. =)

Loved the feather shake-out on this gorgeous rooster.

Didn't get his head in this shot, but it's the only fluff-up he did.

Last year I entered my photos into the county fair for the 1st time.

And I won some ribbons, which was a surprise.

No 1st place, but I was delighted to win anything.

And I learned a lot, and had a great time. =)

How many dollars-worth of cowboy hats are in this photo?

This year I entered again, and DH entered a few, as well.

This weekend, as soon as we stepped into the photo-zone,

I saw one of my photos from afar & saw the blue of a 1st place ribbon.

SWEET! Already beat last year.

So, DH & I cruise around, ogling folks' fabulous work...

(The center bottom one is a super cool abstract. Looks like waves but is rock! =) )

...and seeing how we did.

So, here's Sammy's results:

1st & 3rd place in "flowers", 2nd & 3rd in "insects and reptiles"

1st place in "any other" category

1st place in "seascapes/marine"

and a nothing (upper left) and 1st in & best in show in "plant life/natural environment (no flowers)"

So, at first I saw the giant rainbow ribbon & freaked.

They give out one per each division (beginner, intermediate & professional).

I was SUPER amazed.

I'd only seen photos of people & agricultural plants get best in show,

so I figured I'd never get it.

Then, DH noticed a small chart on the wall,

which lists the special awards.

It listed best in show for the 3 divisions,

then best in show overall,

AND MY NAME WAS THERE!

You can't tell fm. the above (& I didn't notice in person)

there's TWO giant rainbow ribbons there.

Wow!!

I'd call this some pretty serious positive reinforcement for

doing new things despite the discomfort & initial floundering,

working on your skills,

joining the fray,

and thinking happy thoughts.

Check your ego at the door

In case you think my head will be getting huge from ego,

I overheard a woman talking to her husband,

looking at & discussing my ribbon-festooned photo.

"It's a picture of bark.

On a tree."

Like that's the dullest thing in the world. =)

Made me laugh out loud.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, baby!

xoxoxobb

2 manzanita shots to go, please...

Busy, but today's assignment was "red"

(for the 30 day photo challenge by @just_go_do_it)

so as soon as I realized that meant some quality time with manzanita,

I grabbed the Nikon and headed out.

I find myself gazing at this plant like I'm in love.

Just staring and staring.

So beautiful. We're very lucky to have them here.

SO many wildlife species eat the berries,

and they are early bloomers in the spring,

which gives a low hummmmm to the landscape

as thousands of bees merrily pollinate them

to begin their little bee lives for the year.

Maybe I am in love. =)

xoxobbb

Show off

 Photos I may have submitted to the county fair.

DH suggested you might wanna see. =)

Warning: these may look familiar...

Probably my favorite bee shot. Was TOTALLY watching me. =)

It may have been a strategic error to have SO many of my photos in the insect category

but I'm apparently obsessed w/bugs.

Nevertheless a few non-bug shots got in, too.

 This one I EXPRESSLY submitted 'cause YOU people had said you really like it.

So, THANK YOU!!! =)

Another benefit to this process:

I learned to cut & mount photos which is

exacting, precise and a wee bit stressful.

However, it's 100% absorbing,

and for ONCE I have some of my photos enlarged & mounted.

HOORAY!! =)

xoxobb

plant that blooms so hard you can HEAR it, and a tiny little beauty

 Tiny Beauty

More red stemmed filaree (Erodium cicutarium),

also known as stork's bill because of what their seeds look like which,

incidentally, can feel like STEEL stabbing through your sneakers.

It's a flat little plant, blooming this month, but I never knew

until I stared rudely at it w/a macro

how amazing its architecture is. Stunner.

(seeing individual pollen grains makes me swoon)

Blue anthers? Hot pink stigma? What?!? 

Little honey bee excitedly floating from flower to flower in February.

I'm curious why the bee is sipping where she's sipping.

Where does the lovely nectar come out?

Is it there so that the plant can brush against the bee's tummy

to pick up and deposit pollen?

These are my questions.

Hark, I Hear Spring!

Practically the only other thing blooming right now

is the Mariposa manzanita (Arctostaphylos viscida ssp. mariposa)

(with HUGE thanks to randomtruth for correcting my mis-ID!):

However, this plant blooms in SUCH GREAT abundance, you can HEAR it.

Honest.

You'll be outside in the garden, kicking around, pretending to work, when:

Hark! What is that low buzzing coming from the ENTIRE property?

That's when you realize there are LEGIONS of bees ALL OVER

these tree/shrubs, and giant bumblebees seem to be setting up territories

to guard their particular patch o' manzanita blooms.

Pretty smart to bloom early when the bees are THIRSTY for fresh nectar

and hardly anything else is blooming, so you get LOTS of attention.

And I didn't see this bug until I uploaded the photos:

And only took one photo of this clump, so that bug WINS!

No idea what it is.

Besides GREAT at being overlooked.

Just like the red stemmed filaree.

I love "discovering" amazing things that have been there all along.

Nature: the more you look, the more you walk around, gobsmacked.

Love it.

xoxoxo

bb

snow art emergency

I can't not post these, even though I want more photo quiz guesses (see last post).

But, it SNOWED last night. And I want to share these NOW:

 snow + asphalt = art

bunny + tire tracks

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