Had lots of fun with the camera at the San Diego Safari Park with my sister. So many cool animals and fun scenes. It’s not every day you see a man walking an aardvark or a zookeeper named Fern. I finally caught a (poorly lit) glimpse of the platypus. I...
Caught this wild view on my last flight home from the east coast. I’ve never seen the last glows of sunset from above. Was even more wild in motion with a slight parallax effect.
It’s nice to be on the east coast in May. I love seeing all the spring growth.
Before I left New York, I went birding with my sister and brother-in-law at Jamaica Bay. I’d heard the birding is great there but was really impressed at how much was going on. I even ID’d 3 lifers! I couldn’t believe how many tree swallows were nesting though. It seemed...
This is how I feel after tax season. 😐 Also PSA: Pelicans are big birds. It’s terrifying when they start asking for handouts…don’t train more lap pelicans.
Was able to take advantage of my Safari Park membership and visit with visiting family members. Got some great looks at very cool animals. I also had a lot of fun birding the wild birds too! Came home with lots of pics.
Lots of beach time the last couple weeks. More sunset photos incoming.
Today during the easter service I was reminded of the promise of new life. Our church has a tradition of sharing flowers which also reminded me of this ranunculus bulb that has flowered in the garden we planted after Bailey died. The beautiful growth that can come out of pain...
Gonna keep rolling with the beach photos because I know “May gray” is just a month away. Gonna take all I can get for now.
These might be my last photos from Washington this year. This was a cool sunset over the bay, but I like the contrast that came out when converted to black and white. Even though I know the sun and sky were bright red, I like that the differences in darkness...
We had a wonderful time in Ohio this week celebrating our anniversary. I’d like to thank my wife for sticking by my side for so many years. Life wouldn’t be the same without you. Your presence never ceases to bring me joy and excitement. Not every day lives up to...
Some pictures from our time at the Dallas Arboretum last month. I’m so glad we had a chance to visit. There were so many pumpkins and pumpkin structures! I particularly loved seeing all the Oaxacan inspired art! American Beautyberry lives up to it’s name
We went to the Seattle Aquarium for the first time last week. There were some pretty impressive displays. The large tank at the new pavilion is quite impressive.
I’m so glad to have access to places like this. Even if I have to share it with mosquitoes.
We made the trek to North Cascades National Park this weekend. This remote park in Washington was very fascinating to drive through. We stopped for some short excursions and learned about the complex geology and history. So much of this natural beauty is defined by the three dams built in...
On our way to North Cascades national park we stopped at an old growth forest. The scale of these trees was really staggering. It’s also cool to see how in a forest that old, you have generations of trees growing out of the downed trunks of previous generations. And on...
Followed some strange noises at the park after our softball game and found a few of these guys chatting.
I can’t decide which catctus flowers I like more.
I love how in La Jolla the sea lions (currently) get to do their own thing. Some people want to get close to them, but those 800 lb (350 kg) males terrify me. Please treat the animals respectfully.
Always love the views in La Jolla. 🌻🦭🏖️
Siempre me encantan las vistas de La Jolla. 🌻🦭🏖️
We went back to the San Diego Zoo this weekend and I came home with some fun pictures. I think my favorite animals to look at were the White-fronted Bee-eater. Though the weaver birds in the same aviary exhibit were also impressive. Despite a short downpour of rain, I had...
I’m lichen all the moisture loving fungi and mosses up in Washington. 💚
So much inspiring stuff in this article from photos to transformations. I’m still trying to figure out what to do with our yard. San Diego’s mild but dry climate leads to a lot of irrigation dependent landscaping in our area. I’d love to lean into plants that don’t need so...
As someone who easily gets swept up in the challenge of IDing a bird, I really like the intentionality of mindful birding. When I notice a bird but can’t seem to get a good enough look at it I can focus on it so much that I don’t enjoy everything...
The frogs are really loving having moisture again! They’re making so much noise this week.
I had a nice walk with the family on the east coast. We walked to what my niece calls the “loopty-loop” (i.e. cul-de-sac) at the end of their street and found this one tree holding on to fall. When editing the photo to post, I noticed the denoise function really...
The sunset yesterday was so stunning. Denver was just happy to be on the beach.
La puesta de sol de ayer fue impresionante. Denver estaba feliz de estar en la playa.
I still need to do a lot of work to post about our trip to Washington, but here’s a random texture from the trip I enjoyed. 🌲
I would just like to wish everyone a #SuperbOwl day. Whooo needs Eagles when you have owls?
Felt like posting a photo today. This was a fun one from the San Diego Safari Park. It’s a Great Blue Turaco.
There are a lot of reasons I historically haven’t liked the beach: the sun burning my skin, the wind and water leaving me cold, sand getting on everything, social pressures from crowded beaches and exhausted people. But one of the gifts from this past year has been learning to enjoy...
It’s been a busy last month. I had a lot of fun on the central California coast but I’m happy to have a couple weekends to rest too.
A year later I finally got my Instagram photos backfilled. I hope to make it easier to upload photos in the future but it feels good to have combined the two collections.
Because I haven’t posted enough of either, here’s a yellow flower on a cactus
The roses were in full bloom this weekend at the rose gardens. So many interesting varieties. Loved these “Love Song“ roses “Rock-n-roll“ roses I'm a little mesmerized by this animation
I got a lot of sun this weekend, but I’d like to think it was worth it.
I think plants just go crazy in Southern California 🤔
Saw quite a few of these handsome California Quail out hiking this weekend.
I love that this is named a “Cobwebby thistle”. It’s so cool to look at.
Even the desert can be beautiful. Often life still thrives in its own unique way.
Photography has been a fun hobby to pick up. Though I may backfill older posts I wanted to start with something fresh. I’m looking forward to adding more content to my site.
Sometimes the camera captures the picture you want. Sometimes it captures something else. Pictured in background: Allen’s Hummingbird
Getting out on the water with extended family was a nice way to end a weekend saying goodbye to a loved-one. I enjoyed meeting more of Bekah’s family and talking birds with her uncles. I wish it could have been under better circumstances. Honestly the kayaking was a little frustrating,...
We went camping in February!?! We stayed at Lake Skinner last weekend with some friends from church. Had lots of sun on Saturday, but we had our coldest day of the month when the weather shifted to cloudy, windy, and 50°F (10°C) on Sunday 😁 Even though we stayed in...
Water in the desert
@bekahbugs and I really enjoyed walking down the beach and getting Shake Shack shakes at Crystal Cove state park near Laguna Beach. Saw quite a few new birds like this Black-bellied Plover down by the seashore. Totally worth getting sunburned 😎😬
I love this little collection of plants against this tree trunk.
This is a cool plant sometimes referred to as a “sensitive plant”. It folds up when touched perhaps has a way to avoid being eaten. I remember seeing some back in Liberia. Apparently they are native in tropical parts of the Americas.
Also look for posts tagged #nature on other websites registered with octothorp.es.