Our Walk Around the Neighborhood

It's hard to believe I haven't posted a page on this 'blog since Thanksgiving! So many things have happened, new grandchildren, stents in my heart, more pressure at work, that I have let my photography slip. So this weekend I decided to start up again and see if I could get any shots of the birds around the neighborhood on our walk.

I was a little nervous about just going out and getting great artworthy shots on my first outing. Looking at these photos I can tell I have lots of practicing to do! But sometimes it's just about clicking the shutter, I suppose.

I was hoping to see a heron or a crane, as they are starting to appear in the waterways along our walk. But such was not the case. Our neighborhood is crowded with doves, and the dove above sat still long enough for me to get a photo or two.

Mockingbirds are also common. 

Bluejays too.

I liked the second shot of the bluejay so much I included it here. 

I know, you're saying "those aren't birds" right? As we walked along, one of the neighbors had spared these buttercups as they cut the grass. I liked the way the sun highlighted the flowers in the center, so I took a shot to see how it would turn out. 

Hopefully, there will be more photos in the coming weeks. I am glad to be back. I hope you're glad I am, too.

All the best,

Mike Z

Thanksgiving Day 2012, at Slumber Falls again!



Guadalupe River




Well, we had such a good time last Thanksgiving, we decided to do it again! Jan's family rented a space at Slumber Falls Camp in New Braunfels, TX, and we celebrated Turkey Day in fine style!

Interestingly, I noticed that I got 320+ hits to last year's Thanksgiving Day post. So I decided to post some of this year's photos in a new post for 2012. I didn't get as many shots of the landscape as I would have liked because we were getting Christmas Card photos done, and time slipped away from me.

As I said last year, I hope your Thanksgiving Day was the best yet for you! If you don't have Thanksgiving where you are, please try to be thankful for all you have.

Till next time,

Mike Z

Butchart Gardens, Victoria Canada




Part of the main gardens - Click to see larger

Jan and I had a wonderful opportunity to go on our second cruise to Alaska this summer, and we went on a different cruise line. It was a different experience!

One of the highlights of our trip this time was a night tour of the Butchart Gardens in Victoria, British Columbia. It is an amazing old limestone quarry that was transformed into a series of beautiful gardens by Mr. Butchart's wife Jennie. The photo above is from the first garden we toured, which was the main garden area and the major part of the old quarry. We were told while touring that Mrs. Butchart had rapelled down the steep sides of the quarry, planting ivy as she went. The ivy now covers nearly every wall of the quarry and is quite spectacular.

I hope to get back there someday, as the groundskeepers plant seasonal plants all along the walkways in the Gardens, and it would be a different experience each time you visited, depending on the season.

Hope you enjoy the photo. If you'd like to see it larger, click on the photo and it will load in a new window. 

All the best,
Mike Z

PS: here's a short video (about a minute and a half) showing the seasons of the Butchart Gardens:
5 Seasons of the Butchart Gardens

 

 

Blue Moon Last Night, Austin TX






Blue Moon, August 31st, 2012 Austin TX

  

A Blue Moon, as most of you probably know by now, is the third full moon in a season with four full moons. Last night, I had to go out and try to get a decent full moon photo for the occasion! Unfortunately, there were thin clouds over the moon, so it was impossible to get a clear shot.

I wrote on someone's Facebook page that I can never hear the words Blue Moon without thinking about the song from the 50's/60's by the Marcels. I hear in my head most clearly "Baw buh buh Baw buh Dangy Dang Dang, buh Dangy Dawg Dig Bluuue Mooooon, You saw me standing alone...." Ah the memories...

Till next time!

Mike Z