Friday, August 31, 2007
Favorite Shots
I had my moms Digital SLR for over a week and I had so much fun. I really think having it has spike my interest in photography and I DEFINITELY think at some point I will need my own. Below are some of my favorite shots (without kids) that I have taken over the last week and a half. There is so more but I haven't downloaded them quite yet.
Sunday, August 26, 2007
First Hair Cut
While Natasha was away on her "holiday" I thought it would be fun (and easier) to take Ashley for her first haircut. Did she REALLY need it...probably not! She did have a lot more hair than Natasha at that age so I thought "What the hell". We went and she sat like a champ just like her sister. She listened to the hairdresser, Sarah, and sat proudly. She was quite confused by a lady behind her who had her head in foils and couldn't resist staring, LOL! I was proud when Sarah said Ashley was the easiest first hair cut ever. Though she did not get much taken off she looked cute and a little more grown up.
Here are some pictures I took of Ashley when we got home after her haircut. I have really, since having my moms camera, fallen in love with the light at sundown.
Here are some pictures I took of Ashley when we got home after her haircut. I have really, since having my moms camera, fallen in love with the light at sundown.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Little Miss Ashley
Natasha is away this week visiting her Grandad and Nana in Red Deer. That being said, this week it is Mommy and Ashley time! I thought Ashley would be more lost without Natasha but she, thus far (day 2) as been wonderful. Today we went into town to do some shopping and when we got home we went out for a "photo shoot" with my moms' camera. My mom has a digital SLR which I LOVE to play with. Most of the pictures I took today were with her camera. I would love to have my own but for now I will settle for borrowing! Below are a couple of favorites taken of "Little Miss Ashley"!
Northern Flicker Woodpecker
A couple of days ago I noticed a lot of birds (15-20) on the ground outside. I could tell from a distance that they had long beaks and were eating things from the ground. They also hopped along the grass which I thought was different. Today I was in town at my parents and I borrowed my mom's camera (another post to come) and their binoculars. We got home and there were no birds in sight. Once I got Ashley to bed I went outside and saw a BUNCH of them again. So I grab the binoculars and camera determined to find out what bird loves our place as much as we do. Below is the best shot of the bird I got, perched on the Envoy. After I looked at this picture and looked through my Alberta Bird Book (from Costco) I was certain it was a Northern Flicker. I called my mom and she didn't think from my description it was a woodpecker. We both got on the internet and found pictures and both agreed my original thought was correct. Below the pictures are facts about the Northern Flicker as well as the link I got the information from. If you click the link you will also find some more pictures of the Norther Flicker.
A common ant-eating woodpecker of open areas, the Northern Flicker has two color forms found in different regions. The yellow-shafted form is common across the eastern and northern parts of North America, while the red-shafted form is the one found in the West.
Cool Facts
Although it can climb up the trunks of trees and hammer on wood like other woodpeckers, the Northern Flicker prefers to find food on the ground. Ants are its favorite food, and the flicker digs in the dirt to find them. It uses its long barbed tongue to lap up the ants.
The red-shafted and yellow-shafted forms of the Northern Flicker formerly were considered different species. The two forms hybridize extensively in a wide zone from Alaska to the panhandle of Texas. A hybrid often has some traits from each of the two forms and some traits that are intermediate between them. The Red-shafted Flicker also hybridizes with the Gilded Flicker, but less frequently, and the Gilded Flicker is considered a separate species.
The Northern Flicker is one of the few North American woodpeckers that is strongly migratory. Flickers in the northern parts of the range move south for the winter, although a few individuals often stay rather far north.
Description
topSize: 28-31 cm (11-12 in)
Wingspan: 42-51 cm (17-20 in)
Weight: 110-160 g (3.88-5.65 ounces)
Medium to large woodpecker.
Grayish brown.
Barred on top, spotted below.
Black crescent on chest.
Rump white, conspicuous in flight.
Yellow or red patches in wings obvious in flight.
Back grayish brown with dark barring. Underparts off-white or buffy with numerous small black spots. Back of neck gray. Tail black above. Eye black. Feet gray.
Yellow-shafted (Eastern and Northern) form: Central shaft and undersides of wing and tail feathers bright yellow. Face and throat tan. Crown gray. Red crescent on nape of neck. Male with black mustache mark.
Red-shafted (Western) form: Central shaft and undersides of wing and tail feathers bright salmon red. Face and throat gray. Crown brown. Male with red mustache mark. Female with brown mustache mark on gray face.
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Northern_Flicker_dtl.html
A common ant-eating woodpecker of open areas, the Northern Flicker has two color forms found in different regions. The yellow-shafted form is common across the eastern and northern parts of North America, while the red-shafted form is the one found in the West.
Cool Facts
Although it can climb up the trunks of trees and hammer on wood like other woodpeckers, the Northern Flicker prefers to find food on the ground. Ants are its favorite food, and the flicker digs in the dirt to find them. It uses its long barbed tongue to lap up the ants.
The red-shafted and yellow-shafted forms of the Northern Flicker formerly were considered different species. The two forms hybridize extensively in a wide zone from Alaska to the panhandle of Texas. A hybrid often has some traits from each of the two forms and some traits that are intermediate between them. The Red-shafted Flicker also hybridizes with the Gilded Flicker, but less frequently, and the Gilded Flicker is considered a separate species.
The Northern Flicker is one of the few North American woodpeckers that is strongly migratory. Flickers in the northern parts of the range move south for the winter, although a few individuals often stay rather far north.
Description
topSize: 28-31 cm (11-12 in)
Wingspan: 42-51 cm (17-20 in)
Weight: 110-160 g (3.88-5.65 ounces)
Medium to large woodpecker.
Grayish brown.
Barred on top, spotted below.
Black crescent on chest.
Rump white, conspicuous in flight.
Yellow or red patches in wings obvious in flight.
Back grayish brown with dark barring. Underparts off-white or buffy with numerous small black spots. Back of neck gray. Tail black above. Eye black. Feet gray.
Yellow-shafted (Eastern and Northern) form: Central shaft and undersides of wing and tail feathers bright yellow. Face and throat tan. Crown gray. Red crescent on nape of neck. Male with black mustache mark.
Red-shafted (Western) form: Central shaft and undersides of wing and tail feathers bright salmon red. Face and throat gray. Crown brown. Male with red mustache mark. Female with brown mustache mark on gray face.
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Northern_Flicker_dtl.html
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Lightning
I took these shots with my point and shot. It is very hard to shot lightning and you must be patient. I took probably 100 shots and ended up with 4 decent ones. Some of the shots look scary and it may appear as though I am becoming a storm chaser but fear not the storm was well past our house when I decided to venture out for a shot.
Hummingbirds
I put a hummingbird feeder from my BABA up very late in the season so I wasn't expecting to get any response from the hummingbirds around here. I have seen them on my flowers so I was hopeful they might come closer. Well they took right to it and I managed to get a couple of shots. Be reminded that these are taken with my point and shot digital and through a dirty window. They are amazing little creatures are they not?
Saturday, August 18, 2007
The Garden
Adam loves the garden as much as the girls. This morning he woke up and had a craving for fried potatoes in dill. So he took the girls and dug some potatoes. Natasha, as always, decided that carrots and beans were needed as well. When Adam is home the girls just want to be by his side always which is totally understandable.
The potatoes were delicious!
The potatoes were delicious!
Waiting for Dad
When Thursday rolls around and its time for Dad to come home...the day is a long one. We wait for him to get off work. We wait for the call that he is on the road. We wait for the call that he is half way home, etc. I am trying to tidy up, Natasha is waiting for Daddy and we are all just a little off. Anyway it was getting close for Daddy to get home and we were trying to find things to fill our time. Well we hopped on the quad with the kite and went flying. We flew the kite yesterday too but placed the string under a log and watched it from our deck. It is so nice to walk to an open field and fly a kite! The kite is from Costco. It was $12.50 and its nice and big, colourful and easy to put together. Next year when they are out I am sure we will pick up a couple more so everyone can have their own kite.
Pets
This is not a great shot of Farley but a more updated one none the less. We had a scare with Farley about 2 weeks after we moved in. He took off with Johnny and was gone for 36 hours. He made his way to a neighbour about 1 mile down round. The neighbours knew we were new to the area and stopped here first to see if he was his. He made it home and since then as not wandered from the house.
Johnny has a bad case of wander fever. If he is not supervised outside, he is gone. Farley is good now, if Johnny goes, he sticks close to home. I am pretty sure he would find his way home in his own time but he is small and I worry about what could get him should he be out all night. Luckily come winter he gets cold quickly and he is usually out and in very quickly.
I think my biggest boast comes with Koda. Koda was a completely inside cat in Edmonton. We took him outside maybe 5 times in the city. When we got out here we kept him indoors for about 3 weeks. My mom let him out one morning and I was nervous. He was outside for a couple of hours and then I got him and put him back inside. Since then he has been like a dog. First thing in the morning...he needs to get outside. He meows when he wants back in and comes when called. AND he is now a "mouser". Though he hasn't eaten the mice yet he is catching them as he leaves them proudly displayed where I am sure to walk. Natasha is even on the look out for a dead mouse and is oh so proud of Koda when she finds one.
Johnny has a bad case of wander fever. If he is not supervised outside, he is gone. Farley is good now, if Johnny goes, he sticks close to home. I am pretty sure he would find his way home in his own time but he is small and I worry about what could get him should he be out all night. Luckily come winter he gets cold quickly and he is usually out and in very quickly.
I think my biggest boast comes with Koda. Koda was a completely inside cat in Edmonton. We took him outside maybe 5 times in the city. When we got out here we kept him indoors for about 3 weeks. My mom let him out one morning and I was nervous. He was outside for a couple of hours and then I got him and put him back inside. Since then he has been like a dog. First thing in the morning...he needs to get outside. He meows when he wants back in and comes when called. AND he is now a "mouser". Though he hasn't eaten the mice yet he is catching them as he leaves them proudly displayed where I am sure to walk. Natasha is even on the look out for a dead mouse and is oh so proud of Koda when she finds one.
Flowers
I am not much of a green thumb (though being out here I am determined to become one)so I am greatful my flower beds. The previous owner has lovely flower beds full of perennials that all bloom at different times. I really came into a lovely place that requires me to do nothing except weed. I may get some annuals for next year but I not sure at this point. I would like to spruce up the front of the house to make it more inviting. Right now the backyard is beautiful making people want to use the back door (which in turn leads them through the laundry room...YUCK)...I would like to change that come spring 2008.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)