We had quite a busy day and just got home at 11:45. I quickly moved my sleeping kids from the vehicle to their beds and unloaded some things from the car. I was checking my email and unwinding from the day. Nearly ready to go to bed a huge storm rolls on through and I always love a good light show. So here I was ready to hit the sack and now I am watching lightening and updating (long over due) my blog.
I will update more about our day today....tomorrow as the wave of tiredness is returning!
Saturday, September 01, 2007
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.
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