The test of Time

This is an altered photo from our recent trip to Fort Pickens. This place has stood the test of time. The arched hallways are amazing. It was a typical hot Florida day, the sun was beating down, and when you were in full sun, you were hot! Once you stepped inside this fort in the shade of the century old bricks, you were instantly cool! It was amazing the tempurature difference. It was a great day for wandering slowing through the corridors that once housed soldiers, amunition and guns. A history lesson, a photography session, and a day trip! We meanered through the entire fort, looking at the texture of the bricks, the drips from the limestone, and the nooks and crannys of the past.

If you are in the Pensacola area, it is worth the trip out to the Gulf Seashore to see Fort Pickens.

Back to School

I have been contemplating going back to school. I am really interested in photography and I would like to get more education on the technical side of the photo. Photography has really been my hobby for such a long time. I love to shoot landscapes, but would like to break into the portrait world. I was searching the internet for trade schools who specialize in photography certificate programs. My friend sent me some great info on photo classes online, and I think I will check those out too.
I think photos make people happy, and what better reward from your work at the end of the day is a happy client. Technical schools seem to be abundant on the internet, and most of them have correspondence classes for photography. One of the most appealing ideas of online career colleges is that you can work at your own pace, and don't have to go to class. That would work out great for me, since I will be staying home with baby. I hope that I can find one that works for me. If any of you have taken online photography classes for certification, I would love to hear from you.

The Hungry Caterpillar

I was pruning one of my experimental plants, a Japanese plum tree today. I was just about to grab the leaf that needed to be removed when I noticed some prickly bits underneath. I turned the pot on its side to reveal one of the coolest caterpillars I have ever seen. He must have been very hungry, because most of the leaves had been eaten. I had just assumed that it was not doing well because it was a transplant.

That was not the case, this little guy made this plant his personal buffet. From what I can find on the Internet this is a stinging caterpillar, and it is called the saddleback caterpillar. The brown oval marking kind of looks like a saddle. It is very fun to find great bugs in the back yard.

New Family in the Tree

Yesterday while we were swimming in the pool, I noticed that there was a dove sitting on the fence. Not to say that she was undecided about something, she was actually perched on the fence. Next to her was a baby bird waiting patiently for some food.
Just below them on the ground was another baby bird trying desperately to fly up to sit next to his family on the wood fence. He tried a few times only to crash in to the wood. Then he just sat on the sticks at the base of the fence. I felt bad for him, but at least he was trying. The two on the fence really did not care about us walking around. M went to the shed to get the mower, and neither moved. I went to get the camera and was able sneak close enough to snap a few shots of the fence sitters.

Perfect Bird Day

I was out in the yard soaking up some much needed sunshine, when I saw that our bird house had some activity. I grabbed my camera that is always waiting just inside, and slowly sneaked on to the back porch. Just off the deck we have our bird house we made with the recycled plastic bag roof. A small Carolina wren has made it this season's house. I heard them around the corner, and then I saw them approaching the house as a pair. One seems to distract other birds, as the other one flies into provide some food for the little ones. I was not going to be distracted though. I had my camera pointed and focused on the opening on the bird house. Then the small bird landed on the side of the house, then jumped around to the front. I was able to snap a few pictures before she was off to find more food.


For being such a small bird they sure do have a loud song. One of the loudest in our yard for sure. If you are interested in hearing this Carolina Wren you can check them out here. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology has a great site for all your bird identifying needs!

Something to Share

I was reading one of the blogs I follow when I saw that she was hosting a giveaway. OliveBites is hosting a fantastic giveaway, of an awesome 8x10 photograph from NestraUsa. It is a great photography shop on Etsy, and you need to check it out. I picked my favorite photo from NestraUsa and I entered to win it. You can enter too, but hurry this contest drawing is on Thursday. Check it out today on Olive Bites

The Kingfisher

As I cleaned the house for a showing, my attention wandered. I sat for a few minutes looking out the back door at the creek and the ducks swimming by. Then out of the corner of my eye I saw one of my favorite birds. The Kingfisher. The medium sized bird has a distinct call of a low rattling sound, and it echos as she flies down Butterfield creek. She landed so gently on a branch that over hung the creek. She preened her feathers in the sun, then dunked into the creek. Unlike most birds, the belted kingfishers female have the more colorful feathers. You can tell them apart by the rusty red feathers that she sports, the male feathers are grey.

That will be one of the things I miss about our house, the wildlife that is in our back yard. My bird list has grown tremendously since I lived here from the cedar wax wing, to the belted kingfisher. It is amazing what you can see if you just take a few minutes to enjoy the outdoors. Bird watching from inside is a great wintertime activity. To keep those birds coming back a small bird feeder is all you need. Keep it full through out the cold months and you will have a wonderful show to watch, we call it nature-vision, much better than the television, if you ask me.

Here is my latest photo capture of my featured friends.

Feathered Friends

Today the sun was shining bright. I sat in the living room working on the Rosetta Stone for Chinese, and outside the front picture window, I saw my favorite bird. They only visit here once a year, or that is we have only seen them on a rare occasion.
The cedar wax wing. They have a storm trooper look to them, and their feathers never out of place. They look as if they are wearing a suede coat and a black mask. I quickly paused the chapter I was working on and grabbed the camera, suited up for the chilly weather, and Nilla and I went outside to photograph them. There were at least 20 or so hanging around in the mulberry tree at the corner of the house. The tree, bare, except for a few berries was the popular spot for the day. I was able to snap a few shots of the gorgeous birds. I did not want to disturb them, for in the winter, they need all the energy they can get. So I tiptoed through the snow, inching closer to the tree. The birds did not seem to mind that I was there, and then Nilla came crashing around the corner, but the birds were high above, and did not even notice the 80 pound dog running around below them.