Before I start mixing up my palette for the day, I wanted to highlight these latest three photos. The first two I took just this morning out my front window – she finally cooperated enough to allow me to photograph her while she fed. The weather must be better for Hummingbirds, they seem to be around much more right now. When it was hot and not so humid, they didn’t stop by until dusk. Now they’re flitting about all day.

The third photo is a House Wren, and I’ve NEVER seen one of these before. If you’re looking to attract more species to your yard, the biggest difference for us this year is that we took branches that fell through the winter and ice storms and chose a corner of the yard to create a brush pile. These critters LOVE that spot. I was out checking the tomatoes when I heard three of these little guys chipping away and scurrying around within that brush pile. Very cool.

Ok, enough blab – more work! Have a great day.

As many of you know, we rescued some baby bunnies this past spring – one of them had a weed-whacking injury so we thought it best to hold them for a week until that one could heal. They did well, we didn’t handle them – left them in the garage with food, hay, water, and shelter – and then released them into our brush pile the following weekend.

Two of them have hung out with us, not too domesticated but also not very afraid, either. The one with the injury was very sociable, she let me get pretty close, and she always made herself comfortable. You could tell she didn’t feel threatened around us. That really made me feel good, considering the expense and extent we’ve gone to to have some security on our property.

A couple of weeks ago, I noticed their absence. I saw them a couple of times across the street and knew they would be safe there, so I wasn’t too concerned. A few days ago, I spotted a new baby bunny. This one is just a few weeks old, and he’s alone. He’s doing well in our garden, eating up a lot of my flowers (which I’m getting used to, now) and he has a cousin. A lighter shade of brown – a month or two older, and very skittish. I’m happy to have bunnies around again, of course! (Just call me Snow White.)

Well. Today we were doing some yard work and when we finished up, we sat on the patio and were just relaxing. I noticed Zorro-girl bolt through the yard and over to the flowerbed, where I thought I saw her starting to munch on my chrysanthemum. I went over to her, and saw her buried beneath it:

I asked her not to eat my plants, but she completely ignored me. My plant was shaking from her movement and I thought she must be ripping off a big piece. I also thought “hm. She’s completely ignoring me. I wonder if she’d mind if I just pet her a little bit?”

So I did.

Wow, she’s soft. I pet her a few times, and she didn’t care. I asked her if she was ok. She looked at me funny.

Then I thought, “man, she doesn’t even care that I’m petting her. This is so cool. I wonder if she’d mind if I picked her up?” So I moved my camera to the side and picked her up. She let me hold her, and I felt a bump. Woah, I said to her “honey are you pregnant?!” and she jumped out of my arms. She promptly went over to the other side of that little log and you know what she did?

She popped out four baby bunnies. That’s what she did. And I got to watch. And I coulda cried.

  One of them kept rolling down the hill, so she let me put him back underneath her. He kept rolling, so I told her I’d help her move them back under the plant, and I did, and she went right in after them and continued caring for them. I sat and watched her nurse her new babies, and thought – this is incredible. What an amazing thing to get to witness – this bunny who was injured that we rescued and hoped would survive well in the wild when we released her is now a momma of four, right in the same backyard she grew up in.

Awwwww. :sniffles: Does this make me a grandbunny?

According to photoblogs.org users, I’ve got myself one hot Photoblog.

I had no idea. I don’t even check the stats – I just post photos, ya know?

Good thing I’ve been sneaking in a few minutes every day to reformat my site and add an e-commerce shop. It’s sorely needed, as right now there’s no quick simple way to order a print. Yeah, yeah, I’m getting there – paying customers come first, though!

Go pick your favorites so you’re ready when the store opens./ shameless self promotion

When we came home from the fireworks lastnight, I decided this would be the photo that I would dedicate to Michele. So, Michele, this one is for you. And everyone else? I’d love for you to enjoy it too, if you’re so inclined. I really don’t mind, and I’m sure Michele wouldn’t mind sharing, either.

This is actually a little smaller than the image I uploaded to my photoblog. I have a very nice show of Fireworks for you, so please click here to go to my photoblog (or just view only the fireworks), and then keep your clicker over “next” for a nice colorful show. Now might be a good time to grab a small bowl of popcorn, or some chocolate, or a funnel cake.

Funnel cakes go great with fireworks, you know. And so do chocolate covered strawberry kabobs. Oh and freshly squeezed lemonade. Gotta wash it all down with something.

I can’t tell you how important it is that if photography interests you, you need to take your camera with you wherever you go.

We went for a walk lastnight, just around the neighborhood within a mile or so – particularly this one area where we sometimes see deer. I was hoping for a great shot of a different bird, and boy did I see and hear some that stay really well hidden in those trees. I ate some wild blackberries, and found deer tracks in the mud alongside the road.

I didn’t expect this shot, though, and this is why it’s so important to strap your camera around your neck before you head out the door.

Keep reading »

I’m chillin’ on the patio this weekend with my family and my camera, here are a few new birdwatchy photos I’ve added to my photoblog. I’ll add a couple more later today or tomorrow, too.

Hope you’re having a good weekend – Happy Father’s Day to all the (not deadbeat) Dad’s and single Mom’s who do it all, too!

Some of you may have ordered your very own Climby Squirrel t-shirt, many of you have not. Ahem.

Back in March, I had a dilemma (or should I say Dellimma?). I had a few hundred squirrely photos, and not enough room on my hard drive for them all. I decided to back up my photos to CD, but didn’t have a DVD write drive. Enter Dell Dude, who suggested I make apparel with my squirrels. He also really really wanted a free shirt. So because I’m really super awesome (I am too), I procrastinated forever (because honestly, I paid for that DVD write drive, is it too much to hope to get a little lovin’ with the greenbacks in return?). A girl can only pretend to be aloof and forget all about it for so long, you know.

I finally got the shirt sent off. One for him, and one for me. Mine arrived last weekend, so I knew it wouldn’t be long before Dell Dude opened up a strange little package from CafePress and found a squirrel ready to leap off of 100% cotton in hopes of a peanut, or maybe even a free DVD write drive.

I love my Climby Squirrel shirt, by the way. It is so wicked that my kids were pouty that they didn’t get one. My photograph/design is printed direct, which means there’s no wierd transfer paper outline – it looks unbelievably cool. In fact, I wore it to the grocery store and people were looking at me funny. Okay so that in itself isn’t entirely unusual, but I am going to attribute that particular days worth of strange glances to the shirt. It works for me.

In an effort to get all of you slackers fabulous people into one of these cool shirts for the summer, I’m going to give you a little incentive. Click the little button below and send over $25 for the cost of the shirt and the shipping. I’ll do the ordering and have it shipped to me, then I’ll personally sign it with my big fancy relatively famous “L” autograph and forward it on to you for your wearing pleasure.

I’ll just need you to tell me which one and what size. Sound fun? I thought so.

:end shameless begging for cash:

Oh and hey? If you want one of my other photos on a shirt instead? Just pick one.

I’ll hook you up.

Special thanks to Dell Dude for sharing himself with the internet. He’s way better than that guy they have doing the PC dude on the Mac commercials, isn’t he? I think so. (BTW, that’s my favoritest commercial ever, in the whole wide world.)

I’ll share myself getting squirrely just as soon as I get my shirt through the wash again.

Oh and one more thing. I broke down and bought a Maxtor 300Gig external Hard Drive. (Sorry Dell Dude, I had like 1000 new squirrel photos and not nearly enough DVD’s or cases to put ’em in.)

To all the mom’s out there today, I hope that you get to have your cake and eat it, too. I wish for you a bicker-free day. A day where your children excitedly cross something off of your to-do list for you.

Cherish those big hugs and kisses from your kids, and notice the subtle hints of appreciation from your hubby for the things that you do to take care of your family.

Grab a fork, or a shovel, or some mulch or something – and enjoy!

  

I am finally starting to catch up with my “to-do” list. Here are some things I’ve crossed off my list, and I still have to get visuals to go along with everything for you.

• Finish up a blog design, MommyHelp.com. That one was an EW project that launched last week, it turned out really neat, new moms will love the tips and information on Breastfeeding and parenting. There’s a forum there, too – lots of nice supportive women there. Check it out!
• Another EW blog design project that I just launched this week is The End User. This is my first fluid blog design for EW, and it’s that black & white one I talked about. It wound up being a really neat layout and project – even though I had to hold myself back from changing just one little hex code to bright red or something. The urge was there, and it persisted – but alas. It’s black, white, and shades of grey, and I shouldn’t even be showing you yet because I still have some tweaking to do. Go on and have a look anyway.
• Live.Love.Read. It just so happy over there. My eyeballs really enjoy it, it’s like therapy. Go. Get happy. I’ll wait.
• One of my blogging buddies enjoyed one of my Ten Little Fishies so much, she wanted a print of it. I’ve got one sitting beside me that I’ll be matting and sending out for her by Monday.
• Sketching Titto for his next portrait – he’s such a ham. His second portrait will be much more colorful as he’s preening and really has a gorgeous spread of tailfeathers. I’ll get his sketch up here later today.
• Two Mother-Daughter banquets. Two nights in a row this week, I’m telling you – it’s been a smidge busy over here this week.
• Balancing the checkbook. Next on my list. Ugh.

I still have some things to add to my list, too! I need to respond to some inquiries and add a photoblog design project, and I also need to find an hour to tell you about the wonderful experience I just had sending off my Great Blue Heron painting to his new home. The whole experience and sequence of events – beginning with meeting Laura – will leave you just as astonished as it did me. Divine intervention indeed.

I also need to tell you about my neighbor. This lovely woman we’ve lived next to for 11 years is not doing so well. I’ve been assisting her whenever she calls for help, and last weekend I waited with her as the ambulance came to take her to the hospice where she is now staying. She’s had trouble breathing for a couple of years, and initially when she was diagnosed they gave her 6 months. She’s well beyond that, but now she’s suffering and the pain she feels just from the effort it takes her to inhale and exhale breaks my heart. I’m going to cut some irises from her garden and take them to her today, and I’ll probably be saying goodbye. It’s very sad, but I’m glad that they are keeping her as comfortable as possible, she shouldn’t have to suffer through her final days. If you’d keep her in your thoughts and prayers, I know she would feel comforted knowing everyone wishes her peace. It seems odd, and I may even sound glib writing about her, but she’s honestly ready to pass on, she has been. She is tired of having to experience the pain of her body failing her before the Lord is ready to take her.

Mother’s Day, aaah Mother’s Day. What do you mom’s want for Mother’s Day? Me, I shared my secret with a friend, and I’m not going to spoil it here but wait patiently to see if my family knows me as well as they think they do.