Do what you love this weekend

Look what I found?  A nice leaf pod thingy...Wanna watch me play drop and catch?

Okay, well I drop it...

Then I jam on the brakes, focus really hard on it and dive, dive, dive...

Then I grab it!  And do it again and again!  Sometimes I do this all afternoon.  What are you going to do this weekend? 
I hope you find a nice leaf pod thingy...

Tower of Light

I went to the New York Botanical Garden for the Orchid show.  The orchids were amazing, of course.  What is not to like?  After the winter we have had, It was worth the trip just to be in a warm tropical place bursting with color and the smell of fragrant flowers and earth. Total sensory overload in a really good way.  At first glance these Giant Bromeliads seem to be just background material for the real show of the flowers.  But look at this--it is literally glowing with light!

Pride and Feathers

This Great Blue Heron is sporting some very fine feathers!  Check out his "comb-over"!

Tulipia Pastia

I am going to the Philadelphia Flower show.  I know there will be an abundance of beautiful flowers.  It's a pity I won't see any of these...

Your Eyes Had Me at "Hello"

Your "red" eyes...They are actually more raspberry than red.

And they go beautifully with those purple plumes. 

You are even more stunning close-up.  I had never seen a Tricolored Heron before, but you were worth the wait. 

Finding Color After the Blizzard

I went to Bailey Arboretum after the Blizzard while the world was very quiet, very peaceful, and very white. Had to find some color...Only took one lens, unfortunately. I could have used my macro and my new supersonic zoom...

I spent time shooting the trees and benches all covered in snow just because...and then saw these bushes.  I love the color combination of chocolate brown and cherry red.

After flailing around in the snow for this shot, I started heading toward the frozen pond and was stopped in my tracks by a beautiful, chubby owl. He was flying across the path in front of me toward a branch in a far tree. Just had to stand there and enjoy him or her. He was too far for my lens, and I didn't want to startle him. He was definitely a bit twitchy that I was there. I had heard hooting while I was shooting earlier, but didn't think anything of it as I have NEVER actually seen an owl there despite my best efforts. He finally flew away, and I continued to walk toward the pond entirely frustrated that I didn't have my zoom. 

And then I saw Lady Cardinal and although she was too far, too, I knew she would be a little more tolerant of my presence. I had to crop way in to show this, but she is a tiny glimmer of wonderful color. She was staring straight at me from her branch-framed perch. She may be small, but she has a mighty presence. Don't you think?

New Year, New Lens

I finally received my new 100-400mm lens. It has been a two-year wait for this thing. During that time, there were lots of different rumors about when Canon might release it. It was worth the wait...but maybe I need some curtains in the den. Apparently we are just as interesting to the creatures outside as they are to us.

This little female Dark-eyed Junco was torturing the cats, Trixie in particular. Trixie tried to get at the bird by standing up on her hind feet and pawing rapidly at the floor-to-ceiling window while making some weird clucking sound. The bird was hardly fazed and kept staring.

And then I looked up and saw this squirrel enjoying some bird food.

Even in the middle of a meal in the first snow storm, no one can keep their eyes off us. He was probably watching Trixie go crazy in the window...

And then the snow subsided, but apparently the show wasn't over, at least for this female cardinal. She was sitting on a branch near her all-red "boyfriend". I was so focused on him that I didn't even see her until I saw the image on the screen. She is really a beautiful girlie and from now on, I will look for her near him.

Wishing you a happy new year and a new lens to look through in 2015!

Birdie Bed Head

It was a beautiful morning, and I wasn't the only one with an alarming case of bed head...or maybe it's just a little extra pizazz? He got my attention after all, even though he was very far away.