bodacious adj. (Southern) Outright; unmistakable
banter v.t. To address with light, playful, good-natured remarks
Welcome to my blog! I pray the images and ideas will be pleasing to God, and a blessing to you.
In joy,
king
Gone Babies Gone!!!
Batch number one of bluebird babies bade “bye-bye” to their box and are winging it. In honor of my sister on her birthday, watch it happen here: (note the middle child requires extensive coaxing/instruction : )
And in honor of Diana’s favorite son’s birthday, here’s (appropriately enough) a selection of some snacking sequences from times prior to the chicks’ departure:
(Note that—as with Bill, food is always welcome : )
Coming soon: a once around the block...
Be blessed,
king
extolling the value of a day off
It began with a sunrise:
(For any who share my addiction, here is another sunrise from two days later, when i searched in vain for Lyrid meteors.)
Back home, i set out my first two tiny tomato things. I’ve never done well with big sandwich varieties, so this year i plan to grow just romas, and rely on the local produce people like Shane and The Rock Ranch for the large, pretty ones.
While ripping up mint to make room for tomatoes, weird stuff happened behind me at the edge of the yard. There was a pair of these birds [identity, please!]
squawking madly and checking out bird houses—including the one currently occupied by this year’s first batch of blue bird babies.
This clued me in on the possibility some action might be in store, so i peeked out the window a time or two over the next few hours between breaks from a webinar by photographer Sal Cincotta.
I wasn’t able to catch any of the dog bird fights that ensued, but if violence is desired, take a gander (or some other bird) as to what it’s like to be a stool pigeon on daddy bluebird’s radar:
To finish the day, i met with Emma and Bo to re-visit the field of red clover. My new camera is a year old now, and as such—it seems to think it can do for itself. I get a little annoyed when they start acting that way: “Let me do it…I can take this picture…Stop helping me!” On and on it goes. I sometimes say, “You’re a camera—you don’t even have opposable thumbs, much less fingers with which to aim yourself or snap the picture.” (But I don’t think it can grasp that : )
Bird epilogue: i was delighted to happen upon a recent post by one of my photographic heroes, David Hobby, who blogs about off-camera lighting. This one contains a couple of spectacular shots of his recent bluebird adventure. You're cordially invited to view more of my bluebird images here.
in joy,
king
clover all over
Thanks to Robin for volunteering Elizabeth, who graciously donated two of her kids in response to my need for props in a field of blooming clover.
Red clover, red clover…why so many pictures?
They bee fun!
in joy,
king
seven* sweet signs spring is surely sprung:
bees busier buzzing – so much pollen…so little time
blue bird box bulging – mom’s doin’ take-out
blue jay babies – mom’s sittin’ on ‘em
buds be blooming – flower power via The Higher Power
cheerful cherries – Mr. Ellerbee always has a good garden, but i don’t know if he can take credit for the lovely tree
hummer homecoming – happy to have them here
Dateline April 7, this year: The first two hummer scouts have been spotted inspecting my (at that time, empty) feeder. They appear slightly displeased. Must. Fill. Nectar. Now.
possessions plastered with pollen – got me covered
*some say six signs, since perhaps pollen is perceived un-pleasant…(but from whence would we bee without it?)
in joy,
king
a wanderer
The ball of ice and dust known as Comet PanSTARRS, as seen from Thomaston, Georgia the evening of March 12, 2013.
in joy,
king
...and (despite popular request), the photoshopped version:
THE MILLER GAMES
Having exhausted good options for March, the local Shutterbug Club has invited me to present the program for this month. This led to a need for some material to go with my topic. So to shoot a few bits of video, i called on some friends who were thrilled willing to whack each other on a sunny, but cold afternoon.
Some folks just seem to get more static than others:
On an unrelated note, for the 6,999,999,997 of you who won’t be attending my presentation, comet Pan-STARRS may be visible above the western horizon near the crescent moon the evening of March 12 and/or 13. (“Check your local listings.”) A good pair of binoculars will likely be helpful. Those interested can read about it here, or if you’re waiting for the movie, check out NASA’s flick here.
in joy,
king
night moves
The cross atop the 200 year old chapel seemed a fitting target through which to shoot the north star—the point from Earth’s northern hemisphere around which all the heavens seem to revolve. If in the game of timelapse close counts, then this half night counted, despite the stars’ hide-and-seek play with the clouds. It had been a wonderful winter’s day: myriads of marvelous camellia blooms at Massee Lane Gardens, a delightful drive through unexplored places, and a fabulously fun concert by Allen Levi and friends at St. Nicholas Episcopal Church. This opportunity to shoot the chapel had been long hoped for, and was an excellent end to a glorious day. [A dark environment should enhance viewing of the video.]
For those whose curiosity causes a conclusion that not all coincidences are merely that, i would point out Polaris wasn’t always our “pole star.” Because of the “wobble” of Earth’s axis, Thuban in the constellation Draco, (the dragon), was the pole star at about the time of the fall (Genesis 3). But during the last several centuries, that role has been played by the end of the handle of the little dipper—described in ancient folklore as The Lesser Sheepfold, a reference to Abraham and his descendents. It seems fitting that in roughly 12 thousand years, the first-magnitude star Vega will be the pole star. It is the principal component in the constellation Lyra, the harp (an instrument of praise : )
It’s a rather cool progression, and perhaps another validation David’s assertion in Psalm 19 is not only fascinating, but literal. If the heavens are telling…i pray we’re listening.
May we all be good listeners...and have a blessed St. Valentine’s day,
king
