Not So Great Photos of Interesting Birds

Sometimes the lighting is perfect. Sometimes the birds are clear of obstructing leaves and branches. Sometimes the sun is shining. But sometimes you see and photograph the best of birds under the worst of camera conditions. And so it is with this post.

I finally got a glimpse of the migrating Rose-breasted Grosbeaks. The males will soon be followed by the females. Their winter coats are not as glamorous as their spring garb, but they are beautiful and welcome nonetheless.

This little chickadee looks amazed at the new bird at the feeder.

He does look pretty large sitting there stuffing himself.

And I saw a most uncooperative little bird. He gave me two quick looks and then flitted away. I was happy to see him anyway. Black-throated Blue Warblers are rare in our area.

He turned his back on me and you can see his hallmark "pocket handkerchief."

Except for his size, it would be hard to identify this little bird.

When he turns, it is even more obvious that he is a hummingbird. We still have a few of them around, but it won't be for long.

I couldn't let the post go without some mention of the game that kept me up past midnight on Monday and sent me to bed angry.

I'm always one to give credit where it is due. And Brett Favre played like the Brett Favre I used to watch years ago. He was so outstanding that everyone stood in awe to watch as he made one bullet pass completion after another.

(Photo from the Associated Press)

As a matter of fact, the Packer defense acted like the other observers and they also stood to watch in awe to watch. I've never seen ANY quarterback have more time in the pocket before having to release the football! Sometimes it seemed as if he were practicing since no one bothered to rush him. As for the Packer offensive line...they are going to let Aaron Rodgers get killed or seriously injured. He was sacked EIGHT TIMES during the game. Aaron Rodgers is a great quarterback, but he cannot throw the ball when he's knocked down almost every play. I don't think I've agonized over a football game since I was in high school and that, dear reader, was a LONG time ago.

---------------If I sound a bit bitter about Brett Favre, it's because I am. His adolescent behavior did a great deal of damage to the Packer team and to their fans. He acted like a spoiled brat. His waffling created a major distraction to the team and to Aaron Rodgers, already installed as the quarterback. Rather than play as backup and work his way back into the starting position, Brett decided to take his marbles and go home, or in this case to New York. So don't tell me about his enthusiasm and his love for the game. Don't tell me he plays like a much younger man...he acts like one as well. Much younger, as in 18 years old.

---------------I'm not the only one who feels this way about Favre. The Milwaukee Journal/Sentinel did an Online poll after Monday night's game. The following question was asked, "So now do you think the Packers did the right thing when they parted ways with Brett Favre?" Nearly 24,000 people responded and 66% of them answered "yes."

---------------Of course, we will all sing the praises of Brett Favre when the Packers retire his green #4 jersey. And we all hope he will enter the NFL Hall of Fame as a Green Bay Packer. And we will honor the tremendous player that he has been over the years. But we will still remember his childish behavior and the damage he did to our team and its fans.

Land Where the Water Falls Part Two

Among our favorite activities we include hiking, especially to the many waterfalls in our area. Recent heavy rains have filled our streams and rivers. We have continued to have around two inches of rain every week since the flooding rains in September. After three consecutive years of drought, the rain makes us happy indeed.

One of our favorite hikes is an easy hike in Dupont Forest. Hiking only a mile, we are rewarded with three amazing waterfalls, Hooker Falls, Triple Falls, and High Falls.

This photograph of Triple Falls was taken in May of 2007. The water level is somewhat less than "normal" because of the drought.



Compare that photograph to the following photographs taken last month after some heavy rains. Note the amount of visible rock below the falls in the 2007 picture. None of those rocks are visible in the September photographs.

The pictures do not do justice to the marvelous falls. To really appreciate them, one must be standing there listening to the roar and watching the spray.

Tonight is the BIG game. The Green Bay Packers are heading to Minnesota to play former teammate Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings. [Thanks, Rae, for pointing out my error about the location. Guess I got carried away.] Here's hoping the Packer defense will intercept Brett several times and sack him just as often. Here's hoping the Packer fans will have a happy trip back to Wisconsin. Here's hoping the Viking fans will go to work in the morning tired and depressed at having lost to the Packers. As Vince Lombardi said, "If winning isn't everything, why do they keep score?" And if the Vikings happen to win, I'll be thinking of another Lombardi quote, "We didn't lose the game; we just ran out of time."

HERE'S HOPING...

Fridays are Golden

This may be our favorite time of year. The summer tourists are gone and the leaf lookers (or peepers) haven't yet filled the mountains. We often take mid-week day trips to re-visit some of our favorite sites. We have a wonderful dog walker whom the dogs just love. He is retired and loves dogs so he makes extra pocket money walking them. He leaves us a written report as extensive as any babysitter we've ever had. So we have no concerns leaving them for a day.

When we get home we spend a bit more time with them outside.


Here Lucy trots along the walk.

Rats! Ellie saw me with the camera. If she notices the camera she automatically sits and poses. Nothing natural about this.

A bird flies past and catches Lucy's attention. She loves to watch the birds.

Exhausted after some active play, the girls relax. Ellie selected the bed first and there is absolutely no room for Lucy. That never stops her even though there is another identical bed only a few feet away. She pushes and makes a place for herself.

Lucy simply loves to snuggle next to Ellie even if it means contorting her body or (more likely) using Ellie for a pillow.

While we were outside, a little hummingbird decided to have a snack. I can't resist taking photographs of them during the waning days of their presence. Oh, I will miss them.

This week is National Banned Book Week. If you missed most of it, you still have the weekend to go to your local library and check out a banned book. Find a list of "controversial" authors and books and pick up a few. You don't have to read them this weekend...just check them out.

Our thoughts are with the people suffering throughout this planet we share, most especially those in the Pacific Islands affected by recent tsunamis. Looking at the devastation should make you grateful for what you have and what kind of life you enjoy. So this weekend, get out there and enjoy it.

HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND. OCTOBER TRULY BRINGS AUTUMN TO US AND THE PROMISE OF WONDERFUL DAYS AHEAD.

Clouds Down in the Valleys

We finally got to drive up the Blue Ridge Parkway last week. The fog was lying in the valleys like sleeping clouds waiting for a wake-up call from the sun. The sky was hazy with puffs of clouds often lining the horizon.

The sun came out and we saw plenty of wildflowers along the roadside.

There is just a hint of color on the mountains. In fact, no more than we have at home a thousand feet lower in elevation. There will be color though, and I will show it to you in a few weeks. (You can see a bit more color if you click on the photo.)

Meanwhile, here is plenty of fall color in a scarf I recently finished.

I love this pattern which deceptively simple and always looks good. It's called "Feather and Fan" and the pattern repeats after four rows. Two of the rows are simply knitting and one of them is purling. The third row is a combination of "knit two together" and "yarnover." How simple is that? I love patterns I can easily memorize and this is one of them. Much more fun to be able to watch a movie or talk and knit at the same time.

Hummer in the Rain

It's hard to believe, but we had another two-and-a-half inches of rain over the weekend! The rivers are really high but there was no significant flooding. Hardly anyone can recall this much rain not associated with the remnants of a hurricane.

As I look out at the pouring rain, I always admire the tenacity of the birds. They come to our feeders and take shelter in our trees. I know that they are equipped to deal with the rain, but still I feel sorry for them.

During a break in the rain, I captured this little wet hummingbird. I treasure the days we have left with them and will miss them this winter.

The sun is shining brightly this morning. It is much cooler than normal and feels as if fall has truly arrived. We are happy the trees will go into the winter with plenty of moisture. They have suffered a harsh three-year drought. And we are happy for the farmers who may yet get some yield from their late crops as the fields dry out. And we are really happy for ourselves and we smile as we watch the wonderful sunshine. I think the birds are happier this morning too.

Fridays are Golden

We have a new local pet supply store. It is not terribly convenient for us but we needed some doggie toothpaste and decided to stop in and see what they had.

It's a nice store, although it is small, and we will patronize them. A bin of deer antlers was near the checkout counter. We had never purchased antlers and the store clerk assured us that our dogs would love them. We looked at them. They were pricey. But since we don't indulge the dogs all that often, and since it was a new store, and since the girls had been cooped up because of the rain, we decided to give them a try.

The girls had just come inside and we towel-dried them so they are still damp, fluffy, and curly.

We put the antlers on the floor so each dog could choose one.





Lucy takes her antler to one of the beds.
"I'm checking this out. I think I really like it."
That's good, Lucy.





Ellie takes her antler to the other bed.
"I think this is going to be good, but I have to lick it all over first."








"Mom! I look just like a mammoth who lost a tusk!"
Yes, that's exactly what you look like.




There follows a process that repeats itself every time the girls get dried bones or new toys. Lucy abandons hers and goes over to check out the one Ellie has.

"I'm afraid Ellie has the best one. I'm sorry, but I have to take it away from her."
Lucy, that is not true. One of these days you are going to try that and Ellie is going to snap at you.




Lucy takes the antler from Ellie who looks bewildered as always but gives no quarrel or resistance at all.

"I'll just take this one over and give it a try."
Lucy, that is not a nice thing to do.
"Well, I figure anything is all right if you can get away with it."

Poor Ellie is much like Charlie Brown who is always surprised that Lucy once again removed the football. No matter how many times it occurs she can't believe it.

"Dad, did you see that?"
Yes, Ellie. But we've talked about this before. You are the one who has to keep this from happening. We won't get involved and you'll have to work it out.

"Oh, well. I think this one might be better anyway. I do hate to make a fuss."

This is the last weekend of September. We've past the equinox and are heading into fall. The sun has been shining for two days now, but more rain is predicted for this weekend. We have been assured it will be light rain and we hope that is true. While we are safe, with only minor inconveniences from some still-closed roads, we know there are areas in Georgia where the citizens are still without safe drinking water. Our thoughts are with those who are cleaning out the muck and trying to return to their homes.

HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND, EVERYONE. GIVE THANKS FOR WHAT YOU HAVE AND MAKE THE MOST OF THESE MILD DAYS. THEY'LL BE GONE BEFORE YOU KNOW IT.

Land Where the Water Falls

With more than 250 named waterfalls, Transylvania County is called the "Land of the Waterfalls." With an average annual rainfall of 80 inches, it is jokingly called, "Land Where the water falls" by local residents. One section of our county is officially designated a temperate rain forest. In most years, our county receives more rain than any county east of the Rocky Mountains.

It has been more than 3 years since we approached a normal rainfall. A severe drought has reduced the amount of rain to a percentage of normal.

Last week several weather fronts dumped rain on us and parts of Georgia, Tennessee, and South Carolina. It poured and poured...more than 14 inches in six days. On Monday the rain slowed somewhat so my husband and I did what we always do after a heavy rain; we headed out to see a waterfall or two.

With raincoats and umbrellas we headed up to Pisgah National Forest to view two waterfalls that are easily accessible.


Looking Glass Falls is impressive. Here is a photograph of "normal" flow.

This is Looking Glass Falls on Monday afternoon. What a sight and sound! The roar of the falls was impressive. The water fell with such force that it splashed 20 feet in the air at the bottom of the falls.

The water poured over the top of the falls.

We couldn't walk closer to the falls because of the mist. We could protect the camera from the rain with our umbrellas, but there is no way to protect it from the mist.

Another easily accessible waterfall is a recreation area known as Sliding Rock. In summers it is filled with children and adults who slide down the smooth rocks to a pool below. It's a favorite destination for the summer campers.

Here a couple of girls slide down the rocks. This is taken at the top of the "slide." The amount of water flowing is somewhat less than normal because of the drought.

This is a photograph of the same area on Monday. Notice that the fence is partially underwater and none of the rocks are visible. What a change.

This shows most of the sliding area of Sliding Rock. People are lined up on the left waiting a turn in the icy cold water. Notice that the fence is away from the rushing water. Compare that to the previous photograph.

On Monday, the sliding area looked like this. I could not get down to the deck because of the spray. The pool at the bottom was no longer visible as it became part of the roaring river.

The sign indicates the area is closed. While we didn't see any swimmers, we did see a couple of young men debating whether they could kayak the area. They wisely decided they would not be able to make the curve at the bottom and would run into the deck. We have all sorts of signs saying the obvious. You wouldn't think you need to tell people not to get in the water at the top of a waterfall, or not to jump off a waterfall. But it is necessary and every year people ignore them and suffer death or severe injury.

I must admit I feel a bit guilty enjoying the splendor of the waterfalls while others are suffering from extensive flooding. Major roads were closed due to high water and people in some areas of the county had to evacuate. Homes were flooded and farmers lost crops. The remaining apples in Henderson County were knocked from the trees and the orchards are too soggy to harvest them.

----------------So think positive thoughts for those less fortunate while you enjoy the waterfalls. The rain stopped on Tuesday, although another front is expected to bring us more rain this evening. But the prediction is for light rain and scattered showers...nothing like the past week. The rivers will crest today so the worst should be over and the cleanup will begin. I'm certain the kind folks of Transylvania County will be generous is increasing donations to the less fortunate.