Reflections

I have been very busy lately. Last weekend, I attended a wood duck photo workshop in Ohio and posted about it on my other blog, http://birdswithpersonality.blogspot.com. Such a trip requires almost as much time packing as the workshop takes. I was grateful for packing a parka and gloves because it was about 10 degrees colder up there than here in Pittsburgh. I haven't even put away my luggage yet and am still editing almost 800 photos.
Last night, my husband and I got free tickets to see Jean-Michel Cousteau at Heinz Hall. It was a very entertaining and thought-provoking speech. He showed several clips from his DVDs about Midway, an endangered fish, and a toxic test on Orca whales and humans, including himself. A woman (a vegetarian, no less) and her 4-year old son tested the highest in toxic elements in their bodies. One reason is that they live in California, which has a law requiring many household items to be flame-retardant. Evidently, those chemicals pass into the bodies of humans. Cousteau compared Orcas and humans because they are both at the top of the food chain. Orcas absorb toxins that are released into the water over decades, such as garbage, chemicals, sewage, etc.

A Not so Perfect Day

Yesterday, my husband and I headed to Presque Isle to see some bird migrants. At the first stop - where I expected to see warblers - we saw nothing but mosquitoes, hundreds and hundreds of them. We applied plenty of insect repellant and then declared defeat. There were no birds, warblers or otherwise. The second stop promised wildflowers and birds, according to my guidebook. What we found was a path so overgrown that we couldn't walk on it unless we wanted to get more inset bites than we already had. We retreated to the Perry Monument where I finally photographed some birds. Okay, they were gulls but I was determined to photograph something.
After a picnic at the beach - where I photographed more gulls - we walked through deep sand to the lighthouse. With camera and tripod in hand I wanted to get a better view of the lighthouse when I tripped over a sling root. The sand cushioned my fall. However, my hand was clutched to my camera and I sprained my thumb. That finally did it and I declared that I wanted to go home. I iced my hand on the drive home and my thumb is feeling much better now. At home I told my husband that, if I ever wanted to go to Presque Isle again, he should just point at my thumb.

Gearing up

The end of summer is near and fall promises to be a busy one. I'm gearing up to attend some shows and a networking event. That means that I have to order prints and make note cards. I just learned that I can attend the Bridgewater Bookfest in September by sharing a canopy with a Pennwriter friend. In addition to that I have found several bookstores willing to sell my work.
After the bookfest my husband and I want to squeeze in a vacation, which means we want to go birding. Because spring was cold and sometimes wet, I haven't been able to add any new bird species to my stock photo list. I want to remedy that in the fall and do some birding between my many meetings.

Picture Perfect

Sometimes the best photographic subjects are close to home. When we planted a new native garden this year we bought a Joe-pye-weed. Now it is blooming and a big draw for bees and butterflies alike. Last Sunday, for example, I saw an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail on the Joe-pye and grabbed my camera. I then spent some time capturing this beautiful specimen. A few days later, on a recent bright overcast day - perfect lighting for macro photography - I went ouside to take photos of our lobelias. But then I saw a Monarch butterfly landing on the Joe-pye and chased it instead. It had long been my wish to get a closer picture of one with its wings open. It was not easy. The Monarch did not like my close presence and kept flitting away to the other side of the plant, with me in hot pursuit. Finally, I decided that I must have something good on that flash card and left the Monarch alone. I was right.
People who see my photos often say, "You must be very patient!" They're right, of course. But luck is also involved. Had I not gone out at the time when the Monarch was on the Joe-pye I would have never captures this photo.

In the Marsh

Last Saturday, my husband and I headed to Independence Marsh. Fog hung low over the valley when we arrived, but it soon lifted and gave way to warm sunrays. Bullfrogs honked from the ponds but we never saw one. A mockingbird eyed us suspiciously, with food for its chicks in its beak. While I finally got a mockingbird photo (on a powerline, unfortunately), our main goal was seeing wildflowers. A marsh is an awesome place to see summer wildflowers. We saw Joe-pye-weed, teasel, field thistle, green-headed coneflower, orange and yellow jewelweed, blue vervain, and countless others. Two hummingbird moths were fighting over a flower and a hawk flew over the lake. On the way back I flushed out a blue heron which I had not seen (otherwise I would have stalked him to get his photo). The hours flew by until the heat forced us to return home. It was a beautiful morning on the marsh.

Blazing Star

Last Sunday, my husband and I headed up north to the Jennings Environmental Center near Slippery Rock for a guided walk. The occasion was the blooming of the Blazing Star. While not all flowers were blooming yet (they never bloom entirely, but bloom from top to bottom), at least 30 or more people had turned out for the walk. Apparently, they had all read it in the newspaper like we did. There was a lot to learn about glaciers, Ice Age animals, the Massasauga snake, and temperatures on the prairie and how plants and wildlife adapt to them. A breeze kept the air temperatures tolerable, but prevented me from taking many pictures.
After making a stop for ice cream, we headed home and are pretty sure that we'll plant a Blazing Star in our garden next year.

My Travel Bag

When I travel overseas, I need a big tote bag. Nowadays, passengers need to bring along their own food in case the airplane fare is inedible for dietary or other reasons. I, for example, won't touch rock-hard buns or cold-as-ice desserts. So, I bring along cereal bars or a muffin. And then I need to take water, a camera, a cell phone (in case the plane is delayed), an i-pod, a book, money, boarding passes and itineraries and all the other hundred gadgets that make a long day a little less long.
For years and years, I've been taking my trusty tote bag along. It has lots of zippers and other pockets for the above mentioned gadgets. And it has lots of miles on it. In fact, if bags could get frequent flyer miles, my bag should earn me a free flight overseas.
Imagine my surprise when I walked through a sandwich restaurant at Cincinnati Airport and a woman said to me, "I like your bag!" She had the exact same bag I had. Hers was in much better shape than mine, but then mine gets kicked around airplanes a lot more than hers, I bet.
Some day I'll have to buy a new one, but I doubt it will last as long as this one did.