Common Blue Violet

 Our backyard is filled with these wonderful tiny violets.  The benefit of several years w/o lawn service, I suppose.  

Sometimes you have to lay on the ground to get the right angle...

Bluebird Sunday

 Bluebird activities this Sunday morning... These are from a series of 30= photos taken over 2 minutes. I suspect they're "courting", but odd that there were at least 2 females hanging around. Fascinating...

Squatter

 I think I know why no birds have taken up residence in the #2 box...   This squirrel was just hanging out on the lid, on a rainy Friday morning

Hummingbird(s) are Back!

 I put out one of our hummingbird feeders about a week ago, just saw our first Hummer today.  Naturally, I didn't have my camera ready, so the photo is pretty bad.  But there will be more opportunities!

The Spring Rush

 Apparently (or reportedly) springtime has a huge migration of birds through our area.  I was reminded of that recently, and have been using the "sound identification" feature of the Merlin ap, to see what we hear.  Over the month of April (through this morning), we've heard 46 different birds in our backyard!  I wish that I had seen all of them, but sadly, no.  I've seen most of them, but not all in my backyard, and not all this month...  

Chipping Sparrow

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White  Throated Sparrow

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Here's a list of the 46 birds "heard" over the month of April (so far)!

• American Crow
• American Goldfinch
• American Robin
• Baltimore Oriole
• Black-and-white Warbler
• Blue Jay
• Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
• Brown Creeper
• Brown Headed Cowbird
• Canada Goose
• Carolina Chickadee
• Carolina Wren
• Cedar Waxwing
• Chimney Swift
• Chipping Sparrow
• Common Grackle
• Cooper's Hawk
• Dark Eyed Junco
• Downy Woodpecker
• Eastern Bluebird
• Eastern Meadowlark
• Eastern Phoebe
• Eastern Towhee
• Eurasian Tree Sparrow
• European Starling
• Hermit Thrush
• Hooded Merganser
• House Finch
• House Sparrow
• House Wren
• Mourning Dove
• Northern Cardinal
• Northern Mockingbird
• Northern Parula
• Orange-crowned Warbler
• Red Bellied Woodpecker
• Red-shouldered Hawk
• Red-Winged Blackbird
• Rose Breasted Grosbeak
• Ruby-crowned Kinglet
• Song Sparrow
• Tufted Titmouse
• White Throated Sparrow
• Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
• Yellow-rumped Warbler
• Yellow-throated Warbler

Easter Bunny?

 Easter Bunny? I was checking the bird feeders during a break in our deluge, and the rabbit decided to come out and explore. I stayed still, and it came to within 3-4 feet of me. Usually they are a LOT more skittish. These photos are straight from my iPhone (with the 3x lens).

Brown Headed Cowbird

 Brown Headed Cowbird, on a wet, wet, wet April day.

Throwback

 I took this photo back in October of 2022.  It is along old Rt. 66, I think it was just south of Springfield, IL.  At the time I pressed the shutter, I thought "That's it!".  Later, looking at it on the computer, I was still pretty happy with it.  Then I posted it to a couple of photo sites, and the response was, well underwhelming.  A few days ago, I was posting a few photos to a newer (to me) site and decided to post this there.  While it got a little more response, it was less than expected, and not exactly enthusiastic.

So now I'm sitting here with my "imposter syndrome" flaring up.  

Oh well, I still like this one.  A lot.  Could it be better?  I wish the placement of the cars was different, both are blocked by poles.  But I did take several tries with passing cars.  And I'd like a hint more motion-blur on the cars.  And maybe a more 16x9 kind of crop, to cut out some of the foreground...  Or maybe I should print it and hang it on my wall, and enjoy it as is.

/rant

St. Louis Entrance

 Along I-64/I-70, headed into St. Louis.  Not exactly the prettiest entrance...

School Days Pt. 2

 Last week, we went to a event at my grandson's Elementary School. Naturally, I took a bunch of random photos, that probably had all the other people wondering "What's that guy doing?"

I posted a few photos Saturday, but here's a few more.  Again, all from the iPhone camera:

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School Days Pt. 1

Last week, we went to a event at my grandson's Elementary School. Naturally, I took a bunch of random photos, that probably had all the other people wondering "What's that guy doing?"

Here's a few to share, all from the iPhone camera:

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Puzzling Pittsburgh

 So, I've been doing puzzles lately.  I suppose it is a real sign of getting old!  U sed to do puzzles a lot as a kid, and occasionally well into my teens.  But it has been years.  Every once in a while I've picked up a puzzle and it ends up on a shelf.  But I've started up again.  Nice relaxing:  put on some good music, and get a few pieces placed.  

This is my most recent, a puzzle of Pittsburgh, or a version of Pittsburgh.  I have no idea how long I've had this puzzle, the box has a 1988 copyright.  And it has 3 River Stadium, that was torn down in 2000.  So I figure it is at least that old.

Anyway, tough puzzle, not the best quality puzzle, but still fun.  The red borders were brutal.

Head Start

We're about a month from our average-last-frost, seemed like a good time to start plants.  Last year was our first try at growing, we did tomatoes, green peppers and jalapenos.  All in 5 gallon buckets.  It was a good experience, so we're doing it again.  So we start them inside, in plater containers.  This year my wife decided we should add grow lights.  So we'll see.

I'm also trying a tray of Purple Coneflowers, as a native plant to (hopefully) attract butterflies and bees and other food for the birds!  Stay tuned for updates

Great Blue Heron, Before and After

 So, I was at Watershed Nature Center yesterday, and came across this Great Blue Heron hunting.  I watched it for 7 minutes (based on photo time tags) and took a few photos.  This is the one that I picked as "best".  I think it is a little flawed, but pretty good.  What say you?

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The original is below.  There's not a whole lot of tweaking.  Mostly the crop, to get a little closer, and to get rif of the different textured water in the background.  Also standard adjustments of exposure, contrast, etc.  I did "remove" a bit of something floating just below the heron, and another just above the foreground plant.  Finally, a little hint of dodging and saturation boost on the eye.

Great Albums, 1975-Q1

 I used to do a lot more music posts here, monthly Top 40 posts and such.  But those faded away without fanfare or (apparently) mourning.  But I was listening to mt "Hits of 1975" playlist the other day, and started thinking about albums.  So I figured I'd look into it, maybe pick up some ideas for the music que.

So, here's a list of notable albums from the first quarter of 1975.  

Albums I own:

• Blood On The Tracks - Bob Dylan.  A great album, and an "important" album.  I've owned it since the mid 70's, the first Dylan album I owned.
• Physical Graffiti - Led Zeppelin.  An iconic album, certainly worth having.  Though I didn't own it in the 70's, I certainly knew most of the music from it.
• On Your Feet or on Your Knees - Blue Oyster Cult.  One of my favorite live albums, by one of my favorite bands.  I don't remember if I got this before or after "Secret Treaties". but either way is close.   
• Song for America - Kansas. The title track is sooooo good. My introduction to Kansas, I remember the title track playing on AOR radio.  Although not my first Kansas album (that was the next album Masque)
• Nuthin' Fancy - Lynyrd Skynyrd.  Actually the last of Skynyrd's first 4 albums that I owned, I didn't get this one until probably 1975.  But it has some of my favorite deep tracks by them.
• The Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table - Rick Wakeman.  Again, my 3rd favorite Wakeman album of the trio of great albums Wakeman put out 1973-1975.  But still great.
• Lou Reed Live - Lou Reed.  
• Spring Fever - Rick Derringer.  Pretty sure this is the 1st Derringer album I owned, either this or "Live".  But I did have this one in 1975.  I remember reading an interview in Circus magazine (at least I think it was Circus) and buying it based on that.
• Straight Shooter - Bad Company

Honorable Mention

• Modern Times - Al Stewart.  Dropped between "Past Present & Future" and "Year Of The Cat".  and IMHO, not as good as either.
• Fly By Night - Rush.  I'm not really a Rush fan, but that puts me in a minority.  I know a couple songs from this album, I should probably give the whole thing a listen.
• Young Americans - David Bowie
• Katy Lied - Steely Dan