Critters

     I like taking pictures of animals. It can be a bit tricky with my camera, though.

     Getting pictures of cattle isn't a difficult task. Getting them to stop staring at you and actually do something, can be a bit trickier. These bulls are just playing.

     Sometimes you just come across some animals by chance. These geese didn't want to give up the road and the gander (on the left) acted as if he was going to attack my car.

     Two things I like to photograph! An old building, and an animal. (See the kitty?)

     This Great Pyrenees was supposed to be fulfilling the role they were originally bred for. He found the sniffables far too interesting to keep up with the sheep, though.

     I'm not sure what kind of duck this is. (maybe an unusual colored Scaup...) At any rate, it seems odd for her (him?) to be all alone at this time of year. Maybe this is a good hiding spot, as it is hunting season. Don't worry, little duck, your secret is safe with me.

     Without a big 'ol telescopic lens it can be tricky to take pictures of animals. The generally don't like things that focus on them for too long. It's a pretty good survival technique. Still, they're one of my favorite photography subjects.
    

Hazy

     It's a very hazy morning here, but that makes for some amazing sunrises.

     Looks like the sky is burning. (Click the picture for a full-sized version.) I've also got a non-panorama version if you like...

     Have a good'n!

Monday The Twenty-Eighth

     There's been a lot of good autumn light these past few days. I think I got a couple of pictures that show it...

     I do love a good sunrise. (And things that look good when I put them between said sunrise and my camera.)

     Apple Orchard. They're always beautiful.

     Where am I? Do you see a clue? Seriously, though, I generally don't like it when the sky is just white as it usually washes out any details. But sometimes it leaves you with a great skyline.

     So what do you all think? I think they're pretty good and I'm looking forward to sharing more. Toodle-oo!

Thanksgiving

     Happy Thanksgiving all! I'd do a full post, but I've got other things on my mind...

     Delicious things!

     Have a good'n.

Wallpapery

     It's very windy today (I'm saving the pun for another day...) so I'm just going to post a nice picture that I think would make a smashing wallpaper. (Click on it to get the full-sized version.) Oh, I also have a quote to go with a windy day. I hope you enjoy both.

     "The pessimist complains about the wind;
      The optimist expects it to change;
      The realist adjusts the sails."
     
      -William A. Ward

Panorama

     Some dark clouds are just pulling out this morning. And while they're only making way for lighter clouds, it's still one step closer to clear skies.

     To the east things are looking brighter, and the nice diffused light makes for good picture taking.

     And for a full panorama (I spent all morning on this...) click the picture below! It used to be longer but I had to chop it down a bit so that it would fit.

     At any rate, that's all for today. Have a great Tuesday!

On Foot, On Monday

     This morning I decided to take my pictures on foot. A person doesn't necessarily have to travel far to get pictures.

     While it would seem that there's not much going on this morning, that would be just the people front. Still as a whole, I like pictures of big empty places.

     This little guy was hanging out under the ledge of a concrete ditch that had washed out. I wonder why he wasn't in a real burrow.

     Here you go: Still life. Ponds are art gold, but this is just a little sediment pond. If only I could paint.

     And to finish, as sunset. (A good way to finish.) Actually the sun has already set and this is more a picture of bright pink clouds. Pretty, yes?

     You'll all be very happy (I'm certain) to hear, that I'm pretty much all healed up so I'll be able to be out and about to take pictures. More tomorrow, so I'll see you then.

Out And About

     I felt well enough to make a picture run this morning. Needless to say, I survived.

     The sun poked through the clouds for a couple hours this morning. I even got to be in it once or twice.

     These dim days inspire some of the sneakier predators to come out during the day. This poor coyote lost the crow it was stalking when I stopped to take a picture. Personally, though, I think she was being pretty hopeful...

     This is the spot to be, if you're a hawk. Nearly every time I pass this thing it's got some sort of raptor on it. Today though, there were two! They must be family. (They're Red-Tailed Hawks.)

     These three had to head home when the boss went somewhere that cow-dogs aren't allowed. The dark one on the left got in a pickup when they arrived home in hopes that maybe the next time she wouldn't be left behind.

     I was fortunate to catch the lighting conditions that I did. Now it is snowing, though it's not cold enough for them to last once they touch the ground. It would appear that I'm kicking this thing. That means more new pictures. I hope you're as excited about that as I am. See you later.

Running Out

     The deal with being somewhat of a hermit-photographer, (That is to say a hermit who is a photographer, not a photographer who deals entirely in the medium of hermits.) is that when you do go around people, you have to run a gauntlet of disease. For the most part, I come through fine. This time, I lost. I'm very tired, and I apologize for it, but I'm doing a one photo post yet again. It's a very nice photo, I think.

     This photo, if clicked, will reveal a large and high resolution version. Enjoy!

Gold!

     Why do some things have value? Take gold, for example. Before we started to manipulate electricity, one would be hard-pressed to point out any real value to the 79th element. Three factors, though: It doesn't tarnish, it's very malleable, and, and... Huh, I swore I had three things when I started that thought. Two things, then! So why then, would a person covet such a thing? You couldn't even make a particularly useful tool out of it because it's so soft. But I have a theory. (Actually, I have lots of theories, but this one is pertinent.)

     We didn't always live under so many roofs. (By the way: If you click this picture you get a real big one at high resolution so you could, say, use it as a desktop.) We used to be outside. Like, a lot. In this golden autumn sunshine the world turns to jewelry. But the source is intangible. You don't have to spend much time outside to realize that the sun is a pretty big part of the equation of everything. It is, if not divine, at the very least magical. And I think that this is the reason we love gold. At first it was the closest thing to the sun we could grasp to our lovely star, and then we forgot why. It was valuable because it was valuable and people traded things like food and clothing for it. Gems too. Without light, a diamond is just a rock.

     Anyhow... I've got some coughing to do. See you later!

Something New

     So... Welcome! I am Mark and I am from Owyhee County, Idaho, The United States, c/o Earth. (North-Western Hemispherish) I never really thought that I'd have a blog that was about me. Hopefully, if you'll pardon some semantics, this site will be more from me than about me. I should have the site decorated and detailed in no time.
     If you're new to all this, I'm very pleased if somewhat surprised that you've found your way here. I take pictures and talk a lot. (or write a lot, rather) Here I'll share some things I see, and some things I know, and perhaps some things I discover. You might find it a bit strange, but I hope you enjoy it.

Okay. Where to start... Ah yes, the beginning. (Or a beginning, anyhow.)

     I once heard a story (or maybe I just think I did...) about Uncle Coyote. About how the land the people lived on was difficult to live on. So he gathered up the people and put them in a basket. He sought out to find a new land where the people could live easily. But as he walked he did not notice that there was a hole in his basket and the people were falling out the bottom. Wherever they fell they began their lives anew, which is why there are people in other places. When Uncle Coyote found a place that was, as he saw it, just right he settled down and pulled out his basket only to find that it was nearly empty. What few people he had left he taught his ways: stealth, cleverness, where and when to do what. And the people lived well.
     I've always like stories like that. I kind of wondered why they stopped telling them...

     Of course I know why they ended. People move, things change, time (as they say) moves on. Of course in my mind, the land that Uncle Coyote chose was here where I live at the foot of the Owyhees. I think there is something special about it even though now we tend to follow a more agricultural path rather than follow in the coyotes footsteps. And perhaps we need new stories to add to the old to help us see the important details.

     So I'm going to go looking for stories and I hope you'll join me along the way. I'll post often, and at the very least, I'll do my best to be interesting and to post some nice pictures.

-Mark