Tag Archives: photo

Visual Relief

After three days of unrelenting drought posts, I don’t know about you, but I feel parched!

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Nikon D5100 f/10 ISO 800 1/250 s 55-300@55mm – Summer 2012

Although the temperatures have abated some, and there are areas nearby which have received considerable amounts of rain, our little Back Forty is still dry. The vegetation is brown and crispy. Insect noises have abated to near silence.

For some relief from the unrelenting dryness of everything, I can walk up to one of our ponds. We have dubbed this, our largest, Blue Heron Pond.

Here is some visual relief for my followers; enjoy a peaceful break from the drought, contemplating these soft ripples and reflections of sunrise in the blessedly wet pond.

Drooping in Defeat

This little stand of weeds has given up.

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Nikon D5100 f/5.6 ISO 400 1/180 s 55-300@240 mm – Summer 2012

There is no more fight left in them. The drought has defeated them, and their posture reflects that.

Isn’t it strange that a human’s posture of defeat so closely resembles that of a plant?!

Drought in Pastel Colors

Any way you dress it up, it is still a drought.

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Nikon D5100 f/5.6 ISO 800 1/250 s 55-300@155mm – Summer 2012

Here it is mid-August, and we have been feeding hay to the horses for over a month. We will be feeding hay through at least March of 2013. The pastures will need to be seeded before there will be any grass available for the horses to graze.

Treats?

All the hens know we come bearing gifts 🙂 They gather ’round and check us out; is she carrying an apple? Does he have a slice of watermelon?

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Nikon D5100 f/10 ISO 400 1/250 s Nikkor 55-300@220mm – Summer 2012

This one was especially pleased because she was the first to notice me and I was close enough that she didn’t need to run. Running is bad because it alerts the others that treats are at hand. These hens do not want to share with their sisters!

Hidden!

How did I spot this tree frog? It was washed out of the horse water trough when I cleaned and refilled it. After taking few shots of it sitting in the hay on the ground, I decided to see if I could catch it and move it to a more natural-looking environment.

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Nikon D5100 f/10 ISO 800 1/350 s Nikkor 55-300@300mm – Summer 2012

It was surprisingly easy to catch. I wondered if it was perhaps suffering from overheating, as it had been hiding in the lip of the black plastic water trough. That is not exactly a cool place to hide. In any case, it passively sat on the pine bark and allowed me to take several photos before it moved.

It is marvelous how well the tree frog blends in with the gray, rough bark. No wonder I rarely see them in their preferred settings!

Summertime Siesta

Cynthia was napping on the (former) BBQ grill. It has been re-purposed as a cat bed and cat food dish holder, very much to Cynthia’s liking.

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Nikon D5100 f/11 ISO 400 1/250 s – Summer 2012

She knew I was there and was purring softly and kneading with her paws to let me know she loves us. But she was just too sleepy to get up and greet me properly 🙂