Much worse than sad, bound to be repetitive because of stubborn devotion to America's favourite fetish. But take note that I was not the first person to sadly and unfortunately politicize this group.
Acknowledging acts of depravity that affect our sensibilities are not “politicizations” - and IMO, the absence thereof in a forum that celebrates the inherently human creation of ART, would constitute an anomaly, almost a self-contradiction of purpose.
I never “demand” anything in this Group; those who participate here I assume will express themselves as time and circumstances dictate. Arbitrarily precluding humanistic reflection is contrary to to ART
Wrong word, should have said "require" rather than "demand" but same meaning. It's okay ART, as I said it's your group so anyone can post whatever ART says is okay. (shrug)
I don't run the show here, and neither do you, so there is no cause for you to have said that. ART says it's intended and okay, so you can post whatever he says is okay. After all, he even allows ME to continue posting here when I'm being so ornery.
No apologies necessary, Shona, and, I do not want to delete your comment which is quite appropriate given the circumstances. Please allow me to keep your comment.
The Ancient Buddhist Shaolin Temple - A Retrospective
Earlier this week I posted an article on this group about a photographer who took photos of Zhengzhou and environs, where I spent my first 10 years in China. The high school where I taught English was in its suburbs, and my wife and I moved to live downtown there after six years at the school. One of the photos was of monuments at Shaolin Temple, an ancient Buddhist temple which was the birthplace of Zen Kung Fu. In my comments I posted a few photos I had taken of those monuments that memorialized the abbots of the temple from throughout the centuries, and need not repeat them here.
If you missed it above, here is the link to that article ->
During my first year teaching, I toured Shaolin Temple, was actually there twice, and below I have posted some of the photos I took (and one of me) there. When I was there a monk taught me the correct way to pray to Buddha, and as well I purchased a T-shirt with the temple's insignia blazoned on it. While teaching a class a little later on, I was wearing a shirt that had pressure buttons, the ones you just press to close and just pull apart to open and underneath it I was wearing the Shaolin Temple T-shirt, and amazingly and coincidentally one of my students during that class lesson asked me if I had ever been to Shaolin Temple. I asked: "Have I ever been to Shaolin Temple? Have I ever been to Shaolin Temple?" and yanked my shirt open to expose the T-shirt. The class went hysterical, causing the teachers from across the hall and the next door classroom to come in to see what was going on .
The entrance to the lower temple compound.
.
Dharma Hall, which I think was a hotel in the compound.
.
The dormitories for the monks and students.
.
Walkway to the upper temple level. I think the upper walkway is preferred over the one underneath it.
.
I walked part of the way, then decided to use the easy method, but it was just as scary.
.
One of the beautifully decorated buildings
.
When I was a little kid I had my photo taken sitting on a pony, but things are a little different in China.
.
Joss sticks lit and planted in front of the temple where Buddha's statue was - which is part of the procedure for praying to Buddha.
.
I suppose I should have aimed the camera a bit higher. LOL Well, it's better than cutting a PERSON'S head off.
.
They put on a show for visitors.
.
It was quite exciting - and I totally forgot that I could have taken a video with my camera.
.
The kids start young to learn Zen Kung Fu
.
Who's that fat guy in the plaid shirt?
.
My group for my second trip there - two of our students and the guy was a fellow teacher, a really nice guy from Sri Lanka who also did the Beijing trip with me that first Christmas. I sure hope he's okay these days if he's back in Sri Lanka.
Brown-headed cowbird. These guys have an awesome call with a neat bubbling sound.
*****
Project time again.
I wasn't happy with the mid-range Whirlpool dishwasher I put in last fall, so I upgraded to a near top-of-the-line KitchenAid.
Right out of the box I thought the front was scratched, and boy was I pissed. Turned out to just be marks in the protective plastic coating, which was applied so well that I didn't realize it was there at first. Once that was pulled off it looked great.
The guts, with a bigger motor and better-located hookups than the previous one. It also has a drip tray with an electronic alarm to catch any future leaks, but it isn't installed in this pic. It went on last.
Shiny stainless steel tub and three racks! I've only ever had two in the past.
It has three rotating spray arms (top, middle, and bottom), and also these two rotating spray tubes along the awesomely deep third rack, for getting up inside cups and glasses that are laid almost horizontally in it. I think that's a friggin' fantastic idea, and makes five spray points in all.
Installed and ready to go. Even with all those spray points it's the quietest dishwasher I've ever heard. I'm really happy with it. Finally.
I also put in a new kitchen faucet this week, but I didn't take any pics of that installation. It's one of those single-handle pull-down faucets with multiple spray options, one of which is a super concentrated jet with a shroud of water around it to arrest splatter. It's so awesome. I should have got one like it years ago.
Because they have a soft shell that doesn't provide the protection of the hard shell turtle they have very long necks with a wicked bite. If you pick one up be sure that your hands are more than halfway back on their shell. If not they can reach your hand because of the long neck and inflict a mean bite.
Would I be right in assuming that Mother Earth is symbolized by a HARD shell turtle, or can it be ANY turtle? As you know Norval included the turtle in many of his artworks....
To the Ojibwe and most native tribes the type of turtle isn't a concern it's the fact that in drawings and paintings by natives the hard shell is used only because it is much more common in the north America than the softshell. To my knowledge, the softshell is limited to Florida and a few other southeastern states.
Just in Stone Creek, we have the softshell, red slider, box turtles and the ground tortoise.
I think that is because they are fresh water turtles, and there aren't many fresh water lakes or other waterways around the LA area for them to live in.
That turtle looks similar to the Chinese soft shell turtle. Must be a distant Cousin. There are about 35 species of turtles, and many of them could be closely related.
I suspect that they are closely related since they look identical. The Florida softshell can be found throughout Florida and in almost every freshwater pond/lake.
Thanks, Buzz. Humans should not look at wildlife as our enemy. We each have our own way/need to live in the world we share. And we each are dependent on the other to continue to exist.
It made me think about the relationship of humans with nature,
The statement of Chief Seattle in the image you posted above is one of the things I try to impart to others in some of my creations, and in the avatar I chose. All living creatures on earth are connected.
When I was in Art class in the 9th grade, our teacher brought in printed images of a turtle in different positions and we each got to choose the one we wanted to paint. The prints were large enough to allow for images to be painted in each section of the shell. I made a copy of the print I chose and took it home with me. That way I could have quiet time in the evening to apply my thoughts to what I wanted to paint in each section. It was a combination of wildlife, flowers/plants, and people, with each section representing how each one depended upon the others for survival. My turtle painting came in third out of 28 paintings. Even now, every time I see a multi section type turtle shell I think of that painting.
He is a big guy and fairly heavy. Solid wood indigenous carving. We have him sitting on the hearth in front of the fireplace in our den, but we move him away when we have a fire going. I have had him for 36 years. He is, of course, a sea turtle.
The wood used to carve the turtle is awesome, and reflects the Indigenous peoples desire to show the heart and soul of a tree in their wood carvings. Each tree has a story of their life, if you will, that is told in the grains of the wood of the tree. From their birth til they die, their story is there for all to see wish to see it.
That is really wonderful. Thanks for telling us, Raven Wing.
I agree that the wood is awesome. Unfortunately, since our climate is so dry compared to Tonga, not long after I got it home it developed a slight crack in the wood on the back. At least the crack is thin, not too long and very shallow, not deep at all. Like a hairline crack.
It can also be that, as the wood ages it may tend to dry out unless it is well sealed or oiled. And, it also depends on the kind of wood is being used, and how it is processed when carving or using it. Glad that the crack is not very long or deep enough to cause the carving to break apart.
The crack happened not long after I got it home, and that was 36 years ago. It never happened again after that, so I'm lucky. The crack is just a minimal surface crack. I did oil it a few times many years ago. I should do that again.
I brought a flamenco guitar back to Toronto from Spain and it cracked all to hell and ended up as garbage. The same climate change problem, although Raven may also be right with respect to the necessity to treat the wood.
As I mentioned before when you previously shared this piece, I have studied and viewed paintings my entire life, and visited art museums in many countries. This is one of the greatest works of art I have ever seen. It is magnificent.
A chipmunk, a couple of lilies, and a dog gone house sparrow that discovered one of the bluebird houses this morning and WILL NOT shut up. It's a breeding male, and I imagine he's moving in and trying to attract a mate with all the calling. I've never had a problem with house sparrows, and I hope I don't end up with one now. They're a non-native species that usually lives in towns and cities, but as long as they leave the wrens alone I'll be okay with them nesting here. I'll have to wait and see I guess.
I've been doing yardwork for a couple of hours and that sparrow is still out there, just singing away at the top of his lungs. You'd think he'd take a break. I ran the weed eater around that tree and it doesn't seem to have even fazed him. He's acting like he's won the lottery or something, lol.
I love hearing birds like wrens, robins, and pewees, but that sparrow was annoying. He disappeared in the late afternoon, and I hope he stays away. I caught him harassing one of my wren houses not long after I posted earlier. He was hanging on the front and looking inside while the wrens were going absolutely crazy around him, trying to run him off. Earlier I read that house sparrows will attack other birds' nests, breaking eggs and even killing chicks...
House Sparrows are extremely aggressive. They will harass, attack, and kill adult native birds when competing for nest sites, and destroy their eggs and young. They also overwhelm birdfeeders, driving native birds away. [source]
When I saw him on that wren house I almost grabbed a shotgun, but the wrens were successful in scaring him away. It took them a while to calm down afterwards, lots of alarm chittering and stuff, but eventually they went back to singing like normal. Like I said, I hope he stays away. I don't think I want house sparrows here now.
Thanks for the link. He was out there for a little while this morning, but he wasn't singing nearly as ferociously as yesterday, and then he disappeared. I haven't seen him since.
Thanks for this and all your photos. They bring me back to a former life where I was close to and enjoyed so much of what you give us, that I rarely can touch upon any more..
Unfortunately, no longer. We are located within walking distance of 3 naturally wooded park-like university campuses and two well-landscaped gated communities. Before covid happened we had access to all of them, but since then, access to none of them. There never was much wildlife in them anyway and no variety of birds anywhere near us. It's now necessary to travel to any kind of park, as we did in the early Spring to the Nan Shan Flower Park (and I posted my photos here over three weekends from that trip), although we can still walk to the reservoir and mountains, as you see here...
You can walk to that reservoir? That's pretty cool. That looks like a nice slice of nature for you. Have you seen many birds or other wildlife around there?
Very slow, intermittent connection in the mountains. Will try frequently to stay on.
Have you looked into StarLink, a high-speed, low-latency broadband internet service for in remote and rural locations around the earth? $110/mo with a one-time hardware cost of $599.
Breaking away from my NA artwork for a moment to share a few photos of my visit to the Atlanta Arboretum a few years ago, when there was a Chihuly glass work exhibit intermingled with the flora and fauna therein. The exhibit was the first time I had been able to see Chihuly glass artwork in person. The exhibit really fits in with the surroundings very well. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
You're very welcome, Buzz. There are some things that I had never seen before as well. There were lots more of them in the garden areas outside, but it was dark by the time we finished touring inside, and my cameras did not take very good pictures in the dark. There were some items that it was hard to tell the glass ones from the real ones, such as these two.
Great photos, Raven Wing. I'm a fan of Chihuly's work. He is a terrific artist. I've seen museum exhibitions of his artwork and single pieces in a few locations.
Thanks, G. I have seen photos of Chihuly's work and admired it greatly. I was really excited to be able to see it in person, and in such a wonderful place like the Atlanta arboretum. Seeing them so perfectly placed with the beautiful flowers and exotic plants was truly amazing.
Arboretums (arboreta?) are awesome. Did they have a corpse flower? It's the weirdest plant ever, but rather disgusting. It smells like rotting flesh when it blooms. They have them at the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis. They even name them, lol.
I did not see, or smell, any corpse flower, Dig. But, perhaps it was either in a different area we did not get to, or was not available for viewing at the time I was there. I would have loved to be able to spend more time at the arboretum, but, I had to catch a plane back home early the next morning so I could only spend the one day there. There is just sooo much to see there. It seemed like every inch of the way there was something new and amazing to see.
I never use live bait, or even organic baits … fish will eat them and swallow the hooks so they can't be released. I use all artificials, flies, poppers or oft plastics.
I should have put the Brooke alongside the reel, but with trout especially, it’s best to return them to the water quickly. Next time I’ll put something for scale. This fish was about a12 inches.
Sheesh...all that rumbling and grumbling and intimidating look for so little. But, so very glad it was just all looks and you were spared any real harm in your area.
I do agree. The dark foreground on the bottom right against the lighter part of the ominous thunderheads, add the reflection on the water below of part of the clouds that seem to absorb the sun and it's not sure what they have in store, makes for a very beautiful and powerful image.
Thank you, Buzz. Not to sound too proud of myself, but, this is one of my own favorites. Surprisingly, it was not meant to be that way. I initially had a very different image in mind in the beginning, but, the idea for this one suddenly came alive and this is what I ended up with. I'm really glad I listened to my inner self instead of sticking with my initial idea.
• Have a family commitment this evening so, I'm posting the earlier than usual.
• Also, will be in the mountains much of the time, so, I may have intermittent access to the internet.
And … first things first … click on the link to visit the article …
have a great weekend amac!
Thank you.
Morning...
My thoughts were with the USA yesterday, for the families and friends of the lost souls as I walked along the beach...
🇦🇺♥️🇺🇲🐨🦘
It is a very sad time.
Much worse than sad, bound to be repetitive because of stubborn devotion to America's favourite fetish. But take note that I was not the first person to sadly and unfortunately politicize this group.
Acknowledging acts of depravity that affect our sensibilities are not “politicizations” - and IMO, the absence thereof in a forum that celebrates the inherently human creation of ART, would constitute an anomaly, almost a self-contradiction of purpose.
My 2 cents.
Your 2 cents and your group. I demand that there be no political comments on my Discovery Group, but you've never indicated that you go there anyway.
I never “demand” anything in this Group; those who participate here I assume will express themselves as time and circumstances dictate. Arbitrarily precluding humanistic reflection is contrary to to ART
Wrong word, should have said "require" rather than "demand" but same meaning. It's okay ART, as I said it's your group so anyone can post whatever ART says is okay. (shrug)
Sorry Mac.. my photo and words have obviously caused great offence to some on here...please delete my post...
And accept my deepest apologies...
IMO, nothing should be deleted, and you have absolutely nothing to apologize about.
I don't run the show here, and neither do you, so there is no cause for you to have said that. ART says it's intended and okay, so you can post whatever he says is okay. After all, he even allows ME to continue posting here when I'm being so ornery.
Exactly.
Your photo is great and your words are deeply appreciated.
No apologies necessary, Shona, and, I do not want to delete your comment which is quite appropriate given the circumstances. Please allow me to keep your comment.
Anoon...if you feel it is ok then yes I will be guided by your decision....thank you...
Ditto
The photo and the words are fine, they should not be deleted.
Well, at least ART agreed that I'm being ornery.
Street Scene, Haarlem, the Netherlands
Nice, G. The soft blur is interesting.
Gotta love those narrow medieval streets.
Thanks, Dig.
I love wandering the narrow streets of Europe's medieval cities.
That bit of blur makes the image look like a dream scene, or a flashback of an earlier time. Very well done.
Thank you, Raven Wing.
No need for words..............
Perfect, Raven Wing.
always amazing RW.
Thank you, G.
Thanks, dev.
And no dearth of causes.
The Ancient Buddhist Shaolin Temple - A Retrospective
Earlier this week I posted an article on this group about a photographer who took photos of Zhengzhou and environs, where I spent my first 10 years in China. The high school where I taught English was in its suburbs, and my wife and I moved to live downtown there after six years at the school. One of the photos was of monuments at Shaolin Temple, an ancient Buddhist temple which was the birthplace of Zen Kung Fu. In my comments I posted a few photos I had taken of those monuments that memorialized the abbots of the temple from throughout the centuries, and need not repeat them here.
If you missed it above, here is the link to that article ->
During my first year teaching, I toured Shaolin Temple, was actually there twice, and below I have posted some of the photos I took (and one of me) there. When I was there a monk taught me the correct way to pray to Buddha, and as well I purchased a T-shirt with the temple's insignia blazoned on it. While teaching a class a little later on, I was wearing a shirt that had pressure buttons, the ones you just press to close and just pull apart to open and underneath it I was wearing the Shaolin Temple T-shirt, and amazingly and coincidentally one of my students during that class lesson asked me if I had ever been to Shaolin Temple. I asked: "Have I ever been to Shaolin Temple? Have I ever been to Shaolin Temple?" and yanked my shirt open to expose the T-shirt. The class went hysterical, causing the teachers from across the hall and the next door classroom to come in to see what was going on .
The entrance to the lower temple compound.
.
Dharma Hall, which I think was a hotel in the compound.
.
The dormitories for the monks and students.
.
Walkway to the upper temple level. I think the upper walkway is preferred over the one underneath it.
.
I walked part of the way, then decided to use the easy method, but it was just as scary.
.
One of the beautifully decorated buildings
.
When I was a little kid I had my photo taken sitting on a pony, but things are a little different in China.
.
Joss sticks lit and planted in front of the temple where Buddha's statue was - which is part of the procedure for praying to Buddha.
.
I suppose I should have aimed the camera a bit higher. LOL Well, it's better than cutting a PERSON'S head off.
.
They put on a show for visitors.
.
It was quite exciting - and I totally forgot that I could have taken a video with my camera.
.
The kids start young to learn Zen Kung Fu
.
Who's that fat guy in the plaid shirt?
.
My group for my second trip there - two of our students and the guy was a fellow teacher, a really nice guy from Sri Lanka who also did the Beijing trip with me that first Christmas. I sure hope he's okay these days if he's back in Sri Lanka.
A lovely photo series, Buzz.
Eastern bluebird, my state bird.
Mourning dove.
Brown-headed cowbird. These guys have an awesome call with a neat bubbling sound.
*****
Project time again.
I wasn't happy with the mid-range Whirlpool dishwasher I put in last fall, so I upgraded to a near top-of-the-line KitchenAid.
Right out of the box I thought the front was scratched, and boy was I pissed. Turned out to just be marks in the protective plastic coating, which was applied so well that I didn't realize it was there at first. Once that was pulled off it looked great.
The guts, with a bigger motor and better-located hookups than the previous one. It also has a drip tray with an electronic alarm to catch any future leaks, but it isn't installed in this pic. It went on last.
Shiny stainless steel tub and three racks! I've only ever had two in the past.
It has three rotating spray arms (top, middle, and bottom), and also these two rotating spray tubes along the awesomely deep third rack, for getting up inside cups and glasses that are laid almost horizontally in it. I think that's a friggin' fantastic idea, and makes five spray points in all.
Installed and ready to go. Even with all those spray points it's the quietest dishwasher I've ever heard. I'm really happy with it. Finally.
I also put in a new kitchen faucet this week, but I didn't take any pics of that installation. It's one of those single-handle pull-down faucets with multiple spray options, one of which is a super concentrated jet with a shroud of water around it to arrest splatter. It's so awesome. I should have got one like it years ago.
Your bluebird doesn't look very happy. Maybe you should play it the song.
We put KitchenAid dishwashers in all our homes - they were the best.
I'll just sing it if he lands on my shoulder.
Looks great, Dig.
Cool photos, Dig.
A Florida softshell turtle came out of the lake and is forging in the garden.
I love turtles of all kinds.
So do I....
Wow! I never realized turtles had that long a neck.
Because they have a soft shell that doesn't provide the protection of the hard shell turtle they have very long necks with a wicked bite. If you pick one up be sure that your hands are more than halfway back on their shell. If not they can reach your hand because of the long neck and inflict a mean bite.
Would I be right in assuming that Mother Earth is symbolized by a HARD shell turtle, or can it be ANY turtle? As you know Norval included the turtle in many of his artworks....
To the Ojibwe and most native tribes the type of turtle isn't a concern it's the fact that in drawings and paintings by natives the hard shell is used only because it is much more common in the north America than the softshell. To my knowledge, the softshell is limited to Florida and a few other southeastern states.
Just in Stone Creek, we have the softshell, red slider, box turtles and the ground tortoise.
Nice shot. Nice flower bed. Softshells have such weird noses.
That's an interesting creature. As far as I know, we don't have softshell turtles around here.
I think that is because they are fresh water turtles, and there aren't many fresh water lakes or other waterways around the LA area for them to live in.
That's true.
That turtle looks similar to the Chinese soft shell turtle. Must be a distant Cousin. There are about 35 species of turtles, and many of them could be closely related.
I suspect that they are closely related since they look identical. The Florida softshell can be found throughout Florida and in almost every freshwater pond/lake.
A photo of traditional Crow dancer Lanissa at the 100th Crow Fair (one of the largest Pow Wow's in the US)
Photograph: Adam Sings In The Timber
Great photo, Kavika. I seen a couple of Crow dancers at some of the POW WOW's I been to. Their dances are very powerful.
Very interesting photo.
I have not had a chance to go out and snap some pics yet. I want to get some of my Iris that have exploded. They are so pretty. Maybe tomorrow.
Coming out of my shell to post this …
Diamondback Terrapin
© A. Mac/A.G.
That's a very nice looking turtle, Mac.
Here's a new one for Friday. Have a great weekend.......
Another beautiful work of art by you!
Thank you, G.
That is more than just a picture, it is one that makes you think. It made me think about the relationship of humans with nature,
Thanks, Buzz. Humans should not look at wildlife as our enemy. We each have our own way/need to live in the world we share. And we each are dependent on the other to continue to exist.
The statement of Chief Seattle in the image you posted above is one of the things I try to impart to others in some of my creations, and in the avatar I chose. All living creatures on earth are connected.
Painted Turtle
© A. Mac/A.G.
When I was in Art class in the 9th grade, our teacher brought in printed images of a turtle in different positions and we each got to choose the one we wanted to paint. The prints were large enough to allow for images to be painted in each section of the shell. I made a copy of the print I chose and took it home with me. That way I could have quiet time in the evening to apply my thoughts to what I wanted to paint in each section. It was a combination of wildlife, flowers/plants, and people, with each section representing how each one depended upon the others for survival. My turtle painting came in third out of 28 paintings. Even now, every time I see a multi section type turtle shell I think of that painting.
The turtle that followed me home from the Kingdom of Tonga, known in Tongan as a "fonu".
That's a lovely turtle, G. Well wroth 'adopting'.
He is a big guy and fairly heavy. Solid wood indigenous carving. We have him sitting on the hearth in front of the fireplace in our den, but we move him away when we have a fire going. I have had him for 36 years. He is, of course, a sea turtle.
The wood used to carve the turtle is awesome, and reflects the Indigenous peoples desire to show the heart and soul of a tree in their wood carvings. Each tree has a story of their life, if you will, that is told in the grains of the wood of the tree. From their birth til they die, their story is there for all to see wish to see it.
That is really wonderful. Thanks for telling us, Raven Wing.
I agree that the wood is awesome. Unfortunately, since our climate is so dry compared to Tonga, not long after I got it home it developed a slight crack in the wood on the back. At least the crack is thin, not too long and very shallow, not deep at all. Like a hairline crack.
It can also be that, as the wood ages it may tend to dry out unless it is well sealed or oiled. And, it also depends on the kind of wood is being used, and how it is processed when carving or using it. Glad that the crack is not very long or deep enough to cause the carving to break apart.
The crack happened not long after I got it home, and that was 36 years ago. It never happened again after that, so I'm lucky. The crack is just a minimal surface crack. I did oil it a few times many years ago. I should do that again.
I brought a flamenco guitar back to Toronto from Spain and it cracked all to hell and ended up as garbage. The same climate change problem, although Raven may also be right with respect to the necessity to treat the wood.
Might not be a bad idea. Our weather here in So Cal is getting dryer due to climate change, so an ounce of precaution might be needed.
And Saturday is here once again......
As I mentioned before when you previously shared this piece, I have studied and viewed paintings my entire life, and visited art museums in many countries. This is one of the greatest works of art I have ever seen. It is magnificent.
Thank you so much for your very kind compliment, G. It truly is appreciated.
I had two thoughts when I saw that image.
1. The look of trepidation on his face - and as it turns out there was good reason for it.
2. Look what the cat dragged in.
Excellent image. Fantastic frame.
Thanks, Buzz. Glad you like it.
A chipmunk, a couple of lilies, and a dog gone house sparrow that discovered one of the bluebird houses this morning and WILL NOT shut up. It's a breeding male, and I imagine he's moving in and trying to attract a mate with all the calling. I've never had a problem with house sparrows, and I hope I don't end up with one now. They're a non-native species that usually lives in towns and cities, but as long as they leave the wrens alone I'll be okay with them nesting here. I'll have to wait and see I guess.
Nice, Dig.
I've been doing yardwork for a couple of hours and that sparrow is still out there, just singing away at the top of his lungs. You'd think he'd take a break. I ran the weed eater around that tree and it doesn't seem to have even fazed him. He's acting like he's won the lottery or something, lol.
It's a shame you have to the bird singing. How terrible for you!
Haha
I love hearing birds like wrens, robins, and pewees, but that sparrow was annoying. He disappeared in the late afternoon, and I hope he stays away. I caught him harassing one of my wren houses not long after I posted earlier. He was hanging on the front and looking inside while the wrens were going absolutely crazy around him, trying to run him off. Earlier I read that house sparrows will attack other birds' nests, breaking eggs and even killing chicks...
When I saw him on that wren house I almost grabbed a shotgun, but the wrens were successful in scaring him away. It took them a while to calm down afterwards, lots of alarm chittering and stuff, but eventually they went back to singing like normal. Like I said, I hope he stays away. I don't think I want house sparrows here now.
I think we have house sparrows around here, too.
It appears that they are so universally disliked that someone came up with this article, "How to Get Rid of House Sparrows in Your Yard".:
Thanks for the link. He was out there for a little while this morning, but he wasn't singing nearly as ferociously as yesterday, and then he disappeared. I haven't seen him since.
Those are beautiful lilies, Dig. And the little sparrow does look like he has a mansion to offer his new 'Bride'. Lol!
Thanks for this and all your photos. They bring me back to a former life where I was close to and enjoyed so much of what you give us, that I rarely can touch upon any more..
Are you near a park with any wildlife, Buzz?
Unfortunately, no longer. We are located within walking distance of 3 naturally wooded park-like university campuses and two well-landscaped gated communities. Before covid happened we had access to all of them, but since then, access to none of them. There never was much wildlife in them anyway and no variety of birds anywhere near us. It's now necessary to travel to any kind of park, as we did in the early Spring to the Nan Shan Flower Park (and I posted my photos here over three weekends from that trip), although we can still walk to the reservoir and mountains, as you see here...
You can walk to that reservoir? That's pretty cool. That looks like a nice slice of nature for you. Have you seen many birds or other wildlife around there?
I saw these birds in the reservoir...
Another view of the reservoir area...
Very slow, intermittent connection in the mountains. Will try frequently to stay on.
Be here when you can, Mac. We know you are with us even if you can't post often.
Have you looked into StarLink, a high-speed, low-latency broadband internet service for in remote and rural locations around the earth? $110/mo with a one-time hardware cost of $599.
Breaking away from my NA artwork for a moment to share a few photos of my visit to the Atlanta Arboretum a few years ago, when there was a Chihuly glass work exhibit intermingled with the flora and fauna therein. The exhibit was the first time I had been able to see Chihuly glass artwork in person. The exhibit really fits in with the surroundings very well. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Thank you for sharing those images - things I've never seen before, unless the second image is a milkweed pod splitting open.
You're very welcome, Buzz. There are some things that I had never seen before as well. There were lots more of them in the garden areas outside, but it was dark by the time we finished touring inside, and my cameras did not take very good pictures in the dark. There were some items that it was hard to tell the glass ones from the real ones, such as these two.
Great photos, Raven Wing. I'm a fan of Chihuly's work. He is a terrific artist. I've seen museum exhibitions of his artwork and single pieces in a few locations.
Thanks, G. I have seen photos of Chihuly's work and admired it greatly. I was really excited to be able to see it in person, and in such a wonderful place like the Atlanta arboretum. Seeing them so perfectly placed with the beautiful flowers and exotic plants was truly amazing.
Arboretums (arboreta?) are awesome. Did they have a corpse flower? It's the weirdest plant ever, but rather disgusting. It smells like rotting flesh when it blooms. They have them at the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis. They even name them, lol.
I did not see, or smell, any corpse flower, Dig. But, perhaps it was either in a different area we did not get to, or was not available for viewing at the time I was there. I would have loved to be able to spend more time at the arboretum, but, I had to catch a plane back home early the next morning so I could only spend the one day there. There is just sooo much to see there. It seemed like every inch of the way there was something new and amazing to see.
This evening's catch. Caught, photographed and released.
Smallmouth Bass
© A. Mac/AG.
Nice, Mac.
Are there any walleyes in those cool mountain streams you fish?
Not that I've encountered; mostly Brook, Brown and Rainbow Trout in the streams … smallmouth bass.
Oh you did well with that one, Mac. That's a real beauty.
I went to eat my lunch before I wanted to look at your catch. LOL
Out of curiosity, are you using bait or fly-fishing to catch them.
I never use live bait, or even organic baits … fish will eat them and swallow the hooks so they can't be released. I use all artificials, flies, poppers or oft plastics.
And one to take us into Sunday....
Wild!!! A whole new trip.
Thanks, Buzz. I gave my imagination a chance to play around a bit, and this is what I got. A bit out of the ordinary, and it was fun too.
This evenings catch; Brook Trout.
Caught, photographed and released.
© A. Mac/A.G.
Oh WOW! That's a real beauty! Love the varied colors of the fins and tail, and the light effect on the body of the fish. A great catch!
How long did it fight? It's a beautiful fish. Have you thought of placing something beside you catch to indicate its size?
I should have put the Brooke alongside the reel, but with trout especially, it’s best to return them to the water quickly. Next time I’ll put something for scale. This fish was about a12 inches.
Distant thunder, Stone Creek, Ocala FL.
Uh Oh.....that looks very ominous. Looks like you may be getting some very ugly weather soon.
We received some thunder and about 20 minutes of rain and then it passed on.
Sheesh...all that rumbling and grumbling and intimidating look for so little. But, so very glad it was just all looks and you were spared any real harm in your area.
That is a prize winning photograph!
I do agree. The dark foreground on the bottom right against the lighter part of the ominous thunderheads, add the reflection on the water below of part of the clouds that seem to absorb the sun and it's not sure what they have in store, makes for a very beautiful and powerful image.
Kavika, that is a FANTASTIC photo.
Truly fantastic.
Monday here we come.....
A not so new one....but....not so old one
Not so new, but worth seeing again.
Thank you, Buzz. Not to sound too proud of myself, but, this is one of my own favorites. Surprisingly, it was not meant to be that way. I initially had a very different image in mind in the beginning, but, the idea for this one suddenly came alive and this is what I ended up with. I'm really glad I listened to my inner self instead of sticking with my initial idea.
It is very beautiful.
Thank you very much, G.
Thanks to all; see you Thursday.