We’ve been waiting for weeks for some hummingbirds to find our feeder, now we see them visiting quite frequently. Cute little guys.
Sorry if the size of this photo is weird. As I stated last week there appears to be very limited options when posting from a phone and looking for the highest resolution possible. Buzz - you’re welcome to play with it if you think you can improve upon this issue.
Great photos, Hal. Love the multicolored container. Looks like the current visitor is marking out his territory regarding the feeder. I love the little Hummers, they are so cute, but, reall6y actively protect their territory from others. I have seen them in action when defending their territorial right over their feeders. While it can be fun to watch, it can be harmful to other birds if they refuse to accept their early warnings.
Looks like they are enjoying their free lunch. I really miss the hummers where I am now. We are not allowed to put out feeders I used to make my own Hummer feeder food from scratch at home. we had 4 feeder around our place to make sure there was plenty for all. Since there were always a bunch of the little Hummers at the feeders it appeared that they like my recipe.
We have so many Ravens here that seem to impose air dominance, so there are not many other birds around. But, we get a few sparrows now and then, but, they too, are soon run off by the Ravens. Funny thing is, whenever I go outside those silly birds follow me around where I walk, and I don't go our much now because of the heat. I have never fed them or interacted that much with them, although I do talk to them. And they will often sit by my porch and yell at me as if to call me out.
But we do now have a couple of squirrels that have taken up residence here near by, and the Ravens will try to steal their loot from them.
I'm sorry Buzz. They YouTube conversion has always worked before, but, for some reason it will not work now. I get the video screen, but, the video will not play. It will play in several other venues so I know the conversion took place just fine. But, it just won't play here on NT. Not sure what the problem is, it has never done this before when I have converted them for you here.
I have tried several times, and different ways of loading the video and still no luck.
Thanks Buzz. I just wish I knew why it won't work now. I hope it just a glitch and that it will be back to working again after the glitch is fixed. There seems to be a good many glitches happening lately that never happened before.
Most happy to help, Buzz. Glad you enjoyed to video. They are indeed fun to watch. I'm glad that I was able to find out about the changes Perrie and TiG have made regarding the videos so that I could finally get the converted video posted before the article for this week is locked. And as you know, I'm most happy to convert them for you anytime. (smile)
Thanks Mac. It is often the unknown that tends to give cause for worry. Sadly, in the case of the man in the artwork, his apprehension proved to be warranted in the long run.
Thank you, Veronica. The term "If only" was to mean if only the Europeans had been willing to just share their new found world with the existing humans who had lived here thousands of years before they came, it might have turned out to be a more united country, instead of their being so greedy as to try to exterminate the existing people and take all the land and its vast resources for themselves. And I believe that would also be the case with the countries that you mentioned, where the same level of greed drove the Europeans to exterminate the existing inhabitants, or enslave those they did not kill off.
They took most of the Native Americans' form of governing as their own in establishing their own government, yet called the Natives evil heathens and barbarians not fit to live in the new found world.
And even sadder still, is that those descendants of the people who came to the new land are still trying to take away the lands that the Native Americans have left to them for their own monetary greed. And most still tend to treat the Natives as 4th class citizens who have no right to exist.
Hopefully, one day there will come a time when all peoples of the world can live in peace and mutual respect of each other.
That is one of the most poignant, yet beautiful, pieces of art I have ever seen. That is truly a masterpiece, Raven Wing. You have created many wonderful works of art, but I can say, without hesitation, that in my opinion it is one of the greatest pieces in all of art history. Magnificent. Congratulations.
These photos were taken an hour ago at St. Pete Beach, FL. overlooking the Gulf of Mexico.
They are entitled, '' Ishkode Manidoo'' (The Fire Spirt).
In the Spirit World of the Ojibwe, Ishkode Manidoo is a powerful spirit that can bring great joy to great destruction. In the first photo the cloud center and arms are mostly black but as Ishkode Manidoo becomes joyful or angry the flames burn red in the cloud. Today for good reason Ishkode Manidoo is very happy.
Beautiful photos, Kavika. And very true to Spirit World they represent. The reflection of the sun against the clouds above, and the water below, the Fire Spirit shows that it dwells in both Father Sky and Mother Earth.
Very well done. Thank you for sharing this great moment with us.
A random pick of photos taken during my early days in China - most, if not all, have been posted before over the years, if not here then on Discovery group or on the Home (Front) Page under Photography and Art.
1. An amazing bridge in Liuzhou, Guanxi Province
.
2. The 2 founding fathers of China, located in Yellow River Park, near Zhengzhou in Henan Province. Note the size of the people climbing to the top on the right.
.
3. I am standing on the steps of the Three Gorges Dam Museum, overlooking the Chongqing People's Hall (city hall) and the city square.
.
4. Inside a cave at Guilin, Guanxi Province
.
5. Seen at the ancient port of Ciqukou, an ancient part of Chongqing
.
6. A glass menagerie being created in Ciqikou
.
7. An amusement park in Chongqing
.
8. A display of warrior models in the Henan Museum, Zhengzhou
.
9. Dancers at a show in Millenium Park, the ancient dynasty capital of Kaifeng, in Henan Province.
.
10. The band providing the music behind those dancers using traditional instruments. Note the panel of many bells behind them.
Thanks to you and all for your support. It's my pleasure to share the fruits of the adventure of my life, living in a very different culture and enjoying its traditions and beauty. .
I'm not either anymore, shona. I was up at 4:00 am since I was 12 years old and often did not get to bed before 10:00 pm, even on weekends. After I retired from my job at San Diego Trolley after 20 years I didn't have to get up so early anymore, and I could enjoy sleeping in later in the mornings. So I am no longer an early morning person.
Sorry for the mix-up on the name, Mac. Brain waves are not working too swift today. She has such a sweet face, and her little eyes simply say..."Pet me please". (smile)
Thanks Buzz. It's been a while since I posted it last. I first posted it in the Anishinaabe group long ago, so like you, many here on NT may not have seen it before.
A/noon Mac..Was hoping to get a photo of mum and bub Koala...It is blowing a gale here at the moment and she has come down the tree aways. She is curled up back to the wind and bub all snuggled up and protected on her front. Did not stay to long as I don't want to disturb her..So couldn't take a photo..Plus the leaves and branches are getting in the way...
I did not take this one, but this is what she will be like..her bub is a bit younger than this one...
Grrrr. I have a wren video that I've been trying to post since last night, but the site's video function seems to be broken. It'll upload videos but it won't process them for viewing. I just get the default hat icon on my video page instead.
I had the same problem yesterday, Dig. I converted a YouTube video to an MP4, which has worked fine for me on several other occasions here on NT, but, all I get now is the blank video screen or the Default Hat. This has never happened before, so I am not sure why it won't work now, unless it is some sort of glitch. Not sure if it is due to something on NT or Jamroom. But, it is really a PITA after I tried for several hours to get it to work to no avail. Very frustrating, irritating and disappointing.
OK, guys so here is the problem. Tig and I took video uploads off because they were using a ton of site memory. If you want to post a vid, my suggestion would be to put it on youtube and then upload it from there. That takes no site disc space.
Sorry for the inconvenience, but we were also unaware that anyone was using the upload anymore, to merit a heads up.
In the meanwhile, we are investigating ways to give special permission to members who want to do video uploads. Please bare with us while we figure this out.
I didn't know there was a site storage problem. I upload rather large videos from time to time, so a lot of it is probably my fault. Sorry about that.
I actually have a YouTube channel that I've never used. I'll give it a try with my wren video.
The week's creative arts article is almost over, so I suppose I'll post it in a stand alone article on the main page when it's ready.
Buzz won't be able to see it, though. That sucks.
Hey, Perrie. I also upload lots of photos. Are photos causing any storage problems? Do I need to scale back my garden blog and the many-photo posts I make here in A.Mac's articles?
No problem Dig. I can convert it for Buzz so he can see it. I convert the YouTubes to an MP4 and post it here on NT and Buzz can open them just fine. There was a bit of a mix-up this time, but, all is fine now and the converted seals video Pat posted worked fine for Buzz to open.
Click on your name to go to your user page. There'll be a bar menu near the top with Audio, Blog, Friends, Gallery, etc. Video is on there, too.
Go to the Video page, and hit the little plus sign to add a new video.
After it's uploaded, you're supposed to get a message that the video is being processed (for site use) and will be ready shortly. But that part isn't working at the moment.
When it's working normally you can then insert your videos into conversations using the 'embed local media' thing when you make posts, just like you would with any photo you've uploaded.
You’re welcome, but thanks goes to all who add creativity and good commentary … yourself included. It’s great to be part of a group that’s all positive and good spirited.
No need to wait for me, I'll fill the rest in shortly.
Nice images!
Love the new images, Mac. And indeed I love catfish. One of my favorite fish.
You made sure I wouldn't say anything about minnows this time. By the way, I used to love eating catfish, but I've never seen them here in China.
We’ve been waiting for weeks for some hummingbirds to find our feeder, now we see them visiting quite frequently. Cute little guys.
Sorry if the size of this photo is weird. As I stated last week there appears to be very limited options when posting from a phone and looking for the highest resolution possible. Buzz - you’re welcome to play with it if you think you can improve upon this issue.
That is a beautiful photo, Hal. Very cool.
Same guy, different visit.
Great photos, Hal. Love the multicolored container. Looks like the current visitor is marking out his territory regarding the feeder. I love the little Hummers, they are so cute, but, reall6y actively protect their territory from others. I have seen them in action when defending their territorial right over their feeders. While it can be fun to watch, it can be harmful to other birds if they refuse to accept their early warnings.
A great photo, but I can't touch it without your permission.
That is a fantastic photo. I reduced it to the largest I could that would allow readers to see the whole photo without having to scroll.
I never have problems seeing photos of any size. It might be a browser issue for you. Mine (Chrome) sizes large ones to fit the screen automatically.
Our feathered friends
Looks like they are enjoying their free lunch. I really miss the hummers where I am now. We are not allowed to put out feeders I used to make my own Hummer feeder food from scratch at home. we had 4 feeder around our place to make sure there was plenty for all. Since there were always a bunch of the little Hummers at the feeders it appeared that they like my recipe.
I have not been able to attract the hummingbirds at the house I have now. I used to have so many at our old place.
We have so many Ravens here that seem to impose air dominance, so there are not many other birds around. But, we get a few sparrows now and then, but, they too, are soon run off by the Ravens. Funny thing is, whenever I go outside those silly birds follow me around where I walk, and I don't go our much now because of the heat. I have never fed them or interacted that much with them, although I do talk to them. And they will often sit by my porch and yell at me as if to call me out.
But we do now have a couple of squirrels that have taken up residence here near by, and the Ravens will try to steal their loot from them.
Brings back memories of lots of birds around.
Nice. They look like house finches. Not positive, though.
A couple of creative efforts
© G. Gam 2021
Kyoto Garden
© G. Gam 2021
Both are really beautiful G. The second one is very well edited. The overlay of the lattice work lends a great touch to the primary image.
Very well done, and your imagination is serving you very well.
Thanks, Raven Wing.
Way to go, GG. Your talent is like a nova.
Thank you, Buzz.
Very cool and creative, G.
Thanks, Dig.
Being funny and bit of surrealism. I'm calling this one "Change Is In The Air".
© G. Gam 2021
Makes all kinds of CENTS.
In fact, it's quite centsational.
To coin a phrase, all that glitters is not gold.
Cashing in on the moment, I see.
Great inventive creation, G. And a very apt name for it.
Wish it were true.
LOL. Excellent.
Thanks everyone. And I knew there would be some good jokes.
Trying this again...
What a fun vid!
Thank you. And for your help !
Love the Video, Pat. Those seals are really enjoying their play time in the water.
Hi Raven, can you adapt that YouTube for me?
I'll give it a try, Buzz. Give me a few minutes...
I'm sorry Buzz. They YouTube conversion has always worked before, but, for some reason it will not work now. I get the video screen, but, the video will not play. It will play in several other venues so I know the conversion took place just fine. But, it just won't play here on NT. Not sure what the problem is, it has never done this before when I have converted them for you here.
I have tried several times, and different ways of loading the video and still no luck.
Don''t worry about it, it's not that important.
Thanks Buzz. I just wish I knew why it won't work now. I hope it just a glitch and that it will be back to working again after the glitch is fixed. There seems to be a good many glitches happening lately that never happened before.
Since Perrie fixed the problem, the converted video will play now.....see of you can open it.
Okay, thanks, it worked perfectly - fun to watch.
Most happy to help, Buzz. Glad you enjoyed to video. They are indeed fun to watch. I'm glad that I was able to find out about the changes Perrie and TiG have made regarding the videos so that I could finally get the converted video posted before the article for this week is locked. And as you know, I'm most happy to convert them for you anytime. (smile)
Seals the deal for me.
That's great!
In the beginning........
The expression on the face of the subject wonderfully prefigures the tragedies to follow.
Thanks Mac. It is often the unknown that tends to give cause for worry. Sadly, in the case of the man in the artwork, his apprehension proved to be warranted in the long run.
If only......
Morning Raven...when I first saw your gorgeous picture.... they were the exact words that went through my mind... before I saw your comment here...
If only....
Would have been said there, here in Australia, New Zealand, South America, Canada and everywhere else Europeans trampled the indigenous people...
Thank you, Veronica. The term "If only" was to mean if only the Europeans had been willing to just share their new found world with the existing humans who had lived here thousands of years before they came, it might have turned out to be a more united country, instead of their being so greedy as to try to exterminate the existing people and take all the land and its vast resources for themselves. And I believe that would also be the case with the countries that you mentioned, where the same level of greed drove the Europeans to exterminate the existing inhabitants, or enslave those they did not kill off.
They took most of the Native Americans' form of governing as their own in establishing their own government, yet called the Natives evil heathens and barbarians not fit to live in the new found world.
And even sadder still, is that those descendants of the people who came to the new land are still trying to take away the lands that the Native Americans have left to them for their own monetary greed. And most still tend to treat the Natives as 4th class citizens who have no right to exist.
Hopefully, one day there will come a time when all peoples of the world can live in peace and mutual respect of each other.
Hopefully......
Oh, I REALLY like EVERYTHING about that creation.
Thank you very much, Buzz. I am very glad you like it.
That is one of the most poignant, yet beautiful, pieces of art I have ever seen. That is truly a masterpiece, Raven Wing. You have created many wonderful works of art, but I can say, without hesitation, that in my opinion it is one of the greatest pieces in all of art history. Magnificent. Congratulations.
Thank you for your very kind compliment, G. I'm truly very flattered. (smile)
These photos were taken an hour ago at St. Pete Beach, FL. overlooking the Gulf of Mexico.
They are entitled, '' Ishkode Manidoo'' (The Fire Spirt).
In the Spirit World of the Ojibwe, Ishkode Manidoo is a powerful spirit that can bring great joy to great destruction. In the first photo the cloud center and arms are mostly black but as Ishkode Manidoo becomes joyful or angry the flames burn red in the cloud. Today for good reason Ishkode Manidoo is very happy.
Anoon.... Mother Nature at her best ..
Excellent! The silhouettes create contrast, scale, interest … just outstanding!
Beautiful photos, Kavika. And very true to Spirit World they represent. The reflection of the sun against the clouds above, and the water below, the Fire Spirit shows that it dwells in both Father Sky and Mother Earth.
Very well done. Thank you for sharing this great moment with us.
Sounds like the Hindu god Shiva.
You are now crowned The Sunset King".
A random pick of photos taken during my early days in China - most, if not all, have been posted before over the years, if not here then on Discovery group or on the Home (Front) Page under Photography and Art.
1. An amazing bridge in Liuzhou, Guanxi Province
.
2. The 2 founding fathers of China, located in Yellow River Park, near Zhengzhou in Henan Province. Note the size of the people climbing to the top on the right.
.
3. I am standing on the steps of the Three Gorges Dam Museum, overlooking the Chongqing People's Hall (city hall) and the city square.
.
4. Inside a cave at Guilin, Guanxi Province
.
5. Seen at the ancient port of Ciqukou, an ancient part of Chongqing
.
6. A glass menagerie being created in Ciqikou
.
7. An amusement park in Chongqing
.
8. A display of warrior models in the Henan Museum, Zhengzhou
.
9. Dancers at a show in Millenium Park, the ancient dynasty capital of Kaifeng, in Henan Province.
.
10. The band providing the music behind those dancers using traditional instruments. Note the panel of many bells behind them.
A beautiful essay for photos, Buzz. Very interesting as well. Thank you for sharing them with us.
I enjoy your pictures of China.
Thanks to you and all for your support. It's my pleasure to share the fruits of the adventure of my life, living in a very different culture and enjoying its traditions and beauty. .
Anoon..Not taken by me...
Sunrise over the harbour in my Home Town...
That's a beauty, shona. the high contrast in colors is very interesting as well. Mother nature never fails to please.
A/noon Raven..Yes got to hand it to her...
It must be great to wake up to such a stunning sky.
A/noon Buzz..Yes we get many spectacular sunrises here but I am not a morning person..
So glad other people are...
I'm not either anymore, shona. I was up at 4:00 am since I was 12 years old and often did not get to bed before 10:00 pm, even on weekends. After I retired from my job at San Diego Trolley after 20 years I didn't have to get up so early anymore, and I could enjoy sleeping in later in the mornings. So I am no longer an early morning person.
I get up at 6 a.m. pretty well every day.
Nope. Still to early for me...
8am is my time...unless the cat wants out...
Gorgeous!
Morning Dig..yes some people have a real skill when it comes to photography...I am not one of them..
Fozzy bear was clomping along the fence this morning...it was still dark and I was not getting out of bed to take a happy snap..
There is a mum and bub Fozzy bear around so I will try for a photo if I see them...bub was hanging on to mums head last I saw them..🐨🐨
Rolling on into Saturday.....
Okay, okay, I won't say a word, I promise.
LOL!!! You catch on quick, Buzz.
Yesterday's sunset, St. Pete Beach by Red.
Magnificent.
Keep 'em comin', they're deeply spiritual.
Awesomely beautiful, Kavika. As Mac said, very Spiritual. A peaceful coming together of Father Sky and Mother Earth.
Good morning, or good whatever time of day or night it is where you happen to be.
My Dawg
© A. Mac/A.G.
Adorable pictures of Macy. She is such a sweetheart.
“Gracie” for the record, but adorable nevertheless.
Thank you, RW
Sorry for the mix-up on the name, Mac. Brain waves are not working too swift today. She has such a sweet face, and her little eyes simply say..."Pet me please". (smile)
Your "dawg" is beautiful, even when peeking through an outine.
An oldie for Saturday.......hope you enjoy...
I don't remember seeing it before, but I'm glad to see it now.
Thanks Buzz. It's been a while since I posted it last. I first posted it in the Anishinaabe group long ago, so like you, many here on NT may not have seen it before.
Yellow-billed cuckoo. A pretty bird if you ask me.
Can you get a photo of it flying over its nest?
Haha. Doubtful.
A beautiful little bird. Great photo too.
The last sunset for this week. Taken at Long Key, Gulf of Mexico this evening.
Par for the course.
Your sunset photos are always great, Kavika.
© A. Mac/A.G.
Have to smile at that quotation.
Great creation, Mac. Looks like fun!
We are lookin' good going into Sunday!
Thanks to all.
A/noon Mac..Was hoping to get a photo of mum and bub Koala...It is blowing a gale here at the moment and she has come down the tree aways. She is curled up back to the wind and bub all snuggled up and protected on her front. Did not stay to long as I don't want to disturb her..So couldn't take a photo..Plus the leaves and branches are getting in the way...
I did not take this one, but this is what she will be like..her bub is a bit younger than this one...
How can anyone not love those Koalas.
Grrrr. I have a wren video that I've been trying to post since last night, but the site's video function seems to be broken. It'll upload videos but it won't process them for viewing. I just get the default hat icon on my video page instead.
I had the same problem yesterday, Dig. I converted a YouTube video to an MP4, which has worked fine for me on several other occasions here on NT, but, all I get now is the blank video screen or the Default Hat. This has never happened before, so I am not sure why it won't work now, unless it is some sort of glitch. Not sure if it is due to something on NT or Jamroom. But, it is really a PITA after I tried for several hours to get it to work to no avail. Very frustrating, irritating and disappointing.
I hear you. I hope they get it fixed.
OK, guys so here is the problem. Tig and I took video uploads off because they were using a ton of site memory. If you want to post a vid, my suggestion would be to put it on youtube and then upload it from there. That takes no site disc space.
Sorry for the inconvenience, but we were also unaware that anyone was using the upload anymore, to merit a heads up.
In the meanwhile, we are investigating ways to give special permission to members who want to do video uploads. Please bare with us while we figure this out.
It's not an inconvenience unless there was no YouTube alternative. I'm the only loser on this site.
Well, no worries, it's all been fixed. But people will have to ask permission to do video downloads. Raven and Dig are good to go.
Thank you.
Thank you Perrie. Very much appreciated.
Buzz.....go up to the Seals video Pat posted. I was able to get the converted video to play. See if you can open it now.
I didn't know there was a site storage problem. I upload rather large videos from time to time, so a lot of it is probably my fault. Sorry about that.
I actually have a YouTube channel that I've never used. I'll give it a try with my wren video.
The week's creative arts article is almost over, so I suppose I'll post it in a stand alone article on the main page when it's ready.
Buzz won't be able to see it, though. That sucks.
Hey, Perrie. I also upload lots of photos. Are photos causing any storage problems? Do I need to scale back my garden blog and the many-photo posts I make here in A.Mac's articles?
Dig,
Believe me, you were not the issue, so feel free to upload anything.
And the photos are not an issue. Again, please feel free to upload anything.
Okay, great. I'll do the wren video here so Buzz can see it.
Thanks, Perrie.
Thanks Dig. I've enjoyed your videos and look forward to the wren video next weekend.
Done. Worked perfectly. Thanks.
You're most welcome. Anytime.
No problem Dig. I can convert it for Buzz so he can see it. I convert the YouTubes to an MP4 and post it here on NT and Buzz can open them just fine. There was a bit of a mix-up this time, but, all is fine now and the converted seals video Pat posted worked fine for Buzz to open.
Looking forward to the Wren video, Dig. Thank you for sharing your many videos with us. They are a real treat. (smile)
I didn't want to wait a week, and since this article will be locked soon I just went ahead and posted it in its own article on the front page.
Go check it out.
Everyone else, too.
Going there now.
Great video, Dig. Both interesting and fun. Thanks for sharing it with us. (smile)
How do you upload videos ? The only way I know is to send it to Youtube first.
Click on your name to go to your user page. There'll be a bar menu near the top with Audio, Blog, Friends, Gallery, etc. Video is on there, too.
Go to the Video page, and hit the little plus sign to add a new video.
After it's uploaded, you're supposed to get a message that the video is being processed (for site use) and will be ready shortly. But that part isn't working at the moment.
When it's working normally you can then insert your videos into conversations using the 'embed local media' thing when you make posts, just like you would with any photo you've uploaded.
Thank you for helping others on how to post videos, Dig. Some may want to post videos but don' know how.
No problem. I had to ask someone how when I first wanted to do it.
It's pretty easy to do, just not immediately obvious.
Thank you Dig ! That will save me a lot of time.
another weekend, another fabulous art show. thanks amac.
You’re welcome, but thanks goes to all who add creativity and good commentary … yourself included. It’s great to be part of a group that’s all positive and good spirited.
A Warrior and his War Pony ......
awesome.
Thank you dev. Glad you like it.
An excellent addition to your creative collection.
Thanks Buzz. I wanted to show both a Warrior and his War Pony together.
One more for Sunday.
© A. Mac/A.G.
A compilation of memories, but why does the biblical story of Jonah and the whale run through my mind?
A really great fisherman's combination. Lots of color, and the silhouettes are a very good addition.