It’s been a while…

How have ya been?

I live in Central Florida and the weather guy Jonathan said it’s gonna be rainy all day, so I thought, I could go touch base with y’all.

Surrounded by wildlife all year, these few months are special to Floridians; we are in the middle of the annual bird migration and winter breeding grounds visitors.

Thankfully, we have numerous wildlife refuges and wetlands areas that offer homesteading to our special part time residents. Everyone from shore wading birds to Harrier hawks and Bald eagles have gotten settled into their winter homes, and they will be with us until the sun gets hot.

I took a week off of work, and Johnny and I did our normal hang around town and do the local “Stay-cation”. All that entails is getting up and driving to the refuge or wetlands that day. So I will share some of what we saw.

Hiking on off beat trails can be rewarding. It’s too cool for the mosquitos and after a mile of just being in the midst of old oak trees, walking on a carpet of inches deep discarded leaves, and listening for its chirping residents, you just feel better. Somehow the sun shines a little brighter in the hammocks, and the air is a little sweeter.

These air plants are huge, and everything is just so green…

This deer moss covered an area of the forest floor the size of a football field. It looked like little tufts of green sponges. So pretty. I just love them.

Deer Moss

It’s hard to believe that a few hundred feet away, there is water and all that flies over it.

Now is nesting season, and on this particular day, everyone was busy.

A male Osprey making another trip to the newly designed nest.

Oy

The Great blue Heron always looks clumsy, and flying with nesting material is not a flattering look for him. Lol.

Then the tree dwellers were patiently waiting for their tradesman to return with materials for building, or even better, food. A Great White Heron preens, while sitting on the nest.

Breeding Plumage is striking.

Living in trees can’t be easy, and this young roseate Spoonbill does not look very comfortable.

Space is limited, and this Roseate Spoonbill had just been pushed off of a tree.

Then there are those that just keep it simple, although they seem oblivious to the danger of all ground and water inhabitants. Sandhill Cranes oftentimes will nest in the middle of the marsh. To me it seems scary, as there is no shortage of racoons, alligators and snakes.

But, hey, I’m not a Sandhill Crane, so there’s that.

That’s it for now. Enjoy your Sunday, and let me know if you like this.

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From a birds eye view

Central Florida Red Shoulder Hawk

Everything is not always black and white

Quiet end of the day

Female Osprey with lunch and friends

Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge

A young Female Osprey has just caught a magnificent Black Mullet

A Double Crested Cormorant graced us with its presence, leaving us mesmerized with the beauty of its eyes.

This crazy little Grebe was taking a bath, and it reminded me of a porcupine when it fluffed up.

Another beautiful day on The Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge.

Ahhhh… The day of love

Revel in the love you have to give, and give that ten fold to all you meet.

I correlate with the animals, so just a short *wave* to you from my friends and me.

In honor of M15, the bald eagle that has taken over all duties of father and mother to two little Eaglets, for the last two weeks since his mate disappeared. We can all learn from the animals. Instinct, Loyalty, and Living In The Now.

Nature finds a way, and maybe the new Eagle that stood watch over him last night will develop into a beautiful love story. The new eagle is large, I believe it to be a female. If M allows “her” to stay, I will call her Valentine.

This is an eagle from the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, to be clear.

Be kind to everyone you encounter. You don’t know the battle they may be fighting.

Sunday

A Blue Wing Teal in flight.

A cloudy Saturday morning…

But it doesn’t matter.

I have a week off, and a renewed inspiration to get my blog going again.

Un Disciplined Perspectives. How to put a sunset in a glass with your camera.

While he fished, I looked at things from a different perspective………………

While things may appear apparent, that is not always the case.

The warm tones of a sunset lend a calming and quiet tone to the mind and an unspoken sense of freedom from responsibility. A billowy dress, no shoes and my hair dancing around in a gentle breeze… No vehicles or music, just the breeze and lapping of the waves against the sand as you relax, letting go the day you had.

How would you convey that in an image? Universally, where language is no barrier, but all that see it would understand.

I think this is one way, but you tell me what you thought when you saw it.

Was your first idea the lure of a nice sunset, and a glass of wine?

Or perhaps you noticed the clouds in the glass and thought it was a well done photo shop generated graphic image?

You did notice the sky was upside down, didn’t you? Or not?

Nope. Nope. And you may not have noticed the sky the first time, but now it is something you can’t un-see. LOL

A very simple yet dramatic ploy of an undisciplined photographer down at the fish bank is the result of what you see.

It was so simple and yet looks so dramatic and polished. Like all fancy and everything. Right?

You wanna try it?

Ok. Here is what I did.

I went to the local thrift store and bought a wine glass for like .50 cents.

Grabbed a bottled water and headed to my favorite sunset place, which for me was down at the river. I wanted the water in the background.

I put the wine glass on the rail of the truck bed, filled the glass with water, and moved around until I got the clouds where I wanted them.

The I shot the sunset through the glass.

Thats it. No fancy settings, no fancy props. Simple perfection.

Go try it. And if you do, please come back and show me your undisciplined perspectives.

Be good to each other.

Susan

Tufted Titmouse and a Hummingbird

Beautiful day in Central Florida. Nice enough for an outside bath.

tufted Titmouse drying off after a bath

Pink Hibiscus being visited by a bee.

Ruby Throated Hummingbird

The Ruby’s made it back! She has not been super busy, but I am thrilled she made the very long trip this year. Her favorites is the pink Hibiscus.