ice pigeon...

it went flying across the lake landscape - which had a fine dusting of ice after fog had covered over it...

...taking to the mountains she went - flying away from me

...happy day

beaver sighting...

...at my little lake today

was it expected? - no

was i excited? - you bet!

in fact, i believe i let out a medium-sized squeal - in addition to a mini-version of the happy skippy dance - i was in public after all...

common talk 'round the lake has always held to the truth - the resident beaver only comes out at night or dusk hours - maybe also very early morning time before the sun has fully risen. i was out in full daylight - so was quite surprised to see him.  in fact, thought he was a log at first until i spotted his cute little ears - and swore there was a blinking eye... then all bets were off regarding the log.  i began trying to sweet talk mr. beaver to come closer so we could chat a while.  well, he wasn't having much of that - kept slithering to and fro in the water - very gracefully i might add considering how big he was... i had no idea beavers grew to be so long! plus in the water - they appear to be ink spots if you're not looking closely - paying attention. although he didn't indulge me to come close, i knew he was listening to me - those brown eyes were blinking away - i felt privileged to be around him...

in spite of him moving so rapidly through the water, i was able to get a pretty decent shot.  although i admit when an animal is moving quickly - in the water no less - it's a challenge to capture them in focus - facing you... at least i was able to get him making eye contact with me -

proves my point he was he was listening to my chatter - or maybe he was simply making sure i wasn't going to jump in after him! 

happy day.....

progression of landing...

the thrill of victory...  success with making the final turn in the air - approaching an imaginary landing strip - spreading wings... skimming over the water to a beautiful stop - plopping gracefully into the little lake... 

all done very quickly - after much practice, i'm sure - yet to my eye - appears technically perfect for a duck...  sometimes that "plopping" really is a plop as they forget to put the brakes on fast enough - almost going head over webbed feet into the water!  those times are fairly rare, though... 

usually what i'm privy to - is a gorgeous dance of fluid motion which is stunning, because it's nature at its best - putting on a show for me to enjoy - free to watch and observe - to marvel and wonder at how they do it - to clap my hands at their success; encourage their moments in the sun... 

and when they lighting is working with me - exceptional in its brilliance - i can capture those moments of gracefulness on film  - playing with pastel loveliness as if i were an artist with a brush painting on canvas...  it fills me with unending joy...

happy day.....

natural resources...

...or using what's at hand -

to create illusions - artistic impressions...  to have fun - play - experiment...  in order to achieve the end result you want in a photograph.  it's about having a plan - a goal - then choosing the path to help you get there...

i don't have any fancy-dancy equipment to help me enhance my photographs - make them appear to have more depth, better lighting or whatever...  sometimes you don't need to have anything either - other than what's at hand - natural resources - available to us every day.  lately, i've been learning to take advantage of those resources - following the example of my princess diva gracie, who has regularly found the wonderful properties of sunbeams - using them on a consistent basis herself...  she is one smart kitty!

so i've borrowed her sunbeams - using them to compliment some tulips i recently purchased.  i think tulips are the epitome of springtime - so to play with them in various ways - with natural light - and adding in other resources, has been a lot of fun right now...

 

happy day.....

duck formation...

...up in the sky

yes - yes, it is... ducks - not birds - not geese...

ducks, my friends! how often do we see this, i ask...

typically, it is geese in formation - i see flying through the air - circling around my little lake - looking to land... or perhaps pigeons - maybe starlings... but ducks? so rare to see them coming in, in a group, let alone couples! - usually i tend to see them straggling in one-by-one - on their own - as if they're oh, so independent...

  so it was that i was doing a 2-step, quick dance in the snow - watching them high in the blue sky - their bodies appearing almost white through my lens...

so then i questioned - but they circled twice - i caught them the entire way - holding my breath - then letting it out in tiny exclamations of joy... as they landed 2-footed in the snow on the lake -

what unusual rareness - catching ducks in flight, then making their tour of landing prowess - what joy...


happy day.....

family portrait...

...of ducks
.
.
.
.

who couldn't quite get their act together -

 

they dillied - they dallied...

 

they tarried around the little lake - they couldn't decide if they wanted to be in the water - or should they be on the ice... is it really worth it to have this portrait done...  there was a whole lotta quackin' happenin'... 'til they got 'rounded up - and waddled half in, half out - so it appears that they're standing on water... clever duckies - when really there's a layer of ice underneath 'em...

 

in the end - they managed to group around together - the way most families do in these situations - most dislike having their portraits taken (i know this may be a gross generalization) - it's a fuss, a bother - who said it has to be done anyway - is it really necessary... do we have to get dressed up - where's aunt betty... ho-hum...

 

personally, i believe it's important to capture family time on film - kiddos grow up too fast - precious moments you forget but would like to remember - it's a way to look back - reflect - laugh over - bond together...  share the what dids, what might have beens, what could bes in life - and ultimately, make for way more than...

 

one

 

happy day.....

ducklings...

...are a rare sight around here

according to a photographer friend of mine - who also frequents the little lake i do... he hasn't seen ducklings there in almost 10 years.  really?  how exciting then when i arrived the other morning - all caught up in the goslings entering their 'tween phase already... when he stated he'd spotted ducklings the night before... "cool beans," i replied... 'cuz i've never seen baby ducks before.  well, maybe in a zoo - but certainly not in the wild - ever!  so this would be a first... but he mentioned that mama duck seemed rather hesitant to parade her babies about - unlike our geese friends have been...  off he sauntered to the other side of the lake to check things out - and within short order, i could see him giving me the high sign... sure enough as i watched - i noticed mama duck come swimming out, while behind there appeared tiny bobbing things i assumed were her babies... oh boy, oh boy... i set off on the trail for the other side of the lake.

when i got there... this is what greeted me...

a lone duckling - momentarily separated from mama and siblings... bobbing in the water - the cutest little creature ever...

the siblings then joined him - coming up from the rear... always good to know someone's got your back!

mama then corralled them together... trying to keep them in line, i'm sure... but ya know - kiddos will be kiddos... and soon they were transfixed by the lady with the black box who was trying to sweet talk them into posing for pictures...

i was fascinated by these tiny bundles... barely visible above the water, almost blending in - between the color of their downy feathers and the sun reflecting off the water...  additionally, there was no sign of papa being helpful - all the male ducks were keeping their distance out in the very middle of the lake... huddled up in a circle, acting somewhat delinquent.  unlike goose daddies who are very hands-on with fathering techniques, duck dads appear very aloof and uncaring - it's interesting behavior to observe and not one i claim to understand...

while i pondered these things... mama duck decided she'd tolerated human interaction long enough - gathering her crew together once more into an obedient line, herding them away...

perhaps i'll be able to get a 'tween duckling photo down the road... i wonder if they grow as fast as the goslings do...

happy day.....