My Dogs Keep Me Sane: nature photography

Showing posts with label nature photography. Show all posts

Saturday, August 16, 2008

Camera-Critters #19

This is what happens when a Border-Collie-Mommy gets frustrated because she can't open Camera-Critters for people to sign in, gives up, and sneaks out early to go for a walk, without properly notifying the 'Watch Crew'.

"Taaaaaaag! Hey Tag! Come quick!
There's someone coming down the road!
Seriously Taaaaaaag! There's someone coming!"

(c) Misty DawnS

"What? Huh? There's someone coming!?!? I'm on my way!"
"Don't come one step closer! I have a Tag watching my back!"

(c) Misty DawnS

"I really didn't mean it Mom. I really wasn't gonna sick Tag on you
HONEST! Awwww come on Mom, it was an easy mistake."

Before you head out to buy some religious jewelry, why not do a Camera-Critters post first?
Do you want to join the Weekend Meme all about animal/critter photos? Clicking on the post header graphic will take you to the blog where you can sign in if you have made a post, and you can visit other Camera-Critters Captures. Or, clicking HERE will take you to the rules.

Saturday, August 9, 2008

Camera-Critters #18

So, there was this husband, who always claimed his wife was overly-critter crazy.
"Yep, she can't resist any critters. She's a big softy." He would say.
Yet, throughout their seven years of marriage (as of this month),
the wife discovered that said husband was just as much a critter-crazy fool as she.
So, when said husband come home with some speckled eggs one day,
what was the wife to say?

"I couldn't leave them out there in the middle of the field." He explained.
The mother had left them, she wasn't coming back, and Mr. Undercover-Softy
felt responsible.

So, in a box the eggs were placed.
Wife and Hubs both doubted anything would happen,
but they had to try.

So, wife came home after a long day at work and walked into the kitchen.
As she was standing there, she heard some chirping.
She thought... could it be? No, I'm crazy. I must have heard a bird outside.
But, she decided to peer over the side of the box anyway...

(c) Misty DawnS

WAIT!!! The chirping IS coming from the box!
More specifically, it's coming from an egg with a hole punched in it!

(c) Misty DawnS

So, she quickly ran to her computer and announced in instant messages to
two of her best buds (*waving* Hi Tam! Hi Bear!) that one of the eggs was hatching.
"Take pictures!" Was Tam's reply, while at the same time,
the message box from Bear was blinking, with the message
"Take pictures!" typed in it.
So...
Wife stood tippy-toed on a pile of miscellaneous things
she found throughout the house and had piled up to allow her to get a
'birds-eye view' (pardon the pun)... and...
she took pictures!

Yup! Definitely something punching holes in that there egg!

(c) Misty DawnS

"YUP! I knew it! There WAS someone in there!"
"Hi! I'm Ling. I was born yesterday. You come here often?"

(c) Misty DawnS

"Dang Ting! I mighta been born yesterday, but you think this woman knows
what temperature this should be at?"

(c) Misty DawnS

"Ummmm LINGGGGG! LING!!! Could you PLEASE get offa me?!?!"
"Geesh, you've been picking on me ever since I came outta that egg!"

(c) Misty DawnS

So, that's the story of Ling and Ting.
Do you know what they are?
DUH, YES, I already knew they were birds! *smacking forehead*

I ask you...
which came first...
the...

TURKEY or the egg?

Do you want to join the Weekend Meme all about animal/critter photos? Clicking on the post header graphic will take you to the blog where you can sign in if you have made a post, and you can visit other Camera-Critters Captures. Or, clicking HERE will take you to the rules.

Friday, August 8, 2008

Flowers for Friday

WooHoo - it's Friday!!! That means the weekend is almost here! I'm dreaming of Camera-Critters, lots of photos walks, and lots of chatting with my buds on the computer.

For now though, I have to put on my MSG cap and a smile and greet my customers.

... Oh, don't worry... I haven't forgotten about telling you the story that goes with my WW post. It's a fun one. So, I'm saving it. Tomorrow for Camera-Critters, I'll tell ya the story. ;-)

Saturday, August 2, 2008

Camera-Critters #17

**WARNING**
If you do not like Browsing excessive photos...
Or, if you do not like critters in excess...
Or, you have a fear of the letter "B"...
Or, you do not like combining any of the above mentioned things...
Then quickly and immediately
step away from this post.
However, if you like photos
if you like critters
and you are fond of the letter "B"...
then pull up a chair and hang around awhile ;-)

Today - we Bring Back the "B" in Camera-Critters!
What'd you say? There's no "B" in Camera-Critters?
Well, Balderdash! There is NOW!
Besides, It's MY Blog :-)

I've Been Busy enjoying my new Beautiful camera
and I think I may have gotten a little carried away with this post,
But that's OK, Because, well...
Because it's MY Blog ;-)

We start our "B" Critters off with
the Beautiful,
the itty-Bitty,
the Blue,
~~damselfly~~ Bug...

(c) Misty DawnS

And...
since I'm overly excessive
and have issues with making decisions
and therefore choosing one Beauty over another,
and, Because it's MY Blog (and I can)
I give you another
Beautiful
Blue
~~dragonfly~~ Bug

(c) Misty DawnS

And, Because I'm ~~excessive~~
particularly fond of Bugs of all varieties,
this photo Boasts a cute
~~Lightning~~ Bug

(c) Misty DawnS

Now, I get TWO points with this one,
not only Because there are two critters,
But also Because
Bumble Bee has TWO "B"s.
WoooHooo two points for me!

(c) Misty DawnS

And, many of you commented that
this critter was a favorite last week.
So, I wouldn't want to neglect one of your favorites.
Here's a Bunny

(c) Misty DawnS

Another ~~dragonfly~~ Bug
What? I already posted one of these species?
Oh well, I'm posting another. Why?
Because it's MY Blog, and I can (hehehe)
Besides, the shadow of this critter's wings on the leaf
just makes me want to Bow to my new Beautiful camera ;-)

(c) Misty DawnS

Does anyone else think of the song
"Walk This Way" when you see this pic?
No, it's just me? Oh well - I'm used to Being different. *sigh*

(c) Misty DawnS

And, oh yes, I get a double again...
Because, this is not just a Bug...
It's a Beetle Bug (WooHoo doin' a dance - I got another double)

(c) Misty DawnS

Butterflies!!!
What? I already posted Butterflies?
Well, this is a different kind of Butterfly, and, Besides,
(say it with me now...) It's MY Blog hehe
(Hey! I gave you sufficient warning at the Beginning of this Blog post!)

(c) Misty DawnS

Not one, not two, But three
Buzzard Birds!
(remember what I said about the Blog? I'm allowed to go crazy - it's my perogative!)

(c) Misty DawnS

And, that Brings this "B" Blog post to a
Big, Brown, Boisterous bconclusion
Oh wait! That's a 'c'... hmmmmm must go think about next week's
Camera-Critters (CC) post now...

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

A Letter to Mother Nature

Dear Mother Nature,
Oh behalf of my own addicted to nature-photo walks-self and ALL the farming residents of this small, struggling county of Missouri... Please, if you can find it in your heart... just...
GIVE US A BREAK ALREADY!
Yours truly,
Misty Dawn

This is how Sunday looked.

Pretty, isn't is?
I thought so.
I thought it was a beautiful day.

(c) Misty DawnS

... it started looking like THIS.
Like what?, you ask?
See those white things in the yard?
Look closely...

(c) Misty DawnS

Of course, I ran from window to window trying to get some decent photos.
Hubs and I have never seen hail this large.
When one would hit the window, it would cause me to leap backwards.
It was quite the experience.

(c) Misty DawnS

Bigger-than-Baseball-Sized Hail and a few dents in my vehicle later...
the skies went back to just looking threatening.
(unless you consider all the tornado warnings)

(c) Misty DawnS

And that was that.
We've had SO much rain and flooding here.
80-year-old farmers come into my work and tell me that they have never...
ever seen it like this. They tell me it flooded in 1993, but it was not a
- consistent, non-stop, can't get a break, raining every other day,
9 inches in 24-hours (on SEVERAL occasions), all the crops are destroyed, and
you can't even get into your fields let alone plant anything year like THIS year is.
And now - Hubs and I have not only seen the wettest year that anyone
around here can remember - we have also seen
ice-baseballs falling from the sky.

The score?
Mother-Nature is winning
She's like 32 (inches) or so ahead ;-)

Saturday, July 26, 2008

Camera-Critters #16

THE
STORY
OF THE
FUZZY
LIL'
YELLER
CAPALILLAR

Once there was a cute, fuzzy, lil', yeller capalillar, who realized he was very bored.
So, he decided to go out and play.

First, he decided to do chin-up exercises so he wouldn't stretch a muscle while at play.
A one... and a two... and a one... and a two.

(c) Misty DawnS

All those chin-ups make for a hungry fuzzy, lil', yeller capalillar.
So, he decided to have a little snack.
Not to be called "lazy", he decided to continue his stretching exercises while snacking.
Mmmm Mmmmm Good!

(c) Misty DawnS

But, the fuzzy, lil', yeller capalillar was lonely.
A day at play is ALWAYS better when shared with a friend.
"Hey Buddy! Wanna play Follow the Leader?"
"Follow ME!!!"

Monday, July 21, 2008

Must Be Organized

I've been having a blast with the DSLR. The only problem is I have a habit of taking a LOT of photos and figuring I'll pick the best one later and delete the rest. However, when it comes time to do that, I don't delete them. I've always been like that. I still have about fifty floppy disks (probably half bad by now) full of photos from when I had my first digital camera my aunt gave me.

So, since I can't afford an external hard drive right now (all the big bills came due at one time - why does that always happen?), and I seriously need to get these large files off my laptop, I'm going to burn the photos to DVD. Here's my problem - I'm a bit OCD when it comes to this sort of thing. I.Must.Organize.the.Photos.in.the.Best.Manner. So - should I organize the DVDs by subject (sunsets, dogs, insects, flowers, landscapes, etc.) or by date taken? Oh, decisions, decisions!!! I don't do well with decisions! How 'bout you guys decide for me... that will make it much easier on me ;-) Besides, I've already got a headache I woke up with at 3 a.m. and I'm trying to avoid a migraine (hoping and praying against a migraine).

Saturday, July 19, 2008

Camera-Critters #15

Have I ever mentioned that I love it here? OK, maybe I have ~~too many times~~ once or twice, but I'm saying it again. I miss my family and friends so much I can physically feel it, but as far as this area is concerned, I love it here. I love that I can just walk in my backyard and, rather than seeing a bunch of houses, I see this...

(c) Misty DawnS

You really have to pay close attention, or you might miss something; such as this...
(this critter is waving to y'all. Can you hear it?
It is saying "Hellooooooo there wonderful Camera-Critters folks!")

(c) Misty DawnS

People think I'm crazy because I am such a homebody, but I don't care.
I'm just content here. Nope, no travel health insurance for me... Not when I can walk out the door of my home and see beauty all around me, such as this...

Monday, July 14, 2008

Just Call Me MSG

Hubs and I went to play pool on Saturday night. We always enjoy spending time together like that. However, things are different now, and Hubs gets a kick out of it...

We were shooting pool, minding our own business as usual, and I approached the bar to get a beverage. That's when it happened...

Some guy turns around as I'm approaching and yells, "HEY! It's the Mower Shop Girl! The Mower Shop Girl is here!"

It seems that everyone knows me now. Let's face it - around here - mowers, tractors, and hay equipment are of huge importance. I mean, I think they probably capitalize Hay Season and Mowing Season around these here parts.

So, another gentleman turns around and exclaims, "HEY, you're right! It IS The Mower Shop Girl!" As I was ~~trying to find the nearest table to hide under~~ attempting to order my beverage, I overheard him say to the other guy, "Yeah, she likes my dog."

Of course the word 'dog' caught ALL of my attention, and then it dawned on me... "HEY, you're the guy with the Border Collie who comes in and sits with me at my desk!" (ummmm the dog people, NOT the guy!)

This caused an uproar of laughter from many of the patrons standing around, as they razzed this gentleman... "Oh suuuuuure. She doesn't have a clue who YOU are, but she recognizes your dog!" (followed by more laughter and pointing)

I tried to make the guy feel better by telling him not to take it personally - it's just how I am - but, I don't think it helped much.

So, Hubs came to the rescue (if you can call it that) and started telling these guys how he thinks that, since I'm "The Mower Shop Girl" now, I should wear certain outfits at work. No, he wasn't talking about renaissance costumes; He was telling these guys that I should probably wear outfits like Heidi wore on the show Home Improvement.

The guys standing around the bar quickly and whole-heartedly agreed with Hubs, and the fact that I recognize furry-four-legged-farm-dogs rather than the farmer himself was forgotten.

Thanks Hubs...
I think.

Saturday, July 12, 2008

Camera-Critters #14

I met this critter while walking down the road earlier this week. As I was walking along, I saw this critter come out of the ditch on one side of the road and start making its slooooow trip to the other side of the road. So, I knelt down, introduced myself to P.T. (that's its name... short for Painted Turtle, of course), shot a few pictures, and then carried P.T. over to the other ditch, because I wanted to make sure this critter didn't make the acquaintance of one of those big, shiny things with rubber wheels. I then continued on my walk, and when I returned to the spot where I had left P.T., I smiled, because P.T. had continued on the journey (probably to our pond).

Do you want to join the Weekend Meme all about animal/critter photos? Clicking on the post header graphic will take you to the blog where you can sign in if you have made a post, and you can visit other Camera-Critters Captures. Or, clicking HERE will take you to the rules.

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

WW Flower Edition

Saturday, June 28, 2008

Camera-Critters #12

(c) Misty DawnS

I'm quite pleased with this photo. What I'm particularly pleased with is the composition - how the dragonfly decided to rest on a pretty flower, and how the flower is showing through this Blue Dasher Dragonfly's wing. I saw it land on the flower, so, I sat down on the ground and continue to inch closer to it. I would take a photo (so I could avoid the regrets of missing the shot if it happened to fly away), then I would scoot myself a little bit closer, take another photo and scoot closer. Eventually, I ended up with this shot. I bet you are all now picturing me sitting on the ground scooting on my butt through the weeds with a camera to my eye *giggle*

Yesterday, we took my step-son to the airport in Kansas City so he could fly back home. Then, we went to some stores, since there aren't stores around here. We went to a Best Buy and a Circuit City, and I ~~drooled over~~ held the 'dream camera' in my hands. I ~~caressed it and said sweet nothings to it~~ explored it's menus and functions and was even able to
take some photos with it and compare it to several other cameras. Now, I am confident it is the camera I want. I know I will have a learning curve if I ever do get a dslr, such as settings, depth of field, lighting, and composition. However the first step is making sure you get a camera which feels good in your hand - a camera you feel comfortable with... I've found that camera... now, I just need to figure out how to get it from 'living' at the store to being a permanent extension of my hand ;-) I'm still saving every extra cent I get (when it doesn't have to go to bills). I even passed on buying any birthday gifts for myself (Yes, it was my birthday on Thursday - I am now 33 years old), because I wanted to save money towards the camera. G, I sound a bit like I'm feeling sorry for myself, don't I? I don't like when I sound selfish or greedy, so I'm going to shut up now - enjoy the beautiful dragonfly.

Sunday, June 15, 2008

Blogoversary

One year ago today, in an attempt to make one of my very best friends ~~stop nagging~~ happy, I picked up my laptop, did a search for a thing called Blogger, and step-by-step started something called a blog. I had no idea what I would do with it, but this friend insisted it would become an outlet and a passion for me. Since she had never steered me wrong before, I gave it a shot. As always, she was right, and I quickly became a BA (Blogging Addict).

(c) Misty DawnS

One year ago today, I began throwing my emotions, thoughts, ideas, and creative creations out into this thing called "The Blogosphere". What in the heck was I thinking? I was certainly setting myself up for rejection. These people, all around the world, would certainly laugh at me and wonder exactly why I thought they would care to read my words, see my photos, or share in my life.

(c) Misty DawnS

It wasn't long before I started developing friendships. These friendships were with people whom I had never seen in person or even heard the sound of their voice, but people who reached out and touched my heart just as strong as any relationship I had ever encountered. The power of these friendships inspired me and would evoke such emotion that I would be overwhelmed by how much these people had come to mean to me in such a short period of time.

(c) Misty DawnS

I found myself thinking, "I can't wait to get home and tell them about this." Or, eagerly booting up my computer to post a new photo or a new story. I found myself adding a long list of friends to my daily prayers. I found myself crying for my friends' losses, cheering for their accomplishments, and giving thanks for their blessings. I would anxiously wait for news from a doctor, eagerly anticipate the birth of a baby, and laugh at the antics of stubborn pets. I found my desire to share in my friends' lives was just as strong as my desire to have them want to share in mine.

(c) Misty DawnS

Now, I find myself at an overwhelming and hectic part of life, which has actually caused me to consider leaving The Blogosphere. This is not because I do not love it here, but because I have an overwhelming sense of guilt for not managing to find the time to regularly 'visit' these friends and let them know what they mean to me. However, for as many times as I have considered giving it up, I have found twice as many reasons of why I couldn't possibly completely step away. It has become too much a part of me. All of you have become too much of a part of me.

One year ago today, I thought I would develop a blog...
Instead, I found myself developing some of the greatest friendships
with which I have ever been blessed.

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Saturday, August 16, 2008

Camera-Critters #19

Saturday, August 9, 2008

Camera-Critters #18

Friday, August 8, 2008

Flowers for Friday

Saturday, August 2, 2008

Camera-Critters #17

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

A Letter to Mother Nature

Saturday, July 26, 2008

Camera-Critters #16

Monday, July 21, 2008

Must Be Organized

Saturday, July 19, 2008

Camera-Critters #15

Monday, July 14, 2008

Just Call Me MSG

Saturday, July 12, 2008

Camera-Critters #14

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

WW Flower Edition

Saturday, June 28, 2008

Camera-Critters #12

Sunday, June 15, 2008

Blogoversary