A Bare Spot

Song - Animal Crackers in My Soup by Shirley Temple


The critters were abundant in Lake Tahoe over the last two weeks.

There was a Ladybug hatch one day at the beach.  They would float in on the water, land in the sand, dry off and fly away.  It was hard to cool off in the water with out stepping on them as they blanketed the shoreline.

The Canadian Geese and Sea Gulls were out in record numbers as well.  They could hear you opening your lunch from across the lake! 

The Merganser's and ducks would float in and out.

Every morning several Tiger Swallowtails would great me "good morning"! It was lovely to watch them float through the forest weaving in and out of the trees.

I saw squirrels, chipmunks, huge Carpenter Ants, deer and this little fellow came to visit Mr. B and me when we returned to the cabin from the beach.....

I named him "Bobby Bear".

Doesn't that just fit this big guy (who was about the size of a VW bug!)?

I think he needs a pedicure........

Cute, fuzzy-wuzzy guy who was focused on getting to the creek behind me.

There were lot's of Robins, Stellar Jays and songbirds. I even saw a Bald Eagle but wasn't quick enough with my camera.

Can you see the White-Headed Woodpecker?  I had never seen one of them before. It was just after a thunder shower.

The Forest Rangers had a "bird show" going on near Camp Richardson, just down the street from our cabin.  There was a Kestrel which was found in someone's swimming pool.

A Red Tailed Hawk.........

And a Gyrfalcon or "white falcon" who had to wear a blinder the entire time because he was raised by one man and never saw any other people.  When the man died, he would become traumatized if he saw other people.

This is the woman who is now raising him.  She is a Master Falconer and the young woman several photo's above is her apprentice.  Falcons were used for hunting before guns were invented.  It's how they got food on the table for the family!

But one of my favorite critters was a litter of Coyote pups who were having a great time playing with each other on this log. We saw them on our way home from Yemmonaide Lake (Angora Lake).

And now to show you the fiercest animal of the forest.......

She was on-guard all day long and in the afternoons she was plain tuckered out!  Probably dreaming about chasing squirrels......


"The quality of life is in proportion, always, to the capacity for delight.  The capacity for delight is the gift of paying attention." 
- May Sarton

Now Exhale

Song - Dark-Eyed (Oregon) Junco with a Mirror Fixation


What began as going to a wedding in the Sierra's, became adding a few extra days to the weekend to celebrate my birthday, which became two weeks of bliss in Lake Tahoe!

Here is my escape partner in crime.....

Mr. B came up on weekends and I had a friend come up for a couple of days but other than that it was just Mika and me.

Painting.....beach......meditating.....reading.......music......journaling.....wildflowers......bird watching......star gazing......walks.......ahhhh.....

The fresh young leaves on the Aspen trees against Tahoe's amazing blue sky took my breath away.

And every morning about 4:15 the birds would start singing their little hearts out.  They were busy finding food, a mate and designing nests.

I had one bird (a Junco) that loved his reflection so much that he would not leave my back bumper alone.  All day long and day after day, he would admire himself.  Until the last day when he brought a friend along to check out how beautiful he was as well!

I came home on Monday with about 4 inches of bird poop on my bumper!

Mr. B took me to Sunnyside for my birthday dinner.  We had one of our favorite tables right by the lake so we could watch the sunset.  Good food, great wine and wonderful company - what more could a girl ask for?

Well maybe a clean bumper????


"Perfectly ordered disorder designed with a helter-skelter magnificence." --Emily Carr when looking at a forest

In Flight

Song - Fly Like an Eagle by the Steve Miller Band

Titmouse

Right after I took the photo in my last post (of Baby Huey - the extra large baby Mourning Dove) my beloved camera died.  Just stopped working - suddenly.  I had two full batteries and I tried them both but she was a goner. 

Female House Finch

I was devastated and felt lost.  It's like going somewhere without a purse or cell phone.  You know you will survive but it's a little unsettling.

Crow

So last week I knew I would have to take it to our local camera store to be repaired - it took me three days to adjust to the idea of being without a camera for awhile.  The man at the store was very helpful and quoted me repair prices and length of time I would be "camera less". 


SIX WEEKS! 

Chickadee

But right now I can hear you saying "But Jeanette, how did you get all of these photo's that you are inserting in your blog?" Well......

American Goldfinch

......the helpful camera man told me that for just a few dollars more than the cost of the repair, I could get a whole new camera body that all of my old lenses would fit on. 

Yes!  They were having a SALE!

Green Hummingbird that is imitating an Oak leaf

Be still my heart!  You mean I could walk out of this store with a new working camera? 


What a concept! 



A store that sells cameras!!!

A Hawk that was chased up into this tree by that little Hummingbird!

Now I have to tell you that part of me felt guilty, as my old camera was only four and a half years old.  And it feels very un-ecological of me to not repair my ailing camera but then I would of had an outdated camera that still had a lot of worn parts.  Kind of like putting a new engine in a 1967 Volkswagen - there are still other parts of the car to be considered. 

Titmouse & House Finch

Weighing all of this information while holding a bright shiny new camera was a little like holding a new puppy.  Hard to put down (maybe just one more sniff of puppy breath).


I was a goner......

Forgive me world - I purchased the new camera!

You WHAT?

Yup, I did. 

I could hardly wait the three hours to charge the new batteries before I could start rapid firing my new partner in crime.


And I have to say, I am loving her!

THE END

Baby Huey Has Arrived

Song - Baby Huey Quack a Doodle Doo Classic Cartoon (1950)

Our mama mourning dove was showing off her baby on Sunday.  I didn't want to get too close and frighten her so I used my zoom lens.  It kinda looked like there were maybe two babies in the nest but when I walked around the back of the ladder......

Nope.  Just one extra large darlin'.

I had asked Mr. B to have a talk with daddy bird as to his late arrivals recently to relieve mama bird of her duties.  Smarty pants Mr. B said "Nope. Daddy bird is right on schedule because he is going by daylight and it is lighter a little later each day!"

"I want to sing like the birds sing

 not worrying about who hears 

or what they think." 

- Rumi

Mellow Yellow

Song - Yellow Bird by Chet Atkins

Can you see him?

He is right in the center of the shot, trying to avoid the Paparazzi....me!

A flock of Western Tanager's flew into our garden late in the afternoon.  I was taking my end-of-day walk around the garden and as I stopped near the creek, I saw them.  Beautiful!!!  

I ran back inside to get my camera and by the time I returned, they seemed to have disappeared.  Like in the top photo......but they were still there!

Male Western Tanager

Female

I pulled up a chair and patiently waited for them to show their sweet little faces.

And just as I was changing my camera settings, I saw this.  

But he was so fast that I couldn't quite capture him very well.

 

Do you see him?

Quick.....look right.

A beautiful hawk buzzed right by me and I quickly tried to refocus but he was too fast for me.  It just amazes me when I see real photographers who capture amazing bird photo's.  I have been trying for years and it really makes me appreciate their photo skills!

I was hoping to show you a photo of the Tanager's drinking water from the creek but decided to just take a photo of the branches that they like to hang out on that are hanging over the water.

When I came inside and opened up this shot on my computer...oh wait...

........do you see them?

The female is at the upper right in the sunshine

 and the male is at the lower left.  

I was surprised that they have such good camo!

Heading into the house, I decided to take a peek at mama Mourning Dove.

  

No babies sighted yet.

Daddy Mourning Dove arrives later each day.....6:11 this evening!

Mr. B better go have a talk with him!!!

"Use what talents you possess; the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang the best." 

-- Henry Van Dyke