Photos under the Sun

Southwest Florida Pet and Wildlife Photography

Category Archives: ‘Snice

Big Skies, Open Roads, Tall Trees…

Saturday, August 1, 2009 Posted in 'Snice, Music, Wildlife

… Heaven! It never fails that at this time of year I get Kerouac fever and want to take to the open roads and get some cool air. Not that I don’t LOVE Southwest Florida and all the awesome critters it has to offer!! But when the air gets so heavy and hot that I can hardly lift an eyelid never mind a heavy camera, the mind goes to the mountains, trees and lakes and wants to linger there.

I want to see the remnants of last year’s snowfall on the summit of a mountain:

Openroad1-1

I want to see endless mountain ranges with Elk casually lolling about in a field:

Openroad2-1

I want to sit under taller than tall trees that stretch far up into the sky:

Openroad3-1

I want to sit beside a lake that is kissed by the softest breezes:

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I want to walk through a golden, stony meadow and get dizzy with the halo of purple hills and mountains:

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I want to watch others fish in waters that are crispy cold and teeming with fish:

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I want to stroll from heat to shade and back again: Openroad7-1

I want to gaze at every formation on the mountainside that cradles trees and bushes—some almost as old as the earth itself:

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And I want to see the stars come out at dusk where no mosquito DARES to tread:

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To Help you cool down, here’s a song by Little River Band I first heard in 1978. Click here for Cool Change and enjoy the gorgeous video!!

Now, those of you who can, go enjoy those cool hills, mountains and valleys; those of you who can’t, get into some air conditioning, or under a fan or a tree and RELAX! ;D On a final note, be thoughtful of those less fortunate and help out, if you can!

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Ssshhhhh! Maya the Egret Has More to Say!

Thursday, July 30, 2009 Posted in 'Snice, Music, Wildlife

Maya is a remarkable Great Egret. She’s a juvenile on her way to becoming a spectacular adult. Then, she can fly away and be her own beautiful self. She has agreed to be my narrator on certain postings and I’m very grateful to her. So please give her a chance to express her thoughts today. She didn’t fare too well a few days ago!! She had carefully prepared her speech and had practiced for several hours each day to be very eloquent—looking at her magnificently sweeping wings in the murky waters of the alligator infested pond. She preened every newly sprung feather and sprig of down so that that she would look absolutely splendid on her guest speaker debut. And she DID, didn’t she? Alas, everyone else took over and drowned her out. But she’s BACK! She asks that you leave her comments and tell her how she’s doing! So, here we go:

[caption id="attachment_965" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption=""Oh, Ms. P I don't mind, really! I don't mind, I'm used to being ignored! It's Ok, really!"]

"Oh, Ms. P I don't mind, really! I don't mind, I'm used to it! It's Ok, really!

[/caption] [caption id="attachment_966" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption=""At least, I shouldn't mind, should I? Do I have a voice, too? Like the others?""]

[/caption] [caption id="attachment_967" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption=""Heck, yes, i do and I INTEND to use it, hear me RRRROOOOOAAAAARRRR, eh, i mean speak, that is, in Egret Speak! And yes, all you nonbelievers out there, there IS such a thing as Egret Speak: ya just have to be more observant, that's all!"]

"Heck, yes, i do and I INTEND to use it, hear me RRRROOOOOAAAAARRRR, eh, i mean speak, that is, in Egret Speak! And yes, all you nonbelievers out there, there IS such a thing as Egret Speak: ya just have to be more observant, that's all!

[/caption] [caption id="attachment_968" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption=""What? I mean, pardon, Ms. P, you were saying...Oh, yeah, forgot to include the little cuties and their message!""]

"What? I mean, pardon, Ms. P, you were saying...Oh, yeah, forgot to include the little cuties and their message!"

[/caption] [caption id="attachment_969" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="Maya is speaking for us: "We need all humans to take care of our habitat and our surroundings so that we can live." P.S. This is from Maya's personal remarks: Listen up! In the great words of the Wise Old Great Egret: "Y'all, if we don't survive, y'all will have a hard time surviving as well. Go git yerselves educated on this matter afore it be too late!""] "Yissss, noooo anneyone listen to usss. Weer littul babee catul egrut cheeks and we need alla humans to TAIK KARE UV OUR HAB HAV HABINTAT!!!"

"Yissss, noooo anneyone listen to usss. Weer littul babee catul egrut cheeks and we need alla humans to TAIK KARE UV OUR HAB HAV HABINTAT!!!"

[/caption] [caption id="attachment_970" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption=""Hey Maya, you forgot to mention about the new domain name""]

[/caption] [caption id="attachment_971" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="Thank you Mr. Tricolor Heron! Yes, the new domaninain name has no hyphens now. Ms P just said, but I don't know WHAT that means, already!!!! "]

Thank you Mr. Tricolor Heron! Yes, the new domaninain name has no hyphens now. Ms P just said, but I don't know WHAT that means, already!!!!

[/caption] [caption id="attachment_972" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption=""OOOOOOPPPSSSSS! I just remembered that Ms. P also told me to say that Baudelaire, Juno, Sungret and Moongret as well as others will be back soon! Now, i bid you all adieu until next time!"] "OOOOOOPPPSSSSS! I just remembered that Ms. P also told me to say that Baudelaire, Juno, Sungret and Moongret as well as others will be back soon! Now, i bid you all adieu until next time!

"OOOOOOPPPSSSSS! I just remembered that Ms. P also told me to say that Baudelaire, Juno, Sungret and Moongret as well as others will be back soon! Now, i bid you all adieu until next time!

[/caption]

Didn’t she do a great job? I can’t wait for her to do another post for me. GOOD JOB, MAYA!!!!!

Now, I wouldn’t normally promote Guns n Roses because I hate guns and I don’t like violence but i don’t think anyone could dispute the fact that their music is AWESOME. OOOOOOOHHHHHH! That Slash, he can turn a guitar to dripping melting chocolate on the finest crop of strawberries and raspberries ever harvested, non? November Rain is one of my faves. I had a totally different filmstrip running through my head before I saw their video on YouTube . With just the music, I imagined I saw beautiful pans of forests in shadows, in black and white,with close ups, sweeping down through lost valleys, climbing up through tall hills and mountains. I would have liked to have put these kinds of images to that music but to each his/her own and that’s the beauty of life. We are all dancing to our own interpretation of music. The question is: where do we/you/i/they/us fit? ;D Let Maya know! Here’s a link to the haunting November Rain

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A Few Words from Our Wildlife Friends.

Saturday, July 25, 2009 Posted in 'Snice, Events, Wildlife

Maya the Egret has been chosen to take over this blog today. Everyone has something to say, so you’ll need to read the photo captions. They find it is easier to communicate that way!

[caption id="attachment_929" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="“Hello, I’m here to tell you that Miss Patricia has given me the honor of being her spokesperson today. She has been busy setting up another unit to this website which will..”"]

“Hello, I’m here to tell you that Miss Patricia has given me the honor of being her spokesperson today. She has been busy setting up another unit to this website which will..”

[/caption] [caption id="attachment_930" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="“Oh, I know: it’s all about Cattle Egrets, isn’t it?"] “Oh, I know: it’s all about Cattle Egrets, isn’t it?

[/caption] [caption id="attachment_931" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="“Oh, you sturtled me, Daaaaaad, I was just havin’ the BEST dreeeem…about Mullet King an’ dey let me pick anythin’ I wont”"]

“Oh, you sturtled me, Daaaaaad, I was just havin’ the BEST dreeeem…about Mullet King an’ dey let me pick anythin’ I wont”

[/caption] [caption id="attachment_932" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="“Sorry, little shrimp, no Mr. C., it’s about…"]

[/caption] [caption id="attachment_933" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="“Whoa, did I hear shrimp, SHRIMP, is she going to give us all coupons to ALL YOU CAN EAT SHRIMP? IS SHE, IS SH…”"]

“Whoa, did I hear shrimp, SHRIMP, is she going to give us all coupons to ALL YOU CAN EAT SHRIMP? IS SHE, IS SH…”

[/caption] [caption id="attachment_934" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="“ SCREECH, BRWAAAA!!!! whazza coupone? Mom: “Now see what you’ve started, he’ll NEVER go back to sleep.”"] “ SCREECH, BRWAAAA!!!! whazza coupone? Mom: “Now see what you’ve started, he’ll NEVER go back to sleep.”

“ SCREECH, BRWAAAA!!!! whazza coupone? Mom: “Now see what you’ve started, he’ll NEVER go back to sleep.”

[/caption] [caption id="attachment_935" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption=""Hhmmmmm! Are you talking about the human with the weird accent? I was wondering what happened to her..”"]

Are you talking about the human with the weird accent? I was wondering what happened to her..”

[/caption] [caption id="attachment_936" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="“Ooooooohhhhh, je sais, je sais, she goeeeeen’ to make mooovieeeee on the glorious ibis, or Isis, whatevaaaair!!! Superbe!!”"]

“Ooooooohhhhh, je sais, je sais, she goeeeeen’ to make mooovieeeee on the glorious ibis, or Isis, whatevaaaair!!! Superbe!!”

[/caption] [caption id="attachment_937" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="“D’ya heer dat, Mom, hold the mullet, we’ll have SHRIMP for lunch!”"]

[/caption] [caption id="attachment_938" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="“Everyone, may I PLEASE get a word in. Yes, Miss P……”"]

[/caption] [caption id="attachment_939" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="“Y’all got it WROOOOOOOONNNNNNGGGGG!! She’s going ta do a BIG study on why alligators blow bubbles, yes she is, ahuh!”"]

“Y’all got it WROOOOOOOONNNNNNGGGGG!! She’s going ta do a BIG study on why alligators blow bubbles, yes she is, ahuh!”

[/caption] [caption id="attachment_940" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="“Y’all know why alligators blow bubbles, right???? Nudge, nudge, wink, wink!!!!”"]

[/caption] [caption id="attachment_942" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="“Everyone, may I PLEASE get a word in. Yes, Miss P……”"]

[/caption] [caption id="attachment_943" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="“Quiet down, y’all!!! Let the eejit, I mean Egret, speak!!!”"] “Quiet down, y’all!!! Let the eejit, I mean Egret, speak!!!”

[/caption] [caption id="attachment_944" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="“Thank you, Sir Parry! As I was saying, Ms. Pa…”"] “Thank you, Sir Parry! As I was saying, Ms. Pa…”

[/caption] [caption id="attachment_945" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="“Psssst, y’all!!!! All I can say and know is she’s gonna do something concerning photography and critters!. I’m jess’ sayin’, doncha know!!!!!!"] “Psssst, y’all!!!! All I can say and know is she’s gonna do something concerning photography and critters!. I’m jess’ sayin’, doncha know!!!!!!

“Psssst, y’all!!!! All I can say and know is she’s gonna do something concerning photography and critters!. I’m jess’ sayin’, doncha know!!!!!!

[/caption]

Maya has thrown up her wings and is advising everyone to listen to Bird on a Wire written by fantastic poet and songwriter Leonard Cohen and also sung by Ester Ofarim and Joe Cocker! She also wants to tell you that there’s a new LANDING PAGE on the website so, refresh those browsers! That’s what she’s going to do and then she’s going to put on some music and enjoy her life. Sublime. ;D

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Happy Birthday to You, Happy Birthday to You…

Friday, July 17, 2009 Posted in 'Snice, Music, Wildlife

…Happy birthday deer Brigitte, happy birday to yuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!!!! Those are not misspellings–it’s just me being hokey–after all, this site is about pets and wildlife;D

Speaking of hokey–which I LOVE where appropriate, John Lind wrote a beautiful song on butterflies, called Elusive Butterfly. Google it and you’ll find a slew of other artists who also recorded it. Happy listening!!

And here’s a butterfly for Brigitte who loves them. This is a Swallowtail one and it is quite large:

[caption id="attachment_750" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="Swallowtail Butterfly"]