12 July, 2020            Blogging for blogging’s sake 

It’s more than that really – I have a handful of pictures – but I just want to get a quick post up to get in my routine. And thank you to everyone who has encouraged me to blog more. 

A person we just met this morning took a picture of Mackey and Turner and Yuki and me at the river:  

Our favorite way to spend a Sunday morning:

In addition to our lush gardenias, Evelyn has a patch of mixed flowers thriving along our back fence. Daisies and more: 

Simple and spectacular

Thanks to Evie’s hard work we have a cheerful backyard

That’s the other thing about Evie’s hard work – it makes photography easy!

I was visiting a buddy near River Road Monday afternoon – and look what I saw while I was driving down his driveway!: 

When I was driving down the driveway, this young Red-shouldered hawk was perched on the fence:

I rolled to a stop and put my car window down. I’m sure this is a male; he was petite. Cars are perfect “urban blinds”; most animals don’t see them as a threat and ignore them. He obligingly hopped down off the fence and perched on a rock at the top of a small creekbed. At this point he was below me – I was pointing my camera down at a raptor. As a long time raptor photographer, that experience is so disorienting it practically gives you vertigo. Hawks don’t live down low – they fly high or perch high. To point your camera below the horizon is a strange sensation.

It hopped up on a rock by a creekbed:

I like more air conditioning, Evelyn and Dash like less. Here’s Dash lying with his head in the sun: 

Gobbling up the sunlight

Here’s a pair of purple martins from Bryan Park Thursday. The male is on top talking loud, or loud by purple martin standards. Notice the female below him? Still in the house? Is she acting demure? I’m not sure how to interpret emotions in songbirds: 

Male purple martin up on the wire, female still in the house:

Since I opened with dogs at the river I think I’ll close with that too. The one at the top is from 11:09 this morning. 

Quick break with water nearby

Have a great week! I hope to have another post up a week from today. All best, 

Jay