Category Archives: Fun

SSDW – Same Stuff, Different Week

Posted on September 3, 2017 by Jay McLaughlin

3 September, 2017 SSDW – Same Stuff, Different Week No birthdays or triathlons this week, although I did have my second flying lesson Thursday morning (8/31) at 7:00. I’m not even officially a student yet, although … Continue reading →

Posted in Birds, Dogs, Flowers, Fun, Gardenias, Insects, James River, koans, Pony Pasture, raptors, Red-tailed hawks, Rivers, Smiles (including "dog smiles"!) | Tagged Dogs, Flowers, flying, Fun, Gardenias, james river, nature, outdoors, People, Pony Pasture, Red-tailed hawks, Rivers, smile, Smiles - human AND dog smiles! | Leave a comment

Birthday dinner – flying lesson – triathlon – pass the buck

Posted on August 27, 2017 by Jay McLaughlin

27 August, 2017 Birthday dinner – flying lesson – triathlon – pass the buck This week, where do I begin? Evelyn and I celebrated my 56th birthday at L’opossum on Wednesday evening. My friend Andrew … Continue reading →

Posted in Birds, Dogs, Flowers, Fun, Gardenias, James River, koans, ospreys, Pony Pasture, Rivers, Smiles (including "dog smiles"!), triathlons, whitetail deer | Tagged cessna, Dogs, Endurance, Flowers, flying, flying lessons, Fun, Gardenias, highland maple festival, hova, james river, nature, Ospreys, People, Pony Pasture, smile, Smiles - human AND dog smiles!, transportation, whitetail deer | 6 Comments

Turns out I was wrong

Posted on August 20, 2017 by Jay McLaughlin

20 August, 2017 Turns out I was wrong I was certain I’d seen the last Barred owl (Strix varia) of 2017. It’s mid-August and I thought I wouldn’t see them again until 2018. Mackey and Turner … Continue reading →

Posted in Birds, Flowers, Fun, Gardenias, James River, ospreys, Pony Pasture, raptors, Red-tailed hawks, Rivers, roses, Smiles (including "dog smiles"!) | Tagged Flowers, Fun, Gardenias, james river, nature, Ospreys, outdoors, Pony Pasture, Rivers, Roses, smile | 3 Comments

A brand new treasure at Pony Pasture

Posted on August 13, 2017 by Jay McLaughlin

13 August, 2017 I began hiking and photographing in Pony Pasture in 1995. This morning – after twenty-two years – I photographed my first Indigo bunting (Passerina cyanea): I don’t have a million pictures this week and I am (as … Continue reading →

Posted in Birds, Dogs, Flowers, Fun, Gardenias, James River, Pony Pasture, raptors, red-shouldered hawks, Red-tailed hawks, Rivers, Smiles (including "dog smiles"!) | Tagged Dogs, Flowers, Fun, Gardenias, james river, nature, outdoors, People, Pony Pasture, red-shouldered hawks, Red-tailed hawks, Rivers, smile, Smiles - human AND dog smiles! | 5 Comments

Everybody’s hungry…

Posted on August 6, 2017 by Jay McLaughlin

6 August, 2017 Everybody’s hungry… It’s early August, and most wildlife that was born this spring is at some stage of insatiable adolescence. They were just born a few months ago but now they’re doing their … Continue reading →

Posted in Birds, Dogs, Endurance, Flowers, Fun, Gardenias, mockingbirds, ospreys, Pony Pasture, raptors, Red-tailed hawks, Rivers, Smiles (including "dog smiles"!), whitetail deer | Tagged bluebird, Dogs, Endurance, Flowers, Fun, Gardenias, james river, nature, Northern mockingbird, Ospreys, outdoors, People, pictures of the moon, Pony Pasture, Red-tailed hawks, Rivers, Smiles - human AND dog smiles!, whitetail deer | Leave a comment

“Bird” photography in paradise

Posted on July 30, 2017 by Jay McLaughlin

30 July, 2017 “Bird” photography in paradise “Wherever my travels may lead, paradise is where I am.” – Voltaire A week ago I put up a blog post called “Guest ‘bird’ photographer – Mediterranean Sea – … Continue reading →

Posted in Aircraft carrier, Birds, CVA 60, Fun, Rivers, Smiles (including "dog smiles"!), USS Saratoga | Tagged smile, Smiles - human AND dog smiles! | 2 Comments

Guest “bird” photographer – Mediterranean Sea – 1959

Posted on July 23, 2017 by Jay McLaughlin

23 July, 2017 Guest “bird” photographer – Mediterranean Sea – 1959 Here are a few “birds” my late father photographed while aboard the aircraft carrier USS Saratoga (CVA 60) in the Mediterranean Sea in 1959: After … Continue reading →

Posted in Aircraft carrier, Birds, CVA 60, Dogs, Flowers, Fun, James River, Pony Pasture, raptors, Red-tailed hawks, Rivers, Smiles (including "dog smiles"!), Trains, USS Saratoga | Tagged Aircraft carrier, CVA 60, Fun, james river, nature, outdoors, People, Pony Pasture, Red-tailed hawks, Rivers, smile, Smiles - human AND dog smiles!, USS Saratoga | 3 Comments

Some days, revisited

Posted on July 16, 2017 by Jay McLaughlin

16 July, 2017 Some days, revisited “Some days it all adds up And what you got isn’t enough” – U2, Some Days, 1993 A Red-shouldered hawk (Buteo lineatus) in Glen Allen Wednesday morning: I drove east from … Continue reading →

Posted in Birds, cats, Dogs, Fun, James River, People, Pony Pasture, raptors, red-shouldered hawks, Rivers, Smiles (including "dog smiles"!), whitetail deer | Tagged cats, Dogs, Fun, james river, mourning doves, nature, outdoors, People, Pony Pasture, red-shouldered hawks, Rivers, Smiles - human AND dog smiles!, whitetail deer | Leave a comment

Planes that take off

Posted on July 9, 2017 by Jay McLaughlin

9 July, 2017 Planes that take off “…we journalists have a bias toward bad news: We cover planes that crash, not planes that take off.” – Nicholas Kristof, New York Times, 1 July, 2017 Good News, … Continue reading →

Posted in Birds, Dogs, Flowers, Fun, James River, Pileated Woodpecker, Pony Pasture, raptors, Red-tailed hawks, Rivers, Smiles (including "dog smiles"!) | Tagged Dogs, Fun, james river, nature, outdoors, Pileated Woodpecker, Pony Pasture, Red-tailed hawks, Rivers, smile, Smiles - human AND dog smiles! | 2 Comments

Wildlife Center of Virginia – Wildlife Book Club

Posted on July 2, 2017 by Jay McLaughlin

2 July, 2017 Wildlife Center of Virginia – Wildlife Book Club Much of what I see and learn at Pony Pasture (and elsewhere) is informed by books recommended by the Wildlife Center of Virginia Wildlife Book … Continue reading →

Posted in Birds, Dogs, Flowers, Fun, James River, mockingbirds, People, Pony Pasture, raptors, Red-tailed hawks, Rivers, Smiles (including "dog smiles"!), Wildlife Book Club, Wildlife Center of Virginia | Tagged blackberries, Dogs, Flowers, Fun, james river, John Steinbeck, nature, Northern mockingbird, outdoors, People, Pony Pasture, Red-tailed hawks, Rivers, Rose of Sharon, smile, Smiles - human AND dog smiles!, Wildlife Book Club, Wildlife Center of Virginia | 4 Comments