Sky Watch 8-1

Sky Watch Friday has a new home and a life of it's own. Please check out the new sight and link in if you wish to participate. There were 326 people last week with beautiful Sky photos. You can link in from my side bar or above.

You can click on any photo to enlarge.

I realize I don't have the ocean to capture a sunrise against, so what do you do with a beautiful sunrise. I tried to make a capture and ended up with three. One before I started to work with the sun below the horizon. The contrails made a V, a great victory sign, very appropriate with the Olympics being one week away. I was half way to work when I caught this second part in my mirror. I obliged by stopping the car, parking it and getting out to capture this combination of the contrail V, the sun rising and a reflective pond.
I got to work and thought maybe around the back of the building the rising sun may be continuing. I present the third part of a great sunrise as it came over the trees.
As I continually say, 'Seize the Moment', no matter how fleeting.

The Florida Aquarium Has More

The Florida Aquarium offered a multitude of fish shots. these two reef fish were very colorful. This blue one was iridescent.
Hear is a little Long Eared Owl or a Screech Owl.
This was the best orchid I saw, how colorful.
This is when I give a shout out to Klaus of Virtua Gallery, my Florida bird expert, if you've haven't seen his sight you should. I think this is an White Ibis.

What the heck is this reddish one, a Glossy Ibis.
A heron for sure, maybe a Tri-colored Heron.
I think this is a Limpken, then again Klaus might know.
I really liked the aquarium and have so much more to show.

This Has Been Bugging Me

You take a beautiful capture of a great looking flower and what shows up in the middle but a fly. This is not even a pretty fly. Can you be bugged any worse then this? These little buggers have just been showing up in the shots. At least this one adds some contrasting colors with its green head.
The last little bugger was harder to see. My neighbor is growing some beautiful Lilies that he called Gladiolas. I think I know a Lily when I see it. Click on the photo and look at the right bottom petal. You will see the pincher's of an Ear Wig. I told you these bugs were bugging me.
Here is one without the bug. I think it is a beautiful red spotted lily.
There was another dragonfly around the garden the other day. I did want to catch this one. It had the blackest color and that yellow stripe. The wings even had a special black stripe at the front wing tip. I was cutting the grass and it waited patiently until I was done. I had to work hard for this close-up but it was worth it. It kept saying I was too close and flying away. I did get this capture, check out this beauty.
That's the end of what's been bugging me.

The Country Concert of the Year

Who went to the biggest concert ever performed at Blossom Music Center. Why it's Fishing Guy with the Mrs. along with Brian and his wife Angie. Brian works with me in PA. There was a record crowd for the concert, Blossom was sold out at 23,500 people.
The opening act is one of the up and coming acts in country music. Taylor Swift a 18 year old phenom that has sold so many copies of her first album it has been #1 several times as people get to know her. I bought the CD on its release week.
She sang her favorite songs from the first CD.
She was even overwhelmed by all the cheering. This is awe on her face for the crowds reaction.

The sun went down and the crowd lit up.
The stage was then transformed to the Rascal Flatts show.
Gary LeVox was in good voice as he took the lead on most songs.
The stage was alight with the setup for the show.

They used the big screens to there best as the darkness enveloped the stage.
It was a mixture of old and new songs for the group.
There were too many people in the venue. There was a crush just trying to get out when we left a little early.

Blog Award

I received a surprising award a few days back from Fugazi a fellow Sky Watch Friday blogger. Thanks very much for honoring me.

Here are the rules that go with the award:

1. Put the Logo on your blog

2. Add a link to the person who awarded you

3. Nominate 7 fellow bloggers for this award

4. Add Links to the recipients

5. Leave a comment to recipients or email them to let them know they have an award

Here is my list:

Michele: Rocky Mountain Retreat - A great photographic view of the Rockies.

Stacey: A Focus In the Wild & Hawk: High Country Archer - Wyoming family team with photos and words.

Klaus: Virtua Gallery - Web sight delight from Florida's animals.
Lin: Sandpiper's Place - Unbelievable walks along the Atlantic.
Willard: Pa Wildlife - & Salty: Country Captures - Brothers who show Pennsylvania wildlife in words and photos.
Helen: Wings & Things - A card and photo delight from Virginia.
Carletta: Round the Bend - Photos and stories from West Virginia.

Camera Critters #16

Camera Critters by Misty Dawn, go here to see who's participating.

This is my first capture of a fawn. This little one was absolutely beautiful. My constant companion in my car is my Canon PowerShot SX100 IS. I love this camera for its versatility and it does even better as I improve myself. I was driving to work on Wednesday when 4 building before my office I saw a this fawn and mother. They were in the front yard of the First Energy office building. I whipped into the next driveway, threw open the door and grabbed the camera. A car slowed down right in front of them and the mother said let's move. They moved across the parking lot and put on a show. They were very alert to their surroundings because they are city deer were very careful. The morning mist surrounded the deer but I fired away. They got comfortable and put on a show.
I was able to get a lot of choices for the blog.
It was a little foggy so the colors were brighter to the eye.

Now as Paul Harvey says "the rest of the story", I shared my capture at work and the car that stopped was Tony the shop foreman. Later that afternoon he called me outside and the mother and fawn were behind our plant. I went and got my camera and followed them in the woods. I went into the woods and I saw them move into an opening. I went to the edge of the woods and got this shot to the trees.
They moved across the opening and I went out of the woods and the fawn gave me a parting glance. Please note the color difference in the afternoon colors.
This capture was better then any deer hunt I had ever been on. The wonder of nature and critters astound me. Thank you Misty for starting Camera Critters.

We Lost A Friend

A death is a sad time so to brighten this up slightly I captured some flowers to honor this loss.

I was pallbearer at a funeral for a friend. Boodie at 82 years old was the great grandmother of my grandchildren on the in-law side of the family. We were always together for holidays at my daughter's house so I consider her part of my family. She has been fighting illness for the last 7 years. She and Papa had a 65th Wedding Anniversary in June. I had a lot of respect for her and was honored to be involved in the funeral. This is a photo from the anniversary party in June. She was a wonderful great grandmother and will be missed by all who knew her. She was an avid golfer and my youngest grandson wrote her a wonderful goodbye with a golf cart drawing which went in the casket with her.

This was another flower from the wake which will be planted in her remembrance.
Goodbye Boodie, we did love you and your wonderful spirit.

Sky Watch Friday 7-25

Sky Watch Friday has a new home and a life of it's own. Please check out the new sight and link in if you wish to participate. There were 330 people last week with beautiful Sky photos. You can link in from my side bar. You can click on any photo to see them better.

My theme this week is 'Up In The Air'. I have been capturing for a while so a lot of different Skies. Here is a hot air balloon in Kent, OH.
This is an airplane I saw circling to land at the KSU airport.
Here is a helicopter I saw at work at Stow, OH.
This helicopter brought Tim McGraw to his concert.

It made a swing around Blossom Music Center before leaving.
This was an advertising plane at the Kenny Chesney concert at Cleveland Stadium.
So there was something up in the air to see, the skies were different so I showed them all.

The Robin Babies

I saw a mother Robin with quite a mouthful of worms. I heard a racket in the tree and found the branch where all the calls were coming. There were three baby Robins in the nest.
The Robin came and feed the babies.
They were always chirping and asking for food.

after a couple of days one was gone and the other was getting big.
The one that had left the nest stayed in the area.
The next day they were all gone and quite came back to the neighborhood.

Foal Update And Extras

The foals are doing quite well. Between the mothers' milk and the grass they are looking quite healthy. You can see him graze right beside his mother.
The other little guy was taking a nap in the pen.
He got up, got a drink and went back to grazing after the rest.
I see everyone getting great butterfly picture. The only one that I see and can capture is the Small White Butterfly. Not a real beauty but you work with what you see.

The rabbits in the back yard are multiplying. There were two eating the grass in the back yard.
The final thing I saw at a pond was a Painted Turtle. I tried to move for a better angle but it said no way and dove into the pond. It was a fun trip around the area.
I did make a first capture for me this week which I will show on Camera Critters on Sunday.