Favorite Animal and Insects Photo

2008 has come and soon will be gone. It was a New Year with many new friends. I so enjoyed my new camera and learned so much about its and my capabilities.

One of my favorite little guys are the Kent's Black Squirrels. They are always around and showing off their colors. This is in my back yard with one eating a wild fungi.
Mr. bunny also likes to visit the back yard. Can you admire that cotton tail.

This little Chipmunk allowed me to get him on our front porch.

The little foal from the stables was always putting on a fancy show.

This was a great year for deer and I got several fawn photos. I call this one "They Always Look Back".

The fawn can put on quite a show with their posing. It said "I can get that itch".

The neighborhood Praying Mantis put on a great show. This butterfly landed in the wrong place.

I don't even know how many bees I shot this year put this was always my favorite. This was on the blossom of my Buckeye Tree. Just look through those translucent wings.

If the bee and the Praying mantis meet the bee gets the worst of the meeting.

I wish all my blog friends a Happy New Year celebration and may you stay safe tonight.

Dragonflies This Year

This is my first year capturing dragonflies and I am happy with some of my results. I'm sharing my favorites from 2008. This was at a pond from a golf course. I captured this one at the same time.

This was from the Kent Bog.

This was from a small pond after fishing.

This was from my back yard.

This was also from the back yard.

This is from the same pond as the red one.

I really enjoyed this new experience with my macro shots.

My World #11

This is the ninth posting for the My World meme . It is hosted by Klaus, Ivar,Sandy, Wren, Louise and myself. Last week there were 84 people showing their worlds to us. Won't you join in, I want to see where you live and thrive. Here is part of 'My World'.

A few weeks back I showed the outside of the Kent Free Library in My World #5. Several people were interested in what was inside. Here we are coming through the main front doors.
The doors open to a foyer that has several displays.

This is one of several with clocks and books that are related to clocks.

This one has glassware and related books. These displays are changed regularly.

The check out desk is handled by friendly staff. Peggy agreed to have a photo as we talk whenever I check out. The checkout can be done by computer except for requested items which I do by computer quite often from the library system.
This is an area of movies both DVD and VHS format.

The rest of the first floor are books you can borrow.

Upstairs there are special rooms which I will show a few. Here is the entrance to the children's section. It is well stocked and I take my grandchildren in to borrow books on family night.

There is a senior area to read in the quite of adults.

This is a section of CD music and a place to use the computer if you don't have on at home. There are over 30 computers to use.

I do hope you enjoyed a trip through my library and all it has to offer.

Walking Along the Cuyahoga River

I love to walk along the Cuyahoga River and check out the nature as you walk the paths. This is the South Side of Kent where the river is flowing through a narrow cut. You can see the stone that has been cut in past days when the river took it's path South then West to Akron before heading North to Lake Erie. This is a beautiful section of river with the trees lining the bank. This is from a little parking area with a protective place on the bank of the river.

The stream can be seen as it meanders behind the trees.

Interesting things can be found on the bank such as this Paper Wasp nest in a tree.

This is a dead tree which has been taken over by a vine. The vine is the only living thing on the tree and the vine is able to rise to the Sun.

The beauty of the river area can be seen as the Sun floods down beautifully on the river.

I do hope you enjoyed this little walk with the camera along a neat river in Kent.

Camera Critters # 38

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

I thought I would share the ducks from the neighborhood stream. They are Mallard Ducks which are the most prevalent in our area. How many do you see?
The males can be spotted by the bright green heads and great coloring.

The females are a more protective brown color for safety.

This one males head was so deeply colored it almost looks black.

As you can see there is a pretty good flock that inhabits the small stream. I can see them here on most days as I cross a little bridge.

There are of great camera critters out there. Go and visit a few.

Sky Watch Friday #24

Sky Watch Friday has on it's own site. Please check out the site and link in if you wish to participate. There were 310 people last week with beautiful Sky photos. You can link in from my side bar or at the start of this post.

Today for Sky Watch I go back to a small pond at the end of September. The colors of this bush gives a Christmas feel.
I walked around for different angles without moving very far.
It was one of those wonderfully reflective days.

I enjoyed this shoot but never showed it before.

This has been another dull week so I wanted to share a nicer sky then gray and rainy. It rained all day today and all the snow is gone. Maybe we will get fresh Christmas snow.

Have a great Christmas season.

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve has come so soon so that day can't be far,
we look tonight for the promise of the Christmas star.
I know the day will be so bright in the heart of every child.
I do hope the travel weather will turn out so very mild.

I can remember as a child and listen through the night,
for any sound that may give me that special sight.
The sound didn't come, so off I'd drift to wake the next day.
I went down the stairs to try to find if Santa stopped my way.

He always did and awe and wonder would fill my heart.
I thought of how Santa covered all the world to my part.
Today will pass and it will be a wondrous time to see
as with my wife we together share the wonders to be.

A Merry Christmas to all my friends this coming season.

Fishing Guy / Tom

This are some of the Christmas Cookies we made with the grand kids for the season. They are all individually decorated with your special designs. This tray was already in the cool garage letting the harden. Have a great Christmas Day.

The Dogs in Our Town.

We have a full size Pomeranian in our life. His name is Jake and he came by way of Colorado to Florida to Ohio. He is the best behaved dog and is easy to care for. He is 14 years old and still doing quite well. He is a good looker and everyone says what a cute puppy. I think he is 82 in dog years so he is no longer a puppy. I cropped his face from the above photo. He does like his treats and expects one each time he goes outside. Jake loves the wife and will sit with her whenever possible. He wants me for walks around the house and food. He has a lot of gray in his coat. This is my Granddaughter's dog Jelly Bean who is a miniature Pomeranian and a year old. She is a fluff ball and weighs nothing. She is a barker but very lovable once he knows you. We baby sit her whenever the family is out of town. The two dogs get along well. It is a good thing that front white streak isn't on top.

Christmas is in the air with Christmas Eve quickly approaching. This is such an exciting time for kids.

My World #10

This is the ninth posting for the My World meme . It is hosted by Klaus, Ivar,Sandy, Wren, Louise and myself. Last week there were 98 people showing their worlds to us. Won't you join in, I want to see where you live and thrive. Here is part of 'My World'.

It is a family tradition take the grand kids to Cuyahoga Falls at the Blossom Music Center to see the light display. The cost is $10 per car to drive through. The price is probably is the reason for the 1 mile line-up of two lanes of cars. This is the venue where I saw five country music shows this year. The venue can hold 25,000 people. The complete loop around the multiple parking lots are lined with Christmas light displays. I will try to just give you a feel for what you would see if you rode along.
It is a fun display with a lot of different characters.
This is the display of the snowman family.

The Santa dragon has a knight in front of him.

This gives you a good view of the dragon from the other side. The road is a big loop so you see some things from both sides.

We have a Christmas train with packages needing to be delivered.

There are lighted arches that you drive under.

The North wind was blowing a good blast.

The exit is a moving light tunnel and I think the movement of the lights played games with my camera but you can still see the tunnel.

I wish all the My World friends a happy holiday season as we remember a love that is available to all who have a need at Christmas time.