Camera Critters #47

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

Thanks so much for your visit, I'm still having problems with visiting if you read the post below you will understand why. I appreciate your understanding.

My back yard often gives me an opportunity to capture the Black Squirrels from Kent. This guy was playing in the back by the garden. He was searching for some nuts that he had buried.

I had thrown out some bread for the starlings and sparrows. One of the starlings had dropped it on the railing of the deck. The Black Squirrel decided it would be a treat for him.
It was lucky he was close enough to get some great photos of him eating the bread.

He even gave me a special pose as he got ready to run. Thank you Mr. Black Squirrel for you kindness in sharing your time with me.

Have a great day seeing the critters around the world.

First Actual Post Since Monday

I'm going to share my past week as I try to get back to a healthy condition. I'm sorry that I missed some return visits and have dug a hole from visitors that I don't feel I can get from under. I try to visit everyone who visits me.

I think most of you know a few weeks back I fainted and fell cutting my lip. A visit to the emergency room Robinson General Hospital ended with no results from testing but 13 stitches in my lip. My family doctor again sent me to Robinson General Hospital for a stress test which was determined to be suspicious by the heart specialist.

Doctor Khaled H. Sliek sent me for a cardiac catheterization on Tuesday of this week to Akron General Medical Center. The catheterization takes place while you are awake and there is virtually no pain involved. A tube is inserted near your groin and die is injected into your heart to check blood flow. The result of the test was an 80% blockage of the left anterior descending artery. I had an Angioplasty on the artery and a stint was put in to allow the blood flow. I stayed overnight in the hospital and was released home Wednesday. I would certainly recommend this doctor for his excellence in this type of work. The quickness of the procedure is amazing and Doctor Sliek can read the results and immediately perform the work to correct the problem.

I am feeling well and other then some pain at the groin where the camera and stints were inserted I am fine. The whole procedure was done while awake and I was aware through it all. This will limit some of my visiting on the blog but hope to be back in action within a week. Thanks for all your prayers and concerns.

Here are the photos as I saw them while lying on the operating table. The doctor talks you through the complete procedure. The doctor took all the photos of the arteries and then showed me the first photo and explained the blockage. If you look at the lower artery, the photo is on its side, you can see the narrowing of the blood flowing through the artery. The doctor then received my verbal permission to put a metal tube (stint) in the artery.
The results of the stint can be seen in the bottom photo. The doctor first places a balloon in the artery and blows it up enlarging the opening for blood flow. He talked to me about how I was feeling to make sure there were no dangers from what was happening. Once the artery is enlarged a metal mesh tube is inserted and the balloon is used to embed it in the artery. You can see from the photo that the stint gave me no blockage in the artery.

It is just a matter of exercise and diet to try to get back to full functioning mood. Thanks for all your concerns as I went through this time.

Sky Watch Friday #33

The new Sky Watch Friday is doing really well. Please check out the site and link in if you wish to participate. There were over 300 people last week with beautiful Sky photos. You can link in from my side bar or at the start of this post.

Do you see what I see in the sky? I was driving along and saw this unusual shaped cloud formation.
I do believe I see someone looking into the sky. What do you see?
This is a gray sky sunset through my Ohio Buckeye Tree. This was before the snow returned to cover the ground.
I hope I'm able to do somevisiting and appreciate your visit.

Mr. Grey Squirrel

I was in the middle of a snow storm and during the break I noticed something in the Ohio Buckeye Tree. Do you see it? It is Mr. Grey Squirrel with a buckeye he had buried in the yard.

The wind was blowing and the snow on his face didn't seem to bother him.

He finished the buckeye and high tailed it across the yard.

The snow was really flying as he went. I thought this was a cool action shot.

I'm home from the hospital and had an angioplasty on my heart which will limit my visiting. I thank you for your visits.

Squirrels At Play

This is my 600TH post. Hard to believe I have reached this number. I am getting close to the 30,000 visit. We will have to see who will win a prize for the visit.

In early February we had a early thaw and the squirrels thought they would come out and play. There were four squirrels in this one yard and I was able to capture them. One of the Black Squirrels was on the big tree where I think they all live. The Grey Squirrel was looking under the leaves for something to eat.

I'm not sure why this Black Squirrel was climbing on this little Rhododrendon Tree.

The Gray Squirrel has gotten use to the man made items as this one is under a tarp.

I will be doing some hospital testing so will not be able to respond today.

My World #19

This is my posting for the My World meme . It is hosted by Klaus, Tom, Ivar, Sandy, Wren, Louise and myself. Last week there were over 100 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'.

Winter is still here as can be seen in my back yard. The February thaw is gone and we have had 10" of new snow with more predicted. I hear the snow plows trying to clear the roads as I'm doing this post this morning.
I'm going to show you an area icon. It is located south of Akron, Ohio and can be easily spotted from the air. This is were all the Goodyear blimps were made for years. It was called the Goodyear Blimp Hanger. It is so large that it has its own weather system inside and will sometimes rain inside the building. The hanger is 200 feet high by 350 feet wide by 800 feet long and it has a circular shape.

It is truly hard to tell how big it is but a blimp is 190 feet long when built. They fly in the are quite often but you have to be in the right place to get photos.

Try to visit some of the neat places people are showing around the world.

Today's Flowers #29

My friends Luiz, Denise and Pupo run the Today's Flowers Meme, check it out. Come and join with your flower photos. Sunday at 7 GMT is the post time.

The Pansy or Pansy Violet is a beautiful flower that will always brighten you day. They come in many colors and always seem to have a happy bearded face looking at you. The big purple flower from last Spring is my favorite color. They will winter over sometimes and are a nice surprise in the spring.
Go see some other great flowers from around the world.

Camera Critters #46

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

I have a little wooded are in the area behind my house. I live in a city but am lucky to have this open field with a lot of animals. I even have gotten photos of deer. This is a first, I have seen a Red Fox behind the house but always ghosting through the woods. I had my camera on my dresser and was able to get several photos as the fox passed behind the house. I kept shooting whenever I saw him and these are the best through the trees.
I think you can tell it is a RED Fox from this shot. It was a thrilling capture for me.

You can see animals from around the world by hitting on the above link.

Canada Geese Showing Off

I was having some fun on a cold but sunny day this week. I was in Monroe Falls which is the next town down on the Cuyahoga River. They have a little park and a bike path that runs to Kent. The Canada Geese were on the shore and got into the water to put on a show. That is snow run-off and would be really cold. I loved this shot and the way the shadow allowed you to see the goose paddling in the current. Tom - Ohio Nature - from Columbus was from this town. Tom and his wife Megan have a baby due in the next week or so. There were a pair that jumped into the water to paddle around. There used to be a dam here just like in Kent but it was also removed. This dam was an overflow dam so there was a man made waterfall here.

I really enjoyed all the posing that the geese were doing for me. Check out the little ice covered branch in the bottom of the photo.

I went home passed my favorite ponds in Kent and a group of geese were crossing the road. This guy hadn't finished his food before crossing the road.

The Geese really like this area and are pairing off for mating season.

I do hope my friend Michele enjoys the Canada Geese photos. May they put a smile on her face.

Sky Watch Friday #32

The new Sky Watch Friday is doing really well. Please check out the site and link in if you wish to participate. There were over 300 people last week with beautiful Sky photos. You can link in from my side bar or at the start of this post.

I admit that we don't get many days when we have Sun during the Winter but every now and then the Sun comes out and you get a bluebird colored sky. February started this way but has quickly changed to gray skies. I was along the Cuyahoga River for my last week bridge and river post and the sky was special for me. I took these three shots in the same area from different angles. The light post was from the high level Haymaker Parkway Bridge.

The sky was neat with the white fluffy clouds.

I just walked along and took different views of this gift from God of a wonderful winter sky.

Be sure to visit some great skies from around the world.

Wednesday Potpourri

Wednesday Potpourri finds me with a lot of bird photos from a fairly good photo opt week.

My friend Shelly from Michigan sent Bob, her dove, down for some photos. He started out shy and stayed by the street at first. He did give me that I'll be around look.
Bob is very photogenic and Shelly has trained him well. He came the next day and posed in my Ohio Buckeye Tree. Note that the tree is starting to bud and will wait until the weather warms before going into action.

I went to one of my favorite flooded fields and the Canadian Geese were putting on quite the show. They were none to happy with the racket the other flock was making and let them know in no uncertain way. Please note the aggressive posture. The ducks behind could care less.

The neighborhood sparrows were very nice to pose. This guy got close to me.

This may be a female but the more sutler colors. Then again it may be a different type.

I have a lot more bird shots from this week and will try to post some on Friday. It was nice to have the sun for a short time.

The Power of the Cuyahoga River

I took quite a few shots shots of the Cuyahoga River while gathering photos for my bridge series. The river is neat to see during this high flow condition. I enjoy the flow around the bridge pilings. The name Cuyahoga is pronounced KI-a-HO-ga and is Indian word for crooked. The power of the river is shown as it overflows the river islands.

This is the shallowest area of the river and it is wide and fast.

This is a walkway down to the rivers edge to get close to the river. It is definitely not recommended for use right now.

This is a little further downstream and the river is going into a yard. The house is quite safe at this time.

I enjoy walking the Cuyahoga River with all the beauty it shows.

My World #18

This is my posting for the My World meme . It is hosted by Klaus, Tom, Ivar, Sandy, Wren, Louise and myself. Last week there were over 100 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'.

This is the smallest and final bridge in my bridges over the Cuyahoga River. It is the Stow Street Bridge and there are parks and along each side of the bridge. The street changes it's name to Summit Street which goes on the South side of Kent State University. There are two sets of railroad tracks to cross when using this bridge. You often have to wait to cross the bridge.
The river is rather high from our melt and rain, the bridge is safe even though it is the lowest bridge.
Here is a view of the bridge from under the Haymaker Parkway Bridge. That is a high level bridgeand is above both railroad tracks and is never stopped.

This is a view of the flooded river just for fun. That tree is normally on a small island.

Try to visit some of the neat places people are showing around the world.

Today's Flowers # 28

My friends Luiz, Denise and Pupo run the Today's Flowers Meme, check it out. Come and join with your flower photos. Sunday at 7 GMT is the post time.

It's Valentine's Day and I bought my wife a neat colored Yellow Rose with Red and Pink Carnations for the day.
The Yellow Rose starts out with a deep red edge while in bud.
The rose opens and the red turns to a salmon color which is really neat.
Visit some sites around the world from the above link.

Camera Critters # 45

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

I wanted to show a couple more birds from my Texas trip. This was a pair of Cow Birds that were on a fence.
Here is a close-up of one. This is a cool bird that I don't see in NE Ohio.
This was a Boat Tailed Grackle near the same fence giving someone an earful.

This was the same bird in my front yard near the lamp post.

This is the first photo of one of the American Robins that winter over in Ohio checking for some food in the grass.

The snow is gone and we are having a small snowfall today.

Visit some great critters photos from the link above.