Now I Know It's Spring

The colors are transforming from snow white, to dark brown, to light brown, and now to green. Before too long red, yellow and blue will also be in the mix.

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Katharine's 10TH Birthday

Katharine gets ready to blow out her candles - 10 of them... I would need a fire extinguisher to blow out mine. She was successful!!

This character [Japanese cartoon character Totoro] showed up as a guest [gift]. He was always trying to get camera time...

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Crow Vs Red Ball

I have mentioned earlier that one of the photo contests for the Linn Area Photo Club is to photograph a red ball(s). My Red Ball wandered outside yesterday and was exploring the bird feeder, minding his own business, and this crow swooped in and tried to bully him away from the feeder. My Red Ball held his ground and the crow had to play nice...

The crow was clearly not happy that this interloper stood his ground. The crow didn't stay long. He swooped away moments later and I saw him fly across the street to the neighbors feeder where he was able to bully another, smaller bird.

This little guy was grateful and tried to thank Red Ball - being modest Red Ball simply bounced away...

What's In Here?

Interest continues...

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Breakfast Guests

Word must be spreading through the bird population as we had several guests for breakfast yesterday. There was even a morning dove in the bird bath and the occasional black bird who would try to bully the little ones into giving up their space. They didn't give in... Seems there are bullies every where.

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Following A Bit Close

So - what happens if the guy up front stops suddenly? A good reason not to follow too close.

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Photographer in the Wild

Spotted this photographer in the woods. She had her sights set on a young couple who were sitting on a rock. Lunch? Probably not - portrait is more likely...

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Snow Fence Comes Down

It must be spring - the snow fence comes down...

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Panther Pride

Water Tower announces panther pride.

The front of of the UNI Dome

You can see it for miles...

Old man winter frequently gets the best of the dome - but it has hung in there!!

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Fist Day of Spring

"Ok - I thought this was the first day of spring.  My feet are cold."
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Hope Martin Park

Monument reflected in the rising water at Hope Martin Park in Waterloo, Iowa
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Where's The Road

There used to be a road next to the blue sign.

Bird Breakfast

So far it is my neighbor's bird feeder which is getting all of the traffic. I shot this with my 100 mm - 400 mm lens (after my neighbors went to work so thy didn't thinking I was peering into their windows).

It was fun to watch. The bird on the feeder kicked the other bird off and you can only imagine what that bird is telling "the bully".

I'm sure the neighbor birds will discover my feeder -
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Another Apple

Another apple with different lighting...

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Great Day To Climb A Pole

The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, the grass is turning green - it's a great day to climb a pole...

Deep Water

The Cedar River is rising.

Same train trestle winter.

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Brushes

Ok, I'm in the kitchen again trolling for photographic opportunities. As I was wondering about, camera in hand, my attention was drawn to the brushes above the sink. It seems we have a lot of them, one for this, one for that (hey - what do I know?). Just so you know I'm not a total klutz in the kitchen: the yellow one is a potato peeler, scrubber, cleaner...thingy (technical term).

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What Do My Neighbors Know?

Yesterday I saw a news truck at the end of the street behind the credit union where I work, so I wandered down the street to investigate...

...I climbed the levy and observed a local news reporter and her cameraman doing a news segment...

...so I took a photo of them and the water rising (last year the water was 20 feet deep in this area - the 500 year flood). And then this morning...

...I went out to get the morning paper and my neighbors have a boat in their driveway. What do they know that I should know? M-m-m-m-m

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Another Red Ball Composite

I've been slowly replacing the natural red places in the flower with a copy of the red ball.

Red On Black or Black With Red?

The Photo Club I belong to is having a Red Ball Photo Contest - you take pictures of red balls... this is one such photo (more to come...)

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HyVee Peppers

Red Peppers in the HyVee Grocery Store Veggie isle

Green Peppers in the HyVee Grocery Store isle

People must think I'm a bit daft when they see me taking pictures of peppers in the store. I just love the colors and the display...

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Bird Feeder

I added a bird feeder yesterday to a stand we have in front of the house. The neighbor across the street has several bird feeders and yesterday there was a wood pecker pecking away making a perfect photo op. I pulled out my 100 mm - 400 mm lens when it dawned on me that people might think I was looking into their windows. So, I added my own bird feeder. A friend of mine who feeds birds says I should be patient as the word will spread among the bird community that there is food at the Hills...I anxiously await the photo ops!!

Can It Get Any Better?

Every year, about this same time, several Alumni from the Iowa Falls Class of 1969 gather in Coralville, Iowa to have a "mini-reunion". We gather at a hotel on Saturday afternoon and tell stories about kids, grand kids, jobs, retirement plans, and embellish our stories from our high school days. We then go out for an evening meal which precedes a cut-throat game of Trivial Pursuit where the women are ahead in the series- m-m-m-m-m, I can't recall the men ever winning, but perhaps my memory is faulty. We are older now, so our "treats" consist of wine and graham crackers - can it get any better?
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Toy Truck

This is the truck I grew up playing with on the farm. My mother saved everything and I ran across this in the basement yesterday. So - just had to take a photo. Take a look at all of the sharp edges. I'm sure under today's regulations this toy truck would be declared dangerous and banned from the market place. It's a wonder we survived our childhoods at all...?!
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Patch of Green Grows

My patch of green is growing - do we dare hope for spring?

Top 100 In New York Institute of Photography

Vimeo

NYI Centennial Photo Challenge from nyip. Check out NYIP.com for more great photography tips!

Someone you may know is about #38 in at about 2:25 - if you've got the time there are some gorgeous photos...

Keyboard

Looks like I need to dust my "j"... click on the photo and the larger image clearly shows my dusty "j"...

March Sunrise

This is this mornings sunrise. Note the "tiny"; "little"; "minute"; "miniscule"; "microscopic" patch of grass peaking out in the foreground. It's sufficient enough to give me a case of SPRING FEVER - I feel it coming on.

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Lighthouse (not really)

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Wine and Sailors

Another sample of my playing with lights, shadows, backgrounds, and morion.

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Scooby

This is Scooby, our daughter and son-in-law's dog. He's a mix of something or other. I believe poodle and golden lab. I'm sure he's not a snickerdoodle... labradoodle I believe is what he is called. This is his first trip to our house. I expected a small dog, like a poodle, but whoa, he's much larger, more lab size than poodle. He's cute and obedient. I like dogs, except for the fact you have to take them for walks, they poop, and they bark. I like cats...

(Click on the photo to view a larger image of Scooby).

Wine

Still paying with light, flash and color. More tomorrow... (I should have picked a lighter colored liquid).

Studio Set Up

I have an area in my basement where I have my lights and backgrounds setup.

The apple...

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Snow Bush

It's pretty - but, I am ready for spring NOW!!!

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Fountain Display

An interesting fountain display at the Cedar Rapids Home Show.

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United States Sailor

Experimenting with flash and close up photography.

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Barn

Barn near Charles City, Iowa

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Cedar Rapids Home SHow

Stained Glass Gallery Exhibit at the Cedar Rapids Home SHow

This is Laura, our daughter-in-and law and proprietor of the Stained Glass Gallery. I frequently see this expression, "Are you taking my picture...again."

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