(Day 314) Something to crow about

Do any of you remember Aesop's fables ? I have a vague recollection of having read a number of them, and the lesson of a few of those have remained with me. Memory is a rather selective mechanism, however, and it's surprising what can trigger the gears to recall something from its deep recesses.

This afternoon we went for a stroll to a nearby park on the waterfront. There were a variety of birds there and they were somewhat accustomed to people. I watched the antics of some crows for a little while and I was amazed at how one of them, with its pointy beak, was able to get several mouthfuls (beakfuls ?) of water from a shallow puddle on the pier. The scene reminded me of this Aesop fable. I think that several of his friends were also impressed, judging by the looks on their faces.

(both shots made with a 70-200mm lens, aperture f11, ISO200, shutter speed 1/400 and 1/125 sec)

(Day 313) If you believe ...

I recall, when I was young, being told about the man in the moon. I'm sure many people have similar recollections. I don't know what made it seem plausible at the time, but then again children's imaginations usually haven't been blunted or stunted yet by the realities of the world. A lot of things were quite possible for me to believe - and they weren't limited to the tooth fairy, Sinterklaas (Santa Claus), and the sandman (remember him ?). Eventually most of that 'magic' is lost.

I was reminded of that tonight when I looked into the evening sky. I'm old enough to remember the moon landings, but apparently there are people who are convinced that they were faked. Perhaps they still believe in the original man in the moon. I was reminded of this song which you also might remember (no, it's not as old as the moon landings).

(70-200mm  f5.6  1/20 sec  ISO200)

(Day 312) Palm balm

There's something soothing about seeing palm leaves swaying in a light breeze against an azure sky. Ever since I set eyes on such a sight (way back in my youth) when I first visited Florida, that mental image and its connotations has remained with me. The small patch of 'rough' weather (I use the term loosely) we just had, has given way to those clear blue skies and warm temperatures that are key ingredients in the Sunshine State experience.

As the sun was dropping quickly late this afternoon I was compelled to capture a few images.

(All shots made with 70-200mm lens at f7.1 and ISO200, with shutter speeds ranging from 1/250 sec to 1/320 sec.)

click to enlarge

palm tree in autumn, with fruit

 

(Day 311) House 'guest'

We're learning lots about living in the sub-tropics. There's a certain amount you can learn by reading and then there are other things that are learned through experience. We were somewhat aware of some of the bugs that live here, and so we signed up with a pest control company. Since they sprayed and set up baited traps, we've swept up a bucketful of cockroaches - dead, I may add. Living in the country has taught us that having mice in the house is not unusual - I've set my share of mouse traps over the years and disposed of many mice.

During the first evening here last week when my wife was putting clothes into the bedroom closet, she thought she heard a scratching sound coming from the attic area, right above her head. I came and listened - these were not mice, unless they grew to several pounds in the sub-tropics! The scratching sound was accompanied by the occasional thump, and shuffling of feet. I immediately thought of raccoons.

At first light the next morning my wife was already on the phone to pest control. They came, and recommended a wildlife removal firm who came and set traps in the attic. Each morning thereafter I was to check the traps - before breakfast - and call if a trap was occupied. We were assured this would likely happen within a day or two. Not so. Two more traps were added outdoors yesterday where it was thought critters might climb onto the house to gain entrance. This morning I was roused from a deep sleep and told to check the traps. By now you know I had to record the results.

As of this writing we're still waiting for the 'guest' to be taken away to a more suitable place. And we await the next steps since we've also been assured that there will be more than one guest.

(70-200mm  f8  1/30 sec  ISO200) - for both photos

Now, if you're still reading, I haven't forgotten about Sunset Sunday, so I offer this shot, taken a few days before we drove down here:

(10-22mm  f11  1/8 sec  ISO200)

(Day 310) Beachside

I think that I've probably mentioned that I have problems following 'The Rules' at times. It probably explains why I fit in so well within a couple of days with the Greek drivers on Rhodes on our recent vacation - it was obvious that the driving rules were to be treated more as guidelines. My wife, to her credit, has kept me out of more trouble than I care to remember by being a more strict observer of 'The Rules'.

Today we found ourselves on a beautiful beach near Naples. I think I saw a sign with lots of rules, among which was the prohibition of animals on the beach. Now I don't consider Sasha an 'animal' - she's simply part of the family, so she accompanied us - well ok, me - onto the beach, despite my wife's protestations. We do clean up after her - I can understand keeping animals off the beach whose owners don't do that. Of course, who cleans up after all the pelicans, seagulls, and other flying bombs ? Right, I thought so. At any rate, we only walked along the beach for a little while - and if we hadn't, I wouldn't be able to show you just how nice that beach is.

(10-22mm  f11  1/640 sec  ISO200)

(70-200mm  f11  1/500 sec  ISO200)

(70-200mm  f11  1/1000 sec  ISO200)