Daily Image - Oct '21 Archive

14 Oct 21 For this Theatrical Thursday's offering we are going with an imitation of how the painter Edward Hopper might have recorded the hillsides in Swan Valley, ID. The original was taken a short distance from where I took yesterday's shot of the Bear Tooth Maples. The image really needs a bull elk or moose in the center right to make it complete but neither obliged me on that day. I actually considered putting one in but didn't because I was being lazy. 😂 You'll need to move back maybe 8 - 12 feet to really appreciate his almost 3-D style of painting. If you just view it from your screen directly in front of you it won't look very good and I would imagine that it will look awful on your cell phone. The red of the trees we saw yesterday is predominantly confined to a relatively small area, but the red ground cover is to be found all over the area. If you didn't bounce out yesterday to look at all the stuff available for seeing in Swan Valley, here is the link again. Do take a gander; it is truly a beautiful location and one you might want to add to your bucket list to visit. This is what the camera recorded save for the conversion using the Topaz plug-in Impression 2. A Hopper Nikon D200; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 100; 1/100 sec @ f / 6.3 with the D200.

13 Oct 21 Back to roughly where we were yesterday but today specifically in Swan Valley, ID. There is another Swan Valley in MT up near Glacier National Park but the one in ID is just a short drive easterly from Idaho Falls on Hwy-26. Our first visit there was an accident. We were parked in a parking area looking at some color similar to yesterday's image when another photographer struck up a conversation with me during which he asked me if I had come to photograph the Bear Tooth Maples in Swan Valley. I told him I knew of neither so he gave me a little info on them and how to get to Swan Valley. Based on his description of what awaited us we changed our route and made our way to Swan Valley. We saw some nice stuff on the drive although what we saw is only an inkling of what there is to see. We stopped at the base of the local dam and got an inkling of what laid ahead before going on. Almost without warning we turned a bend and found ourselves driving with the most spectacular display of color on our left. On our right the road hugged a rather steep drop off so there wasn't a lot of large foliage there. But on the left, covering the hillside, was a blaze of red unlike anything I've ever seen. We were told the trees are called Bear Tooth Maple, but I can't find any such tree listed. Instead, I've found Bigtooth Maple, Western Sugar Maple, Canyon Maple, and Rocky Mountain Sugar Maple all of which supposedly refer to the same tree and the photos of which look like what I'm sharing today. Your first reaction to the shot is likely gonna be something along the lines of this is fake, but I assure you it is not! This is exactly what they look like. Look at the color of the Aspen trunks which are naturally white and you'll see they are. That's your clue that the colors are accurate. This is one of those places that isn't highly advertised and I've never seen it on the visitation location for any photo safari but it should. IF you ever have a change to visit Swan Valley in mid to late September be sure to take the drive to visit this site. It isn't very large, maybe a mile long, but what a mile!!! We've visited it 3 times hitting it at peak once, this shot, and once each just before and just after peak. Peak color is obviously best but a little on either side is still breath taking. By the way, there is no place to park. You'll have to tightly hug the edge of the road and walk on the non traffic side of the road barriers to get your shot. NOT for the faint of heart! This is straight from the camera. Ablaze Nikon D200; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 100; 1/125 second @ f / 5.

18 Oct 21 Not being able to make it Yellowstone for this fall, I'll be sharing images from previous years. Kinda fun perusing through a decade of images looking for new things. Brings back some good memories in the process. The colors in Yellowstone and Grand Teton parks are interestingly different to my way of thinking in that those in Grand Teton are primarily provided by the trees while those in Yellowstone are predominantly those of the ground cover / shrubs. The difference I suppose is due to Grand Teton having a lot of hardwoods and Yellowstone being a single species forest of Lodge Pole Pine. So when you visit Yellowstone you need to train yourself to look down and when you do you are treated to some wonderful color. Hugging much of the river banks is a small willow (Salix spp)that grows to a height of maybe 5 feet and looks a lot like what one would call a shrub. I'm told by some that it is a tree but it definitely doesn't resemble what I would call a tree. It is red in color year long but the hue varies from spring to fall. As far as I've been able to determine it always grows near the water so you can always find the river beds by looking for it. In the area that constitutes the Yellowstone ecosystem you find it abundantly and generally so too lots of tall grasses. The grasses turn shades of yellow, red, and light purple often leaving the landscape looking like an artist's palette. These grasses also like the water so once you start up the hillsides they and the willows disappear. Observe that the pines are growing in an area that previously was the location of one of Yellowstone's many regenerative fires. Today's submission is an attempt to illustrate all this in one shot. This particular frame with the Gallatin River running through it is lacking either an animal or fisherman, your call, but it does include some waterfront housing. It is along river beds such as this one where we frequently encounter moose enjoying a leisurely browse. This is basically what the camera captured but I've enhanced the contrast a trifle. River Life Nikon D300s; 18 - 2--; Aperture Priority; ISO 200; 1/320 sec @ f / 9.

20 Oct 21 Uncertain as to which version of today's image I wanted to share, I asked Jan to select for me. After looking at all of them she said "You're gonna think it crazy but I like this one." What she picked is today's submission. For me, one of the most beautiful parts of the park is the section of the west entrance road that begins at 7 Mile Bridge and ends at Madison Junction, about 7 miles of just gorgeous scenery and generally occupied by bison (spring-time) or elk (fall). In the fall the ground is typically multiple hues of yellow and brown with an occasional glimpse of red. To top it off there is a section where you can find an abundance of fallen trees many of which could easily be mistaken for a resting animal when seen from a distance. Along with the bison and elk are to be found birds, mostly geese, heron, and cranes, as well as several varieties of the smaller mammals. In the fall the meadows that make up either side of the Madison River, which flows along the length of the road, are frequently occupied by the dominant bull elk and their harems. Watching them can be quite the show and is part of the reason I so like this part of the park. But even without the mammals the grandeur of the colors that are provided by all the different grasses and ground cover make this section a place to go and just sit and enjoy the view(s) while letting all your cares just vanish into the rare (7K altitude) air. Today we are looking at one of those meadows with just the yellows and browns of the grasses, the greens of the trees, and the greys of the old burn on the hillside. You can have two different experiences with this shot; either up close to the screen or at a distance of 5-6 feet from it. I prefer the more distant view but for those of you who like the creative stuff I recommend up close. Other than a little dodging and burning this is what the camera captured before being modified using the Topaz plug-in Glow 2. Outlined Nikon D300s; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 200; 1/640 sec @ f /7.1.

12 Oct 21 Connecting West Yellowstone, MT with Idaho Falls, ID is Hwy-20, the longest road in the U.S. at 3,365 miles. You can take it from coast to coast or to make your trip even more interesting you can take many different side trips by making a loop around it here and there. One very delightful one is to make the loop utilizing Hwy -26 east out of Idaho Falls to visit Swan Valley (we'll visit there tomorrow) then along Hwy-31 to Victor, a lovely farming area, then north on Hwy-33 up to Teton picking up Hwy-20 once again on the way to Ashton for a old time dining experience at the Frost Top in the center of town before continuing on to Island Park and then West Yellowstone. If you are ever in the general area I highly recommend it to you for a striking fall experience. Hwy-26 offers some spectacular views such as the one I'm sharing with you today. This is just a spot along the road that I found somewhat interesting in that the colors, the clouds, and the landscape all fit well together. You may recognize the mountains in the background on the left half of the frame; if not, they are part of the Teton Range. This is another view of them from the backside. You may recall I shared a B & W pano of them about a month ago but from a location much further east. That tan band running across the middle of the frame is Hwy-26. This is what the camera recorded. Autumn Delight Nikon D300s; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 200; 1/250 sec @ f /11.

04 Oct 21 Today we are walking along the Chain Lakes Trail taking a peek at what the landscape looks like close up. This particular location is a bit wider than is much of the hillside forming the sides of the trail and is a great spot to take a break for just exploring, doing a bit of photography, or having an enjoyable meal. This is mid October about the time the colors peak but also the time when the daylight hours are starting to decline and the weather turning cold or at least colder. It's also the time when the rain can be heavy and last for days. Of my three times spending a 3 day weekend up here with a previous camera club one was mostly sunny, one was rain almost the entire time, and the other fog for the vast majority of the visit. All three provided for different photographic challenges and opportunities but the rainy one was the most problematic. This shot was from that mostly sunny trip and it was a delightful experience. The perfect trip would be a full day of sunshine followed by a day of snowfall with the last day providing for sufficient rain to get it dripping off the plants and trees and ensuring just wet roads for the drive home. If only . . . . . . This is straight from the camera save for a tiny amount of dodging and burning. Hillside Color Nikon D300s; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 200; 1 /125 sec @ f / 6.3.

21 Oct 21 Waking to a foggy morning is my idea of getting off to a good start. To my way of thinking scenes in the fog provide for opportunities of conjuring up almost any kind of story and the thicker the better up to a point. One such morning over a decade back two of us were the only folks of a group of perhaps 20 photographers who elected to go out and shoot. The rest lost an entire day and we got some really nifty stuff. On another particular morning a few years back a different two of us left in the fog and spent the morning playing with it as it took its time in dissipating. As it did the sunlight above treated us to a landscape constantly changing color from initially rather bland eventually turning to some rich hues. This shot was taken, as you can tell, before it all misted away but with enough remaining to account for some rich yellows and moderate reds. Running through the middle of the scene is the Gallatin River as it serpentinely makes its way from the park area to Bozeman. Generally one would see a number of fishermen either in the river or on the banks but on this morning we were to be by ourselves. Probably made for a nicer day for the fish. Other than a little dodging and burning this is what the camera captured. Golden Treasure Nikon D300s; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 500; 1/200 sec @ f / 8.

19 Oct 21 Departing West Yellowstone and driving to Aston,ID on Hwy-20 for a nice old fashioned drive-in lunch at the Frost Top, you climb up for a distance at which you crest the hillside and enter Idaho. As you drive back down the other side you come to a section of land that is mostly grasses and Aspens. If you are fortunate enough to make that drive at peak color, you get both the grasses and the trees displaying in a magnificent yellow occasioned by a spot of orange here and there. If you time it right on such a day, such as late morning, you also get a vibrant green on the trees. Of course the light is the key in all of this so it helps to stay on the good side of Old Sol. Clouds also help by giving a little "pattern" to the ground but that's always been the most elusive part for me. On this particular September morning all the players were present save for the clouds. This shot was literally taken from just off the side of the road so it is easy pickn's if you time it right. Other than having cropped off a little sky and given it some slight contrast enhancement, this is straight from the camera. As If It Was Painted Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 200; 1/800 sec @ f / 8.

06 Oct 21 It was decided that I should share with you the B & W version of the shot of "our" mountain. Not a lot more to say about it other than once again this is one of those shots that you can take by parking your vehicle, getting out, and walking to the water side of the sidewalk. Then just point the camera and press the shutter. The marina is literally right in front of you. You could walk along the sidewalk for a distance, maybe 4 blocks if that, cross the street, walk up a long set of steep stairs, and get a much different look, the one most often shared, but I actually prefer this location when the weather is cooperating, such as it was on that day. Same info as yesterday save for the conversion to B & W using the nik plug-in Silver Efex Pro 2. Approaching Ansel Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 200; 1/640 sec @ f /11.

05 Oct 21 My apologies for the extreme tardiness in today's mailing; life events took up all day yesterday and by evening's end I was just too tired to do an image. Today we are standing in front of a small moorage in the town of Gig Harbor about 90 minutes generally south of our abode. "Our" mountain, as many of the locals like to refer to Mt Rainier, occasionally presents as though it was literally touching Puget Sound. It is an illusion of course but one that is nice to see now and then. I've shared similar shots taken from Kingston and well as when crossing the Sound on the ferries. Gig Harbor is a small community like many in these parts whose main street parallels the water. It is nice location to visit on a clear sunny day and if you are fortunate you may see it like this. This is what the camera recorded save for the addition of a few clouds; on the day I shot this the sky was without anything even ever so slightly interesting so I thought I'd help a little. Majestical Afternoon Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 200; 1/640 sec @ f /11.

27 Oct 21 Back to the Hall of Mirrors concert hall for another look. This time a shot that attempts to give you a better idea of the grandeur of it all. The marble used in this venue is amazingly beautiful as you can see in the columns. The gold overlay is equally impressive although it doesn't really show off as well. I'll let you gaze at the interior instead of trying to discuss it. IF this interior is something you find as lovely as do I, you might be interested in a book called the Splendors of Christendom which was published in the mid 60s. We got our copy as part of a book club in 1968 for $75 new. A cherished volume in our library. I've seen it listed for as low as $5 but the cover doesn't match so I don't know if t is the same book. The rest of this concert venue is decorated in a manner like what I'm showing today and the ceiling covered with murals. It was a great place to visit but sadly the organ wasn't demonstrated. That would have been a sheer delight I'm sure. This is a lot like what I described for yesterday's image. Full Monty Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 2,000; 1/6 sec @ f / 5.6 hand held.

26 Oct 21 It was 4 years ago this week and last that we were on our music cruise and I got to thinking today that in as much as we didn't get to do anything this fall I'd go back to that cruise and share some new images for the next week or two. I intend to make them random so as I peruse what I shot I'll send each day whatever it was that caught my eye. In that light we'll begin with a shot or two from a small private concert venue in Pravda. This particular hall is quite small with a performance area of somewhat similar to our kitchen/dining room and an audience seating of maybe 100. But what a magnificent hall it is. It feature a small pipe organ by old European standards and an area directly in front of it for a small performing group, or, as in our case, a piano and pianist. The entire hall is Baroque to the fullest and is something you will either totally love - like me- or find totally overdone which is primarily the definition of Baroque. What isn't marble or gold is paint and there isn't a bare spot in the entire hall. One wasn't allowed a tripod and flash was highly discouraged but otherwise one was welcome to take photos. The light coming in from the windows on the left was very harsh as you can see when looking at the angels. In this capture I'm looking up at the ceiling to take in the mural above our heads as well as the organ. There are mirrors on all the walls so the light that does enter through the windows gets bounced all over the place. It is an amazing venue, dazzling to the eye, with wonderful acoustics, but a challenge to photograph in conditions such as those we encountered that evening. None-the-less, I thought you might appreciate a Baroque concert venue. Do let your eyes spend some time taking all this in; it is incredibly ornate! I had to work from where I was seated on the far right of the seating area so all of my shots are very skewed. Thus I've had to do some serious editing to try and straighten this as much as reasonably possible; it means there was a lot of material cropped off. I'll try to show that in another perspective tomorrow. Gazing Upward Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 2,000; 1/13 sec @ f / 5.6 hand held.

01 Oct 21 For this Friday's macro / closeup we'll be taking a look at some licorice ferns. If you are not familiar with such they are a small fern that looks like a miniature sword fern that grows on the mossy bark of highly stressed hardwood trees, or so I've been led to believe. We have them growing on several of our alders that next year will be firewood. I'm sharing a creative version of the ferns as I think the creative version does a better job of highlighting them. All of you who grew up with the Scouting organizations in the 50s will be immediately able to identify in which direction I took the image because as you recall we were taught that the moss always grows on the north side of the tree. The photo was taken looking due west; perhaps that's why some of our friends didn't do so well with the map exercises. If you were to drive into our property you would drive right past this group of ferns and they will be at eye level but I'll wager you never see them until they are pointed out to you at which time they will be very obvious. The same is true for those higher up in the canopy; for some reason they just seem to blend in even though they are easily recognized. Other than a wee bit of dodging and burning, and the obviously conversion tot e creative look using the Topaz plug-in Simplify 4, this is what the camera recorded. Painted Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 320; 1/60 sec @ f / 9 with fill flash.

11 Oct 21 For those of you in my neck of the woods there is a chance, assuming that you look at the title of the image before anything else, that you may surmise that today's shot has something to do with a local gas station (Gliding Eagle) on Hansville Road. But it doesn't, although the location of the shot is sorta close to being across from it. While shooting a spider in the Kitsap County Dahlia Society Garden, where I also took Friday's image, I happened to glance up only to notice an eagle soaring across the parking area directly in front of me. The critter was moving rapidly across the sky heading for a group of trees on my left. I put the camera to my eye trying to lock on the bird which wasn't as easy as I hoped. By the time I did all I got was one snap and the bird was in the trees. I rather liked the shot even though it isn't exactly a saleable quality capture. I thought about using software to brighten up the silhouette areas of the bird to feature its feathers, but then changed my mind thinking the silhouette was more interesting. With the bird rapidly moving across the sky there wasn't time to properly frame the shot so I've cropped off about 80% of it to get what I'm sharing. One of the nice features of the camera is that it gives me 40+ MB files so I have some wiggle room when it comes to cropping. As soon as the bird passed behind the Chestnut tree I never saw it again. Fortunately I got this one shot. Other than some serious cropping - dropping out about 80% of the frame - this is what the camera recorded. Gliding Eagle Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 200; 1/2,000 sec @ f / 9.

08 Oct 21 Debated for quite a while as to how I should present this Friday's macro / close-up, either as an isolated blossom or as part of the garden. Then the next consideration was share it as is, or drop out the entire background and place the flower on black. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Went for a "let's get out of the house" drive last week after dropping off the calendars for printing during which we spent a few minutes walking through and shooting a few blossoms in the Kitsap County Dahlia Society display garden in nearby Pt Gamble. It has two sections, one you can't miss in front of the P.O. and another, much larger, down behind the building adjacent to a nice playground. The rain had just subsided, the wind was just beginning to become active, and the lighting good; so I took a few snaps. Our timing was just right as the rain was still clinging to the petals in great perfusion. I've taken just a small portion of the one I've chosen to share and played with it. Its brilliant yellow center contrasted nicely with its magenta petals so I've elected to use just that section from the full frame. After getting the capture to what I considered its best presentation, I made multiple creative versions and one B &W. I was going to share that version but I've already shared two B & W images this week and Jan decided that this was her favorite. Since her choices have been well received in the past, you get another. 😉 This is what the camera captured save for my extensive cropping, blurring one small area of background, and conversion using the Topaz plug-in Simplify 4. Outlined Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 200; 1/200 sec @ f / 9.

22 Oct 21 IF you are anywhere near my age you will remember growing up with the advent of artificial (fake) flowers and leaves. My recollection is that they were originally truly awful with their only redeeming feature being they didn't wilt or dry up. With time they got more and more life-like until about 10 - 15 years back at which time the real and fake were approaching being indistinguishable. Today they are so good that it is often hard to tell the two apart even to the extent that you hear it said "is that real?" Today's shot is one that reminds me of such. The leaves, moss, and branch are real, it's a tree in our church's parking area, but the leaf looks a lot like some of the material used to construct some of the fake flowers such as a poinsettia. I guess it is a tribute to the imitation plant industry that we have come to this stage; just hope it doesn't become a detraction for flower photography. This is straight from the camera save for a little blemish removal and some slight cropping. Almost Fake Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 200; 1/500 sec @ f / 9.

07 Oct 21 Set out this afternoon to take her majesty for her first vet visit with us being able to be present for the last two years. Decided to use a different clinic which doesn't feel that we should remain in our vehicles with just the staff attending the dog. When the vet walked in she said to Jan,"do I know you"? It was a funny question as we all had to be masked by emperor edict on fear of death so it wasn't easy to identify anyone. After we chatted for a few minutes we realized she was our former vet who 5 years back left the local group we were still using. Kinda became old home week; we had a great visit and catch up WRT Maggie. Certainly hadn't anticipated that!! Leaving the vet's office we decided to go for a short drive in an area we like to visit now and then, a location known as Hadlock; a very picturesque location. The Kitsap Peninsula on which we live is loaded with County parks, far too many in fact even by the Counties admission, and we chose to visit one today we hadn't visited prior, Mystery Bay. The entire park is less than an acre is size, but it does offer a fishing dock and boat launch ramp. The weather forecast for the day included rain and thunder showers for the late afternoon and although we forwent the thunder, we did encounter various amounts of rain falling as we left the park to return home. While there we were treated to a little drama in the heavens and today's Theatrical Thursday submission is a B &W of what we experienced. This is straight from the camera save for the B & W conversion using the nik plug-in Silver Efex Pro 2. Anselish Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 200; 1/1,000 sec @ f / 9.

15 Oct 21 Those of you interested in either flower photography, macro photography, or both, may recall my deep appreciation of the photography of Kathleen Clemons. If her name doesn't ring a bell you can see some of her work here. When it comes to fine art flower photography I think she has no equal. I've taken a couple of classes from her but in truth haven't spent the time needed to even approach her level of work. Advancing age may help me make the effort to do so. One of the techniques she uses in her work, among many, and a favorite of mine, is placing a colored background behind - obviously - her subject(s) to remove any distractions as well as to either compliment or embrace the color of her subject. The background is a simple one to make in that all you need to do is totally blur out any image having the color(s) you want, print such out, and glue to a piece of material of your liking that is both sturdy and light weight. The cost of such is just a few dollars depending on your materials, but mine cost right around $2 each. I've made 4 and each is double sided. Since the complete background weighs literally a few ounces you can carry several with you without adding any noticeable weight to your kit. I've made mine as 8 x 10 but you can make them any size you want. Jan's flower room is bursting forth with Christmas cacti as I write and I've been playing with them this week. One of the most beautiful ones is white with magenta edging. I did a little playing with it and thought I'd use some of the background boards as part of the fun. The shot for today has one of the boards, a light violet, light gray, and white pattern mix, placed directly next to one blossom but tilted away from the branch which made for some nice shadows behind the branch but none under the majority of the petals. I used filtered sunlight coming in from the skylight to illuminate it with no other light source. After getting the original looking as delicate as I think the flowers look, I then made 10 creative versions of it in the computer. Jan picked one of the creative versions, this one, as her favorite of them all. This is straight from the camera save for a small amount of cropping and conversion using the Topaz plug-in Glow 2. Outlined Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 200; 1/15 sec @ f / 9 on a tripod.

29 Oct 21 Today's macro/close-up is stretching the close-up idea but we'll call it such just the same. Several weeks back I shared a shot of some licorice ferns growing on the side of a tree next to the driveway entrance. These are the same ferns but this time I've taken the shot from the side rather than straight on. When I saw the ferns at this angle I had the impression of looking at a circular staircase and that is what I was trying to capture. I also liked the way the light was playing on the fronds from behind giving all the spores the look of tiny lights. Having removed a goodly amount of brambles over the summer I now have access to lots of ferns in open spaces which weren't available prior. Now it's time to wait for some fluffy white stuff to see how they will look when frosted. Other than some cropping for composition this is what the camera captured. Circular Staircase Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 400; 1/60 sec @ f /9 with fill flash.

25 Oct 21 Those of you familiar with the set of books known as The Fractured Fairy Tales - you should become such if you aren't - will know where I'm going with today's vignette. If you are anything like me you've grown up with the saying "like deer in the headlights." I'll wager you even think you know what it means and that in all likelihood you've used the phrase a time or two. But do you really know, really, really know? Each fall I take it upon myself to not only blow the leaves off our driveway, but also the neighbor's drives and the road as well. As I was about to start on the road this afternoon I thought I saw something akin to a big brown sausage enter our lot and it caught my attention. As I was trying to ascertain exactly what it was I got some help as another meandered out into the middle of the road. As I watched her she decided to just stay in the middle of the road and watch me. The the brown sausage turned and I could now clearly make out two Black Tail does who had decided to come out for some browse, the heavy storm rains having subsided. As I watched the two of them and taking their portraits they just stood there watching me. As the standoff continued for several minutes a neighbor began driving up the road behind them. When the vehicle was maybe 10 feet from them she stopped and just watched us both. This continued for perhaps 5 minutes before the two does realized that something was behind them, turned to look at what it might be, and then just wandered back into the woods from which they had come. So now you know the real meaning. This is straight from the camera save for some cropping for composition and the removal of a few distractions. At What Are You Looking Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture priority; ISO 1,000; 1/160 sec @ f / 7.1.

28 Oct 21 We interrupt this travelogue to bring you this breaking news. Walking past the bedroom this morning I thought I saw something strange out on the deck. At first I thought naw, it's just a shadow, but upon deciding to walk into the room to see for sure I realized the shadow was an owl, a Barred Owl to be exact. At least I think it was a Barred Owl. Called Jan in to see it and as it was still sitting there decided to go up and get the camera and maybe grab a quick shot or two before it spooked. I did, it didn't, and it let me shoot for about 5 minutes before it oh so softly took flight. It was sitting from a perch that let it scan for the numerous irritating squirrels that mooch from us daily but sadly none came out to temp fate. If only . . . . The morning light was not much, and as I didn't think it was going to sit where it was for long, I elected to try and shoot hand held even though I knew what was truly needed was a tripod and cable release. But I didn't think the bird would elect to hang around as I got things set up so I got what I could. So this won't be tack sharp, but it is sharp enough to share, especially if you look at it from a distance of maybe three feet from the screen. The critter was sitting on the deck rail amongst a messy honeysuckle so I've had to remove a fair amount of the vine that was between the bird and me. I guess it thought the plant would serve as camouflage but it apparently wasn't sufficient to fool any of its intended prey. I've cropped off a fair amount of the original and removed a lot of vines, otherwise this is what the camera captured. Waiting Patiently Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 1,000; 1/80 sec @ f / 7.1 hand held.