Two Plants in Macro

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I took some macro photos of two plants in my parents’ yard in Carrollton: dusty miller and red yucca.

Dusty Miller is known for it’s white, felt-like leaves but this time of year it might be blooming…and the flowers are yellow!

We cut a few flower stalks to bring indoors and that is where I took macro pictures of the developing flowers with my phone (Samsung Galaxy S10e) using my Bluetooth remote shutter release. The unopened buds reminded me of powder-sugared donuts!

The red-yucca seed pods are frequent subjects for my photography in my parents’ front yard. When they are mature, they pop open to reveal and release papery black seeds. This time of year, there are pods from last year and new pods are that are still green/developing while the plant continues to bloom.

Some of the red yucca stalks were hanging over the walkway…had to be removed. I kept one of the green seed pods to take a closer look. The tip of the seed pod begins to dry first. I cut the pod in half. The seeds are not fully formed; they are white and very moist. The 6 compartments are well defined. The outer skin of the pod separates easily from the developing seeds. I separated one of the seeds; The tissue did not appear differentiated at all. I’ll try to take a closer look at one of the fully developed black seeds next time I am in Carrollton.

Overall – two very different plants that made for interesting mini-photoshoots!

Gleanings of the Week Ending June 17, 2023

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The items below were ‘the cream’ of the articles and websites I found this past week. Click on the light green text to look at the article.

Humans taking a toll on Yellowstone wildlife - In recent days two black bears have been killed by motorists, an elk and a bison were also hit by vehicles, a newborn elk calf was picked up by motorists concerned for its fate, and a bison calf had to be put down after a visitor tried to help it out of the Lamar River so it could catch up with its mother. I remember that the park had good signage trying to educate people….seems that it isn’t as effective as I assumed it would be.

See the Rare Albino Echidna Spotted in Australia – It’s been named (Raffie) and photographed…evidently still in the wild! A piece of trivia from the article: a baby echidna is a puggle.

Tune in to the Great Salt Lake kestrel cam – Take a look…they hatched on May 17th…and they are growing up fast.

Scientists target human stomach cells for diabetes therapy – Still very much in research phase…but it would certainly improve the lives of a lot of people if it can be developed into a treatment!

This New Device Generates Electricity from Thin Air – Evidently the device can be made from any material that can be punctured with ultra-small holes. Too good to be true….or competitive with established clean energy sources like wind and solar?

Super low-cost smartphone attachment brings blood pressure monitoring to your fingertips – A clip that fits over the phone’s camera and flash…an app. It costs about 80 cents to make but the cost could be as low at 10 cents when manufactured at scale. Evidently it does not need to be calibrated either! I wonder if cuffs will become a thing of the past very quickly!

What we know about the health risks of ultra-processed foods – Research teasing out what exactly about ultra-processed food is bad. I’ve been trying to reduce ultra-processed food…so have been following the advice in this article for at about a year: if you're considering eating a packaged food, read the ingredient list…If you really have no idea what some of those ingredients are, it probably went too far.

You can make carbon dioxide filters with a 3D printer – Printing a hydrogel material that holds carbonic anhydrase (an enzyme that turns carbon dioxide and water into bicarbonate).

Nepal Won’t Move the Mount Everest Base Camp for Now, Despite Risks – Everest’s highest glacier has lost half its mass since the 1990s because of higher temperatures. It may only be a few years before the camp needs to move.

Colombia’s ‘cocaine hippo’ population is even bigger than scientists thought – Wild descendants of the hippos introduced in Columbia by Pablo Escobar….considered the largest invasive animal in the world. There are probably 181-215 of them in Columbia. Several strategies are being tried: contraception administered via dart, castration, exporting the animal to sanctuaries abroad. Culling appears to be the only strategy that can save the biodiversity of Columbia.

International Studio eBooks

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I first browsed a series of International Studio digitized magazines in 2013…enjoying all of them available at the time. They were from the early 1900s. Recently, I found more of them that had been digitized in 2022 from the 1920s and those are the ones I am featuring today.

International Studio - vol 67 (1919)

International Studio - vol 76 (1923)

International Studio - vol 77 (1923)

International Studio - vol 78, no. 317 (1923)

 I like looking at magazines to understand what was ‘new’ or ‘important’ at the time; it’s a perspective of the period from people living then rather than historical analysis from authors that did not experience it directly. Even the ads are interesting; the way products are described…the brands that still exist (maybe were ‘new’ at the time) and brands long gone. Ads were often the main color images inside the magazines!

According to a Wikipedia entry, the magazine was the American edition of The Studio published in London. The American publication continued until 1931.  As I was writing this post, I realized there were some additional ones that I haven’t browsed yet…some additional browsing to enjoy!

Our Missouri Yard – June 2023

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There are always things to photograph in our year. In June I decided to walk about with my phone (Samsung Galaxy S10e)….taking mostly macro looks at the plants.

Our lamb’s ear is blooming. It attracts pollinating insects. I have lamb’s ear plants coming up in the yard too….thinking maybe I should avoid mowing them and let them continue to spread…take over some areas where the grass is not growing so well anyway.

This time of year it is possible to find all stages of flower development on a single plant. The color sometimes is deepest just as the flowers open.

I have pokeweed coming up in some of the same places it was last fall…probably from the roots that remained. I like the green leaves and will probably let it grow. Maybe this year the fruits will mature before the first hard frost…provide early winter food for birds.

There is a native grapevine near one of my bushes. The new leaves start out folded in half. I am pulling it away from the bush and allowing it to continue to grow. Something has already been nibbling on its leaves.

I like that the yard has interesting plants…and is providing some food for wildlife. Hopefully the wildflowers I’ve planted this year will grow this season and then come back year after year…increase the yard value for pollinators!

Downed Pine Tree

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We called a tree service company as soon as we noticed that a pine in our yard was leaning toward the house. They came and said the tree would have to be cut down…no way to save it….and they would be back in 4-6 weeks (evidently they were backlogged). We called another company, and their backlog was even longer.

They did better than their estimate – coming in 3 weeks. By then the tree had fallen. A holly tree and bush got crushed/brushed by the top branches; fortunately the holly only had a few broken branches and no damage to the trunk; the bush seems to have fared even better.

The cross section of the tree shows that it was not a healthy tree. Perhaps one side of the trunk had been damaged (maybe hit by a mower several years ago?) so the tree did not grow uniformly around the center.

After they cut the pine, arrangements were made for an underground utility survey before they came back to grind the remains of the stump. The grinding was done via a remotely controlled machine! It was just a mound of dirt and wood shavings afterward.  

I already miss the tree. This is the first time we’ve removed a tree from our yard…and it is a little traumatic to have something as large/significant suddenly gone. On a positive note: mowing the yard is a little less convoluted now and the grass should fill in quickly.

Cataract Surgery

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Cataract assessment has been a part of my annual eye checkup for the past few years. I always wonder if it is a positive thing to still have eyes correctable to 20/20 since when cataracts make that correction impossible, cataract surgery will likely provide years of good vision without glasses – as boon since glasses (or contacts) have been part of my life since third grade.

This May and June my younger sister is getting cataract surgery and I am providing taxi service for her surgery and immediate follow-up during my monthly weeks in Carrollton, TX. It’s been a good learning experience. She arranged for her surgeries to be first thing in the morning. She felt well enough for breakfast after the first surgery – even though she was feeling disoriented with a big eye patch and no correction of any kind on the eye that was uncovered. During the follow up appointment, she had her glasses modified – the lens removed from the side that had the surgery – so that she could see better. On the side that had the surgery, her distance vision was 20/15 but her eye was still healing. She still has restrictions on how she slept (not on the side where the surgery was done) and lifting (nothing over 10 pounds); the instructions were clear. So many people get this surgery that the process is very well defined!

For me – there were lessons learned for when it’s time for my cataract surgery. It’s a consuming process since it is done in 2 surgeries (with some time between). It is awkward with changing sight between the first surgery until the healing of the second eye (and maybe prolonged depending on the type of intraocular lens is used…the light adjustable ones are adjusted after the second surgery).

I’m glad I volunteered to help my sister during the process…and learned from the experience!

Carrollton Yard – May 2023

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My parent’s yard was transitioning from spring to summer when I was there in late May. My sister had taken away the naked lady lily leaves that had turned brown; the bulbs have the stored energy for their bloom later in the summer. I put the stainless-steel iris I bought at the Springfield Artsfest in the hydrangea plot. It looked like it belonged there and will provide some color visible from the garden room during the winter.

The Queen Anne’s Lace is beginning to boom…and the cosmos. In the front yard the red yucca is the most colorful. The daisies are dispersing their seeds. The ferns are lush and there are still fiddleheads unfurling.

The lamb’s ear is blooming. When I got home, the ones in my yard were too!

Now I am beginning to think about whether I want to propagate some of these plants in my yard. My challenge right now is a lack of gardening space and the need to clear out plants that didn’t make it through the winter in some of the beds. On the plus side…that clearing could leave some places that I could plant some Carrollton transplants.

Pocket Prairie and Josey Ranch – May 2023

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The Pocket Prairie at Josey ranch was blooming when I was there in May. The gardeners have worked hard to help it recover after last summer’s heat/drought. It will take a few years to fill in between the clumps that were planted new this year.

My favorites are the sunflowers. I like them from every angle!

The goslings that I noticed in April were in the same area in May. They have grown….and there are only 3 of the 5 left. Even though there are 2 diligent adults nearby, predators still take a toll. I wondered what the top predator would be in this urban park…maybe turtles…maybe unleashed dogs?

On the larger pond, there were mallard ducklings. There were 5 of them with a female. The males steer clear…seemed to be in all male groups.

The grackles were active and noisy.

They didn’t seem to disturb the great egret’s concentration as it searched for breakfast.

The swans were across the pond from where I stood. There seemed to be a lot of feathers on the shore. I wondered if the swans were molting or if something had attacked one of them.

I’ll be back in Carrollton by mid-June….looking forward to more sunflowers!

Gleanings of the Week Ending June 10, 2023

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The items below were ‘the cream’ of the articles and websites I found this past week. Click on the light green text to look at the article.

In 2050, over 800 million people globally estimated to be living with back pain: Analysis also dispels common back pain myth -- ScienceDaily – Attributable to occupational factors, smoking and being overweight. More common among older people and women. Current clinical guidelines for back pain treatment and management do not provide specific recommendations for older people. Low back pain continues to be the greatest cause of disability worldwide.

Why Are Some Wolves Black? The Answer Will Surprise You - Cool Green Science – There are more black-colored wolves in the southern Rocky Mountains…more gray coated wolves everywhere else. The black is from dogs that traveled with humans across the Bering Strait around 10,000 years ago, and those genes also make the black-colored wolves more resistant to distemper (which came with the conquistadors to South America).

We now know exactly what happens in nature when we fell forests -- ScienceDaily – When agriculture replaces forestry…a detailed study done in the Azores…substantiates the advise to plant native trees and flowers…stop mowing the lawn!

The viruses that helped to make you human - BBC Future – About 8% of the human genome comes from viruses but, curiously, there is not evidence of new endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) entering the human genome in the last few 1000 years (Koalas are being invaded by koala retrovirus with the viral DNA found in some populations but not others). The most studied human ERV is HERV-W; first described in 1999; genes that are essential for the placenta to form.

Algae in the Andes – Bursts of phytoplankton are not unusual in oceans, seas, gulfs, and canals. Now they are in lakes too….and potentially hazardous.

New Low Cost High Performance Perovskite Solar Cells – It appears that solar cells are on track to get better and better!

Communities should reconsider walking away from curbside recycling, study shows -- ScienceDaily – Maybe the trend of towns and cities across the US cancelling or scaling back recycling programs due to rising costs needs to keep recycling but focus on recycling materials with the greatest market value (newspaper, cardboard, aluminum/steel cans, HDPE/PET plastic bottles) and highest potential for carbon offset.

Does the roar of rocket launches harm wildlife? These scientists seek answers – Launches at Vandenberg have increased from 5-15 rockets per year to 50-100. There are biodiversity hotspots near launch sites in California, Texas, and Florida; the study at Vandenberg is intended to provide more insight about how launches impact wildlife. The study is funded for 3 years but may need a decade to understand some of the impacts.

Remains of Child Mill Workers Examined in Northern England - Archaeology Magazine – A study of 150 remains from a churchyard cemetery…many were young people between the ages of 8 and 20. They were pauper apprentices and their bones showed signs of stunted growth, malnutrition, rickets, and tuberculosis.

Turmeric: here’s how it actually measures up to health claims – Many of the health claims have only been proved in the lab or in animals. There are studies that show that turmeric has a modest benefit for pain compared to a placebo – but the studies are often on small populations and there is a wide variation in the amount of turmeric participants were given. There is not enough research to firmly support any of the claims…although it is a great spice (flavor and color).

NASA Images from the 1960s

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I did a lot of my growing up in the 1960s; the US space program had an impact on my education and perspective of the world so when I found 3 books of images from NASA in the 1960s available on Internet Archive for easy browsing- I savored the memories of seeing some of those images in newspapers and magazines shortly after they were taken. The images looking back at Earth from space were so different than the previously available aerial photographs taken from planes or balloons. Now we take for granted the satellite imagery in our everyday lives (for example, Google Maps satellite view). The NASA programs in the 1960s were steps along the technological path. A lot has happened in the past 50 years!

(click on the sample images to see a larger version…and the link to look at the whole book of wonderful images)

Exploring space with a camera (1968)

Hagerman Wildflowers – May 2023

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The wildflowers were abundant at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge in May…and the cloudy weather didn’t impact photography of them as it did for the birds. I enjoyed taking some assemblages of flowers in the roadside meadows.

Most of my images were zoomed in shots of single species – queen Anne’s lace, amaranth, coneflower, butterfly weed, milkweed….and more.

Some of the plants had insects on them too…an added attraction.

I experimented with some high key images too…the advantage of a cloudy sky.

The redbud near the visitor center is one of my favorite trees to photograph – an easy access specimen for macro photography.

I’m looking forward to seeing the changes when I visit the refuge in June. Some of the flowers will last through the summer….others will be done with their blooms for the year. Being able to visit a refuge like Hagerman every month is one of the best things about 2023 (so far)!

Hagerman Birds – May 2023

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I made the best of cloudy days both times I was at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge in May. Photographing birds was frustrating because of the light and I thought while I was there that I wouldn’t like any of the images…but they turned out better than I expected in several cases. The egrets were still around: Great Egrets

And Snowy Egrets (seemingly a lot more of them about).

I enjoyed the light around a snowy egret on the second morning…it was changing very quickly with the sun coming in and out of clouds as it was getting higher in the sky (it was still within an hour of sunrise).

I learned on my first visit to scan the high points of the meadow for birds...seeing a dickcissel was my most immediate success.

There were a lot of red-winded blackbirds. I saw one perched on an amaranth close to the road and he stayed put for a portrait, a defiant look, a little bow (but he was still watching me), and then a screech to let everyone know it was his turf!

The second morning I saw that there was a group of egrets on one of the ponds and they were leaving just as I was arriving! Did they roost there…or just get their breakfast?

There were great blue herons as well.

There was a preening red-shoulder hawk on a snag.

May was not a great month for bird photography on the days I went to Hagerman…but not a total loss either. This image is my favorite of the morning.

Denison (Texas) Travel Center Wildflowers – May 2023

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The welcome center entering Texas from Oklahoma on US75 was an opportunity for some macro photography of Texas wildflowers. The beds are easily accessible from paved walkways! My Bluetooth shutter remote was on the lanyard with my phone (Samsung Galaxy S10e); that made it a lot easier to hold the phone steady to get close views of the flowers.

There were other people going in and out of the visitor center. I was the only one among the flowers. I spent about 10 minutes photographing…a bit more just enjoying the place…appreciating the care the gardeners take with the plantings.

It will be interesting to see how much has changed when I am there in June….and maybe I should take a few landscape shots too.

Springfield Botanical Gardens – May 2023

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After my sister and I left the Japanese Stroll Garden, we drove the short distance to the Springfield Botanical Gardens botanical center parking lot.

I enjoyed the rain garden and beds near the building…particularly the different kinds of Hens and Chicks plants they had. Maybe I will eventually have some of these in the rock bed near my front porch.

We walked down to the hosta garden and back. I noticed the signs warning about ticks/Lyme disease for the first time (my daughter insists they have been around the garden previously); I guess Lyme disease is a problem in Missouri as it was in Maryland even though I don’t notice the over population of deer (and deer ticks) being as high as in Maryland.

Next time I go to the gardens, I will look more at the butterfly garden and daylilies!

Mizumoto Japanese Stroll Garden – May 2023

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The Mizumoto Japanese Stroll Garden was the first part of the Springfield Botanical Gardens we walked during my sister’s visit. The cherry trees, that were blooming last time I visited, have their green foliage now and the summer flowers are beginning to bloom. Yellow flag irises are blooming along the edges of most of the ponds. I always photograph the lanterns!

 This time I noticed the pine in the meditation garden…with larger rounded stones. My sister and I made small cairns on the posts of the garden (mine is pictured below).

There was a bird to observe too: a yellow crowned night heron…looking for breakfast at the edge of a small island in one of the ponds. We stayed far enough away from the bird – it ignored us! I experimented with a blurred foreground (grass) in one of the pictures.

Overall – an enjoyable stroll…and then we headed over to the main garden intent on seeing some of the areas my sister had not seen the last time she came to Springfield (when we moved to the area last June). That’s the topic of tomorrow’s post….

Gleanings of the Week Ending June 3, 2023

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The items below were ‘the cream’ of the articles and websites I found this past week. Click on the light green text to look at the article.

100 Top Photographers Sell Prints to Benefit Ocean Conservation – Enjoy the photography….and participate in the fundraiser for the oceans.

Methane must fall to slow global heating – but only 13% of emissions are actually regulated – I was surprised that so little is regulated…and even when regulation exists it is sometimes not fully implemented.

Capping Oil & Gas Wells in Texas Could Create Tens of Thousands of Jobs - CleanTechnica – A way to reduce methane!

280,000 Photos Used to Create Highly-Detailed Image of the Moon – So many images…stitched together…colorized. The blog post includes a short description of how it was done.

Talking puppy or finger puppet? 5 tips for buying baby toys that support healthy development – Not surprisingly…in most cases, traditional toys provide better interactions and experiences then technological toys for 0-2 year olds.

Beatrix Potter’s famous tales are rooted in stories told by enslaved Africans – but she was very quiet about their origins – Thought provoking. There is considerable evidence that Beatrix Potter knew about the Brer Rabbit stories (books from her father’s library) and that she used the stories to create Peter Rabbit!

Chronic stress can inflame the gut — now scientists know why – Chemical cues produced in the brain….immune cells in the gut. For people with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) (includes ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease), stress might make treatments less effective…and can prompt flareups in patients what previously were responding well to medication.

Increased droughts are disrupting carbon-capturing soil microbes, concerning ecologists -- ScienceDaily – There is a need to understand how microbes respond to the disruption of drought in both agricultural and natural areas. Right now, soil holds more carbon that plants and the atmosphere combined….so it is important that we understand enough to effectively intervene if the soil starts releasing more of its stored carbon.

Getting to the Root of Skin Healing | The Scientist Magazine® - Research that indicates that hair follicle transplantation might accelerate wound closure, reducing scar formation, and remodeling existing scar tissue.

Antarctic ocean circulation has slowed dramatically – New research shows that collapse of the South Atlantic circulation will happen sooner than the North Atlantic!

eBotanical Prints – May 2023

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Twenty more books were added to the botanical print collection this month. The first one is a monograph about oxalis, the next three are journals from the California Botanical Society from 1916-1936, then 16 volumes of the Australian Orchid Review from 2006 - 2009. For the orchid volumes, I picked sample images that demonstrated the publications’ photography – particularly of orchids growing in natural settings and slipper orchids. There are Australian Orchid Review volumes I’ll browse in June as well.

The whole list of 2,633 botanical eBooks can be accessed here. The list for the May 2023 books with links to the volumes and sample images is at the bottom of this post.

Click on any sample images in the mosaic below to get an enlarged version. Enjoy the May 2023 eBotanical Prints!

Monographie der amerikanischen Oxalis-Arten  * Zuccarini, Joseph Gerhhard * sample image * 1825

Madroño : a West American journal of botany V. 1: no. 1-3 (1916-1922) * Jepson, Willis Linn (editor); California Botanical Society * sample image * 1922

Madroño : a West American journal of botany V. 2 (1930-1934) * Jepson, Willis Linn (editor); California Botanical Society * sample image * 1934

Madroño : a West American journal of botany V. 3 (1935-1936) * Jepson, Willis Linn (editor); California Botanical Society * sample image * 1936

Australian Orchid Review 2009 (February - March) * Orchid Society of New South Wales * sample image * 2009

Australian Orchid Review 2008 (August - September) * Orchid Society of New South Wales * sample image * 2008

Australian Orchid Review 2008 (October - November) * Orchid Society of New South Wales * sample image * 2008

Australian Orchid Review 2008 (June/July) * Orchid Society of New South Wales * sample image * 2008

Australian Orchid Review 2008 - 2009 (December - January) * Orchid Society of New South Wales * sample image * 2009

Australian Orchid Review 2008 (February/March) * Orchid Society of New South Wales * sample image * 2008

Australian Orchid Review 2008 (April/May) * Orchid Society of New South Wales * sample image * 2008

Australian Orchid Review 2007 (February/March) * Orchid Society of New South Wales * sample image * 2007

Australian Orchid Review 2007 (August/September) * Orchid Society of New South Wales * sample image * 2007

Australian Orchid Review 2007 (October - November) * Orchid Society of New South Wales * sample image * 2007

Australian Orchid Review 2007 (April - May) * Orchid Society of New South Wales * sample image * 2007

Australian Orchid Review 2007 (June/July) * Orchid Society of New South Wales * sample image * 2007

Australian Orchid Review 2007 - 2008 (December - January) * Orchid Society of New South Wales * sample image * 2008

Australian Orchid Review 2006 - 2007 (December - January) * Orchid Society of New South Wales * sample image * 2007

Australian Orchid Review 2006 (February/March) * Orchid Society of New South Wales * sample image * 2006

Australian Orchid Review 2006 (April - May) * Orchid Society of New South Wales * sample image * 2006

Zentangle® – May 2023

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31 days in May – 31 tiles in the mosaic for the month. I had 53 tiles to choose from…and there were some tough choices to select only 31.

In recent months I have created rectangular tiles; in May there were also square ones although I prefer the rectangular shape. No matter the shape of the tile – the short segments of my day creating a Zentangle tile (or two or three) are islands of calm focus not impacted by whatever else is happening!

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The Zentangle® Method is an easy-to-learn, relaxing, and fun way to create beautiful images by drawing structured patterns. It was created by Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas. “Zentangle” is a registered trademark of Zentangle, Inc. Learn more at zentangle.com.

Ten Little Celebrations – May 2023

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I picked my 10 little celebrations for May…then grouped them in to 3 categories: playing tourist (5), emotional experience (3) and getting outdoors (2). There was a lot to celebrate in May!

ArtsFest in Springfield. An interesting event and great weather too. We went with my daughter and son-in-law. I had heard about it in previous years from my daughter but it was my first time to experience it. It was a way to celebrate great spring weather and the artists of the area.

Springfield Botanical Gardens/Mizumoto Japanese Stroll Garden. Another way to celebrate springtime…savor the flowers…the new growth everywhere.

Fantastic Caverns. The easiest way to tour a cave…riding on a tram. I celebrated that this one had visible fossils in the ceiling that were visible too.

Springfield Art Museum. I celebrated the pottery/ceramics which is the focus of one of the exhibits now. Somehow art that has the potential to be something functional always appeals to me.  

World of Wildlife Museum and Aquarium. Celebrating the improvements in presentation of taxidermied specimens (meticulous attention to the depiction of the ecosystem around the animal)….and best aquarium in this part of the country!

Mother’s Day. A hearty breakfast then a hike alongside a meadow with my daughter…celebrating the relationship (and motherhood).


A sister’s successful surgery. Health of ourselves and people we have close relationships is always somewhat emotion. It’s great to be able to celebrate a procedure that was successful.

In-range blood work results. I celebrated some recent blood work that indicated that everything being checked was in the normal range. As we get older, we tend to be more aware that there could be some challenges ahead…and it is reassuring when the results indicate everything is still fine.

Coopers hawk over the Pocket Prairie. It’s always startling to see a raptor in a suburban area. I heard the racket of other birds before I saw the hawk swoop over the pocket prairie at Josey Ranch and into the neighborhood across the street. I celebrated that these small hawks evidently have thrived in that environment.

Rhododendron Flowering. I missed the rhododendron blooming last year…was thrilled when the flowers opened. It was a big part of the celebration of spring in our back yard!

Zooming – May 2023

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So many photography opportunities in May…flowers are blooming, birds are out and about, we traveled to Pensacola FL and played tourist close to home when my sister visited. The first pictures are from Pensacola…then from Texas (Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge and Carrollton)…then close to home (Lake Springfield, Fantastic Caverns, and World of Wildlife). It was a busy month!

I use the zoom feature on my Canon Powershot SX70 HS for almost every picture. My goal is to compose the image in a way that I don’t need to modify it later. The strategy saves time and focuses my creative energy while I am in the field when I can almost always try another shot – get exactly what I want.