Friday, May 4, 2012

From the Patio....


Today I'm showing a few of the
interesting things I see from my patio.
This groundhog was seen in my neighbor's 
yard.  He stood as still as a statue for
the longest time.  


I tried to get a better shot, but he took off to the Back 6 
so I only captured a part of him.  Someone asked me 
recently what kind of camera I had to get the closeup 
shots.  It's a Canon PowerShot SX 30 IS.  It has a 
35X wide-angle zoom, which is what sold me on this 
particular camera.  It's called a point and shoot 
camera, but it's bigger and heavier than what I've
 had before in a point and shoot.  I like it very much, 
especially as I can zoom in on things that are quite 
a distance away without having a camera that
 requires separate lenses to carry around.  
I still have a lot to learn with it.


This plane is at least 6 miles up.  I think the
flight pattern between Kansas City and St. Louis
must go over our house.  When hubby got home
from work, we both sat on the patio and noted 
that in the space of a few minutes we had seen
5 or 6 go overhead in one direction or another. 
Of course, we noticed this since I had the camera
in hand and was trying to zoom in for a decent shot.


I took another shot of the scene of the crime yesterday.  If 
you didn't see my post Wednesday, I showed a black snake
 slithering up to the Bluebird's house and getting the babies 
inside.  I was happy to see one of the parents, but he/she 
(the light wasn't right to tell for sure) looked sad to me
and sat there on the wire for quite some time.  I've 
gotten some good advice from Betsy in TN from Joyful
Reflections on what we might try to hopefully keep
snakes from trying to climb the pole.  Betsy has just
recently lost a Bluebird family to an unknown intruder. 
Nature can be so cruel sometimes. 


Looking at the sky one more time before I called it
an evening and went inside, I noticed the moon
looking nearly full.  You may have already read about it, 
but tomorrow, Saturday, the Full Moon will be the 
closest and largest of 2012.  I hope it's a clear night!

Until next time... 

28 comments:

  1. Love the wispiness of that plane shot. You are doing a great job with all these photos. I've really enjoyed seeing them all. (Yes, even that dreadful snake and that annoying groundhog. =D Hope that he doesn't show up in your garden. )

    ReplyDelete
  2. Love your photos - the one of the plane is really great! I'm also hoping tomorrow evening will be clear for the "super moon"! Of course, I'll be photographing it from our local race track, but hoping to get some good shots...!

    ReplyDelete
  3. love that first shot of him standing guard and i would love to see one of these in real time. your camera does an impressive zoom, the plane is really good, even my long lens doesn't get one like that.

    ReplyDelete
  4. i really like that plane shot. looks really cool. :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Beautiful pictures.

    Love these new point and shoot cameras! So nice not to have to lug around lenses :)

    Cool shot of the moon!
    And, I did hear about the moon being so close to the earth and appearing so much larger.
    Going to get a look at it :)

    Happy weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  6. That plane shot is fantastic- that's a great zoom you've got.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Love the groundhog, we don't have any around here.
    All your shots are amazing, Cheryl. That's a traffic camera with great zoom range.
    cheers

    ReplyDelete
  8. Groundhogs are so cute.... and so destructive. When we had 100 acres, they were all over the place. Now that we have moved closer to civilization, they aren't as plentiful... thank goodness.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I have a Canon Power Shot too, but NOT yours. You have a wonderful zooooooooom!!!!!!!

    I fear our dull/cloudy weather will continue, and I will not be able to see this amazing big Full Moon coming. -pout-

    "No great thing is created suddenly."
    ~Epictetus

    ReplyDelete
  10. Thanks for the camera info, Cheryl. I didn't realize that there was a point and shoot with such terrifc zoom capabilities.
    More great photos today.
    I'll be looking for the full moon tomorrow.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Cheryl
    Your photos are all good. I've been wanting a new camera, so I'm glad you shared some info about yours.
    We have a lot of gophers here. They are such pesty creatures!
    And I sure hope the snake doesn't get those sweet birdies. Keep us posted.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Oooo you have a groundhog! I think they are characters but I wasn't too happy when one dug under our front porch and made it his happy home. He was trapped and relocated. I'm with everyone else and think the plane shot is cool! CH and I are concentrating on putting some kind of snake barriers on our BB houses :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. The groundhog is so cute!!!! And I love your shot of the jet...it looks the same color as the smoke trail, like a ghost jet!!! Are you going to take pictures of the Super Moon??? Last we tried it, we almost got arrested!

    ReplyDelete
  14. That is the camera I have been looking at....your pictures are super. I think Canon is tops in the the digital camera field.

    Something ran our family of house finches away from their annual nest by our back door, but the Eastern Phoebes are back with their messy nest on top of the light fixture.

    I saw a blue bird male feeding one of his babies while they were sitting on a power line that runs across our drive.

    We love watching the birds.

    ReplyDelete
  15. I LOVE that you're sitting outside taking it all in. ENJOY!

    ReplyDelete
  16. I didn't know that about the moon, I'll have to make sure I'm outside. Love your photos!

    ReplyDelete
  17. That plane looks almost like a ghost plane. Interesting shot.
    Anxiously awaiting tomorrows super moon. Should be spectacular.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Hi Cheryl!

    I love your photos - your camera is a keeper!

    Poor little blue birds! I sometimes hate to let nature take it's course!! I saw a little Killdeer on my lawn yesterday who had lost it's mama. I could hear her calling him, but he was soooo lost. It wasn't long before she found him and had him safely tucking in his nest... :0)

    Hugs,
    Barb

    ReplyDelete
  19. Silly question, but I've never even tried to see if a bird was a he or a she!!! Or even what to look for! Your photo of the plane is cool, but then again, everything you take is cool! Enjoy your weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  20. I liked seeing your Bluebird House ----and now I know that there are no nearby trees. SO--the snake had to sliver up the pole... Hope some of the things I told you will help... Good Luck....

    We had a big ole groundhog near our house several years ago. He would eat our plants/flowers... We got rid of him ---and he was removed to another place where he wouldn't be near us!!!! ha

    Hugs,
    Betsy

    ReplyDelete
  21. You took some great shots today. You have an interesting yard to look at. That plane picture was quite unique I thought. Love, sandie

    ReplyDelete
  22. Hey...really love the jet and contrails! Looks like the aircraft is made of clouds on first glance. Great shot!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Your photos are beautiful, Cheryl, the groundhog I found very interesting, I love to watch wild animals, we have coyotes, and fox that entertain us.
    I read the blue bird story and have had similar incidents with black snakes, they are feisty too, and will fight back! I have one that likes to hang around my porch, and since he has taken up residence my frogs and lizards are vanishing.
    Thanks for sharing, enjoy your weekend.
    Hugs,
    Sue

    ReplyDelete
  24. That plane photo is amazing... looks like a ghost plane. ;) Your camera takes good photos, but it is in the eye of the photographer that the real art lives. ;) blessings ~ Tanna

    ReplyDelete
  25. ooohhh lot's to see from the porch. that image of the plane is amazing.

    we have sunset beach plans, to watch the moon rise. i am pretty excited, with the new lens. i am glad you mentioned it here, just in case i didn't know. i like knowing these things!!

    have a wonderful weekend!!

    ReplyDelete
  26. I love the pictures you are taking with your camera. I have seriously be thinking of taking a photography class. I am going to check out your story of the snake trying to get the birds; that would freak me out. I loved the pictures and thoughts today.
    Blessings to you and have an awesome weekend.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Your little camera takes great pictures.... or maybe it is just the photographer is great. I do believe we are going to have clear skies tonight!

    ReplyDelete
  28. I'm so sorry the bluebirds lost their babies. Bluebirds seem to have such a hard time with so many predators!

    ReplyDelete