April 9, 2013 - Is it Spring yet ???

I'm still going back to the Winter that didn't want to end ... ever!  The gopher awoke to a wicked world of white and the doe was surviving solely on the oats we provided.

Wow ... I sure have been posting a lot, eh!

The "Age B4 Digital"

This image was taken in February 2007 using a 35mm camera.  It was published in the local newspaper and was also used on the "celebration of life" card of a very dear friend of mine.

I recently spent a vast amount of time scanning the scratched negative, tweaking everything I could, and I finally arrived at an image that I can now share with you. 

I knew all the deer personally!  They too have passed but remain immortalized in this photo.  The very last rays of the low winter sun slipped below the horizon just seconds after I shot this image through double windows with the zoom at maximum!  I am glad that I was able to resurrect it to the "Digital Age".

Finding their wings !!!

I know that there are a lot of people that do not particularly like Magpies.  I am not one of them!  Birds from the Corvid family are incredibly intelligent and interactive with humans ... if given the chance.  I have know a couple of Magpies personally over the years and I cherish the memories of my interactions with them!

These young fledglings, Black-billed Magpies (Pica hudsonia), were causing their parents no end of grief as they ventured from the safety of the nest.  They were comical to watch from a distance, under the watchful eyes of mom and dad.  Cute little farts!

I once asked a photographer friend of mine if he had any photos of a magpie with its wings showing or in flight.  (They have amazing Art Deco patterns.)  His reply to me was, "Girl, if I was going to point something at a magpie, it would not be a camera!"

BIG BIG BIG Moth !!!

I like to learn about Moths!  The more I learn, the more I like them!  The more I play with them, the more I want to play with them! Chuckle ... in a good way, gang!

Here are some images of the GIANT Silkworm - Antheraea polyphemus AKA Polyphemus Moth.

The 3 photos below show the subtle variations in colour and markings between individuals. 

 

 

 

Their wingspan can be up to 15 cm = 6 inches.  BIG!  Notice the amazing "eyespots" on the wings!  The centre of these eyespots are clear ... like cellophane!   Really?  Oh yes!!!

I am including more images so you can fully appreciate their beauty ... from all angles!  Enjoy!

It was a dark and stormy night ...

... and although we didn't have too many this past summer, they were memorable!   One to the southwest even produced a small EF0 tornado.
The grainy appearance of the image below is due to the copious amounts of rain and scattered hail between me and it!   I saw it for a couple of minutes and then it became rainwrapped.

There had been "tornado watches & warnings" issued but they were ended BEFORE I saw this one!  I phoned the sighting into Environment Canada plus emailed them this photo.  Upon viewing the photo, they re-issued the tornado watch!

A large stormfront made its way through the Battlefords on July 6, 2013 just after 9 p.m.  The 3 photos below were taken from different locations around the Battlefords.

Some storms leave destruction, some storms leave flooding ... and ... some leave RAINBOWS behind.

Junior !!!

On July 25, 2013 after 9 p.m., I was finally given an opportunity to take a couple of photos of Junior and his Mama!   These are white-tailed deer.

In deep shade in the flooded ditch, the little one only stayed around briefly after telling Mama that something strange was staring at him! Chuckle!  Seeking solace from his mom, he then darted into the bushes!

I always have to remember that it is NOT me that they see but rather my camera!  I had been catching glimpses of the little gaffer quite regularly and was pleased to be able to capture his image for posterity.

Technical note:   I had to "play" a bit to make these images viewable.  The extreme shade they were in was a challenge.  I used manipulation in Photoshop Elements to sharpen them and give them some brightness and texture.   I actually like the results!

Rodent alert!!!

I seem to attract old men, babies, dust and rodents! 

 

The Enforcer ...

...lays down the law!

Please believe me ... I had NO intention of going through that fence!

Raptor's Salvation

Thanks to Sask Power, these Ospreys have a permanent, maintained nest site near Cochin, Saskatchewan.

   They have been returning to the same nest for a number of years now.  These 2 successfully raised 2 young ones this year.   Awesome!

I'm Lovin' It !!!

Oh yea, that's what I'm talkin' about!  Happy ... happy ...happy !!!

 

Put your Happy Face on!

 

 

Besides the Gulls that frequent the local McDonalds, this mama Gopher was "all in" when it came to handouts!

The Sum of the Parts = Perfection !!!

Today I shall introduce you to one of the largest moths we have in Saskatchewan  -  Hyalophora columbia gloveri - Glovers Silk Moth.  Perfection with wings!

These moths are attracted to the "black light" I have set up in the garden.  They are BIG moths and yet incredibly difficult to find as they hide so well.  This past year, I caught and released 5 of these beauties!  They are active in early June.

Cooled in the fridge, they are relatively easy to work with.   They are docile and tractable.  They must be handled with great care. Previous to the arrival of this moth, I was unable to hold a big-bodied moth in my hand as, simply put, it greebled me out.  Ewww!

I was so enamoured by this particular one that, for a moment, I considered what it might look like mounted on black velvet in a display frame. Hmmmmmmmmm???

That particular moment passed, as it gracefully left the warmth of my hand and departed to carry out its destiny.  Once airborn, it was the size of a small bird with a wingspan of 5 inches.  I marvelled in the wake of its wingbeats!