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PHOTOBOMBED.

I was trying to get a nice photo of the Black-headed grosbeak when all of a sudden this house sparrow jumped in the way to hog what little limelight was left in this tree.

What’s so special about the Black-headed grosbeak? They’re a migratory bird that is only in this area for summer breeding with Washington being their Northern tip before they head south again.

Here’s the one good photo I was able to get of the black-headed grosbeak before the house sparrow decided to showboat for the camera:

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I wanted to find an interesting texture to photograph. Can you tell what joke is coming up? Yes? Good. You nailed it.

Now think of the Japanese proverb: The nail that sticks out shall be hammered down.

Now look at this photo as a result of that proverb. There are a relative few that are flush with the wood but the rest are now messed up and many aren’t even nails.

 

 

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Bewick’s Wren Peep-Peeps.

We found this nest so exposed but we had to get a quick photo. After the snap, we quickly covered the nest as it should have been and left it alone as much as possible.

It’s so funny to see a nest with live hatchlings, so upclose, and below eye level.

I really worry about the myriad of neighborhood cats that have been seen wandering the yards and can EASILY jump on top of this nest. Neighbors would probably get upset if we captured the cats to keep them away from the nest, but for the time being they are thriving.

We also captured some video of the mating pair bringing food to the nest. Check it out:

 

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Oh dandelion, you’re such a dandy lion. The mark of summer is here and the sun is making everything and everyone go crazy. Bask in it’s light and warm as long as possible, for the skies of gray soon return to bring the rains and pains.

Sure, it’s a weed, but it’s one of those flowers that captivate our minds with the mystic abilities of floating seeds blown into the winds.

Now, think of Flick and how he will bring warrior bugs back to the colony to fight the grasshoppers. Yeah, just made you think of “A Bug’s Life”. Did you know this story was based on the historical fiction that is the masterpiece “Seven Samurai”?

If you haven’t seen either of these movies, please go educate yourself immediately. Suffer through the 3+ hours that is Seven Samurai to learn what great film-making is really about.

Also based on Seven Samurai (1954), but probably not a complete list:

  • A Bugs Life (1998)
  • Battle Beyond the Stars (1980)
  • Magnificent Seven (1960)
  • Nothing else. Everything else is rubbish.

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Dog-sitting Kylee and Loa. Kylee was so excited to see me, she burst into howls and was practically flipping. Spending some quality time with the beasts seemed to calm them down.

Now, cool dogs walk away from explosions. But I don’t have any explosions, so here is Kylee looking cool.

Doo-dee-doo.

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Starting month 5 with a simple snapshot of one of my bikes with a mural. I haven’t spent much time with the better camera in the last couple of weeks as I try to finish off some other creative projects that have taken me far longer than anticipated.

This mural can be found at 15th and NE Burnside on the side of Columbia Art Supply. I didn’t see the artist’s signature anywhere on the piece, I’m probably just blind. But I will credit them as soon as I find out.

It’s hard to believe I’m already 5 months into this daily photography project. In previous attempts, I had missed a day or just got frustrated and gave up trying. This effort feels different. I no longer feel constrained by my equipment so I can focus more on something interesting rather than trying to fight the limitations.