Category: Photography

Picture Parade One Hundred and Thirty-two

Why Being a Wildlife Photographer Is the Best Job in the World

These photographs were originally sent to me by Marg from Tasmania and they are just wonderful. Upon querying with Marg where they originally came from she found the source on a blog site called deMilked. That site explained:

You have to really love animals to go into nature photography. After all, it requires more patience to catch some deer in your lens than to photograph a mountain. Mountains don’t run away! Some animals don’t run either. In fact, some of them are really curious and come closer to check out the photographer. Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? Apparently, foxes and squirrels.

So here is the first batch of these gorgeous photographs.

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More to share with you over the next two Sundays.

Thanks Marg!

More Dogs and Dolphins

Can’t resist these videos.

I was looking up stories on German Shepherds, a breed we just adore, and quite by chance came across a lovely follow-up to my post last Tuesday Dogs and Dolphins.

Published on Mar 9, 2012

This is a video of a German Shepherd jumping in on some dolphins while we were underway in our boat. I guess he wanted to play with the dolphins lol
Thanks for watching

After that video had come to an end, YouTube then automatically went on to this one:

(The soundtrack quality is poor but, nevertheless, it was been viewed over six million times!)

You all have a great week-end.

Yes, it rains in Oregon!

Reflections on where we two Brits live.

We never planned to come and live in Southern Oregon. It was the result of a bizarre dream about our well running dry when we were living back in Payson, Arizona. Someone who was staying with us at the time, upon hearing about my strange dream, responded: “If you’re worried about water go and live in Oregon.”

So we did!

At the time of writing this post (2pm yesterday) our weather station that we have at home had recorded a total of 7.78 inches of rain for January that brought the total for December and January to 25.66 inches. Two days ago we had 2.48 inches in a single day, as these photographs bear out.

Just asas and already — Not even 11am and already 1.8 inches has fallen since midnight.

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Bummer Creek in full flow (the central pier is from a previous bridge.)

Anyway, all this is a preface to a lovely item about living in Oregon that was sent to me by Janet, a neighbour of ours.

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If someone in a Home Depot store offers you assistance and they don’t work there, you live in Oregon.
If you’ve worn shorts, sandals and a parka at the same time, you live in Oregon.
If you’ve had a lengthy telephone conversation with someone who dialed the wrong number, you live in Oregon.
If you measure distance in hours, you live in Oregon.
If you know several people who have hit a deer more than once, you live in Oregon.
If you have switched from ‘heat’ to ‘A/C’ and back again in the same day, you live in Oregon.
If you install security lights on your house and garage but leave both doors unlocked, you live in Oregon.
If you can drive 75 mph through 2 feet of snow during a raging blizzard without flinching, you live in Central, Southern or Eastern Oregon.
If you design your kid’s Halloween costume to fit over 2 layers of clothes or under a raincoat, you live in Oregon.
If driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow and ice, you live in Oregon.
If you know all 4 seasons: almost winter, winter, still winter, and road construction, you live in Oregon.
If you feel guilty throwing aluminum cans or paper in the trash, you live in Oregon.
If you know more than 10 ways to order coffee, you live in Oregon.
If you know more people who own boats than air conditioners, you live in Oregon.
If you stand on a deserted corner in the rain waiting for the “Walk” signal, you live in Oregon.
If you consider that if it has no snow or has not recently erupted, it is not a real mountain, you live in Oregon.
If you can taste the difference between Starbucks, Seattle’s Best, and Dutch Bros, you live in Oregon.
If you know the difference between Chinook, Coho and Sockeye salmon, you live in Oregon.
If you know how to pronounce Sequim, Puyallup, Clatskanie, Issaquah, Oregon, Umpqua, Yakima and Willamette, you live in Oregon.
If you consider swimming an indoor sport, you live in Oregon.
If you know that Boring is a city and not just a feeling, you live in Oregon.
If you can tell the difference between Japanese, Chinese and Thai food, you live in Oregon.
If you never go camping without waterproof matches and a poncho, you live in Oregon.
If you have actually used your mountain bike on a mountain, you live in Oregon.
If you think people who use umbrellas are either wimps or tourists, you live in Oregon.
If you buy new sunglasses every year, because you cannot find the old ones after such a long time, you live in Oregon.
If you actually understand these jokes and forward them to all your OREGON friends, you live or have lived in Oregon.

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Picking up that point about never go camping without waterproof matches and a poncho, let me close today’s post by returning to Oregon rain. Or more accurately, to a photograph that I took back last Sunday over at our neighbour’s property.

All the best, everyone!

Picture parade one hundred and thirty-one.

The second set of those beautiful dog and cat photographs.

The first set was a week ago.

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Wish I had weeks and weeks of these for you but sadly that’s all for now! But many thanks, John H., for sending them on.

Happy days everyone!

Such profoundly wise animals.

Two very moving examples of the loving wisdom of our dogs.

First, another gem from Chris Snuggs.

not my photo, and I can’t remember where I found it …

But what does it all MEAN?

See the original here on Chris’s blogsite.

Then the second is a video that was brought to my attention thanks to Neil in South Devon. As Neil so rightly said, “Leaving aside the captions it’s quite moving….”. (And, trust me, believers and non-believers alike, you are going to weep from start to finish, just as Jean and I did!)

In a world where so much is so utterly screwed up it is the most blissful miracle that we have our dogs!

Such smart animals

As about as different to yesterday’s post as one could get!

The link to this was sent to me by Chris Snuggs, my ex Director of Studies when I was a visiting teacher at ISUGA in France too many years ago.

Dogs are such canny creatures!

The language of love

As our dear dogs speak it.

You will recall that last Friday I featured an item under the title of Private First Class Lingo. The item had been brought to my attention by Constance Frankland.

Well here’s another really special story that Constance came across on a website called Arditor and I wanted to share it with you.

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8 Ways Your Dog is Saying “I Love You“

Although dogs don’t speak our language, they are constantly trying to tell us that they love us and always showing love through their actions. Unfortunately, many shrug their shoulders or get annoyed over their dogs’ love gestures.
Here are 8 ways your dog is saying “I love you”…

Tail Wagging

Similar to a cat, a dog’s tail is a communication tool. In fact it is sometimes more accurate in translating its emotions than barking. Held at different positions, a dog’s wag could communicate excitement, fear, threat or submission. If your dog’s tail is held in a relaxed position and wagging all together with its entire butt, it means it is very happy to see you.

Face Licking

Warm, sticky, wet and stinky! We know this can get annoying but licking a person’s face is a love gesture from a dog. Dogs lick faces for a few reasons. Mainly, if your pet dog is licking your face, he is trying to groom you! Grooming is an intimate gesture only done after a strong connection is made between dogs (so now you know he sees you as one of his kind). On the other hand, if a stranger dog licks your face, it is simply trying to say that he is harmless and friendly.

Following You Wherever You Go

This is another behaviour that can get on your nerves, especially when your dog attempts to follow you to work! However, it is only a dog’s way to show his love, devotion and loyalty to you. Wherever you are, that is where your dog wants to be. Dogs are extreme social creatures and unlike humans, there is no need for solitude.

Sleeping with You

Similar to wild wolve packs, wild dogs curl up together to sleep in the night. Rather than sleeping alone in his designated corner, your dog prefers to snuggle right next to you in your bed. If you catch your dog sneaking onto your bed or falling asleep next to you in your couch, it implies that you are his family.

Smiling

It is no surprise when you see something like a smile on your dog. Dogs do smile too! Research has found that dogs can also show and use facial expressions similar to how humans do. A dog’s smile is another way of showing his love and joy to his owner. Having said that, most of us are guilty of not recognizing our dog’s smile.

Crotch Sniffing

Argh, this is an embarrassing one and how we wished our dogs can quit going around sniffing crotches. But before you start screaming at your dog, try to understand it. This behaviour is in fact a dog’s perculiar way of greeting. More importantly, apart from a hello, it allows the dog to understand and remember you through your scent.

Taking Care of You When You are Sick

Does your dog stay by your bed and watch you the whole time while you are nursing a flu? This is its natural instinct to care for a sick or wounded family member, just as they would in the wild. A dog extends its love and care to its sick or injured owner by quietly and patiently watching over him/her. But make sure you hide any superficial wounds away from your dog! It might actually lick your wound as its form of first aid.

Leaning on You

Whether you are sitting or standing, your dog is leaning on you and wouldn’t budge. You can’t move and you can’t get on with your daily routine. While you are wondering what they are up to, your dog has already got what they needed: your attention. Getting your attention and giving you their attention by leaning on you is their way of showing affection. Next time this happens, stop what you are doing and reciprocate with some love.

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This turned out to be more of a Sunday Picture Parade but it seemed too special to hold it from you until the weekend.

No, our dogs don’t speak a language that we humans would recognise as such but, nonetheless, our dogs communicate in ways that still are as magical and special as our human poetry.

Speaking of poetry, let me close today’s post with this.