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Last Notes

2026-08-27 13:21:31 UTC

Good morning. 🪿🪿🪿
27 August 2026
Today is an off day for me, one when I could be getting yard work done. But it rained sometime this morning. I’m not complaining — we needed the rain. It feels like a nap day, and honestly, I have a lot of those nowadays.
As you can tell, I’m really struggling to come up with anything to write about, so I’ve ended up writing about the struggle itself, which is very real.
It’s a strange feeling when the celebrities you’ve watched on the boob tube for decades start passing away. You catch yourself thinking, hey, he or she isn’t much older than me — sometimes even younger. It’s surreal. I don’t know about you, but I realized a long time ago that none of us are immortal. In the end, it’s all the same; it doesn’t matter what your status in life has been — one day it’ll be over. I’m not trying to be morbid. I’m just thinking about a part of life we like to hide from, even though everybody will face it sooner or later.
The big mystery is what happens next. Different people have different beliefs. There’s the whole heaven‑and‑hell scenario. There’s the belief in reincarnation — that we come back as another person, or maybe even a different species. But beliefs aren’t proof of anything; they’re just ideas passed down over centuries, or in some cases only decades.
I recently had a procedure where I was put under with anesthesia. It wasn’t my first rodeo, but this time I was out completely — nothing happening, nothing existing — until I woke up. It was as if my consciousness simply didn’t exist for a while. It’s possible that’s what happens in the end: you turn off like a light bulb.
“My sorrow, when she’s here with me, thinks these dark days of autumn rain are beautiful as days can be.” — Robert Frost
“If you would indeed behold the spirit of death, open your heart wide unto the body of life. For life and death are one, even as the river and the sea are one.” — Kahlil Gibran
#birds #ducks #blackbelliedwhistlingducks #rain #death
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2026-08-15 13:36:45 UTC

Good morning. 🚌📚🚸
15 August 2026
My granddaughter, a first‑year teacher, held her very first class two days ago. She has twenty‑two five‑year‑olds — all brand‑new to school — which already makes for an interesting combination. She told me that many, if not most, of her students don’t speak English, and I think that adds a whole different level of challenge to her job.
She described day one as total chaos, and in my mind’s eye I can see a scene straight out of a movie. She had five behaviorally challenging kids and four runners. Evidently, runners are the ones who just take off out the door. She said she tried to stop one by blocking the way, but the kid slid right between her legs and kept going. Wow. Can you imagine teaching twenty‑two five‑year‑olds, many of whom can’t speak English? That’s well above my capabilities, so hats off to my granddaughter.
Day two went much better — things settled down, routines started forming. She made me smile when she said she’d be “duolingoing” on the weekends. I love that she invented her own word. That means she has a high level of geniosity.
Rumor has it that every kindergarten teacher at her school from last year quit. I tried to find out more because… well, because I can sometimes be nosey, as they say inquiring minds want to know. I asked my granddaughter, and she just said, “No gossiping.” I’m proud of her for that.
My mind immediately jumped to Hee Haw:
“We’re not ones to go ’round spreadin’ rumors. No sir. We’re just not the gossipin’ kind. You’ll never hear one of us repeating gossip… so you better listen close the first time.”
“Children are not a distraction from more important work. They are the most important work.” — C.S. Lewis (attributed)
“The beginning is the most important part of the work.” — Plato
“A closed mouth gathers no foot.” — Southern proverb
#photo #photography #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #morning #westerncattleegrets #kindergarten #school #teaching
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2026-08-07 13:57:08 UTC

Good morning. 🌴🐚🐬
7 August 2026
My wife and I are heading out for our annual immunizations today. Hmm… that really does sound like something only a senior citizen would say, doesn’t it. Still, it feels like an outing—an adventure, even. We have somewhere to go, something on the calendar, a mission.
I haven’t made it down to the senior center yet, though I’ve been thinking about sticking my head in. My wife went once and told me we should go together, but she’s never mentioned it again. Evidently the lady she went with had been banned from the center. I’m not sure what the official charge was, but my wife said it had something to do with her allegedly taking an artificial plant—and apparently she was a repeat offender. The police even showed up while my wife was there. I mean honestly, how do you get banned from a senior center?
I don’t think that woman is part of my wife’s gang, the Sew Crazy Quilters—the local quilting guild. They’re a wild bunch, but I haven’t heard of any of them getting kicked out of the senior center. I always picture them in denim vests with a quilted sewing machine on the back and a tiny embroidered “QG” in the corner. Naturally, “Sew Crazy” would be stitched in an arc over the top like a biker patch.
Every so often they go on what’s called a shop hop—a list of quilting shops scattered across the region, sometimes pretty far out. The goal is to visit each shop, collect a token, and sign in. I suppose it’s not entirely unlike a bar hop or a poker run that motorcyclists do, just with more fabric and fewer leather vests.
And so our day’s big mission comes to a gentle, well‑stitched close.
“You know you're getting old when you stoop to tie your shoelaces and wonder what else you could do while you're down there.” — George Burns
Old age is not so bad when you consider the alternative.” — Maurice Chevalier
#photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #morning #birds #quilters #seniorcitizens
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2026-07-30 13:58:25 UTC

Good morning. 🏗️🏗️🏗️
30 July 2026
When you look at this picture, does anyone else immediately think “Imperial Walkers?” The cranes have that same looming, mechanical posture — like they’re about to start marching.
Turning to Star Trek — back when I was still working, I had a coworker I’d tease, in the friendliest way possible, about being a Trekkie. He wasn’t one, but I kept nudging the joke along because it amused both of us. I don’t even remember how it started; it just became part of the daily rhythm.
At one point, I printed a Starfleet Academy diploma I found online, put his name on it, and hung it on his wall. It took him weeks to notice, but once he did, he kept it.
Eventually, I found the perfect way to finish the bit. I came across a Star Trek uniform shirt for sale, bought it, and had my wife embroider his name on it. Then I hung it above his desk like it was his official Starfleet assignment. Honestly, it’s probably still there.
Why go through all that trouble? Because that’s how you build camaraderie — the small, shared jokes that make people feel like they’re part of something together. I had other running gags with other folks, but this one was the clearest example. Not everyone enjoys a little ribbing or a harmless prank, but that’s life. The people who do? They remember it.
“The only way to have a friend is to be one.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Angels can fly because they take themselves lightly.” - G.K. Chesterton
“Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.” - Henry Ford
#photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #morning #cranes #blackskimmers #starwars #startrek #camaraderie #blackskimmers #jokes
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/117/009/048/804/663/238/original/994bec19a6cc55ef.jpg

2026-07-22 13:47:30 UTC

Good morning. 🌊🌊🌊
22 July 2026
In 1972, I was assigned to Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 9th Marines at Bien Hoa Airbase in South Vietnam. I served on an 81mm mortar crew, so what I’m about to relate isn’t firsthand information — it was scuttlebutt, the kind of gossip that drifted through the company like smoke.
There was one Marine, a rifleman, who had earned the nickname “Radar.” Yes, Radar — like the character from MASH*. The TV show wouldn’t air for another decade, but the movie had come out a couple of years earlier, so there was nothing supernatural about how he got the handle.
Radar was considered an odd duck. Whenever someone pulled duty with him, he showed up carrying a bag full of electrical components and spent the time fiddling with them. Guys said he had a sack of transistors he liked to play with, and that was enough to mark him as different.
I was a 19‑year‑old Marine private first class, so naturally I listened to all the scuttlebutt — “scuttlebutt” being the old Marine and Navy term for gossip — and I was dutifully amused by it. But looking back, I think Radar was probably building some kind of electrical device, maybe a ham radio or something similar. Which means he had a hobby, and it also means that Radar — the guy who was the butt of jokes — was probably a lot smarter than the rest of us.
In those days, almost half of Marine infantrymen didn’t have a high‑school diploma. Being “different” wasn’t encouraged.
In retrospect, I wish I’d had the courage to be an odd duck myself and buck the peer pressure. It would take a few more years before I matured enough to reach that level of contentment.
“Do not fear to be eccentric in opinion, for every opinion now accepted was once eccentric.” — Bertrand Russell
“If you are always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be.” — Maya Angelou
“Not all who wander are lost.” — J.R.R. Tolkien
#photo #photography #photographer #morning #seascape #Vietnam #conformity #Marines
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2026-07-22 12:24:46 UTC

Whistler on the Roof
This is a pretty good photo of a female northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis). Her crest is pretty striking.
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/963/602/694/168/503/original/7274a45fb4425214.jpg

2026-07-18 22:48:41 UTC

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😂

2026-07-18 22:48:15 UTC

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😂

2026-07-18 21:09:25 UTC

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Racoons are the worst. If I leave my bird feeders out, they make a real mess. They've tried but failed to break into the shed where I keep the bird seed.

2026-07-18 21:05:21 UTC

Monochrome Curiosity
Here is a tufted titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor) perched on the edge of my birdbath, leaning forward as it looks curiously down toward the ground. I chose to capture the moment in black and white simply because it felt right.
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/942/975/612/621/071/original/83f0803bfb4cd637.jpg

2026-07-18 17:49:43 UTC

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No, it ran or waddled to the hole beneath the fence, but when it realized it wasn't fast enough it ducked into the cover of a gardenia bush nearby. In the meantime, Charlie was finished with the race and came back to me. The possum then went out beneath the fence.

2026-07-18 17:43:53 UTC

Held in the Beak of Morning
I liked the profile of this blue jay (Cyanocitta cristata) captured here among the forest leaves. It holds something at the tip of its beak — perhaps a small seed — and until you notice it, the beak almost appears to have a tiny hook at the end.
If you're enchanted by images of blue jays and other captivating corvids, dive into my photo gallery for a visual treat! Take a peek:
https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com
#photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #corvids #bluejay
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2026-07-16 14:21:20 UTC

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But watching her get her feet under her made me think about the rest of the family too. My daughter’s girls have made good choices, worked hard, and are stepping into lives that will carry them forward. They’re building something solid — you can see the path forming right in front of them.
Not everyone gets that kind of beginning. I’ve got nieces and nephews who, for all sorts of reasons — poverty, unstable homes, bad breaks, bad decisions — never got the same launch. When you start with nothing, you stay stuck with nothing. No transportation. No place of your own. No cushion to fall back on. And once you’re behind, every step forward feels like climbing a hill made of loose gravel.
It’s a reminder that “getting started” isn’t the same challenge for everyone. Some kids step into adulthood with a foundation. Others step into adulthood with a hole they have to climb out of first.
“Not all storms come to disrupt your life; some come to clear your path.” — Paulo Coelho
“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about.” — Ian Maclaren
“The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet.” — Aristotle
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2026-07-16 14:20:38 UTC

Good morning. 🐦🐦🐦
16 July 2026
I haven’t posted any photos for a few days. We drove up to Little Rock, where one of my granddaughters is starting her first teaching gig — kindergarten at a school in North Little Rock. We went up to help her begin setting up her classroom, and most of our time was spent assembling furniture, organizing supplies, and putting together the tools she’ll need to teach those little ones.
I have to say, it’s startling how much teachers end up paying out of their own pockets if they want to give their students an excellent classroom experience. The upside is that it lets them shape the room around their own vision — the colors, the themes, the little touches that make learning feel magical. But when you walk into a classroom and see all those extras that make the space warm and inviting, remember: the teacher probably bought most of that themselves.
This was the week for getting her room ready, and as I mentioned, we were there to help. I’m not entirely sure she’s being paid for this setup time, but I hope so. She’s been working another job up near Branson all summer and had to take time off from that just to get her classroom in order.
She also had to establish a place to live near the school, and she’s settled into a nice little apartment not too far away. It’s her first real stretch of life away from home, and it’s a perfect example of how challenging those early adult steps can be. You have to figure out how to fund your life before the first paycheck ever arrives. The answer, of course, is working hard all summer and saving every bit you can. ...
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#photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #morning #northerncardinals #education #teachers #launch
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2026-07-08 12:32:17 UTC

Flight at Dusk
A flock of pigeons cuts across a brooding sky, their dark shapes gliding in loose formation while the silhouette of a leafy tree frames the scene on the left. Heavy clouds gather overhead, hinting at an approaching storm and casting the moment in a calm yet quietly somber light.
Discover nature's fleeting moments through my lens—visit my photo gallery to see more.
https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com
#photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #doves #pigeons #rockpigeons #clouds #sky
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2026-07-05 13:34:31 UTC

Good morning. 🌤️🌉💨
5 July 2026
I received a short hose I’d ordered to connect a hose reel to a water faucet. I thought I’d bought one with two female ends — exactly what I needed — but nope. It was just a regular hose, only shorter. Four feet long. What am I supposed to do with that?
And the punchline: I didn’t need a new hose anyway. I just needed to tighten the connections. That tells you exactly how I feel in the mornings when I first gen up. It’s the perfect metaphor.
There is coffee, though. By some miracle, the doctors haven’t taken that away — knock on wood. As long as I don’t add anything to it, I’m good. I call it my last vice. Something true about aging is that when one thing goes out of whack, the doctor hands you a list of foods to avoid. When something else starts acting up, you get another list. Then another. Eventually it feels like you’re juggling prohibitions. If a food isn’t banned on one list, it’s almost guaranteed to be banned on another. Lettuce, though — lettuce is safe.
My new lunch go‑to is a Marketside Salad. Then for supper, I live in the danger zone and often have real food. It’s just that so many dishes I once took for granted are now off the table. How does a hotdog sound? I love them, but I may have eaten my last some time ago. When my wife asks what I want for supper, I always say meatloaf, knowing full well it won’t happen.
Several years ago, a doctor suggested I give up bread. My response at the time was, “In your dreams, doctor.” But as it turns out, dreams do come true.
“The trouble with life is that it’s daily.” — paraphrased from Mignon McLaughlin
“I’d rather take coffee than compliments just now.” — Louisa May Alcott
“To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art.” — La Rochefoucauld
“If you don’t make mistakes, you’re not working on hard enough problems.” — Frank Wilczek
#photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #nature #morning #food #waking #landscape #savannahRiver
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2026-06-27 12:54:46 UTC

Good morning. 🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛
27 June 2026
I’ve been pretty lax when it comes to keeping up with important dates. I suppose I should finally figure out how to set up my phone to remind me of recurring events like birthdays. They start stacking up fast once your grandchildren start having children. I was thinking about that this morning because I’m pretty sure I may have missed a birthday this month. Anyway, macht nichts — it’ll all come out in the wash.
Speaking of forgetting things, I think I forgot to feed Charlie yesterday morning. When I went to the refrigerator that afternoon to grab his food, there was no can waiting for me. I usually give him half a can in the morning and half in the afternoon. Fortunately, Charlie is very forgiving. I gave him a full can yesterday afternoon and sang, “Hurray, hurray, it’s a full‑can day,” hoping to fool him into thinking it was something special.
I’m not that forgetful of a person, though I do often forget to turn off the water in the kitchen sink. It usually happens when I’m rinsing out the coffee pot — I start multitasking, drift into something else, and since I don’t hear well, I don’t notice the sound of running water. Sometimes it runs for a long time. Most of the time I catch it myself and do a quick look around to make sure nobody saw what happened except me and Charlie. If I don’t catch it, my wife eventually does and asks how long the water has been running. At that point, I just give her the classic deer‑in‑the‑headlights look because I know I’ve done it again. Maybe I’m just getting caught by the doorway effect.
“The advantage of a bad memory is that one enjoys several times the same good things for the first time.” — Friedrich Nietzsche
“I’m not young enough to know everything.” — J.M. Barrie
“The best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time.” — Abraham Lincoln
#photo #photography #wildlife #nature #birds #birdphotography #morning #crow #memory #forgetfullness #silouettes #blackandwhite
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/821/990/997/512/202/original/6d813a622323cdc0.jpg

2026-06-25 13:31:02 UTC

Good morning. 🌻🌻🌻
25 June 2026
I’m once again sitting here staring off into space, trying to put some thoughts down, and Charlie’s mealtime has arrived just in time to break the spell of my space‑staring.
The idea of a Space Force with real Guardians is cool. I love their dress uniforms, especially that diagonal front layer on the coat — very Buck Rogers‑ish. And with individual members called Guardians, it’s hard not to picture white armor and blasters. Honestly, I still wonder what was wrong with “spaceman.” I’d bet money that name was at least in the running. And here’s a thought — one you’ve had too, don’t deny it — aren’t they, for all practical purposes, Guardians of the Galaxy?
In the Army, in my official capacity, when I needed to address someone whose name or rank I didn’t know, I’d call them “soldier.” So I imagine that in the Space Force, when calling out to an individual member, an officer or NCO would call out “Guardian.” It sounds funny because so many comic book, fantasy, and sci‑fi characters carry that title, so our minds automatically make that connection. It’s biology.
But the meaning of “guardian” is straightforward: someone who watches, protects, and keeps others safe. I won’t pretend I know the full scope of what they do, but my guess is they watch — constantly. The U.S. Space Force exists to protect America’s satellites, secure the space domain, and ensure the entire military can communicate, navigate, and operate anywhere on Earth.
“We sleep safely at night because rough men stand ready to visit violence on those who would harm us.” — Often attributed to George Orwell
“Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.” — Carl Sagan
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.” — Aristotle
#photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #nature #morning #flowers #spaceforce #guardians
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/810/697/898/723/877/original/20999d7c4a7d4d54.jpg

2026-06-21 13:46:15 UTC

Good morning. 🌅🌤️🌦️
21 June 2026
I hear the rain a‑coming again this morning, rolling in the same way it did yesterday and the day before. I haven’t seen a proper sunrise in so long it feels like something out of a Johnny Cash song — and yes, I borrowed a few words from Folsom Prison Blues, but the mood fits. Gray skies, steady rain, and that feeling of being stuck in the same weather loop.
We had plans to drive down to the Sabine Wildlife Refuge today, but the rain has other ideas. So that trip will have to wait for a clearer morning. In the meantime, I’ll just say “see ya later, alligator,” which is fitting enough since there are plenty of those down there. No crocodiles, though — Louisiana keeps things interesting, but not that interesting.
Speaking of crocs, I still don’t understand how those shoes became a fashion statement. I guess they’re no worse than flip‑flops, and people swear they’re comfortable. They do look convenient — slip in, shuffle out — but they seem like the kind of footwear you choose on a day when running is not on the agenda. Definitely not something you’d want to wear while wandering around a bayou.
And that brings me to the beach. One of the great things about going is the sand, and one of the worst things about going is… also the sand. Warm sand is wonderful to sink into, but it also finds its way into every pocket, shoe, and crevice you didn’t know you had. Flip‑flops are practically the uniform down there; I wore them myself back in the day. But once sand works its way between your toes and under that little strap, it becomes a slow, gritty torture device. Frequent rinsing becomes part of the journey if you’re walking any distance.
So here I am, listening to the rain, thinking about alligators, crocs, flip‑flops, and sand.
“I have always been delighted at the prospect of a new day, a fresh try.” — J.B. Priestley
#photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #nature #morning #crocs #flipflops #sunrise #ocean #ramble
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2026-06-19 15:47:11 UTC

Ruby in the Air
Here is a ruby‑throated hummingbird (Archilochus colubris). I’m personally not thrilled with the image. I used Lightroom to blur the background, and it ended up looking like a clumsy kid trying to stay inside the lines of a coloring book. I could have started over, but I thought, nah — just go with it.
By order of the Galactic Empire, your presence is commanded at my photo gallery:
https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com
#photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #rubythroatedhummingbird
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2026-06-13 15:18:59 UTC

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Yes, it was, but we survived and without helmets. 😂👍

2026-06-07 16:20:46 UTC

The Backward Glance
A backward glance from this female red‑bellied woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) shows her natural caution as she hangs upside down from the feeder, checking her surroundings before settling in to forage through the bounty below. And if experience is any guide, she’ll find a peanut — they always do.
Explore more chic woodpecker photos by visiting my photo gallery.
https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com
#photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #woodpeckers #redbelliedwoodpecker
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/709/683/696/273/035/original/41ee74500252b279.jpg

2026-06-05 16:26:01 UTC

Indigo Forager
Yesterday morning, Charlie and I decided to take my first cup of coffee out on the porch. A bird showed up across the way, and for a moment I almost ignored it in favor of the coffee. But curiosity won out, so I went back inside, grabbed my camera, and returned to stalk the bird. In my excitement, I forgot to check the camera settings and didn’t realize I’d nudged the F‑stop too high, so the originals came out a bit dark.
The bird is a Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea), and it’s actually the first adult I’ve seen. I have a few cleaner shots, but none with a pose as interesting as this one. It looks like the heron is wading through a pond or a lake, but it’s really just a big puddle that forms after heavy rain.
Explore a curated collection of heron and egret images in my photo gallery. Take a look!
https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com
#photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #heron #littleblueheron
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2026-05-30 14:28:50 UTC

Good morning. ☕☕☕
30 May 2026
I remember when telephones with push‑buttons started showing up. They looked so modern, so futuristic, like something out of a science‑fiction movie. If you had one sitting on your desk, you must have been somebody — even though, at first, they didn’t really do anything the old rotary phones couldn’t do. I still wonder why we started with a dial instead of buttons in the first place. I don’t wonder long, though. It had to be whatever the technology of the time could manage.
When I was a small child living with my grandparents — my parents were off at the Great Lakes while my dad went through Navy training — I had to memorize their phone number. To this day, it still doesn’t make sense to me. It was “Sycamore 5‑2453.” Try dialing that into a phone today. There have been a few changes since then.
And isn’t it funny that after all these years, after all the technical leaps that led to the cell phones we carry in our back pockets, we still say we’re “dialing” a number? I’m sure plenty of young people don’t even know what that means. I’ve seen clips online where teenagers are handed an old rotary phone and look as confused as I’d be if someone handed me a crank‑and‑jar churn. I wouldn’t know its purpose, let alone how to use it.
Makes you wonder what the next fifty years will bring. I’m certain of one thing: nobody will be running down to the telegraph office. And someday, even cell phones will go the way of buggy whips.
“We shape our tools and thereafter our tools shape us.” — Marshall McLuhan
“Nostalgia is a file that removes the rough edges from the good old days.” — Doug Larson
“If you don’t like change, you’ll like irrelevance even less.” — General Eric Shinseki
#photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #morning #technology #telephones #dial
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/663/794/210/226/807/original/a74fdb0be0c116db.jpg

2026-05-24 21:06:03 UTC

Field‑Brown Pigeon
I’ve seen this rock pigeon off and on over the last few years — at least I think it’s the same one. I’ve never seen the group that visits with two brown pigeons, so I’m assuming this is the same bird returning. This is the first time I’ve spotted it in quite a while.
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/631/556/727/267/472/original/68254f592c697e58.jpg

2026-05-22 13:41:04 UTC

Good morning. 🦆🪿🦢
22 May 2026
I had a recurring dream last night. Well, not exactly recurring, but the premise is always the same: I’m still in the Army, and I’ve already turned in my field gear in preparation for a PCS. “Permanent” change of station is a funny term, since nothing in the Army is ever permanent, but we all know it means you’re headed to another unit, usually halfway around the world.
In the dream, my gear is turned in, but for some reason I’m stuck — unable to leave, caught in a strange limbo. The details shift, the people around me change, but I’m always waiting for transportation that never quite arrives. Movement is paused for reasons no one can explain. So I carry on with only the odd bits of gear I bought myself over the years. Strange, isn’t it?
There’s a bit of trivia I’ve picked up from having served in both the Marine Corps and the Army. In the Marines, we called our field gear 782 gear, named after the form it was issued on: NAVMC Form 782. In the Army, the same basic gear is called TA‑50, after the authorizing publication CTA 50‑500 (CTA meaning Common Table of Allowances).
Two services, two cultures, and two sets of terminology for the same things. Think duffel bag vs. sea bag, hat vs. cover, latrine vs. head — the list goes on.
On a different note, teachers pour their own money into classrooms because budgets rarely cover what students truly need. They buy supplies, books, and basics so learning doesn’t suffer — a quiet burden they shoulder simply because they care. I mentioned helping my granddaughter’s kindergarten class in my last morning post. I’ll share her classroom registry again during one more two‑day cycle in case anyone wants to help equip her room.
https://www.amazon.com/registries/gl/guest-view/1DC2KJP067BP1
“The past is never dead. It’s not even past.” — William Faulkner
#photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #morning #ducks #giving #hoodedmergansers #dreams
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/618/251/126/013/454/original/765bcad042111326.jpg

2026-05-19 21:10:11 UTC

Rosy Goldfinch
I think that when I took this photo, the American goldfinches (Spinus tristis) had mostly moved on, but here’s one from a few weeks earlier. I really like the soft, rosy background.
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/603/275/443/060/403/original/b75492fe2dd6f452.jpg

2026-05-18 18:41:54 UTC

Light on Water
Here is a slightly over exposed image of a snowy egret (scientific name that is pleasantly easy on the eyes. I captured the image of this bird at Gulfport, Mississippi late November 2025.
Explore a curated collection of heron and egret images in my photo gallery. Take a look!
https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com
#photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #heron #egret #snowyegret
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/597/016/532/307/558/original/57983d4650502a78.jpg

2026-05-17 01:36:31 UTC

Sunflowers
Sunflowers can actually have anywhere from 34 to 89 petals, depending on the size and variety. Another fun fact: many sunflowers track the sun across the sky, a behavior called heliotropism.
If you love flowers—or just enjoy discovering their beauty and names like I do—come explore my gallery of blooms captured in moments of wonder and curiosity.
https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com
#photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #flowers #sunflowers
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/587/331/344/161/212/original/59a7a8fa552cf6a9.jpg

2026-05-15 13:48:53 UTC

Graceful in Greenery
I drove out to Alligator Lake early one morning while it was still cool. I started snapping pictures almost immediately, and only when I was getting ready to leave did I realize my camera settings were still set up for shooting the moon. Even so, this photo of a female red‑winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) turned out just fine.
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/578/891/712/042/276/original/4593c847032144e2.jpg

2026-05-10 12:19:40 UTC

Lone Songster
Tufted titmice (Baeolophus bicolor) are regular visitors in my backyard. I captured this image of one singing in the forest near my home a couple of years ago.
Tufted titmice are a favorite among a select group of bird enthusiasts. To celebrate these charming creatures, I’ve curated a special collection dedicated entirely to them in my photo gallery. Take a look!
https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com
#photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #tuftedtitmouse
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/550/176/780/781/235/original/8dda2e138d711095.jpg

2026-05-07 13:33:31 UTC

Good morning. 🍵🍵🍵
7 May 2026
While feeding Charlie this morning, I discovered Roomba wedged under the breakfast table. It must have gotten stuck yesterday during its rounds, and I only just noticed — meaning it had been stranded for nearly twenty‑four hours. The suffering it must have endured is unimaginable. The thought of being pinned between a table leg and a chair for that long is simply horrid.
Naturally, I blame myself for being so unobservant that I didn’t hear its cries for help. It was neglect on my part, and I feel deep regret. In my defense, the moment I spotted Roomba lying lifeless under the table, I immediately extricated it and rushed it to its base station, where it is now receiving the resuscitating care it deserves.
As you can see, the excitement of mornings in this household knows no bounds. Mine begins with the sudden realization that I am, in fact, still here — awake, with ambient light filtering through the curtains. When I say I “discover” I’m still here, it’s because seconds earlier I was somewhere else entirely, in a world that exists only in my mind. Or does it.
I get up, stagger into the bathroom, and revive myself with a toothbrush after the night’s sleep. When I open the bedroom door and step into the rest of the house, Charlie is waiting. The moment he sees me, he turns and thunders toward the back door, fully confident that I will follow and let him out.
And now, somehow, I’m already out of space this morning, so I’ll have to end it here. That’s all the chaos my morning budget allows.
“Normality is a paved road: it’s comfortable to walk, but no flowers grow on it.” — Van Gogh
“The world is full of magical things patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper.” — Yeats
“The universe is full of things that are patiently waiting for us to notice them.” — Eden Phillpotts
#photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #nature #morning #spanishmoss #roomba
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/533/352/408/438/491/original/ec1fa637efcd2f98.jpg

2026-05-05 16:33:25 UTC

Quiet Firebird
This is the third image of a Baltimore Oriole I’ve posted in a week. They’re such striking birds, and their spring stopover here is brief—sometimes they don’t pause at all—so I make the most of every encounter.
Step into a world where even the smallest moments—like the glint in a bird's eye—tell their own story.
https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com
#photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #blackbirds #baltimoreOriole
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/522/896/253/138/239/original/083eaba637799494.jpg

2026-05-04 12:14:38 UTC

Golden Approach
Here’s another Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula). I caught this one in mid‑flight, wings spread wide. I was a little disappointed that it didn’t fit entirely in the frame, but I still think it makes for a striking image.
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/516/210/728/265/756/original/ea6f9a65180ca819.jpg

2026-04-29 13:33:45 UTC

Good morning. 🌅🌊🍵
29 April 2026
We’re doing a little traveling in May. We’ll head up to Arkansas to watch our granddaughter graduate from college, then turn west into Oklahoma to meet our newest great‑granddaughter. It’s not a huge trip—maybe three days of driving altogether—mixed with “camping out” in hotels. And honestly, the hotel life is something we enjoy now and then. There’s a certain rugged adventure in surviving the Holiday Inn Express, the Marriott, or the Sheraton, where only the truly hardened can endure.
It’s a strange moment when you realize you’re old enough to be a great‑grandparent. It hits with that “oh my, what happened” feeling. One day you’re fine, and the next—boom—you’re ancient. You’re still here, of course, but you’re no longer part of the machinery that keeps society running. That’s all been handed off to younger generations, except for the few of us who refuse to step aside quietly. Instead, we keep inserting ourselves into the fray until the end, dragging as many people with us as possible. Do I really believe that? Probably not entirely—but that’s what came out. It’s complicated.
In stories and shows, you never see a group of seventy‑somethings working in an office or partying until dawn. Well, except for The Golden Girls. People in their seventies and eighties have appointments and regimens to keep. Speaking of which, I need to make sure I have enough meds for the trip. 😂
“Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional.” — Chili Davis
“Grandchildren are the dots that connect the lines from generation to generation.” — Lois Wyse
“Inside every older person is a younger person wondering what happened.” — Terry Pratchett
#photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #morning #landscape #shorebirds #aging #grandchildren #travel.
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/488/014/918/525/062/original/15567124375061d7.jpg

2026-04-27 13:36:34 UTC

Good morning. 😴⏰☕
27 April 2026
I really need to get moving, but I’m in a full‑blown Monday‑morning mood. You know the one—when you just sit there staring into space. The truth is, I don’t actually need Monday for that; I can manage it on pretty much any day of the week. I do try to keep my mouth closed during these Monday‑morning trances, because staring off into nothing with your jaw hanging open isn’t a great look. There’s always the risk of a little dribble sneaking out of the corner, too. That’s just… well… yuck. Especially if you’re at work or out in public. Luckily, I don’t go to work anymore, and I’m not out in public much, so most of my staring is done from my recliner. If I kick back, it just looks like I’m resting. And if I close my eyes… well… everyone’s fooled. 💤
When I do lean back with my eyes closed, my dog Charlie usually curls up on the end of the couch and joins me in his own version of the Monday‑morning trance. But if I risk even a tiny glance in his direction, I’ll often catch him staring right at me. I have to be careful with that maneuver, because the slightest eye‑flutter is his signal that it’s time to get up and get moving. The moment he thinks I’m awake, he jumps down and becomes relentless in his campaign to get me on my feet. At that point, he’s ready to go outside. His patience is almost absolute—right up until he notices the smallest twitch. Then it’s time to sound the alarm: Get up, get up, it’s time to go. He says all of that without actual words, of course. Still, I understand him perfectly. 🐶
“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes… including you.” — Anne Lamott
“I like to stare off into space for a while. It helps me forget the world.” — Haruki Murakami
“Dogs do speak, but only to those who know how to listen.” — Orhan Pamuk
#photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #nature #morning #flower #rest #trance #dogs #gardenia
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/476/795/134/704/338/original/ee02eb63d4a8e331.jpg

2026-04-23 17:13:35 UTC

White Wings Descending
I captured this artsy image of a great egret (Ardea alba) drifting down over Albany, Georgia.
Explore a curated collection of heron and egret images in my photo gallery. Take a look!
https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com
#photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #heron #egret #greategret
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/455/112/409/413/102/original/e4e6c9c3a15d8dcf.jpg

2026-04-17 13:42:35 UTC

Good morning. 🌊🌊🌊
17 April 2026
At home, I dress ultra‑casually — gym shorts and a T‑shirt, or, if it’s cooler, old worn‑out jeans with holes and a wrinkled tee. I don’t usually go out in public like that. When I leave the house, I put on clean, ironed clothes. Yes, yes, I know: irons are so 20th century. Be that as it may — and I love saying that because it sounds vaguely gangstery — I go out in public cleaned up and pressed. Still casual, but put together.
It’s not what I see when I travel out among the English.
(And for the record, “out among the English” is borrowed from the 1985 film Witness, where Harrison Ford plays a detective hiding in an Amish community. An Amish traveler heading to New York is warned, “Be careful out there among the English.” If you haven’t seen it, it’s worth watching.)
Anyway, when I’m out in public, I often see people dressed in ways that would make me hesitate to step into my own front yard. I’m not criticizing — just observing. In a way, I find it fascinating, maybe even anthropological. Though to be fair, I only ever took the intro course in anthropology back in college.
What I’ve come to realize is that everyone’s “normal” isn’t the same. People — even here in Louisiana — live in slightly different subcultures where they fit perfectly and feel not the slightest bit out of place anywhere, they go. And to be sure, I haven’t always been so self‑conscious myself. I’ve gone out in dirty, ripped gym shorts and a sleeveless tee, proudly showing off muscles I didn’t actually have.
From whence I come.
“You can never be overdressed or overeducated.” — Oscar Wilde
“Normal is an illusion. What is normal for the spider is chaos for the fly.” — Charles Addams
“Anthropology demands the open‑mindedness with which one must look and listen.” — Margaret Mead
#photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #morning #cloths #anthropolgy #normal
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/420/104/734/653/810/original/38e4576588774d3f.jpg

2026-04-15 16:55:34 UTC

Fire‑Capped Visitor
Here’s a pretty sharp close‑up of a male Red‑bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus).
Explore more chic woodpecker photos by visiting my photo gallery.
https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com
#photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #woddpeckers #redbelliedwoodpecker
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/409/744/104/397/356/original/a62f047f1ef378a1.jpg

2026-04-10 19:15:46 UTC

Ahem ...
A male red‑bellied woodpecker stands perched atop a female, his wings lifted in a wide, dramatic spread that suggests either a protective stance or a courtship display. The pair balance together on a slender tree limb, their sharply detailed plumage set against a soft, blurred backdrop of blue sky and natural color, creating a striking contrast between the crisp foreground and the gentle background.
If you enjoy wildlife and nature photography, check out my photo gallery here:
https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com
#photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #woodpeckers #redbelliedwoodpecker
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/381/981/816/368/045/original/23f63e51e16b871d.jpg

2026-04-09 16:42:10 UTC

Climber of the Quiet Tree
This image of a male red‑bellied woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) is from my backyard. I’m curious about the feathers on its throat—they’re so bright and white that they almost blend into the fence behind it. It’s probably just the lighting; the sky was overcast, and sometimes I really have to crank up the ISO. Still, I like the effect. It’s not perfect, but it’s visually striking.
Explore more chic woodpecker photos by visiting my photo gallery.
https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com
#photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #woodpeckers #redbelliedwoodpecker
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/375/700/687/237/804/original/26490ae153aaac03.jpg

2026-04-09 14:58:27 UTC

Good morning. 🌹🌹🌹
9 April 2026
I just set out a sprinkler to start watering the lawn. We haven’t had many rainy days lately. I don’t have an irrigation system I can just switch on—I still have to do the whole hose‑drag routine. It’s a little exercise, at least. It takes me three days to cover my whole target area, which still isn’t the entire yard.
This morning I noticed that the years‑old hose on the east side of the house has a leak. My reaction was basically … eh. I had to laugh, because not so many years ago my self‑diagnosed OCD would’ve had me freaking out and scrambling for the truck to race to Lowe’s for a replacement. Now? I recognize that the earth isn’t going to stop spinning over a leaky hose. I’ll replace it, of course—just when I get around to it.
It’s funny how we tend to overthink our problems and make them seem bigger than they really are. I think that tendency worsens as we age—purely a layman’s opinion—but it is documented that episodes of anxiety increase over time. Some of that is probably chemistry, but I wonder how much comes from simply spending more time ruminating. It helps to compartmentalize, to tuck problems into a drawer until it’s actually time to deal with them, so we can live our lives without carrying them around all day.
I think we were better at that when we were young, when something like a traffic ticket barely even registered. We dealt with it and moved on.
“The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.” — William James
“Rule number one: Don’t sweat the small stuff. Rule number two: It’s all small stuff.” — Richard Carlson
“Youth is the gift of nature, but age is a work of art.” — Stanislaw Jerzy Lec
#photo #photography #nature #morning #flower #rose #anxiety
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/375/167/312/391/698/original/ce41042c54eb42c5.jpg

2026-04-03 15:33:14 UTC

Sunbeam at the Feeder
“Most of the American goldfinches (Spinus tristis) have already migrated north, but I spotted this little male yesterday still hanging around. Maybe he’s staying for the buffet.
Step into a world where even the smallest moments—like the glint in a bird's eye—tell their own story.
https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com
#photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #finch #goldfinch
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/341/474/894/083/762/original/d9dd636b70d0a85d.jpg

2026-04-01 13:19:38 UTC

Good morning. 🪿🪿🪿
1 April 2026
I just checked — the Moon launch is still a go for this evening, and fueling has already begun. Yes, it does happen to fall on April Fools’ Day, but despite the timing, it’s very much a real event. Sending four astronauts around the Moon is a mighty endeavor. We’ve done it before, but not in decades, and I’m wishing them a safe and steady journey.
Speaking of the Moon… do you remember when Louis Armstrong stepped onto the lunar surface in 1969?
Me neither. That’s my April Fools’ joke for the day. I’m fully aware it was Neil Armstrong, with his famous words: “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.” Louis would’ve played a trumpet, though the physics of playing one on the Moon might make that a little tricky. Now I’m just jabbering.
I did once see John Glenn, who in 1962 became the first American to orbit the Earth. It was most likely in 1963, when he visited the Navy base in Yokosuka, Japan, and spoke to a joint gathering of the Boy Scout troop and the Cub Scout pack. That memory has stayed with me.
The first American launched into space was Alan Shepard, who rode Freedom 7 up and back down in 1961. A detail many people miss is that Shepard later commanded Apollo 14 in 1971 and became the fifth person to walk on the Moon. He even took the time to hit two golf balls on the lunar surface — which is pretty impressive, considering I have trouble hitting them on Earth.
And I suppose I could’ve worked in something about Dax Shepard and Scott Glenn — two non‑astronauts who still have space‑related claims to fame. Scott Glenn played Alan Shepard in The Right Stuff, and Dax Shepard played “The Astronaut” in the 2005 film Zathura: A Space Adventure. Close enough for Hollywood.
“For all we know, the Earth may be nothing more than an ant’s nest compared to the universe.” - Neil deGrasse Tyson
“Humor is the affectionate communication of insight.” - Leo Rosten
#photo #photography #nature #birds #morning #space
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/329/351/628/386/807/original/caea847b376c41e5.jpg

2026-03-31 20:06:39 UTC

Emerald Constellations
This photo shows five clusters of brand‑new sweetgum leaves, each one a tiny green star just beginning to unfold.
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/325/568/348/168/425/original/57545113dc134ff4.jpg

2026-03-29 13:40:02 UTC

Killdeer Existential Crisis on Concrete
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/312/733/173/612/166/original/b098ae61087a3b58.jpg

2026-03-26 15:35:45 UTC

Curious Blue Jay
I noticed this image of a Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata). The bird seemed to study me more closely than I was studying it.
Step into a world where even the smallest moments—like the glint in a bird's eye—tell their own story.
https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com
#photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #corvids #bluejay
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/296/186/916/501/724/original/a573812bc32fafe0.jpg

2026-03-24 13:29:15 UTC

Good morning. 🌊🪸🐚
24 March 2026
We’re going to pile into the car and head south this morning to Lake Charles, Louisiana. It’s just off I‑10 and sits right on the edge of the wetlands—what we call the bayou in Louisiana. But we won’t be going for birding or anything like that. Today it’s the wonderful world of shopping, and of course we’ll stop somewhere for lunch. Where we live, the choices are limited, though we do have a Taco Bell.
I’m going to keep it short this morning because I have a feeling the day is about to get moving quickly.
I haven’t even grabbed my hearing aids yet. But you know what—sometimes the extra quiet in the morning keeps me more at ease than hearing every little click and crinkle around me. A thing about hearing aids is that even if they don’t help you understand people any better, they definitely pick up all the annoying sounds like knocks and squeaks.
That’s enough gibberish for this morning. I hope you have a good day.
“A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving.” — Lao Tzu
“The morning steals upon the night, melting the darkness.” — Shakespeare
“I am a little deaf now. Without my hearing aids in, I miss a lot of peripheral sounds.” — Roger Taylor
“Wake up and be awesome!” — Code Hostel Edinburgh
#photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #shorebirds #gulls #morning #travel #hearing
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/284/227/241/900/397/original/e80f34f129ad3895.jpg

2026-03-22 16:34:12 UTC

Warm‑Light Wanderers
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/273/776/595/161/621/original/c9a8b0fbe3fbc802.jpg

2026-03-14 13:43:43 UTC

Good morning. 🌍🕑🌺
14 March 2026
Oh, gee — it’s Saturday. Once upon a time, Saturday meant something. Back then I spent too many Saturday mornings sleeping in because I’d stayed up until the wee hours doing what passed for fun. 🍺 Saturdays often came with the familiar thought: let’s not do that again. 😩
I probably didn’t waste any more time then than I do now — the difference is that these days I waste it with a clear head. Even so, I still managed to get more done in those years. I bounced back fast and had energy to spare. Now it feels like time itself is shrinking. There’s less of it in each day.
It’s not because the Earth is spinning faster or whipping around the Sun like it’s trying to set a new record. That’s not actually happening — though science does show that some days are a hair shorter than others, but only by milliseconds. The real culprit is perception. There are so many things I want to do in a day, and some of those things involve simply sitting still and watching the world turn.
Me and Charlie on the porch, watching the wind move through the trees, birds cutting across the yard, the occasional car rolling past the house. Feeling the cool air settle around us. I could be doing something productive, but eh … what’s the worst that can happen.
I suppose I should have reached a point by now, other than this: the days, weeks, and months seem to slip by faster than they used to.
“Time moves in one direction, memory in another.” — William Gibson
“It’s not that we have little time, but more that we waste a good deal of it.” — Seneca
“Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.” — Albert Einstein
“You don’t stop laughing when you grow old, you grow old when you stop laughing.” — George Bernard Shaw
#photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #nature #plant #flower #time #perception #aging #saturday
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/227/621/677/656/574/original/fcb1127ee00016ea.jpg

2026-03-11 16:07:07 UTC

- reply

Yea, I can see where it might be a challenging puzzle.

2026-03-11 13:18:14 UTC

Tangled Reflections
This is a snapshot of the far shore of a small pond down the road. My dog, Charlie, and I walked over to see if any birds were around—my app picked up an American Coot, and I thought maybe… well, maybe I’d get lucky. Instead, the scene was just a dense tangle of trees and shrubs lining the opposite bank, starting about halfway up the frame. The entire lower half is water, perfectly still, holding an upside‑down reflection of that same tangle of branches and brush.
If you love flowers—or just enjoy discovering their beauty and names like I do—come explore my gallery of blooms captured in moments of wonder and curiosity.
https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com
#photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #nature #landscape #pond #reflections #forest
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/210/703/058/685/905/original/3cfc6589e379f379.jpg

2026-03-10 15:15:15 UTC

Quiet Watcher
Here is a sharp image of a Great Egret (Ardea alba) that I spotted just hanging out atop a wooden structure in Texas.
Explore a curated collection of heron and egret images in my photo gallery. Take a look!
https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com
#photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #heron #egret #greategret
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/205/509/725/330/262/original/47d3f713898f6cd5.jpg

2026-03-07 13:57:40 UTC

Don't Get Your Feathers Ruffled
I’ve been studying this photo of a sanderling (Calidris alba), trying to make sense of what’s happening with the feathers along its back. One possibility is that a gust of wind lifted them, giving the bird that tousled look. Another is behavioral: the sanderling may be fluffing its feathers intentionally, either to shake out sand and moisture or to make itself appear larger in response to a territorial challenge.
Step into a world where even the smallest moments—like the glint in a bird's eye—tell their own story.
https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com
#photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #shorebirds #sanderling
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/188/216/954/796/713/original/d9c36861db8eb0ca.jpg

2026-03-06 17:45:12 UTC

Greater Yellowlegs Drift
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/183/460/111/759/705/original/55bda69773193105.jpg

2026-03-05 15:10:29 UTC

Sunshine Visitor
It must be yellow‑bird day. Here’s a Pine Warbler (Setophaga pinus) stopping by one of my feeders.
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/177/176/886/383/905/original/7dd1e17237c1487f.jpg

2026-03-05 14:54:19 UTC

Blue Hour Elegance
A leafless tree rises against a deep blue sky, its web of branches forming a fine, lace‑like silhouette. The smallest twigs stand out in sharp relief, catching the light in a way that makes the structure feel delicate and almost otherworldly. The contrast between the pale branches and the dark sky gives the scene a quiet, ethereal glow.
If you love flowers—or just enjoy discovering their beauty and names like I do—come explore my gallery of blooms captured in moments of wonder and curiosity.
https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com
photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #nature #tree #sky #abstract
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/177/132/605/836/063/original/5cb153e5d26ef442.jpg

2026-03-04 15:01:21 UTC

- reply

My thought exactly. I was struck by the odd architecture (or lack of) of the two wing add‑ons extending from the back of the house.

2026-02-25 17:20:06 UTC

Edge of the Perch
Here is a sharp image of a Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata). I’m not entirely sure what it was preparing to do, though it likely dropped to the ground a moment later.
If you're enchanted by images of blue jays and other captivating corvids, dive into my photo gallery for a visual treat! Take a peek:
https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com
#photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #corvids #BlueJay
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/132/388/368/545/819/original/094c40f5112eb78d.jpg

2026-02-18 14:18:53 UTC

The Thoughtful Finch
I was planning to dig into my shore‑bird files one evening a while back, but then this House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus) caught my eye. His posture makes him look as if he’s pondering something important.
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/092/041/705/607/273/original/29a491bb72f0dfd5.jpg

2026-02-15 18:21:37 UTC

Feathered Flame
Here is a northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) looking like a superhero flashing through the branches.
If you’re captivated by northern cardinals and other members of the Cardinalidae family—better known as the cardinal family—step into my photo gallery for a visual feast. Come take a look:
https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com
#photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #northerncarindal
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/075/998/802/849/639/original/9b3c1f7159003b95.jpg

2026-02-03 18:09:53 UTC

Skyline of Wings
I’ve looked past this image of black skimmers (Rynchops niger) a dozen times, but when I glanced at it this morning, I finally noticed the depth created by the flock stretching into the distance.
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/008/017/721/183/869/original/383053db2bf1719e.jpeg

2026-01-24 21:41:12 UTC

Orange Gaze in the Green
This is a killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) I saw during the summer. There are quite a few around here and there—they’re fascinating to watch.
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/115/952/231/048/845/577/original/7bbfe31303eb6ade.jpg

2026-01-18 19:06:07 UTC

Tallow Trees, A Twist on Tradition
This is a stand of Chinese tallow trees, photographed in late summer or early fall. The leaves were originally green, but I experimented with the color settings until they glowed with a rich orange hue. The transformation feels right—I like the way it turned out.
If you love flowers—or just enjoy discovering their beauty and names like I do—come explore my gallery of blooms captured in moments of wonder and curiosity.
https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com
#photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #nature #foliage #plants #trees #leaves
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/115/917/643/052/484/820/original/8c0d816ab626a590.jpg

2026-01-14 18:34:43 UTC

Tufted Titmouse, A Crest Above the Rest
One afternoon, while sitting in the backyard with my dog Charlie, I spotted a Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor) perched nearby.
Tufted titmice are a favorite among a select group of bird enthusiasts. To celebrate these charming creatures, I’ve curated a special collection dedicated entirely to them in my photo gallery. Take a look!
https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com
#photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #TuftedTitmouse
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/115/894/869/351/095/571/original/4206ca73a4c1d0d0.jpg

2026-01-02 16:58:04 UTC

Hovering Jewel
This little male Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) stopped by during the summer—just a flash of color and motion in the warm air.
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/115/826/545/457/676/023/original/a78b47232ce0ee47.jpg

2025-12-14 15:01:05 UTC

Good morning. ☕☕☕
14 December 2025
I look out my office window and my first thought is, “don’t go out there.” The sky is gray, and nothing is moving—not even a mouse. 😂 It’s 42°F, not terribly cold yet, but there’s a freeze warning for tonight. The forecast says it will drop to 26°F.
In the Army and Marines, when stationed in places where the cold was brutal, they issued a pair of boots we called Mickey Mouse boots. Heavily insulated, they looked like cartoon feet—big, rounded, and clumsy. They were meant for survival in extreme cold, but the warning always came with them: don’t wear them too much. If you did, your feet would sweat, and that trapped moisture could turn against you, causing cold-weather injuries.
Still, they had their place. If you were standing guard at an ammunition depot in the middle of nowhere—say, on Mount Fuji in the snow—they were a blessing. But they weren’t recommended for road marching. Infantrymen rarely carried them anyway. When you walk everywhere, you become selective about what goes in your pack. Niceties don’t make the cut—only essentials.
Back to the present: cold weather has its own paradox. Snow is beautiful when seen from a heated room through a window. But if you have to live in it for days or weeks, beauty gives way to endurance. In those moments, finding someplace warm—even for a few minutes—feels like a rare and sovereign gift.
“What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness.” — John Steinbeck
“When you see someone putting on his Big Boots, you can be pretty sure that an Adventure is going to happen.” — A. A. Milne
“Welcome, winter. Your late dawns and chilled breath make me lazy, but I love you nonetheless.” — Terri Guillemets
#photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #morning #EasternBluebird #pine #coldweather #boots
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/115/718/282/659/221/719/original/b40578f41e4e8728.jpg

2025-12-12 13:40:37 UTC

Good morning. 🪿🦢☕
12 December 2025
This is the slow part of my morning—sitting, thinking, waiting for something worth typing. Often, I just start typing, like I just did, to see where the words lead. After all, I’m always thinking… just not always about anything interesting. Right now, my thoughts circle the question: What shall I write?
I glance at the sweatshirt draped over the back of my office side chair. It’s gray, with blue and white lettering across the chest: UMUC, and beneath that, in a white oval, the phrase “Since 1949.” It’s more than a chairback cover—it’s a quiet emblem of a place I once worked. UMUC stands for University of Maryland, University College, a campus rooted in University Park, Maryland. It still exists, though now it’s called the University of Maryland Global Campus.
Back in the day, UMUC offered degrees overseas for military members and their families, mostly taught in classrooms scattered across Europe and Asia. I worked for them for a while in an administrative capacity after retiring from the Army, accompanying my wife to Germany as her spouse—which I was… and still am, of course.
They had just begun offering some courses “on-the-line,” as we used to say. At the time, students could take a limited percentage of classes online, but most were still required to be face-to-face.
Now, the University of Maryland Global Campus seems to cast a wider net. I’m guessing, but I suspect they offer nearly all courses online. It’s an effective way to deliver education, no doubt. Still, I believe some courses deserve the presence of a room. You can’t quite replicate the experience of standing in front of a class to present the results of a project—not in any online format I’ve seen.
“Online learning is not the next big thing, it is the now big thing.” - Donna J. Abernathy
“Online education enables people to learn without borders, limits, or excuses.” - Daphne Koller
#moring #birds #waterfowl #elearning #UMUC #UMGC
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/115/706/646/335/004/904/original/3d56e117dabda964.jpg

2025-12-10 14:04:17 UTC

Good morning. ⏰🥱☕
10 December 2025
"Every time I think that I'm the only one who's lonely Someone calls on me And every now and then I spend my time in rhyme and verse And curse those faults in me
And ... as the punch …" — Tandyn Almer
This morning, Along Comes Mary has been bouncing around in my head. It’s a song from the ’60s that some of you might recall, performed by The Association. Not the usual earworm, though—the rapid-fire tumble of lyrics is hard to wrap your head around, yet it flows with a rhythm that feels almost proto-rap. The sound is good, insistent, and somehow it lodged itself in my memory.
I didn’t help matters by looking it up online and stumbling across a clip from the Smothers Brothers show—another relic of the ’60s. I hadn’t thought of the song in decades, and then suddenly, boom, there it was. Why now?
Perhaps it’s because I read a brief news note about today’s Catholic observance—the Memorial of Our Lady of Loreto, commemorating the house in Italy where tradition holds that the Virgin Mary lived at the time of the Annunciation.
Of course, the song isn’t about that Mary. Maybe it’s just name association—by The Association.
“Music is the shorthand of emotion.” — Leo Tolstoy
“One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain.” — Bob Marley
#photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #nature #morning #music #lyrics #earworm
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/115/695/473/971/448/080/original/11943eb44de5d9c4.jpg

2025-12-09 20:12:40 UTC

Good afternoon. 🌴🌴🌴
9 December 2025
If I toss my old Visual C++ book, I could free up space for two or three more novels in the bookcase. After all, it’s not like I plan to do any more programming. That chapter has closed. It’s time to let those things go—completely.
I know the impulse to hang on “just in case.” But when we don’t release the unused, it accumulates. Slowly, quietly, until we’re buried in stuff. And then we become… hoarders.
That’s where I am now—or at least, that’s how it feels. We have a lot of things. Over the years, I built storage into our life to bring order to the chaos. But storage is a trickster: if you build it, you fill it. I told my wife I wanted to rent a dumpster and just start tossing things in. I didn’t get a concurrence.
There are boxes we never unpacked after moving here—over twenty years ago. They sit like sealed time capsules in the back of my little work garage. Once, I resolved to do something about it. I grabbed a box, determined to haul it off to Goodwill. But when I opened it, I found my Calvin and Hobbes collection—and just like that, the wind left my sails.
Tossing technical manuals is one thing. But Calvin and Hobbes? That’s sacred. Honestly, those books should be classified as academic texts—philosophy in comic form.
And even now, as I type this meditation on letting go, I glance toward Ben’s bed, still sitting where it has for over sixteen years. Those who follow my blog know what that means.
“Clutter is nothing more than postponed decisions.” — Barbara Hemphill
“The question of what you want to own is actually the question of how you want to live your life.” — Marie Kondo
#photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #nature #morning #clutter #hoarding #palmtree #abstract
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/115/691/127/454/534/021/original/ee0bf1f80d2009b8.jpg

2025-12-06 17:17:28 UTC

Gray Feathered Charm
Here’s an image of a Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor) that I captured recently.
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/115/673/737/013/188/237/original/9f7d7380443d3413.jpg

2025-12-04 18:02:34 UTC

Arrow in the Sky
I was in Georgia, standing outside and trying to catch sight of a few sparrows hidden in a nearby shrub, when a cormorant suddenly appeared high overhead. Naturally, I lifted my camera skyward. From its markings and flight, I believe it was probably a double-crested cormorant.
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/115/662/580/027/806/992/original/33aac57a65f05eea.jpg

2025-12-03 17:38:54 UTC

The Watcher and the Wanderer
I captured this image of two laughing gulls at low tide, bathed in the dim morning light along the beach in Gulfport, Mississippi.
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/115/656/829/726/031/532/original/2343bc1a397bd570.jpg

2025-11-22 15:38:47 UTC

- reply

I remember that one. 😂

2025-11-17 20:38:35 UTC

Favorite Perch
I usually spot Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia sialis) perched along the powerlines near my home—though elsewhere, they favor fences and fence posts. This particular bluebird is a male, and he sees me coming. I sometimes approach perched birds in stages: snap a photo, take a few steps closer, snap again—rinse and repeat—until I’m close enough, or they decide it’s time to fly. That morning, there were three bluebirds on the line. When I got too close, they didn’t flee outright—just shifted a little farther down the wire, keeping their distance but staying in view.
Step into a world where even the smallest moments—like the glint in a bird's eye—tell their own story.
https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com
#photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #thrush #EasternBluebird
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/115/566/930/578/797/775/original/33b1523d7386cc87.jpg

2025-11-06 19:33:25 UTC

Weathered Witness
I’ve got a batch of overexposed Mississippi Kite images—Ictinia mississippiensis, if we’re being formal. I decided to see what I could salvage from one, aiming for a rustic feel. I think I’ve landed there. Birds of prey make it easy; they carry drama even when the lighting doesn’t.
Check out breathtaking photos of magnificent birds of prey, visit my photo gallery here:
https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com
#photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #raptor #birdofprey #MississippiKite
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/115/504/351/764/745/586/original/da2dfe77cf2ca39e.jpg

2025-10-28 16:13:42 UTC

Black and White Witness
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/115/452/653/828/527/614/original/fcb82eac691a3a15.jpg

2025-10-24 17:46:03 UTC

Skimmer Assembly
I wanted to share this glimpse of black skimmers (Rynchops niger) gathered along the beach—especially for those who haven’t seen them before. I know I hadn’t until recently. This photo captures just a fraction of one group, and there were several scattered across the shoreline. I’ve already posted a few images of these striking birds, and I’m sure more will follow. I find them absolutely fascinating.
Discover nature's fleeting moments through my lens—visit my photo gallery to see more.
https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com
#photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #shorebirds
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/115/430/345/187/534/646/original/be0b3b487738c2b7.jpg

2025-10-16 13:21:34 UTC

Good morning. ☕💺🪑
16 October 2025
The House That Follows
There’s a route I walk on some mornings that leads past an old, abandoned house tucked into the woods. The forest is slowly reclaiming it—vines creeping over the roofline, branches brushing the siding like forgotten memories. I’ve passed it many times, and noticed something peculiar: the door is sometimes open, sometimes closed. That detail unsettles me. Mischievous kids, perhaps—or are other forces at play?
The road itself is narrow, flanked by dense forest on both sides. The house sits to my left as I walk. I often glance into the trees, scanning for birds or signs of wildlife. But on the left, deeper in the woods, I keep seeing another house—or the same one—lurking beyond the tree line. It feels as if the abandoned house is following me, shifting just out of reach. Yet when I stop to look directly, there’s nothing there. Only trees.
I wonder: is my mind playing tricks on me? That would be the sensible explanation. Or is something more supernatural unfolding here? Does the house beckon, inviting me to step off the road and into the forest? If I did, would it lure me deeper still, until the path behind me vanished?
Thankfully, my dog Charlie is always with me. He knows when it’s time to turn around and go home.
“One need not be a chamber to be haunted; One need not be a house; The brain has corridors surpassing material place.” — Emily Dickinson
“A house is never still in darkness to those who listen intently; there is a whispering in distant chambers, an unearthly hand presses the snib of the window, the latch rises.” — James M. Barrie
“Houses are not haunted. We are haunted, and regardless of the architecture with which we surround ourselves, our ghosts stay with us until we ourselves are ghosts.” — Dean Koontz
#morning #chair #house #haunt #photo #photography #selectivecolor #forest
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/115/383/905/183/582/410/original/0abf3a4f77bd3205.jpg

2025-10-15 12:47:57 UTC

Good morning. ☕🛠️🔧
15 October 2025
I had a new wood deck installed on my utility trailer, along with a wheel bearing repack and a light inspection. The total cost? Just over $900—nearly what I paid for the trailer brand new. As I sat in their office, I noticed a sign: $150 per hour. I thought to myself, whew, wow, and gee golly.
The trailer’s about 20 years old, and a new one of similar size today would run between $2,000 and $3,000. So I don’t feel too bad. Sure, I could’ve done the work myself for less than half the cost—except for the wheel bearings. That skill has long since packed up and left me. Truth is, I just didn’t want to do it. And they clearly did a better job than I would have.
If these repairs give the trailer another 20 years of life, it’ll be worth it—for me and likely someone else down the line. Bottom line: I no longer have to worry about my lawn mower falling through the deck on the way to the shop.
I have a hard time throwing things away when they can still be fixed. I rode my last lawn mower until the deck literally fell off. Only then did I consider letting it go. I managed to use it as a trade-in. The terms were simple: “If you take this off my hands, I’ll buy a new one from you.”
So off it went to their lawn mower graveyard 🪦—where its spirit rises every October to signal the beginning of lawn dormancy.
“Often, we try to repair broken things in such a way as to conceal the repair and make it ‘good as new.’ But the tea masters understood that by repairing the broken bowl with the distinct beauty of radiant gold, they could create an alternative to ‘good as new’… a ‘better than new’ aesthetic.” — Teresita Fernández
“Broken! Busted! Everybody has something to repair. Before buying new, let Mighty Putty fix it for you.” — Billy Mays
“Holding on is believing that there’s only a past; letting go is knowing that there’s a future.” — Daphne Rose Kingma
#morning #repairs #trailer #lawnmoser #GreatEgret #heron #egret #bird #future
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/115/378/077/383/409/451/original/9f749ee889d479be.jpg

2025-09-27 21:07:33 UTC

Good morning. 🌹🌹🌹
27 September 2025
"Yesterday all my troubles seemed so far away.
Now it looks as though they're here to stay.
Oh, I believe in yesterday.
Suddenly, I'm not half the man I used to be.
There's a shadow hanging over me.
Oh, yesterday came suddenly. ..." - Paul McCartney
The Beatles song “Yesterday” was, for a time, my favorite—back when I was a brooding teenager. Or maybe it shared that honor with “Help,” another track from the same album. “Yesterday” conjured feelings of loss and hinted at emotions that felt ancient, even though I was only thirteen and my life had barely begun. Why it resonated so deeply, I’m not sure. I didn’t have a long-ago past to mourn. But at that age, thirteen years is a literal lifetime.
Thinking of it that way, it’s been more than five lifetimes since.
The lyric about not being half the man I used to be always made me pause. What was I thinking then? Because, quite literally, I wasn’t yet half the man I would become. We see and feel everything from our own shifting vantage point—fluid, evolving—as we add new experiences to our repertoire.
"The "past beats inside me like a second heart.” — John Banville
“Songs are the pulse of memory, the breath of time.” — Ceremonial riff, sovereign dispatch
“Youth is a dream, a form of chemical madness.” — F. Scott Fitzgerald
#photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #morning #flowers #roses #Beatles #music ##lyrics #youth #perspective
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/115/278/288/198/976/014/original/de34c172952019ee.jpg

2025-09-25 15:46:59 UTC

Beakful of Intent
This morning, I scattered nuts for the pigeons—no-shows, as it turned out. A Blue Jay claimed the bounty instead, stuffing at least three into its beak like a feathered archivist mid-harvest.
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/115/265/685/318/073/096/original/b3c2c0cc160e2de3.jpg

2025-09-23 23:04:52 UTC

Crest Against Cloudlight
When I took this photograph, two Pileated Woodpeckers (Dryocopus pileatus) lingered at the forest’s edge—a male and a female. This image captures the male. A hawk circled overhead nearby. As I watched, the woodpeckers seemed largely unconcerned, continuing their foraging with quiet focus. Yet in this moment, the male appears to glance skyward—perhaps keeping tabs on the hawk, or simply registering its presence in the air above.
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/115/256/087/834/762/332/original/4c6aa5ffbacc0f09.jpg

2025-09-22 23:16:39 UTC

- reply

They are smart. I think this bird is getting used to seeing me and Charlie sitting in the yard. That may be why it chose to stay close.

2025-09-22 19:19:58 UTC

Crested Extractor
I often watch Blue Jays snatch up peanuts and vanish into the forest without pause. Most mornings, it’s a swift exchange—grab and go. But today was different. This one paused in a nearby tree, settling just long enough for me to witness the ritual.
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/115/249/526/745/800/092/original/9f10c1f89962d180.jpg

2025-09-21 20:04:35 UTC

Flicker on the Limb
This Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) lingered through the winter, a speckled presence against bare branches. Unlike most woodpeckers, flickers often forage on the ground, probing for ants with quiet persistence.
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/115/244/058/761/598/813/original/4cbc64d928becdb2.jpg

2025-09-16 13:02:11 UTC

Good morning. 😴⏰☕
16 September 2025
When I was just starting out, I had a '68 Mustang for a while. Cool car. The trouble came not long after I got it in California—I was rear-ended, which left a dent in the back. To complicate things, the driver who hit me was a migrant worker without insurance. This was around ’73 or ’74, during that liminal stretch after I left the Marines but before I joined the Army.
The good news? I had full coverage. The bad news? The deductible was $200—a lofty figure back then, when the federal minimum wage was $1.60 an hour. I think I was making $1.75 at the time, which came out to $14 a day, $70 a week, or $280 a month before taxes. And I had other expenses, of course—not least of which was the car payment itself. So I just drove around in my dented Mustang, rear end crumpled like a shrug. C’est la vie.
Too often, when we think we can afford something, we forget about the total cost of ownership. Oil changes, tire replacements, the slow creep of maintenance. What good is a fancy car if you can’t afford to fix it? And what good is full coverage insurance if you can’t afford the deductible? 😂
When Charlie and I walk through town, it’s not unusual to see cars with grass growing around them—broken down, abandoned by necessity. The owners can’t afford repairs, can’t even afford to have them moved. It is the way.
“Everything breaks. That’s the rule. Everything breaks, and sooner or later, it ends.” — John Green
“We do not remember days, we remember moments.” — Cesare Pavese
“The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it.” — Henry David Thoreau
#photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #nature #morning #plants #grass #cars #costs #maintenance
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/115/213/871/107/913/424/original/8741c4370a78b94d.jpg

2025-09-13 15:13:05 UTC

Threshold of Flight
"I caught this female Northern Cardinal just as she lifted off from the grassy ground—wings blurred, body buoyant. She might be a young bird finding her rhythm, or perhaps she's fresh from a molt, her feathers still settling into their new shape.
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/115/197/601/922/051/940/original/1fd0cc17407157d3.jpg

2025-09-11 16:08:49 UTC

Mockingbird, Morning
While Charlie and I were walking yesterday, I photographed what I believed to be a Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos). But when I looked at the photo later, I wasn’t so sure—something about the raptor-ish gaze and the speckled breast gave me pause. Still, I was right. It’s a mockingbird—a juvenile.
Discover nature's fleeting moments through my lens—visit my photo gallery to see more.
https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com
#photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #NorthernMockingbird
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/115/186/417/465/061/313/original/be9461bfa5b37b72.jpg

2025-09-09 22:53:18 UTC

Whimsical Woodland Sprite
This whimsical sprite—playfully dubbed a tree gnome (Nanus arboris)—sports a crest like a gnome’s hat. In truth, it’s a tufted titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor), a charming visitor that snatches seeds from my feeder before vanishing into the forest with swift, silent grace.
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/115/176/761/672/036/497/original/9beb1872382583a2.jpg

2025-09-09 19:22:16 UTC

Whisper to the Bark
Here’s a Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) just beyond the backyard—backyard-adjacent, if we’re being generous. It perched on a thick branch visible through a break in the forest, offering a glimpse of life outside the jurisdiction of my bird feeders. What was it doing, I wondered. My guess: hunting insects. They are omnivorous opportunists, after all.
If you're enchanted by images of blue jays and other captivating corvids, dive into my photo gallery for a visual treat! Take a peek:
https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com
#photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #covids #BlueJay
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/115/175/925/808/748/437/original/b1252cdd8119d7a5.jpg

2025-09-08 21:00:43 UTC

White Majesty in the Marsh
This elegant bird is a great egret, also known as the great white egret. I took this photograph some time ago while exploring the bayou at the Sabine National Wildlife Refuge in Louisiana. It may well be the first of these magnificent birds I captured, though since then, I’ve had the opportunity to photograph many more.
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/115/170/678/726/490/339/original/633850b54fb0966f.jpg

2025-09-06 15:54:12 UTC

Bluebird at the Summit
I'm Surprised that this image came out as well as it did. The bluebird was on a treetop over 100 meters away and my shutter speed was 1/200 on accident. But for some reason, it came out okay.
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/115/158/136/722/420/724/original/f21c6327cb294c1b.jpg

2025-09-06 13:23:38 UTC

Good morning. ☕☕☕
6 September 2025
Okay, I’m stuck. No idea what to talk about this morning. I read somewhere that the trick is to just start writing—then the good, bad, and questionable juices will flow, and away we go. Or not.
Throughout the day, thoughts come to me that would make decent primers for discussion, if I’d just write them down. But I usually don’t. So here I sit, trying to force my brain to think on command.
Here’s Charlie, right on cue, reminding me it’s mealtime—or at least three minutes away. That’s always good for a short paragraph. I intend to stand and head that way on the minute. I need to top off my coffee anyway. I’ll do it then.
I often use an analogy to describe the different thought capabilities of people: we’re not all issued the same tool kit. Whether by birth or experience, people’s ability to understand things varies. It’s remarkable if you’re self-aware enough to notice. I’ve known people who pick up on things much faster than I do, with a capacity for recall that boggles the mind. And then there are those who fail to recognize the obvious—the ones who make you think (hopefully not out loud), “Wow.”
The thing is, stupid people don’t know they’re stupid. There’s a missing layer of self-awareness. Scientifically, it’s called the Dunning–Kruger Effect—a “psychological bias where people with low ability or knowledge in a domain overestimate their competence. They lack the metacognitive skill to recognize their own limitations, which leads to inflated self-assessment.” — Microsoft Copilot
As David Dunning and Justin Kruger put it:
“People tend to hold overly favorable views of their abilities in many social and intellectual domains.” (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1999)
And Bertrand Russell, with his usual precision:
“The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt.”
#morning #sunset #intelligence #dunning_kruger_effect #writing #dogs #photography #SelfAwareness
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/115/157/261/211/670/451/original/b086865eb1d010ca.jpg

2025-09-05 15:10:17 UTC

City Royals
Here’s one for the pigeon lovers. These two rock pigeons—Columba livia, if you’re feeling scientific—are regulars in my backyard. I call them officers of the pigeon battalion, part of the morning flock that descends on my bird feeders with military precision. If you look closely, you’ll see what I call epaulets on their shoulders—markings that suggest rank, or at least attitude.
The pigeon in the foreground is easy to spot. He’s got a grizzle effect in his plumage, a genetic quirk that gives him those distinctive white patches. Like camouflage, but for a bird who doesn’t bother hiding.
I used to try discouraging their visits. They’d clean out the seed before the songbirds even got a chance. But nothing worked. So I went with the old saying: If you can’t beat them, join them. Now I just salute and let the battalion do its rounds.
If you're a fan of stunning dove imagery, be sure to explore my photo gallery for a collection of beautiful snapshots that capture their elegance and charm.
https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com
#photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #dove #pigeon #RockPigeons #RockDoves
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/115/152/259/504/194/696/original/cbe8f4f1ae4474be.jpg

2025-09-01 20:55:21 UTC

Reflections at Low Tide
Two Forster’s Terns at Holly Beach, Louisiana—standing just so on the Gulf’s wet sand. What caught me wasn’t just the birds, but the way their reflections held steady, like quiet doubles beneath them.
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/115/130/999/288/143/693/original/a2a3ea3e9b7686d6.jpg

2025-08-28 15:16:20 UTC

Red Brakes at the Edge
This image shows a Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) just arriving, landing at the edge of the bird feeder in the center of my yard. Its wings are raised and angled back, providing reverse thrust—braking mid-motion to keep from overshooting the edge.
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/115/107/018/336/279/198/original/b780503934a9673e.jpg

2025-08-24 17:46:06 UTC

Feathered Arrow
I caught this blue-gray gnatcatcher in flight and in focus—flying straight toward the lens at just the right moment.
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/115/084/951/383/982/811/original/906b6b62dd9be520.jpg

2025-08-21 15:16:35 UTC

- reply

How cool is that!? I only see them occasionally; they mostly stick to the forest behind my house.

2025-08-19 13:10:56 UTC

Good morning, friends. 💮🌺☘️
19 August 2025
Ever wake from a dream with the emotion still clinging to you—just long enough to disturb the morning peace?
I had a dream last night. Strange one. It’s already fading, but here’s what I remember: I traded my truck for a souped-up muscle car. At some point, I needed to move a trailer—but the car didn’t have a hitch. I searched online for a fix, but came up empty.
The last bit I recall, I was heading somewhere with a man and a woman I knew well—except I didn’t. We all piled into the car, and I woke up.
Weird, huh? I felt a flicker of regret about the truck. What was I thinking?
Then again, it was just a dream.
“All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream.” — Edgar Allan Poe
#morning #dreaming #flowers #plants #photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #nature
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/115/055/484/648/971/057/original/02cb648fef0fbaf4.jpg