A Beautiful Sunrise

Morning-Sky
Most mornings I get up early, before the sun, to write in my journal. I sit facing a large window that allows me to see the sunrise. This morning, It looked like we were in for a beautiful one, and I was right. I quickly grabbed my camera and went out to the front patio and this is what I saw. It was a very exciting start to a new day.

Martin-Tree
Not long after, a work crew arrived to take down the pine tree you see above. I was sad, because that tree had been in our yard since the late 70s. It was one of our earliest Christmas trees. I felt like I was losing a friend. The reason we’d made this decision, was because the roots were lifting our stone wall, and cracking the sidewalk. The roots were also raising the ground behind our house making it difficult for water to flow to the drainage area. I posted a photo of the problem in a previous post. It was definitely time to have the tree removed.tree-is-gone
Here you can see what our yard looks like now. It certainly is different. We aren’t quite sure what the new plan will be. Perhaps a huge hummingbird garden, or several grouping of ragweed for the Monarch butterflies. For now we will think about it, and once it  is completed, I’m sure I’ll be posting a photo.

Digital Camera Closeups

Sharp-pink-flowerToday was my day to practice close up settings on my digital camera. I started out by taking this close up of a pink hibiscus flower.

Old-white-roseNext I photographed this rose that is well past its youth, yet still beautiful. I then began to wonder if I could use the close up setting in combination with my zoom lens, while photographing the wild birds that visit to our backyard fountains daily. Below you’ll see some of the results.

Blue-bird-1There is a flock of blue birds that visit us often, and I’ve photographed them before, but never in such detail.

Blue-bird-2This pair was certainly enjoying the cool water.

Birds-bathingHere they are thoroughly enjoying their bath. I could have watched these happy birds all day, but they only stay for a few minutes before heading on their way.

feet-in-waterThis last photo amazed me. I wish I’d been able to see more of his tail feathers in this shot, but still wanted to post it because I love seeing the details of his feathers and his bright eyes.

This was my third day of learning more about my digital camera, and each day has been more exciting than the last. I really can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings.

Candy and Kites in Bodega Bay

imageWhile staying in Napa, California, and planning a visit to Bodega Bay, friends emailed  to tell us about a store there owned by long time friends of theirs. Second Wind specializes in kites, toys, sweets, and fun. Above is a bowl filled with sweet salt water taffy we bought there. We’d never seen so many flavors and we wanted to try them all. The shop was also filled with every sort of kite imaginable. We met Elaine, a very welcoming lady and one of the two owners. She took the photo below of me and my husband and our dog Annika in front of the store. We had a great time looking at the games, puzzles, wind socks, ground spinners and too many other items to mention. If you would like to learn more about this delightful store, take a look at their web site, www.secondwind.com.

imageOn  our way back to Napa, we drove through the town of Bodega, where we stopped at the old school house where Alfred Hitchcock filmed The Birds. You can see the building in the two photos below.

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imageIt was a busy day with lots of exploring. I wonder where we will be off to tomorrow. Right now I’m going to enjoy a piece of that yummy salt water taffy.