I was cleaning up my desk top when I came across this photo of my six year old grand daughter! A bit spooky, so I thought I'd share it. I never quite understood this side of her.

A New Neighbor!

Here's a Juvenile Cooper's Hawk that recently moved into the neighborhood. This was shot by Matthew Krease (Matt Krease) with my Nikon D50 Digital SLR and a 55 - 200mm zoom AF-S Nikkor Nikon DX lens. The point here is to demonstrate the quality you can get from even a less expensive lens if you set up the camera correctly. This 'little' guy is about 18" tall!

Here Ya Go!

O.K. So the 'stalking squirrel' is just a "Hungry Squirrel". Here's the photo I promised as a follow up to yesterday's post......A "cute" (if you like rodents) little fuzzy panhandler. I hope you enjoy this shot. Yes, my Nikon came through again. Please don't hesitate to click directly on the image. You'll get a better idea of the photo quality, for sure! Nikon makes a great product, and so does Canon, for that matter. I use both and love the results! I'll post comments on any others as I use them. Thanks for stopping by!

THE STALKING SQUIRREL!

Here's one for ya!....A stalking squirrel! This is one good reason to always keep a camera with you at all times. In this case, I had my digital SLR on the seat next to me while I pulled over to catch up on some paper work before returning to the office. I heard a commotion on the front of the vehicle and quickly grabbed the camera. Before I knew it, this evil looking little creature came up over the hood of my Jeep and began very deliberately, and slowly, creeping toward my windshield looking as though it had some very bad business on its mind....if the beast has a mind. It became somewhat agitated, clucking and snapping its tail. I quickly assumed that someone near this area had been feeding squirrels and this critter was expecting a handout. The thing finally jumped to the roof of the SUV and peered down into the driver's side window, still begging. Now if you read my older posts, you know my relationship with squirrels isn't pretty. This time, however, I decided to be more cooperative and I found some sunflower seeds in the console. It was a happy ending, and no I did not run him down when I was ready to leave. Actually, you'll see him (or her) eating in a future post. My Nikon once again proved its worth! (actually, any brand will do, and a film camera is fine too...just keep a camera handy for the unexpected shot like this one.)

IF YA CAN'T BEAT 'EM......

If ya can't beat 'em, join 'em! Sure I complain about long dreary February days, but I'm stuck here, I might as well do what Michiganders do best ....find things to do while waiting it out!
To the left is a shot of one of my sons, my fishing partner. We decided to spend a Saturday shivering on the banks of the Flint River. Didn't catch any fish but enjoyed the peace of nature in the wildlife preserve at Shiawasee Flats National Wildlife Refuge.....and of course I brought along my trusty photo outfit.

IT'S BEEN A LONG WINTER!

This image, shot with my trusty Nikon digital SLR, is pretty much the theme of this long cold Michigan winter. Is there an end in sight? The telltale footprints in the foreground proceed only into the gloom, their maker not returning with any good news for sure! I'm ready for Spring.
Perhaps it's time to meditate on some of the warmer days of Michigan's vibrant summers, the great fishing, camping, sunrise and sunsets, wildlife .......This has been a long winter