Deer in the Snow

As long as the weather is not bitter cold, I have been enjoying snowshoeing in the woods. Lots of deer. They always look so nice with the backdrop of white snow!

Snow Day!

YAY SNOW! As you can see, the crew is very happy to play in all the white stuff!

Pixel's First Snow

Day of Mourning

A Mourning Dove seems appropriate for today's picture.... after the news of the mass shooting in CT leaving 20 children and 6 adults dead. It's a sad day for America. I don't have the answer, but we need to figure something out.

Cloudy Day With No Agenda

No plans for today... which was rare for me. It's hard for me to just sit still and not do anything. Well, it was super cloudy and dark - not a great day for taking photos. I decided to venture out anyway, and hit up a local Iowa lake that has quite a few bald eagles hanging out. Even though it was cloudy, cold, and miserably windy-  these turned out pretty decent. Had it been blue skies.... perfection!

Vacation!

My last agility trial is over for the year, and I have nothing planned until February, maybe even March! I always like to take a couple months off from agility so the dogs can just rest, hike, swim, play, etc. It's also a good mental break for me as well. Any soft tissue injuries can heal up, and they will not see a single piece of agility equipment for that time. They always come back fresh and wild after a break, and so do I. I have a trip planned to Costa Rica during that time, so I am very excited about that. I also went out and purchased a new camera, the Sony A77, so I would have plenty of time to play with it before the trip. Since the weather is not brutal cold here, we are enjoying lots of hiking up and down hills, through tall prairie grass, and through the woods. The dogs love it and so do I... it's a great little workout!

Instagram

I love Instagram on my iPhone. It just adds some fun flair to ordinary cell phone pictures.

Sky On Fire

Luck

Never in a million years would I ever image to see a Snowy Owl in downtown Omaha. Better yet- at our convention center where I was competing with my dog in agility. And to make the story even better.... sitting on a light right there at the entrance, for hundreds of people to see. I immediately sent the news to the Nebraska Birds yahoo group... and luckily, many birders were able to the see the owl. Some others set up a scope next to the convention center at a park, and they saw the bird from there. (without paying the $8 parking fee!) It was a 1 in a million experience to be this close to a pretty chill (no pun intended) Snowy Owl. The owl was identified as a first-year female.

Mink on Ice!

Kind of like the Ice Capades, only without the snazzy music and fancy costumes.

Happy Birthday Pony!

Today is Tazer's 5th birthday! I couldn't ask for anything more in a family member, agility partner, and hiking buddy! He makes me laugh, and he keeps me on my toes! Running agility with him is so exciting, and he tries 110%. He can be a snuggle buddy when I actually sit down, and he thinks he is a lap dog sometimes. I enjoy hiking with him...he just gallops around and he loves being silly. He has been a well-behaved boy with his new sister, Pixel. He tries to get her to play, but his size is a little intimidating for her right now. She still likes to herd him around though! I hope to get his MACH (5 more QQ!) and his ADCH (Just a few more runs!) in 2013. If we ever get around to doing ASCA trials, I'd love to get his ATCH too! Most importantly, agility aside, he is a wonderful family member. He loves the neighborhood kids and he is always ready for them to throw a ball for him. I laugh at his phobia of feathers (since I am a bird nerd!) but he has been eating them lately...so maybe he is not so scared. I'd like to say that I think he is maturing.... but kind of like me.... NAAAAAAAH. Not yet. Happy birthday Big Man, I love you!

I know...I know....

...another owl. I can't help it. I love them. Even on a crappy, cloudy day when taking photos is a little more difficult. Still lots of fun to hike around the woods and listen for owls.

HOOT!

Well, Halloween night proved to have some treats for me! Mainly, this Great Horned Owl posing nicely for me with a little bit of remaining sunlight!

Happy Halloween 2012

It's only fitting that I post these Great Horned Owls for my Halloween entry! Saw them last night on an evening hike. There were at least 4 calling back and forth. For the next couple of months, they will be out a lot - hooting and establishing territory. I am hoping to get some more shots. Hard part is owls like to come out at night, and one needs good light to take photos of owls! (at night, anyway!)

Full Moon Hike

This evening I went for a hike, in hopes that I could spot some owls now that the leaves are almost gone. No owls spotted, but I did hear some. I also managed to take a couple shots of the rising full moon with the trees, and they made for some interesting shots. Of course, an owl sitting on a branch silhouetted with the full moon behind it would have been perfect.... but that's asking a bit much. I can dream, can't I?

Evening Weeds

Autumn Birdbath

Fall is in full swing.... the colors have been amazing and the temperatures have not been that bad. I am enjoying the change in seasons, and looking forward to some snow. (Yes, you heard me!) I am ready for the leaves to be off of the trees so I can go out and look for owls a little easier too!

Autumn Buck

Fluffed Up

I was hunkered down in the grass trying to get some shots of Warblers, when this Coopers Hawk landed in a tree very close to me. He sat there, fluffed up, looked for food, and then flew away. I was lucky to get some great shots, even though it was a cloudy morning. I thought it made the photo very soft, almost like a painting!

Fall Strolls In...

I love all the seasons for what they offer... but I really love fall. I love the crispness and the chill in the air. I love the colors and the gradual mellowness of Nature. While I know a bitter cold and snowy winter lays ahead...right now I am soaking it up as long as I can!

Sunrise

Reflections

Even though I was bummed the sun was not out last weekend..... I still managed to get some cool shots regardless. I think this photo looks pretty neat all muted and stuff. I guess I must learn to embrace the cloudy days too!

Nature's Gift

Nature gave me an awesome gift this morning. I saw a heron perched on a dead tree out in the lake, with the morning sun reflecting some great colors. Hopped off my bike and scooted (like a ninja, of course) down to the water's edge. I managed to get some shots, and then it looked like he was going to take off. I started firing away, hoping to catch that split-second moment where the heron extends his wings and takes off into the air. Well, he never took off. I shrugged and hoped that I had at least gotten his wings extended or something. When I went back to review on my camera..... WOW! What a treat to see the real scene unfold! He was defending his perch to a juvenile Cooper's Hawk! Sometimes Nature offers up some great little rewards if you are willing to be patient and keep your eyes open.  I was just lucky enough to press a button at the right time to catch this awesome moment. Nature never disappoints.

Puppy Antics

Pixel just did back-to-back weekends of traveling to agility trials. She met tons of people and dogs. She got to travel long distances in a car, experience the chaos of an agility trial, and learn about staying in a hotel. She tugged ringside, watched dogs in the ring with minimal barking (ha), played with some puppies, and even attended a grill-out and partied with some older dogs who were great, safe playmates for her. We are back home, and one of her siblings has come to live in Omaha. Of course we got them together for some romp time, and let the photo ops begin!

Gold

Summer is in full swing. It's still hot as heck. The dogs are enjoying swimming, and my bike rides in the morning are toasty. The birds have chilled out- they have either moved on or they are staying deep in the trees to stay cool during the day. Ah, the lazy days of summer!

Mass Hysteria

"...Dogs and cats....living together.... mass hysteria!"  -Ghostbusters

Hot Hot Hot

Yep...it's summer. And it's a HOT one. Triple-digit temps, and no end in sight. The dogs are getting short little workouts in the heat, and then we all go inside and worship the fancy new furnace/blower/AC thingie we installed a couple months ago. SO glad I did that! I hope to get out to some local parks/hiking trails the next couple of weekends that I am actually home, and see what all is cookin'. Literally.

Pixel !

The new kid on the block! Sheza Mega Pixel!

Sunset at the Beach

I was able to walk the beach every evening while on vacation. The sun was not in the correct spot to set over the ocean, so I had to get creative and use the sand dunes for my sunset subjects!