tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32574097838477473852024-02-19T03:57:06.317-08:00Nature VisionsA blog about life, photography, art, poetry, nature, and more!Erica Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13010721024815560173noreply@blogger.comBlogger153125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3257409783847747385.post-25399373459527829072017-01-03T20:12:00.002-08:002017-01-03T20:12:55.350-08:0030 in 30 Art Challenge Days 2, 3 & Beyond WIP<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKVXYzozdIrVXW1BYnrPL5sGFcEA47oCAlZac6zDGdGugbLVRbtYqQKdL3O_EcQdzHy4QZtNQGwGJrBR-W6gEp8-32fnaJ4TYBLUW70GVJ5hQbNJ5w1oWZ38tLICSO6UjSeQ6H5iBO8yI/s1600/CheetahEyesWIP_0002.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKVXYzozdIrVXW1BYnrPL5sGFcEA47oCAlZac6zDGdGugbLVRbtYqQKdL3O_EcQdzHy4QZtNQGwGJrBR-W6gEp8-32fnaJ4TYBLUW70GVJ5hQbNJ5w1oWZ38tLICSO6UjSeQ6H5iBO8yI/s320/CheetahEyesWIP_0002.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Cheetah eyes, work in progress</i></td></tr>
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Okay, I don't normally post works in progress, but here you go, anyway:-) I knew when I started this challenge that completing things daily might not happen. For me, the point is just to be drawing again. I love my colored pencils, but even small drawings take me a while. I'm anal-retentive, and build up layer after layer, then burnish, then add more layers. So, this is two days' worth of work already (not including my initial sketch which I transferred). This is Prismacolor pencil on a cream colored Stonehenge paper, and only ACEO-size again. As you can see, I have some way to go! This is my first big cat drawing, and I'm really enjoying it:-) Stay tuned...</div>
Erica Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13010721024815560173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3257409783847747385.post-7241616091229517772017-01-01T20:07:00.000-08:002017-01-01T20:07:05.318-08:0030 in 30 Art Challenge Day 1<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzkRCXmcBCL8osKRGN5C_4mhKoYexNwDwFCcIjchqHyWNQGf_dIruPJgI_ygtT7h33mmeNAlPFDiu_5z4kwg8M62KjzbS1YMxBBtn62XlbmxGZidK91ch_WfJFbJqT0PJKi7imXZyCx1c/s1600/PersianCatEyes_0002.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Persian Cat Eyes Drawing Prismacolor Colored Pencils" border="0" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzkRCXmcBCL8osKRGN5C_4mhKoYexNwDwFCcIjchqHyWNQGf_dIruPJgI_ygtT7h33mmeNAlPFDiu_5z4kwg8M62KjzbS1YMxBBtn62XlbmxGZidK91ch_WfJFbJqT0PJKi7imXZyCx1c/s320/PersianCatEyes_0002.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Persian Cat Eyes, Prismacolor Colored Pencil Drawing ACEO</i></td></tr>
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Happy New Year! Several years ago, I challenged myself to do a <a href="http://naturevisions.blogspot.com/2008/11/horse-day-challenge-to-myself.html">horse a day drawing</a> for a while. I did it for about a month or so. Since then, my drawing has once again become sporadic. It's still the one thing I battle with myself a lot. Once I sit down and start, I love it. It's the starting part that gets me stymied.</div>
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So, I'd been thinking about challenging myself again, when a friend posted a link on Facebook to <a href="https://www.saetastudio.com/30-in-30-blog">30 in 30 by Leslie Saeta</a>. Seemed like a sign to get started:-) I don't know how many drawings I'll complete, as colored pencil isn't the fastest medium. I may do works in progress - I do plan on drawing daily.</div>
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This first piece is one that I had started some time ago. I thought it might be nice to finally finish it. This is my second-ever cat drawing, and I chose a Persian because they're dear to my heart. This is just ACEO-size, so 3.5" x 2.5", Prismacolor colored pencils. This is my creation. I used a lot of different photos to create the cat I wanted.</div>
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Anyway, hope you'll follow along! If you're doing something similar, I'd love to see.</div>
Erica Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13010721024815560173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3257409783847747385.post-64081966176120342252016-12-30T14:51:00.000-08:002016-12-30T14:51:38.252-08:00Dragonflies 1<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAiIFrhu-lCfcV6OJVnlX-7Jenem05ZBg3zIjyoFQ2fox8T9tySLGMd87__VmQWMwC_-Q_F07i_H7ES_yyxlnXK4b4tqh1sIxI44BJ65ei7fnnS3NrM67eBChcQ3aKbzHSDjEBcughZHU/s1600/Centered_0768.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Female Widow Skimmer Dragonfly (Libellula luctuosa)" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAiIFrhu-lCfcV6OJVnlX-7Jenem05ZBg3zIjyoFQ2fox8T9tySLGMd87__VmQWMwC_-Q_F07i_H7ES_yyxlnXK4b4tqh1sIxI44BJ65ei7fnnS3NrM67eBChcQ3aKbzHSDjEBcughZHU/s320/Centered_0768.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Female Widow Skimmer (Libellula luctuosa), "Centered"</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: left;">I've become even more obsessed with photographing dragonflies over the years. They're so magical to watch, though they're fearsome predators, too. Now that I've restarted my blog, I have a place to start posting all the photos I've taken:-) This is the first group, all taken in 2016. I still have more to edit! It's nice to have so many pictures, though, because I really miss seeing them in winter. I have plenty of other bugs and things to post, too. I don't think I'll be running out of photos any time soon... I try to id correctly, but if I have anything wrong, please let me know. I belong to a fantastic group on Facebook, featuring Odonata from all around the world, and I've been learning a lot: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/odonata/" target="_blank">Dragonflies & Damselflies</a> (you have to join to see posts). It's cool to see how many people are fascinated with these intricate creatures!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJAxy8H0Z6c0xmhqvrkckkIJBtoJHLRb1PxLlON4DD77NhPHidXn8XbhGrk6PjjWbWSvT-OVkzIFWxa84gO1au6ekxipjFvEcKKFkO0fhb6zAQHzRwMc1ja7UHkLBikRJEMlB3y9uAEl0/s1600/BlueEyedDarner_9453.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Male Blue-eyed Darner Dragonfly (Rhionaeschna multicolor)" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJAxy8H0Z6c0xmhqvrkckkIJBtoJHLRb1PxLlON4DD77NhPHidXn8XbhGrk6PjjWbWSvT-OVkzIFWxa84gO1au6ekxipjFvEcKKFkO0fhb6zAQHzRwMc1ja7UHkLBikRJEMlB3y9uAEl0/s320/BlueEyedDarner_9453.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Male Blue-eyed Darner (Rhionaeschna multicolor), I'm always amazed when I do catch an in-flight shot!</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMwc4_nF-X4fNHmoIxOfgLTuE6uyUEfAsfMpeNazvaSDj1Trg3hRE1_8usIN_j8tHAtoDhXjVHs70oWFjRxt3Ib0lH5x_-6Qz4p-1wd1Gkfq-QYJcq2iUUTCj5iz1JSks2F5osExd5VKI/s1600/MyModelFeePlease_0827.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Male Western Pondhawk Dragonfly (Erythemis collocata)" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMwc4_nF-X4fNHmoIxOfgLTuE6uyUEfAsfMpeNazvaSDj1Trg3hRE1_8usIN_j8tHAtoDhXjVHs70oWFjRxt3Ib0lH5x_-6Qz4p-1wd1Gkfq-QYJcq2iUUTCj5iz1JSks2F5osExd5VKI/s320/MyModelFeePlease_0827.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Male Western Pondhawk (Erythemis collocata), what a face:-)</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxqsj2PGSSkHuk68gN-cpiCk_GCvwl5kcEsB84_BNVyMv9P_w_HOO4NOgKBo1XFqIQK0mIQjtGs99jUHXfJJ0iqRy9zvKrbsSszmEeobqHMcytYtbYEr3qVStNWf3-7Dh5ZSb4RkdpLA8/s1600/VividDancer_8261.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Male Vivid Dancer Damselfly (Argia vivida)" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxqsj2PGSSkHuk68gN-cpiCk_GCvwl5kcEsB84_BNVyMv9P_w_HOO4NOgKBo1XFqIQK0mIQjtGs99jUHXfJJ0iqRy9zvKrbsSszmEeobqHMcytYtbYEr3qVStNWf3-7Dh5ZSb4RkdpLA8/s320/VividDancer_8261.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Male Vivid Dancer (Argia vivida), I can't resist damselflies, either.</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://www.naturevisionsboutique.com/collections/insect-photography/products/spotted-skimmer-dragonfly-photography-nature-wall-art-southwestern-print" target="_blank"><img alt="Male Eight-spotted Skimmer Dragonfly (Libellula forensis)" border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGxcbf7qwnjSJTsFwi6wBaFForiJqOcDAwyjTc20lYOLVkmIknIypMjSliOQL2Zbza0blAi33Dri9aCbULo8ubE6s9YMY4GBC9vgHWTAUSxNWXe7-hOSXN-euJ2yVkv19AwfKFbYeT7IE/s320/SpottedSkimmer_8786.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://www.naturevisionsboutique.com/collections/insect-photography/products/spotted-skimmer-dragonfly-photography-nature-wall-art-southwestern-print" target="">Male Eight-spotted Skimmer (Libellula forensis), "Balanced"</a></i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiBdtFG0WDQf68P3K92PSZiZzbNXiL-Zgpdqxc2F3Gumx8GM0UkRHsUHUX8JlyNQ8mauAAPsjp3L7vrP0CbHKkJu91hD8eMppWScL-0pk8XnLdsruQQqFfGW6BwCVuZ1Hb2lyA8mBESNI/s1600/BlueDasher_9375.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Male Blue Dasher Dragonfly (Pachydiplax longipennis)" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiBdtFG0WDQf68P3K92PSZiZzbNXiL-Zgpdqxc2F3Gumx8GM0UkRHsUHUX8JlyNQ8mauAAPsjp3L7vrP0CbHKkJu91hD8eMppWScL-0pk8XnLdsruQQqFfGW6BwCVuZ1Hb2lyA8mBESNI/s320/BlueDasher_9375.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Male Blue Dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis)</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1k7jbNn_oL5ELlPUgEQkgU9YFCyjS8psK5IOFXBQYSfChsqBR08p0M1pnDfyubUeBYasyKaYg3iHVDF7kZ7l3vqJrdRRPPX-F2X_4Zpqu5Y186Z-b0-eITZ_DZXP4scmwwkxd_EvAc4I/s1600/GraySanddragon_9690.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1k7jbNn_oL5ELlPUgEQkgU9YFCyjS8psK5IOFXBQYSfChsqBR08p0M1pnDfyubUeBYasyKaYg3iHVDF7kZ7l3vqJrdRRPPX-F2X_4Zpqu5Y186Z-b0-eITZ_DZXP4scmwwkxd_EvAc4I/s320/GraySanddragon_9690.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Male Gray Sanddragon (Progomphus borealis) one of my most unusual finds this year - have a whole series of him eating.</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://www.naturevisionsboutique.com/collections/insect-photography/products/blue-eyed-darner-dragonfly-wall-decor-nature-photography-fine-art-print"><img alt="Male Blue-eyed Darner Dragonfly (Rhionaeschna multicolor)" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqO1Iy5Pb08NFu8chSsiI1BLMFCBueqdTL9Mogc1DI28gxFW19GrqEW40XBDu49c8gtmRm9BhL8isaDAkfIY6uWpmfMl2FghZZRNn4O0ZB404CkiMD3DJH4e1oCXKCxpp6E6rvi6B9xUc/s320/Persevere_0502.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://www.naturevisionsboutique.com/collections/insect-photography/products/blue-eyed-darner-dragonfly-wall-decor-nature-photography-fine-art-print">Male Blue-eyed Darner (Rhionaeschna multicolor), "Persevere" - tattered but still gorgeous.</a></i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_WJjGc1kSIDhaZH8YECQUMMQapYgWtLnNEJmimAItFqfdAR2I7Ll-LHEX141fLNkHpkAznzCuY56Drvsl-HpaxTMxyAhPR680fqUMMmfaorVD4NmGYXm1fMofe4OiWWWCSaqcrAtBxw8/s1600/VarMeadowhawkVt_9433.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Female Variegated Meadowhawk Dragonfly (Sympetrum corruptum)" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_WJjGc1kSIDhaZH8YECQUMMQapYgWtLnNEJmimAItFqfdAR2I7Ll-LHEX141fLNkHpkAznzCuY56Drvsl-HpaxTMxyAhPR680fqUMMmfaorVD4NmGYXm1fMofe4OiWWWCSaqcrAtBxw8/s320/VarMeadowhawkVt_9433.jpg" title="" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Female Variegated Meadowhawk (Sympetrum corruptum), probably the easiest dragonfly for me to photograph.</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsKqyFrDajGj_NLWmm4dXncf3RKJwXWCJxY9Yx3cBtDQo9P4Fn5a-xo1XymoLYMoOf5cz1qEMFP0dBj3LjtjmYC4zqaiBZGfTaPpo587I_-68QXN7S0nMo_G0FRW0CjcYLaYWYaEVSm6c/s1600/BlackSaddlebagsVt_9800.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Male Black Saddlebags Dragonfly (Tramea lacerata)" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsKqyFrDajGj_NLWmm4dXncf3RKJwXWCJxY9Yx3cBtDQo9P4Fn5a-xo1XymoLYMoOf5cz1qEMFP0dBj3LjtjmYC4zqaiBZGfTaPpo587I_-68QXN7S0nMo_G0FRW0CjcYLaYWYaEVSm6c/s320/BlackSaddlebagsVt_9800.jpg" title="" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Male Black Saddlebags (Tramea lacerata), and one hardest for me to catch, usually in the air and very wary when perched.</i></td></tr>
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</div>Erica Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13010721024815560173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3257409783847747385.post-87834132513101454992016-12-17T14:48:00.000-08:002016-12-17T15:05:00.363-08:00How Long is Too Long?It's been almost four years since my last post here. Is it too late to revive my blog? The few times I've visited it, I've missed it and remembered how much I enjoyed blogging. Yet, time has flown by, and it just never seemed to be right for restarting it.<br />
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<a href="https://www.naturevisionsboutique.com/products/flying-honey-bee-wall-art-print-nature-photography-fine-art-photo"><img alt=" flying honey bee wall art print" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTUbk7qs1soEJ278KWreiDkb_YVW_bm0XVQOHtsY0Qb9jGp42y0im9gZqgIh7pBqn6kAd_btRB3SIbYiWPOIpDvqRP6-Mh6NZkH8BF7Y0DGvfCnSf9gMd2PfcWYXOugqrjSm4UxHd99_A/s320/Bee-atific8x8_4725.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.naturevisionsboutique.com/products/flying-honey-bee-wall-art-print-nature-photography-fine-art-photo"><i>Bee-atific</i></a></div>
I pulled it up today to look for something, and asked myself, when would be the right time? Who cares if anyone else reads it? Maybe I just need to start writing again, and see where it leads. So, here I am with no real idea of what to post, but with the urge to post something:-)<br />
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<a href="https://www.naturevisionsboutique.com/products/barn-owl-sculpture-bird-wall-art-polymer-clay-wildlife-figurine-wall-hanging-ooak"><img alt="Barn Owl sculpture wall hanging" border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg49T35tNYSA28UL_Yzey0tDSRrBdVnPbXsZ8-A-a3iHQDX2cVqe9D-hlCIw2A2m4_b7Xz0hrO_CyrP7QDVFl1v7Ka85iPMHyiCZwUc-oPyhmdv1eiEe7VJlejdH01JhsDsSyJtKKV7Luk/s320/BarnOwlMain_3953.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.naturevisionsboutique.com/products/barn-owl-sculpture-bird-wall-art-polymer-clay-wildlife-figurine-wall-hanging-ooak"><i>Barn Owl Sculpture Wall Hanging</i></a></div>
The past four years have had ups and downs, like most people. The down period was pretty hard, and took a while to move on from, but one foot in front of the other... I'm still photographing nature, my mom is still sculpting, and I even created our own website almost a year ago: <a href="https://www.naturevisionsboutique.com/">Nature Visions' Boutique</a> It's a work in progress, but I love it! I do have a blog there that I've started posting on. I've also started offering items for sale with my photos on them, which is huge for me; I've wanted to do that for years!<br />
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<a href="https://www.naturevisionsboutique.com/products/brown-butterfly-mug-11-oz-ceramic-coffee-cup-with-nature-photography"><img alt="brown butterfly coffee mug" border="0" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW9GV_3EVclfo-43EwZeCtQFZeEHsPW1d06_qdr1-kvL_07a3v5w9ebngSL7GLRF29baVrNBS3KODqUyO9iZObotu34zpLQLgLR6O303qu446DobOZwBOae59Yf4Lv3IrgacQHfoeWYF4/s320/BlissMugWeb.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.naturevisionsboutique.com/products/brown-butterfly-mug-11-oz-ceramic-coffee-cup-with-nature-photography"><i>Blissful Butterfly Mug</i></a></div>
Skye, our Persian, turned 16 this year. Sam turned nine, and Jack is ten+ (our dogs). All are doing well, though it's hard to believe how old we've all become - better than the alternative:-) Last month, we added a new member to our family, a 12-year-old spayed gray female Persian, from a shelter in northern Utah. Her name was Grandma, and is now Madame Grès, aka Maddie. She's a sweetheart who has taken everything in stride, which never ceases to amaze me. When the shelter got her, she was matted to the skin - her ear was tipped at some point. She has stories to tell. She and Skye are getting along, though no great love story yet, lol.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxbHP1vYBSdpbdpSaWuKaz5b7Wcrl-IFjHDs1bLfY-UwXTFVtqI2WP__kqVtHcITEqp8zKQJzjouA8geUWJ-XMGIdgWQHGpkZ7PlVvOpsdpgHeU7K1_y-gDA0GBiW9ztKwcgO4CA0knlQ/s1600/Maddie112516_3538.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="gray Persian cat" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxbHP1vYBSdpbdpSaWuKaz5b7Wcrl-IFjHDs1bLfY-UwXTFVtqI2WP__kqVtHcITEqp8zKQJzjouA8geUWJ-XMGIdgWQHGpkZ7PlVvOpsdpgHeU7K1_y-gDA0GBiW9ztKwcgO4CA0knlQ/s320/Maddie112516_3538.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #76a5af;"><i>Madame Grès</i></span></div>
Anyway, let's see if I can get this posted today, and I'll throw in some photos along the way. Maybe it won't be another four years before I post again:-)Erica Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13010721024815560173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3257409783847747385.post-6238478519069900322012-12-30T14:30:00.000-08:002012-12-30T14:30:46.633-08:00July, August & September<br />
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Ay yi yi! I may not get everything up before the end of the year. While I have an abundance of photos for the rest of the year, I realized I've hardly taken any this month. Oh well, in the meantime, here's a little taste of summer in case you're currently "enjoying" freezing temps, too!</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">July</span></b></div>
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July was an interesting month. Toward the end, I came off some steps wrong, fell on my foot, and dropped my camera for the first time ever. I was so afraid that I had broken my camera! I was more worried about that than anything else. Well, thank goodness my camera was okay. However, my foot was not; I broke or fractured the side of it when I fell. So, I was hobbling for a long time after. I still hobble some, but that doesn't stop me from taking photos. I'm crazy like that - I'd rather have my foot injured than my camera:-)</div>
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July was also interesting for all of the butterflies I met. These three were all up in the Kaibab National Forest in northern Arizona - it was a butterfly paradise.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgvRvwmQ5AqYUWMMFW2cOEtZYbiKFqR9S76qlBybCFiO0NIs1CnhXSkYEa-ievT6SJeuHs6g2rXBi1rGpmoXsCFhPMUeaIGGC1Y07QBhCdiCU3D-aOC9rS7sqpCb2genfissxD30en4rM/s1600/JulSilverspottedSkipper_635.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgvRvwmQ5AqYUWMMFW2cOEtZYbiKFqR9S76qlBybCFiO0NIs1CnhXSkYEa-ievT6SJeuHs6g2rXBi1rGpmoXsCFhPMUeaIGGC1Y07QBhCdiCU3D-aOC9rS7sqpCb2genfissxD30en4rM/s320/JulSilverspottedSkipper_635.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Silver-spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus) on thistle.</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixnkG_7sZFJHMQ315yujAOInzemV4-z3AMhc7zGGNzfm3dwADtqXMpFwzsDb3PX-Egby7rK7nFBlBAVymVxLgp0LN6JO3BfCjQ5U3r3GVttO-iZ9ZqdTKder4VihxLMp9KFpGE5YYIla4/s1600/JulPineWhite_6275.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixnkG_7sZFJHMQ315yujAOInzemV4-z3AMhc7zGGNzfm3dwADtqXMpFwzsDb3PX-Egby7rK7nFBlBAVymVxLgp0LN6JO3BfCjQ5U3r3GVttO-iZ9ZqdTKder4VihxLMp9KFpGE5YYIla4/s320/JulPineWhite_6275.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Pine White Butterfly (Neophasia menapia)</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_gcnp4mEuJMXlQa6MrqRst6bsDFhlv8kSrCQ0HYSeyySUz5KKLBD8t7NADk0NaLjEMkbpBjaW1f4nT7oQ18xfWq1GSYNcEoRvSLICUaX4E9-qJtii9O1I0_zqbc0cHEydKWK70ns6NE8/s1600/JulHoaryComma_6345.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_gcnp4mEuJMXlQa6MrqRst6bsDFhlv8kSrCQ0HYSeyySUz5KKLBD8t7NADk0NaLjEMkbpBjaW1f4nT7oQ18xfWq1GSYNcEoRvSLICUaX4E9-qJtii9O1I0_zqbc0cHEydKWK70ns6NE8/s320/JulHoaryComma_6345.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>One of my favorite butterfly sightings (as in gasp out loud and start chasing after;-), a Hoary Comma (Polygonia gracilis) - the first time I'd ever seen a butterfly with wings like this. Plus, catching the light through the wings made them stand out so much more. This is a link to one of my favorite shots from that day <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/104950056/rust-brown-butterfly-print-on-pink">"Chiseled"</a>.</i></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">August</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtmX4yPFGbAwUbhDjEsy6BYIc9LEo6zb8_iZh5e1QA7ZZ5nAOQmoXh0s7o68VnlkesEJLuy6EuxLXkAr-lRq5RF-xPGVObG5yvfo4bL8E1T3Xd-rbaE5FFbMFRyo9pkPVpqfo_QX-xHek/s1600/AugGreenEyedMonster_6968.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtmX4yPFGbAwUbhDjEsy6BYIc9LEo6zb8_iZh5e1QA7ZZ5nAOQmoXh0s7o68VnlkesEJLuy6EuxLXkAr-lRq5RF-xPGVObG5yvfo4bL8E1T3Xd-rbaE5FFbMFRyo9pkPVpqfo_QX-xHek/s320/AugGreenEyedMonster_6968.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>During August, I developed a love affair with the Praying Mantis living in my thyme (up in a wine cask). How can you resist that face? She's too cute:-)</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD3p7dyu0oo7W80ZMHpaMN2-YZdz3BTPn6oAiBGSV7CYuxKKTY0-7YyTgEcE1VJLyWqtJkxb7Qceruwms0kWx2htpRwpWf_IxxQi3fyrpx2DVs05dquQ0dpro-mvWcsfdj1ms_D6jyyIY/s1600/AugWesternWoodPewee_7192.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD3p7dyu0oo7W80ZMHpaMN2-YZdz3BTPn6oAiBGSV7CYuxKKTY0-7YyTgEcE1VJLyWqtJkxb7Qceruwms0kWx2htpRwpWf_IxxQi3fyrpx2DVs05dquQ0dpro-mvWcsfdj1ms_D6jyyIY/s320/AugWesternWoodPewee_7192.jpg" width="248" /></a></div>
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<i>I believe this is a Western Wood-Pewee (Contopus sordidulus), spotted way up at Cedar Breaks National Monument.</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXwRVXN-CZjjxRl-sXrufy1Hx7x4FrX4rlMgU9Ay-M15a0zKIRlP5ctW_m8p1Vg80dn9vMhKhmVu1VLa1Ll9TlF23YXueaY1dnVLdV6a3nUg-NmMpQCtBU7EOHGInunO35yWiQXILj9Uo/s1600/AugBlueBonnet_7154.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXwRVXN-CZjjxRl-sXrufy1Hx7x4FrX4rlMgU9Ay-M15a0zKIRlP5ctW_m8p1Vg80dn9vMhKhmVu1VLa1Ll9TlF23YXueaY1dnVLdV6a3nUg-NmMpQCtBU7EOHGInunO35yWiQXILj9Uo/s320/AugBlueBonnet_7154.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>And, guessing this is another Hunt's Bumblebee, this time enjoying the absolutely gorgeous larkspur also at Cedar Breaks. That color is just so stunning on flowers, isn't it?</i></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">September</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX9kAZEkmvyhQ90jRo0nwS_9POV2PXUz-B_vXegsBltvyicRpmtl8lrkEiu54KvsQkVW2l_DxJR7DuB6tJL1sMkYO_KMN3pu2MpVaLCdqbOcJ8eupQZ6Ufx7sdO51kA-iVe1oBElZXuoQ/s1600/SeptDaringDamsel_8950.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX9kAZEkmvyhQ90jRo0nwS_9POV2PXUz-B_vXegsBltvyicRpmtl8lrkEiu54KvsQkVW2l_DxJR7DuB6tJL1sMkYO_KMN3pu2MpVaLCdqbOcJ8eupQZ6Ufx7sdO51kA-iVe1oBElZXuoQ/s320/SeptDaringDamsel_8950.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>I also met a lot of dragon- and damselflies this summer, like this little cutie (which I'm not going to even try to identify, because I want to get this post up today and not next year;-).</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4lFjKzpvkv4AhK5VNdgD25q91GsvZ_c06WgBslfrqh1txPKmXTtxVkSzU9BhRHP1b04b6AGrbzMaSqi7zKoof_9RIHOjTyIoTBp0tadpQ4TcS_9PNxTdAOP4nbyy3c7BK6uIHReqsApQ/s1600/SeptSharpshinned_8772.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4lFjKzpvkv4AhK5VNdgD25q91GsvZ_c06WgBslfrqh1txPKmXTtxVkSzU9BhRHP1b04b6AGrbzMaSqi7zKoof_9RIHOjTyIoTBp0tadpQ4TcS_9PNxTdAOP4nbyy3c7BK6uIHReqsApQ/s400/SeptSharpshinned_8772.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>This isn't a great photo, because it was taken through a window. I believe this is a Sharp-shinned Hawk (though if it's a Cooper's, please let me know). S/he had just killed a dove, and we happened to look out at the right time to see it. For anyone who is sad for the dove, there are far more doves than hawks - and far more misses than catches when hunting.</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHgqgCrFjB9Uz2A8si8lFkreU0hORDMicqKSb2V_yDrhVC7629IwcuTjkVPVPzzRvv_Lc4763y3I2kM0PWwLRFexn3JSdbAfTzEONTyg347p8IPw5849nl47GKA9b1igM3iZCKRUhLTK4/s1600/SepPaintedLady_9322.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHgqgCrFjB9Uz2A8si8lFkreU0hORDMicqKSb2V_yDrhVC7629IwcuTjkVPVPzzRvv_Lc4763y3I2kM0PWwLRFexn3JSdbAfTzEONTyg347p8IPw5849nl47GKA9b1igM3iZCKRUhLTK4/s320/SepPaintedLady_9322.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>One more butterfly, a lovely Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui).</i></div>
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More to come...</div>
Erica Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13010721024815560173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3257409783847747385.post-36170867134848146002012-12-27T14:54:00.000-08:002012-12-27T14:54:28.930-08:00April, May & June 2012Am I the only one who can't believe 2012 is almost over? I swear, it's true that the older you get, the faster time flies. Anyway, on to the next three months worth of photos! I love how everything comes to live during these months. It's photography overload time:-) However, I'm keeping my promise of editing only three photos for each month. Hope you enjoy them!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">April</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-EmgU-m-hok32Pw-hFLdnaBHaHpLDl23ch6Br2P4F_QRavDNKlwgVEPqwAlUxKrHBCUrEhi2vQVGwmpDPFmhzUz56E4Y_SQMK35QZeLfd1OqsRd1xWjMTl6Phc6wFxWRz-ZSq2ouZysE/s1600/AprBirds_2372.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-EmgU-m-hok32Pw-hFLdnaBHaHpLDl23ch6Br2P4F_QRavDNKlwgVEPqwAlUxKrHBCUrEhi2vQVGwmpDPFmhzUz56E4Y_SQMK35QZeLfd1OqsRd1xWjMTl6Phc6wFxWRz-ZSq2ouZysE/s400/AprBirds_2372.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>A bevy of birds! We discovered Avocets, Stilts, Ibis, Northern Shovelers and more at the wastewater treatment plant here. Who'd've thunk it? ;-)</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXjETwLVFkeFCkUuVsCZq3XJvRFtg4tFlWWZFspeg7NVzaZWb6DOHeyxJtRvdBAWXIhyphenhyphenGvG6ALReW6eEdrn95FuMIZ8roG-PYmaUj_ejJDuj2SqEMRaKApMlScb33W7L1EaaqNpkEOsfQ/s1600/AprHorse_2539.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXjETwLVFkeFCkUuVsCZq3XJvRFtg4tFlWWZFspeg7NVzaZWb6DOHeyxJtRvdBAWXIhyphenhyphenGvG6ALReW6eEdrn95FuMIZ8roG-PYmaUj_ejJDuj2SqEMRaKApMlScb33W7L1EaaqNpkEOsfQ/s320/AprHorse_2539.jpg" width="256" /></a></div>
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<i>Friendly face - I love pintos/paints!</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPKj_FKaR1JmeJuHIHjr1lfH0BF0CtyNy0rn27mMDN-owXbrhFXaQuURUcJKeMiOk52DHqa8TlkJfVbGbCRiZq62h_7r38RTSc1O0YjFb06qN7S438KYVGrArLHxDzmL4wiTLnYcc-2hM/s1600/AprGeese_2553.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPKj_FKaR1JmeJuHIHjr1lfH0BF0CtyNy0rn27mMDN-owXbrhFXaQuURUcJKeMiOk52DHqa8TlkJfVbGbCRiZq62h_7r38RTSc1O0YjFb06qN7S438KYVGrArLHxDzmL4wiTLnYcc-2hM/s320/AprGeese_2553.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Family of Canada Geese that we startled on a drive out where we never would've expected to see them, since there wasn't much water around. The parents rounded them up and out of there very quickly, so this is a definite snapshot because they were too cute to resist!</i></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">May</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoyDXSm7rM0w5I58u6RY2KxjL4GAgY1B3kn9GZrtt422wuKGO7OzKjrnhoxzn0dYOUxpE-0Is190q0iuyV_Y83F3U97VKqkmtbOwtUrL0pCXKi3YLhA-MzVyyRWv-0HbIB8G9BBJ-H8HY/s1600/MayIris_2871.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoyDXSm7rM0w5I58u6RY2KxjL4GAgY1B3kn9GZrtt422wuKGO7OzKjrnhoxzn0dYOUxpE-0Is190q0iuyV_Y83F3U97VKqkmtbOwtUrL0pCXKi3YLhA-MzVyyRWv-0HbIB8G9BBJ-H8HY/s320/MayIris_2871.jpg" width="248" /></a></div>
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<i>Gorgeous Iris pallida in a friend's garden.</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFf_Waavpa0g_K7KunQpteFH6GkxPPOPv6WWsSuZlvCkJRkUx-uDtqS9HzSyUI6ah3jvl7OY455xIWNNFIy0Atxj1GiB1wbr8u-sdhvSsDn90FbYaE2y2RUcB0uswcgbbs4ySkd-Ba62o/s1600/MayButterflyBlend_3400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFf_Waavpa0g_K7KunQpteFH6GkxPPOPv6WWsSuZlvCkJRkUx-uDtqS9HzSyUI6ah3jvl7OY455xIWNNFIy0Atxj1GiB1wbr8u-sdhvSsDn90FbYaE2y2RUcB0uswcgbbs4ySkd-Ba62o/s320/MayButterflyBlend_3400.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>One of my favorite butterflies of the year, because s/he posed so beautifully. This is the Variable Checkerspot that you can also see at the top here <a href="http://naturevisions.blogspot.com/2012/05/wonderful-wednesday-wings.html">Checkerspot</a>.</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD3MP_LI1gNhz6P-NNv1EL64vQc2sT1l4DkuUCud5DyYa_soHV3EnGdlIQUHwFAph6shFhIj1lZ1PhXqOt03Tpj1ayK6rjwJsHqWCGt-SdN77gm4PuGHC5nJlbXbVkbo1LSJdBF9ME8qk/s1600/MayMagentaMagic_4202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD3MP_LI1gNhz6P-NNv1EL64vQc2sT1l4DkuUCud5DyYa_soHV3EnGdlIQUHwFAph6shFhIj1lZ1PhXqOt03Tpj1ayK6rjwJsHqWCGt-SdN77gm4PuGHC5nJlbXbVkbo1LSJdBF9ME8qk/s320/MayMagentaMagic_4202.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>The cactus come alive in May, and are just so gorgeous! It can be hard to get photos, though, because there are little black beetles that go crazy for the pollen and can cover the flowers. Oh, and be very careful if you decide to try to shake beetles off, because then you get fine little cactus stickers in your fingers - speaking from ample (painful) experience.</i></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>June</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOMnbZGKtNEsHsXJFWHo4Rdlr_gcpiOV4wFzMSn2yp5-_NREuKSAZaCkDXEmheoe96n3t5A2Z3aGCiIekZ9fdaTX8i-UrVhhf0Fc1LFTRDBdxJBcZqqn7I_RDlrsN7ZfQrc5mxKg6je_4/s1600/JunBeeBalance_4919.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOMnbZGKtNEsHsXJFWHo4Rdlr_gcpiOV4wFzMSn2yp5-_NREuKSAZaCkDXEmheoe96n3t5A2Z3aGCiIekZ9fdaTX8i-UrVhhf0Fc1LFTRDBdxJBcZqqn7I_RDlrsN7ZfQrc5mxKg6je_4/s320/JunBeeBalance_4919.jpg" width="248" /></a></div>
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<i>One very big bee! It always amazes me how they can hold on to flowers:-) Possibly a Hunt's Bumblebee (Bombus huntii).</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge-T1LiV_7B0AUqYbCJrrjeGFnKhmjnRAidpffUe57_1ByKSQitVUDD8LeC0Mrq1gryPRwqPNqWeW2kOuo7V6lL1ihpiGvNb-2Cny71AmMTaaYE-3YNYW52hoITjGF28bbCkfX510_Dho/s1600/FairyWings_4957.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge-T1LiV_7B0AUqYbCJrrjeGFnKhmjnRAidpffUe57_1ByKSQitVUDD8LeC0Mrq1gryPRwqPNqWeW2kOuo7V6lL1ihpiGvNb-2Cny71AmMTaaYE-3YNYW52hoITjGF28bbCkfX510_Dho/s320/FairyWings_4957.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Another butterfly beauty, possibly a Sagebrush Checkerspot (Chlosyne acastus)...?</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjElv6n2eS062sW9P9xQj8UkyiJzoSLots2pZw1q8T083BOaO3B7DmajH5soNEA0pGyi2M-6MqqbI2-9TsQH0xcdem85R66YUbruifZz0iUiWARgDecFwQL40e-4dFHanvK2nl-3reB5s4/s1600/JunBlackThroatedSparrow_5020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjElv6n2eS062sW9P9xQj8UkyiJzoSLots2pZw1q8T083BOaO3B7DmajH5soNEA0pGyi2M-6MqqbI2-9TsQH0xcdem85R66YUbruifZz0iUiWARgDecFwQL40e-4dFHanvK2nl-3reB5s4/s320/JunBlackThroatedSparrow_5020.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>A little Black-throated Sparrow that had crashed into the window. We ran out to check on him, and, of course, I grabbed my camera, too. Fortunately, he was okay:-)</i></div>
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Now off to select photos for July, August and September - stay tuned...</div>
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Erica Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13010721024815560173noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3257409783847747385.post-47878842534424170062012-12-13T15:12:00.000-08:002012-12-13T15:12:20.148-08:00Catching Up Have you ever let something go for so long that you don't know where or how to start up again? Well, that's what happened with my blog. I can't believe my last post was back in May. I never intended to stop posting. Goodness knows I have enough photos to last a lifetime! However, time just seemed to fly by, and I've really been caught up working in our vintage/pattern shop, among other things. The more time that went by, the harder it became to figure out how to restart here. I did spend a lot of time a few months ago updating the whole look of my blog, but then never came back and posted anything new...<br />
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Anyway, here I am again. Thrilling, I know;-) I finally figured out what I wanted to do to get going again. I'm sorting through all the photos I took this year, and I'm going to choose three from each month that I haven't processed yet to edit and share here. To keep the motivation going, and to keep it from being too many photos at once, I'm going to do three months at a time.<br />
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If anyone's still around, I hope you enjoy catching up with me through a little visual journey:-)<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">January</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYPGOnYupEW9-PvUKSK__DI675DKoeNKEM2EIATa4uOGapxlQc1DeuYF_ryvkdTMd7cCDyH5xIB5WtMazPm3iwOqaQwGsXyj-Mja5igu_xc9MYIyEuEUVutQOXsNBk7fM5K-RvAz8zNOo/s1600/JanSquirrel_9024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYPGOnYupEW9-PvUKSK__DI675DKoeNKEM2EIATa4uOGapxlQc1DeuYF_ryvkdTMd7cCDyH5xIB5WtMazPm3iwOqaQwGsXyj-Mja5igu_xc9MYIyEuEUVutQOXsNBk7fM5K-RvAz8zNOo/s400/JanSquirrel_9024.jpg" width="280" /></a></div>
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<i>Fuzzy-wuzzy little White-tailed Antelope Squirrel keeping watch.</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijXP1MCijTax0yCMkHVR7-xoRkeQpJPkN2sZF2ecoFyUQI7QpzvTLFd4NqlRp3boMXljciry8ggX9_nhVeH2pD_WAHvyXmG9y-lT23INm6IVJlun6b6TmAEtwxjVGHTD26X8WKStUV9ck/s1600/JanChick_8909.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijXP1MCijTax0yCMkHVR7-xoRkeQpJPkN2sZF2ecoFyUQI7QpzvTLFd4NqlRp3boMXljciry8ggX9_nhVeH2pD_WAHvyXmG9y-lT23INm6IVJlun6b6TmAEtwxjVGHTD26X8WKStUV9ck/s400/JanChick_8909.jpg" width="311" /></a></div>
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<i>From my birthday trip to Zion, a little Mountain Chickadee.</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirGDWdPMPYG6zTOFm4C1TbUjmRjpvjeAEJ5EAMPdqAVM2OAe1wq8XE0Nsx0fW7VPL4IeoPxqXWPMUhhm-7u1Uh4wYNoWQZ6yzNz3zh9stE7GydWy5qQGKHdz05CS7r5l7P2pQ7qg8qTp0/s1600/JanZion_8940.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirGDWdPMPYG6zTOFm4C1TbUjmRjpvjeAEJ5EAMPdqAVM2OAe1wq8XE0Nsx0fW7VPL4IeoPxqXWPMUhhm-7u1Uh4wYNoWQZ6yzNz3zh9stE7GydWy5qQGKHdz05CS7r5l7P2pQ7qg8qTp0/s400/JanZion_8940.jpg" width="267" /></a></div>
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<i>Also at Zion, this was a very shady spot, but I could resist snapping a photo because the water was so beautiful.</i><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">February</span></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvGi0E2WmDF2ARfVlmEb36AnCBZEReD81KHIRyKo5mWJH6d3_e1HAfT90gOASrzZf-tsWBjjNiq8BSkA3OEDHx_bhcjlIzIsZR0e6q3P31JSjWQNpNEIm7EmthM0IfQrxWU0wlLHaE3Kc/s1600/FebBun_0389.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvGi0E2WmDF2ARfVlmEb36AnCBZEReD81KHIRyKo5mWJH6d3_e1HAfT90gOASrzZf-tsWBjjNiq8BSkA3OEDHx_bhcjlIzIsZR0e6q3P31JSjWQNpNEIm7EmthM0IfQrxWU0wlLHaE3Kc/s320/FebBun_0389.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>One very cold bunny!</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh724SagRuK4giUmQDPM92HZWwUzy2BkbVxrJiTJRKgt6ohKND_M44qhsmrVAHN8EIww6x0aZEqivTetbXBn_acT47bTRrYDV3a1VcEiIbEC5aLTS9vgFUa8vqVM5bfWOu5sMr8qBFtCYk/s1600/FebGoat_9493.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh724SagRuK4giUmQDPM92HZWwUzy2BkbVxrJiTJRKgt6ohKND_M44qhsmrVAHN8EIww6x0aZEqivTetbXBn_acT47bTRrYDV3a1VcEiIbEC5aLTS9vgFUa8vqVM5bfWOu5sMr8qBFtCYk/s320/FebGoat_9493.jpg" width="248" /></a></div>
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<i>Handsome goat that lives, of all places, with a herd out at the wastewater treatment plant here.</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxribJFmH9MuomN3Ny8C3WAg4tfrEYs4alCE6HkJ2O_VNUMAU7Vm0hJs_3TJRGKXaQTdQRHOt1LLU80FgyS1p-wGD-ZfpawMqNwbQoz5wJjKZ9ttSC5nlz_ffgp2oDoOWQXsp34m_Z8cU/s1600/FebGoats_0506.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxribJFmH9MuomN3Ny8C3WAg4tfrEYs4alCE6HkJ2O_VNUMAU7Vm0hJs_3TJRGKXaQTdQRHOt1LLU80FgyS1p-wGD-ZfpawMqNwbQoz5wJjKZ9ttSC5nlz_ffgp2oDoOWQXsp34m_Z8cU/s320/FebGoats_0506.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Baby goats at the same place:-) All goat photos were taken through a chainlink fence, which is a challenge!</i></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">March</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8hsXHQIFb1YVmTl9jrbi_Dqqwcnk9KZRf7nO_29bAfbeKFqdN_0yDB0QVw1HcxpOIYcD_-ZV3EHcvmpYa6evX-w7jkVQXuOMr3BOCS0lEVWelHEFoq8Pi3rNJDW8spUlMEdPrLqOgqbU/s1600/MarBfly_1026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8hsXHQIFb1YVmTl9jrbi_Dqqwcnk9KZRf7nO_29bAfbeKFqdN_0yDB0QVw1HcxpOIYcD_-ZV3EHcvmpYa6evX-w7jkVQXuOMr3BOCS0lEVWelHEFoq8Pi3rNJDW8spUlMEdPrLqOgqbU/s320/MarBfly_1026.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>The very first butterfly of the year! I believe this is a Southwestern Orangetip (Anthocharis thoosa).</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgObOFJKcse_XRyzVgnpMltoYGe5VoeRmUdHdV8J64ecte6PKd1nSSXFtDNVqM-BWNvPT-KHLN873oXsDie74wjILDsBzSfV4AD_AWRxi6cJuATHpTsl86dE5zZnOUgSAtn6h542hhTSGI/s1600/MarGoats1_1229.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgObOFJKcse_XRyzVgnpMltoYGe5VoeRmUdHdV8J64ecte6PKd1nSSXFtDNVqM-BWNvPT-KHLN873oXsDie74wjILDsBzSfV4AD_AWRxi6cJuATHpTsl86dE5zZnOUgSAtn6h542hhTSGI/s320/MarGoats1_1229.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Triplets!</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrS7sXoo8Rlq1CNHZq4SSlLKllnVtRpf1IYUfwOu4djp_uoAheyfTAttnLwoZSuHWtv0tHjJiWITWrkWlD0u3ZRTQnp4o-9-tknJ3kaiFAVGD8hAXCWaugLxUPWtm1s48mrmBDBC6gLDA/s1600/MarBlooms_1532.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrS7sXoo8Rlq1CNHZq4SSlLKllnVtRpf1IYUfwOu4djp_uoAheyfTAttnLwoZSuHWtv0tHjJiWITWrkWlD0u3ZRTQnp4o-9-tknJ3kaiFAVGD8hAXCWaugLxUPWtm1s48mrmBDBC6gLDA/s320/MarBlooms_1532.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Flowering plum tree blossoms.</i></div>
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Stay tuned for April, May and June - I met a lot of new butterflies this year!</div>
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Erica Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13010721024815560173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3257409783847747385.post-91526280570741728412012-05-09T17:49:00.000-07:002012-08-05T17:00:20.011-07:00Wonderful Wednesday Wings!Lots of wings coming out now! These were all spotted over the past week here in southern Utah.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/99643355/beautiful-butterfly-photo-nature-home" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2OcKG2cx9m1CAFdulwAWgpoOGYaEJmd7b9eYcPe3w5QtCa05m7bzEew_heNd_4xWQKwzE7xetFX8k_9uYIBrssOD-BpB7aU29KS9QN3yu0PW08TUYUt1cxp_Z7gcerrHRx0FAqac_P8w/s320/Symmetry_3343.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">One of the best butterfly sightings ever, because this little beauty spread her wings out to balance in the wind, and just froze while feeding. Only problem is despite looking and looking, I haven't been able to id her. Update: per the comment left by Katie at <a href="http://natureid.blogspot.com/">http://natureid.blogspot.com/</a>, the id looks to be a Variable Checkerspot.</span> </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3DZSZyJUFkCDkU-kyPFwa7M9BwyiE_F95iH4MR9pZLbxzO0eFC0xbDzOfOoIMCwpClS5J1Yr7Eyqd3QNGXUK9z2Z9Ai2m1GK4moLFPLyfipdTAFK2YleShqFz5Kto0iuh71EWuS3zWtQ/s1600/Awesome_3516.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3DZSZyJUFkCDkU-kyPFwa7M9BwyiE_F95iH4MR9pZLbxzO0eFC0xbDzOfOoIMCwpClS5J1Yr7Eyqd3QNGXUK9z2Z9Ai2m1GK4moLFPLyfipdTAFK2YleShqFz5Kto0iuh71EWuS3zWtQ/s320/Awesome_3516.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <i>Every once in a while, you take a photo you don't know you've taken;-) Tiny butterfly moving quickly around the flower, and in 14 shots, I never saw the even tinier grasshopper until I processed the photos - believe it or not! I think the butterfly is a Juniper Hairstreak (Callophrys gryneus).</i></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWKM40XgHT0WdsnEVXGg89jMRCBk9XXvbTpo9WoYC404S63hA63Dw95wywOenKonJXehd80sS_LOGZhtJuzWbOjRPklIKST3WapNTydyElW8fDYv5Bk1IHwLN5yQxs52Dwk5e8SJHhQOE/s1600/CheckeredSkipper_3299.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWKM40XgHT0WdsnEVXGg89jMRCBk9XXvbTpo9WoYC404S63hA63Dw95wywOenKonJXehd80sS_LOGZhtJuzWbOjRPklIKST3WapNTydyElW8fDYv5Bk1IHwLN5yQxs52Dwk5e8SJHhQOE/s320/CheckeredSkipper_3299.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><i>Common Checkered-Skipper (Pyrgus communis)</i></span> </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaLjlOWCICw_GUfvyiHPHzsghPjpALCHJS8Z8O0i_U8cTUjJn8W4NRr79yPDLS6YvWfSh5t7p4DSvTIEQdugqZqNdFcJfBQzECA3wK4CeefLALW_0HgOsoM6LQU9AztIT3bCyI9qRs7MI/s1600/MeridianDuskywing_3302.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaLjlOWCICw_GUfvyiHPHzsghPjpALCHJS8Z8O0i_U8cTUjJn8W4NRr79yPDLS6YvWfSh5t7p4DSvTIEQdugqZqNdFcJfBQzECA3wK4CeefLALW_0HgOsoM6LQU9AztIT3bCyI9qRs7MI/s320/MeridianDuskywing_3302.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><i>I believe this is a Meridian Duskywing (Erynnis meridianus).</i></span> </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi85qnTKJQZ1MCW7yZ_SwHK7sYX24aOR9A1_Fd-49HYzjsfcO8a_frG40fOBRv5aL1pCXVnXRc45Aug0wy7Uraa2dC6bROOkyqa6PsRMBiqM1irKoA5EhnrmJ-pqmTdSKHVNOKmCoKRy1w/s1600/MetallicSweatBee_3326.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi85qnTKJQZ1MCW7yZ_SwHK7sYX24aOR9A1_Fd-49HYzjsfcO8a_frG40fOBRv5aL1pCXVnXRc45Aug0wy7Uraa2dC6bROOkyqa6PsRMBiqM1irKoA5EhnrmJ-pqmTdSKHVNOKmCoKRy1w/s320/MetallicSweatBee_3326.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Metallic Sweat Bee</i> </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/99633087/flying-dragonfly-photography-rustic-wall" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZGa1Myg4SZbSn1SZ9c9RsabssocHCNvJHpaSCFaZoLYqjIS4H65Ylq-Fbo6j2MSuX9nRU3IEyqxTBuQmEzpYzTCnKaPPlH8DAZ2-y6Zcme2oLhGU4vt_re-ICMR7MJLKDhtPAtSocXu0/s320/FlightMagic_3260.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Variegated Meadowhawk (Sympetrum corruptum) over water - a very lucky shot! Saw the water, hoped for a dragonfly, and spotted this beauty just hovering:-)</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Erica Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13010721024815560173noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3257409783847747385.post-10931207786062029302012-05-05T13:07:00.000-07:002012-08-04T13:26:47.995-07:00Scarlet Saturday!Ravishing reds seem to be everywhere, so I thought I'd share some recent sightings:-)
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgma93wKM18Ga9V1t2wciGjF-ipBAkmsW3p__Z4kGy4kv21Z6BkO7FkevHOY3FnJqvxwbhZ1z4JUiW2BgK4sPCWwTk3GH8e5gHIf0jOictiNFDygnN9yC75fR6PxyHwPTLBsutdd2052IE/s1600/Hot%2521_2791.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgma93wKM18Ga9V1t2wciGjF-ipBAkmsW3p__Z4kGy4kv21Z6BkO7FkevHOY3FnJqvxwbhZ1z4JUiW2BgK4sPCWwTk3GH8e5gHIf0jOictiNFDygnN9yC75fR6PxyHwPTLBsutdd2052IE/s400/Hot%2521_2791.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>This beautiful cactus is growing in a neighbor's yard. I believe it's a Claret Cup or Crimson Hedgehog Cactus (Echinocereus triglochidiatus).
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj056qsHADYHRSdOaOkAufX7bP6mxj75YymyjK0lfCdpWhdXU2TlfT__cQABu-BqXJPI3x6GNxa7fak9CLmhaPXOJe_q3dyimBBwmqKmrtVD4AP_5DYqn2vWDvW-Zm6AeAJZlniwpaJdnQ/s1600/RubyMagic_2706.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj056qsHADYHRSdOaOkAufX7bP6mxj75YymyjK0lfCdpWhdXU2TlfT__cQABu-BqXJPI3x6GNxa7fak9CLmhaPXOJe_q3dyimBBwmqKmrtVD4AP_5DYqn2vWDvW-Zm6AeAJZlniwpaJdnQ/s400/RubyMagic_2706.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>The miniature rose 'Ruby Magic' - the first rose to bloom this year. This is one of my special minis that I was fortunate enough to buy at Sequoia Nursery/Moore's Miniatures when we were in Cali. Sequoia Nursery was run by the famous rosarian, Ralph Moore, who lived to the grand old age of 102. I like to think he lived so long because he was doing what he loved for a living:-)
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE7GFUtmy030RkAGc0sQXoUB3zRy0k4NVXd-FoZ4xBjzc3yGcC7sCT3GS0uPaZEezpSFipS7N6z0SpiRekuJgjbPXUFaiGOz8b8imkMOkVfPtFAvdDF0MWwmNoQT7VfO06DrIBsjT7LaY/s1600/UtahPenstemon_2804.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE7GFUtmy030RkAGc0sQXoUB3zRy0k4NVXd-FoZ4xBjzc3yGcC7sCT3GS0uPaZEezpSFipS7N6z0SpiRekuJgjbPXUFaiGOz8b8imkMOkVfPtFAvdDF0MWwmNoQT7VfO06DrIBsjT7LaY/s400/UtahPenstemon_2804.jpg" width="311" /></a></div>
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<i>Utah Penstemon (Penstemon utahensis) blooming where we live.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQKACwp9mxyrBTqhxf6ifUHebL25JDWclGsEmxE-l7yVSYkcIeLhzG5GzgOaX8ZzrDW6-q2smgbwZjGY4EYx9aGR5CBL4_ZY96hmKRdhG_TQ2LJYYl9RjQ6Mx5wi5W7vAKRjinxekU5l0/s1600/CherryHi_2814.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQKACwp9mxyrBTqhxf6ifUHebL25JDWclGsEmxE-l7yVSYkcIeLhzG5GzgOaX8ZzrDW6-q2smgbwZjGY4EYx9aGR5CBL4_ZY96hmKRdhG_TQ2LJYYl9RjQ6Mx5wi5W7vAKRjinxekU5l0/s400/CherryHi_2814.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>The miniature rose 'Cherry Hi', also from Sequoia Nursery.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF6je-oj0EOxFsqCxh-NOE7P_viNqyLdgnOMKnqPHSBW52amBOjQ5iqQn0gNoorT4w24KlUe4OM6digjr3hyphenhyphenEjULYMWFf41GxOoaoTrccCkCSB1VmzlVSzEwSm9Bkp6jAi0xE3JqN0udo/s1600/Gilia_2843.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF6je-oj0EOxFsqCxh-NOE7P_viNqyLdgnOMKnqPHSBW52amBOjQ5iqQn0gNoorT4w24KlUe4OM6digjr3hyphenhyphenEjULYMWFf41GxOoaoTrccCkCSB1VmzlVSzEwSm9Bkp6jAi0xE3JqN0udo/s400/Gilia_2843.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I<i> believe this is a Gilia, but I'm not positive. It doesn't quite match other photos I have... I have the feeling a squirrel planted it:-) If anyone can confirm, please leave a comment. It's gorgeous, whatever it is!
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7xRKT5uZ-UGVt0rsBoS_KwrzBUrrIwc8cs7GWrbTLCH6IIRWHcV6mBUoQKLVQWHpzA_Yc5BmW9JGghclzXp-kTgkpBn-U7hR7KoJ5dyE2ej3e-Swh3BcwfV-l5WsEOCNAhzkgIPvx3Wg/s1600/Courageous_3099.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7xRKT5uZ-UGVt0rsBoS_KwrzBUrrIwc8cs7GWrbTLCH6IIRWHcV6mBUoQKLVQWHpzA_Yc5BmW9JGghclzXp-kTgkpBn-U7hR7KoJ5dyE2ej3e-Swh3BcwfV-l5WsEOCNAhzkgIPvx3Wg/s400/Courageous_3099.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>Full-size to climbing rose, 'Courageous'. This is an English Legend rose that I ordered from <a href="http://www.heirloomroses.com/roses/english-legend-roses/courageous.html" target="_blank">Heirloom Roses</a> when we lived in Cali. Amazing fragrance!!!
More flowers to come... :-)</i></div>Erica Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13010721024815560173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3257409783847747385.post-84062599746552505172012-04-14T14:28:00.011-07:002012-08-04T13:29:47.045-07:00Saturday Snow Bird - Hummingbirds are Back!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHHagpXWQXt1_GGZ1mv0UenuHpU6NWQEWVneU6EqY_QmpCV2rnqbZKwCn28brkk9kPBdMhgWRk0w_14fravgXLM1HtfPDhHxkwST8Uj6qDfsCaMFLys4ydyxgv0xi90mmJU0GKDbc1Qn8/s1600/Snow041412_2296.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 277px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHHagpXWQXt1_GGZ1mv0UenuHpU6NWQEWVneU6EqY_QmpCV2rnqbZKwCn28brkk9kPBdMhgWRk0w_14fravgXLM1HtfPDhHxkwST8Uj6qDfsCaMFLys4ydyxgv0xi90mmJU0GKDbc1Qn8/s400/Snow041412_2296.jpg" border="0" alt="southern utah snow" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5731371790539825122" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Snow has been in the forecast all week for today. However, we weren't supposed to see any accumulation (weather.com says that almost every time, and we always get more than they say). I don't mind, because we can always use the moisture up here in the high desert. However, the Black-chinned Hummingbirds started to return last week, so no fun for them! I stood out on the deck for about half an hour, determined to catch one with my camera. This is a progression of photos - poor little guy, but at least he has food.</div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Mc4-OJFJ1hYOSsxPK2ZsQJ5dLUhZgynICX130wMXgyCYm_8lgc7Cr-Ut8GGWxpmPGf9J82IcmSC5gW6HgpTa480K0r1m3QtFwnOcp4D1_HUSKkYIw09jwX3qZKX1qrB05ejLZZjhecg/s1600/HiddenHuddle_2300.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Mc4-OJFJ1hYOSsxPK2ZsQJ5dLUhZgynICX130wMXgyCYm_8lgc7Cr-Ut8GGWxpmPGf9J82IcmSC5gW6HgpTa480K0r1m3QtFwnOcp4D1_HUSKkYIw09jwX3qZKX1qrB05ejLZZjhecg/s400/HiddenHuddle_2300.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5731371871547806898" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">I finally spotted him huddling in the tree, but he was too far away and his back was turned.</div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiN_qxZU9atl2OEv4NEGsdO4SZDvKSD9Lcsvur-_MukRntp61jo0ORtOr12a_opBYQNr_gkmbQSJmaU4Bj3NgT7PDEgmO5oKI3_Cbafn3fI-c2xPglt3lCisjHnRN_EVFp8k094aEzGIY/s1600/Preparing_2311.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiN_qxZU9atl2OEv4NEGsdO4SZDvKSD9Lcsvur-_MukRntp61jo0ORtOr12a_opBYQNr_gkmbQSJmaU4Bj3NgT7PDEgmO5oKI3_Cbafn3fI-c2xPglt3lCisjHnRN_EVFp8k094aEzGIY/s400/Preparing_2311.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5731372181248192178" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">After a while, he moved to a branch. I was facing the light, so not great, but he was so cute fluffing out his feathers:-)</div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO3cpTmTS1qNMZbuqCfa-sRz_PhIr1_LxDgZwOp2zx8mcsSwPBvqAdjuDwVkzLldJEldnLRLe7hr2Tr-ibgUZKXCpym2Js_8XB6YDqcUkP9Tbz5QiinR1jr0FMrjvQxOTd796rNuRiQiw/s1600/Surviving_2320.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO3cpTmTS1qNMZbuqCfa-sRz_PhIr1_LxDgZwOp2zx8mcsSwPBvqAdjuDwVkzLldJEldnLRLe7hr2Tr-ibgUZKXCpym2Js_8XB6YDqcUkP9Tbz5QiinR1jr0FMrjvQxOTd796rNuRiQiw/s400/Surviving_2320.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5731372530354597586" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">He finally came over to the feeder. He's keeping an eye on me, because I'm fairly close and not hidden. Then he went back into the tree, where you can get an idea of how he really feels about the snow - brrrr! He's probably wishing he'd stayed down south a little longer. I'm glad they're coming back, though. Fortunately, it's supposed to start clearing again tomorrow, and they can warm up again. Here's to clearer, happier hummingbird photos soon!</div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig_mcGg5qyqc3Y5cWs3iS1hBeWfLM4XJ3cTqoL1TwC5mUZuxbooPhjRqtRG5YM38P9yal3pst6SAm0GNL1vkeU5TZSIk-iERM2gazrK0Dqk1jSAnzbbMocOolh4eZ2OFG3ER3LXQDlN7U/s1600/Brrrr_2326.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig_mcGg5qyqc3Y5cWs3iS1hBeWfLM4XJ3cTqoL1TwC5mUZuxbooPhjRqtRG5YM38P9yal3pst6SAm0GNL1vkeU5TZSIk-iERM2gazrK0Dqk1jSAnzbbMocOolh4eZ2OFG3ER3LXQDlN7U/s400/Brrrr_2326.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5731374483682735986" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDSYjWkmCoO7dSaJDgEoli6fbCzRcZZcnkFY6Abr2Cle46zmbOU4D78vV3DBB_SUEHYQ7Xz1h-tbRAhy_pY_L7eV9ar2Iu7LUQJ3SoLbmYsTLpu3_3n-TG_IoifgQtBzgW-BPwiknIq8I/s1600/MakeItStop_2327.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDSYjWkmCoO7dSaJDgEoli6fbCzRcZZcnkFY6Abr2Cle46zmbOU4D78vV3DBB_SUEHYQ7Xz1h-tbRAhy_pY_L7eV9ar2Iu7LUQJ3SoLbmYsTLpu3_3n-TG_IoifgQtBzgW-BPwiknIq8I/s400/MakeItStop_2327.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5731372856298854098" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVElOB_Vdm7CMHvxpyMsOV25nf6g-UWx75QImqXtWba9kkWp-F26xWlVNyH764MVcw4edfCGfJN7TCbA-wEyUHKxnSnCBW695qJnd5W7pbBpoOM01cRP0_QC4gSDqiQvqbb9rjyI5dDAE/s1600/LittleSnowBird_2335.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVElOB_Vdm7CMHvxpyMsOV25nf6g-UWx75QImqXtWba9kkWp-F26xWlVNyH764MVcw4edfCGfJN7TCbA-wEyUHKxnSnCBW695qJnd5W7pbBpoOM01cRP0_QC4gSDqiQvqbb9rjyI5dDAE/s400/LittleSnowBird_2335.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5731372996143426626" /></a>Erica Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13010721024815560173noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3257409783847747385.post-86323588811568417192012-04-09T14:22:00.013-07:002012-08-04T13:36:40.711-07:00Southwest SpringOnce again, time has flown by faster than I can keep track! Last time I posted, it was just after it had snowed. Today, we're in the 70's and bright and sunny. Supposed to change again soon, but in the meantime, it's time to share some spring photos, so you can see what blooms in high desert southwest gardens. I hope you enjoy them:-)<br /><br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKp5a6-Mog_XXjnPTI9yy4ukuJjjuvEkmBsdyhq4owdJbMH8Nij8DdJD-2Y25dPba5EczOd0kt10nRBNLwiwOUY6UKrvWain3A6DjvcoZGtLfa0lhbGvL7DMjDwPFag1mLnNBrqhypplc/s400/Blossoming_1588.jpg" border="0" alt="Painted Lady Butterfly" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5729520094305346610" /><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span ><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/96580276/butterfly-on-spring-blossoms-photo">"Blossoming"</a>, Painted Lady Butterfly on plum tree blossoms.</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2vTFMDv7g1KfGYvsuBB-KAPuQOGHMyDx7PG9-WZXzbu5L6oJmDO0UAMiEr3cKaTlH8Wr_rnNkiRXlMwLmphJx1Nwvuu8VMDG-ou3dY4K68s422ltH8fRXPK26CR6Js2Kr28cwiPtU-pk/s1600/Behold_1546.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 311px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2vTFMDv7g1KfGYvsuBB-KAPuQOGHMyDx7PG9-WZXzbu5L6oJmDO0UAMiEr3cKaTlH8Wr_rnNkiRXlMwLmphJx1Nwvuu8VMDG-ou3dY4K68s422ltH8fRXPK26CR6Js2Kr28cwiPtU-pk/s400/Behold_1546.jpg" border="0" alt="butterfly on blossoms" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5729515532882486274" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span >"Behold"</span></i></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1zRtGJOCHV8DFhC_gbOHHWkip9SCQ6CDfFeVpq4RxUcY1xH_BL5UQGT7bDrjKxvhAbFfFiJv-BzNS_Dp5nq0TXgighQwSBCW-9y9qZS6vIem7pdL4P5VslQu4jCOyl52UolMj7q5xIE8/s1600/BloomingBflyVt_1565.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 311px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1zRtGJOCHV8DFhC_gbOHHWkip9SCQ6CDfFeVpq4RxUcY1xH_BL5UQGT7bDrjKxvhAbFfFiJv-BzNS_Dp5nq0TXgighQwSBCW-9y9qZS6vIem7pdL4P5VslQu4jCOyl52UolMj7q5xIE8/s400/BloomingBflyVt_1565.jpg" border="0" alt="Vanessa cardui" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5729516060876450050" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span >"Blooming Butterfly" In all the time I spent photographing fruit tree blossoms in California, I never saw butterflies on them. It was warmer there than here, so they were definitely out. However, my theory is that they stayed away because of all the pestcides, which leads me to my next photo and lightbulb moment...</span></i></div><br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMI5mCwi91-zbzCe0XUl_fQYIeJFN_9_hqzURZ830Ew75o2SeGjuQjP7MITey4jC6vkEF_YT5RBDL4n8k5QLuPn-PkohmPRDqyVM0JNGQu2ex3uM-oqpfxpMfdqFSW-b2deJFOc1a_hyA/s400/PeachySq_1637.jpg" border="0" alt="peach tree blossoms" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5729516352077052626" /><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>"Peachy", peach tree blossoms smell divine! Okay, that might sound like something I should have known since I stood in orchards with hundreds to thousands of trees. The whole air should have been perfumed, right? It was with the orange blossoms, but not the peach or nectarines. To be honest, the only thing I ever smelled was a chemical scent. Until I met this tree in someone's yard, I had no idea how delicious the scent was, and I was blown away.</i></div></i><br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 311px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8auesXSkSwpcZwEEw1VzQi5JB8kOLTHF0rSEtCrU5_rbKh_f4zN0gaJfkU9-qZlybkM3aO9ahUpGBTFZPv-6Ju_N6exEXHR9KDboIs1CHagSEcs1KdPDhRoI2UfYx0BaNSFYvWAXoYwE/s400/SunnySide_1604.jpg" border="0" alt="yellow daffodil" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5729516769493879634" /><div style="text-align: center;"><i><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/96581626/sunny-yellow-daffodil-photo-spring"><br />"Sunny Side"</a>, can't ignore the daffodils!</i></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxT_cysibzhd0QasjHnYPUeQTSKqE8zcq-YQF0mOhR_64o4YFBVeYD0g3UtbRHFfclQE3_uZw3ppGxJsaAf6gs6evOLv8pf9__DlR0nVqq8R7XCPY0YNKkEE43XCfBIYeSfmNKZ_oxYjw/s1600/Daffodil_1874.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 311px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxT_cysibzhd0QasjHnYPUeQTSKqE8zcq-YQF0mOhR_64o4YFBVeYD0g3UtbRHFfclQE3_uZw3ppGxJsaAf6gs6evOLv8pf9__DlR0nVqq8R7XCPY0YNKkEE43XCfBIYeSfmNKZ_oxYjw/s400/Daffodil_1874.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5729516932189971330" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRjIg2940-6HP0IsJu_gKhjVMxuZ_pC1tGAhQKaAulyKkCVOJw0y_Qg47NgpMHw_UDGKPTTyTQSvB1LSFQKhk0QgTfhSO3DYHMVNaCP21p33AeLPUPjyZsFPIVrNb-AojlD-sklUK6N1A/s1600/SunStars_1464.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 311px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRjIg2940-6HP0IsJu_gKhjVMxuZ_pC1tGAhQKaAulyKkCVOJw0y_Qg47NgpMHw_UDGKPTTyTQSvB1LSFQKhk0QgTfhSO3DYHMVNaCP21p33AeLPUPjyZsFPIVrNb-AojlD-sklUK6N1A/s400/SunStars_1464.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5729517264150214098" /></a><div style="text-align: center; "><i>"Sun Stars"</i></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNl23U0knhsdfbfqc6Ha8j6HY3Bdu0L2OvEfUuSp0tqDUXLWQAyQwqbuKAXvXpW7Zmpjs-KvRypfUb287Ll-SxZvkpUXLXbdVnv5Jpdov-GSzIC3z8iCwIr2U_deU0AiNLNg-E3UsiDaw/s1600/AGracefulNod_1916.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNl23U0knhsdfbfqc6Ha8j6HY3Bdu0L2OvEfUuSp0tqDUXLWQAyQwqbuKAXvXpW7Zmpjs-KvRypfUb287Ll-SxZvkpUXLXbdVnv5Jpdov-GSzIC3z8iCwIr2U_deU0AiNLNg-E3UsiDaw/s400/AGracefulNod_1916.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5729517036381016722" /></a><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>"A Graceful Nod"</i></div></i><br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 311px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBiwj3j-lQfuszbPmqebifC-FcDnJCWduKVx1tlWnW8o9kbxob8qUPBNzbwTVOB65_1VcvAtoIRwCYqKpcpxIxE5FXr7jsj49TM-lvtpSszKzI9lahSHWW8q9Cy5uPZTxvs0bM_g_JjbY/s400/PlumPretty_1487.jpg" border="0" alt="plum tree blossoms" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5729517409340756066" /><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/96582252/plum-tree-flower-photo-pink-spring">"Plum Pretty"</a></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div></i>I hope spring has been just as beautiful in your corner of the world!Erica Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13010721024815560173noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3257409783847747385.post-39588105361531277202012-01-31T12:34:00.000-08:002012-01-31T12:52:20.654-08:00Where did January go?I can't believe it's the end of the month already! I've been remiss here once again, so wanted to get something up before the month was gone. Been busy moving things off of one selling venue onto another, among other things, and somehow time got away from me. However, I've snapped a few shots this month, and going to share some random sightings. Hope you enjoy them:-)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEtC9NYaOOaIMvhC-Z2AMkiu0tf71zP2Dj3MwRZ8eXF6A51I2TpgQm5gSsj0BNZdt24L8qwEsRX4CthIUNRQznS0d64Qj4GAXmSjVvMeIR_DW4s4UyALgFF3iylL8d-KsCY5Gn7G1VIlw/s1600/Zion010511_8877.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 277px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEtC9NYaOOaIMvhC-Z2AMkiu0tf71zP2Dj3MwRZ8eXF6A51I2TpgQm5gSsj0BNZdt24L8qwEsRX4CthIUNRQznS0d64Qj4GAXmSjVvMeIR_DW4s4UyALgFF3iylL8d-KsCY5Gn7G1VIlw/s400/Zion010511_8877.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703897631873262354" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span ><i>Visited Zion National Park for the first time earlier this year for our birthdays. It was far more spectacular than my photo shows. "Wow!", was the word of the day</i>.</span></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0_CgcjA51NXke4UbAWI7EsSnUu5XldwNLRWjxi-Y56wiePQyCJ_G3pDux1j0thCN19vJ5NKill87qK0-3oI7naGogCjmSnjxk1M_iP8mQiegXaws1oNdkMd1zq68nAc3SimDO1d_sud8/s1600/Butterball_9051.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0_CgcjA51NXke4UbAWI7EsSnUu5XldwNLRWjxi-Y56wiePQyCJ_G3pDux1j0thCN19vJ5NKill87qK0-3oI7naGogCjmSnjxk1M_iP8mQiegXaws1oNdkMd1zq68nAc3SimDO1d_sud8/s400/Butterball_9051.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703897889669974658" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbFjmd12I-h8gO-kezclZGxERIGHEot934VeamhhilH-XcBrtoTafP5EMGSnW2WU4waUexRGgIVqUGzkJFITlsN1P-gg5ytvgpsco0hyphenhyphenlSZyZbULbeVd4oKIKVLEC8KjtUbuB0CrkGQXU/s1600/MrsButterball_9033.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbFjmd12I-h8gO-kezclZGxERIGHEot934VeamhhilH-XcBrtoTafP5EMGSnW2WU4waUexRGgIVqUGzkJFITlsN1P-gg5ytvgpsco0hyphenhyphenlSZyZbULbeVd4oKIKVLEC8KjtUbuB0CrkGQXU/s400/MrsButterball_9033.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703897893790522482" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span ><i>We occasionally get Lesser Goldfinches coming through, and this pair visited recently. Male top, female bottom</i>.</span></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0k_pcY-TvgGQi-R4HN6YEpHLMa2Gi3jp1Z5bhOgo33RQIF4_ah58G-j5HIWqeSEMK9Fb-rfln_pa-ssLxgZzTzq7791HPuQcigDEhjNlmYegVnC1XSdGd5ZLcicLdOBwgYWVUOuXYY9w/s1600/Snow012312_9146.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0k_pcY-TvgGQi-R4HN6YEpHLMa2Gi3jp1Z5bhOgo33RQIF4_ah58G-j5HIWqeSEMK9Fb-rfln_pa-ssLxgZzTzq7791HPuQcigDEhjNlmYegVnC1XSdGd5ZLcicLdOBwgYWVUOuXYY9w/s400/Snow012312_9146.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703898339655483234" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKXP5EsAOzHwA4HCXDzLaHtX-dGPL-sTtvfohXQpLlKfYDZLiPOoNTbbxIR03N9SFVvb7VcFKm2ckEA4jBC4BqP7oj7AxRoH0YeBycs7P2-CrjwZVlTI_a2pm2FetF70AQkub9xOaqMRI/s1600/MistyCliff_9169.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKXP5EsAOzHwA4HCXDzLaHtX-dGPL-sTtvfohXQpLlKfYDZLiPOoNTbbxIR03N9SFVvb7VcFKm2ckEA4jBC4BqP7oj7AxRoH0YeBycs7P2-CrjwZVlTI_a2pm2FetF70AQkub9xOaqMRI/s400/MistyCliff_9169.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703898333258754466" /></a><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span >It's been a really dry winter here, but last week we finally had some snow. The day after, fog blew over the cliffs all day. So beautiful! Way prettier than where we were <a href="http://naturevisions.blogspot.com/2011/01/goodbye-january.html">last year</a> at this time:-)</span></i></div></i><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh82si88H1ZbBjBZJfPqRTyQ1F-7D3f2qBuhUiRlwBs5GrH2u-Bflm50WOj4LR4RaAU5wufbwNpg8v6mxLvOfrzQ7R4Odn9xucQR34eIFHnmcE6-a-kCG92gQki68vkHXc-U_S2wSsl8ws/s1600/QuailPeek_9178.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh82si88H1ZbBjBZJfPqRTyQ1F-7D3f2qBuhUiRlwBs5GrH2u-Bflm50WOj4LR4RaAU5wufbwNpg8v6mxLvOfrzQ7R4Odn9xucQR34eIFHnmcE6-a-kCG92gQki68vkHXc-U_S2wSsl8ws/s400/QuailPeek_9178.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703898777209742050" /></a><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span >A subject I'm determined to get some good photos of - Gambel's Quail. They're here all the time, but scurry away quickly. They're so cute and fun to watch, though. We're hoping to see chicks in Spring.</span></i></div></i><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl1-vxOYJ8D7kTpl3_542wP6eiCmRaoZXsUMZTZkdcBUs07O7wY3XIrgM8YOXKgHA67c3yNTKxCFKEgINA6Ogv2TkOwIL06oODdzxdAheVQIj_H6FnIUFSi-AIPqHZveqEfKf3bjzsquI/s1600/Leucistic_8989.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl1-vxOYJ8D7kTpl3_542wP6eiCmRaoZXsUMZTZkdcBUs07O7wY3XIrgM8YOXKgHA67c3yNTKxCFKEgINA6Ogv2TkOwIL06oODdzxdAheVQIj_H6FnIUFSi-AIPqHZveqEfKf3bjzsquI/s400/Leucistic_8989.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703898987050616130" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span ><i>This one is definitely not a good photo, but I don't have enough lens to capture him or her. This is a Leucistic Red-tailed Hawk. S/he actually flew through where we live late one afternoon, but this seems to be the regular hang out - high up on a power pole. It's a great spot for a white raptor, as s/he blends right in. Stunning bird</i>!</span></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxSLlOENR-zY1z2vUN2PzsLW_FxSYjmw4NUCzvK_XInY7DnlGQFV8R5sBbt-KSvIPJsLhE5ft4O8Z_Hxw8RWGlfZqvabpQcN65MU5kXRkgDux4NdLxQ1votnK7xsl8QS7vBeFTYZsgO3M/s1600/Fox012212_9088.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxSLlOENR-zY1z2vUN2PzsLW_FxSYjmw4NUCzvK_XInY7DnlGQFV8R5sBbt-KSvIPJsLhE5ft4O8Z_Hxw8RWGlfZqvabpQcN65MU5kXRkgDux4NdLxQ1votnK7xsl8QS7vBeFTYZsgO3M/s400/Fox012212_9088.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703899177834204706" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span ><i>And here's one of the Gray Foxes we see pass through here occasionally. Like the photo on <a href="http://naturevisions.blogspot.com/2011/10/southwest-splendor-fall-foliage.html">this post</a>, it was taken through the window, down through deck slats, late in the afternoon - the heater had clicked on this time, and s/he looked right up:-) Every time we see these beauties, we are filled with awe</i>!</span></div>Erica Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13010721024815560173noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3257409783847747385.post-67261842054644567002011-12-25T13:04:00.000-08:002011-12-25T13:10:39.216-08:00Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Everyone!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaxEN8MY9H7HnEHD_JuDCYspzmCwKBSQDX-dje1rh3TEewHERM0mTQx7qOVZ4itzyHuxxbz3qk4W-zwpfmoaCdl8AjlBt50ORJNgkg1mG__IU0P6hNOCrHNl80C6vs9B-K9JZIHDh0Ezo/s1600/ForXmas2011_8394.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 277px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaxEN8MY9H7HnEHD_JuDCYspzmCwKBSQDX-dje1rh3TEewHERM0mTQx7qOVZ4itzyHuxxbz3qk4W-zwpfmoaCdl8AjlBt50ORJNgkg1mG__IU0P6hNOCrHNl80C6vs9B-K9JZIHDh0Ezo/s400/ForXmas2011_8394.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5690175151620579074" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Wishing you a holiday season that's bright and beautiful, and full of joy!</div>Erica Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13010721024815560173noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3257409783847747385.post-30371097686377578762011-12-21T16:17:00.000-08:002012-08-04T13:54:16.044-07:00Wednesday WingsTime to share some recent winged wonders! Hummingbirds are gone for now, and I miss them. I still have photos of them to process, so you may see some photos soon. We have so many other birds to watch here, and it's been wonderful. Lots of photographic challenges, too:-)<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8ZH5nAHPmfs9i9yjv4ooE6bClRIgUfs9FXwEcjlKOofVJFTx70YUncREUAZP5lPG09o_byxkjHB8tkSZehvhTp17hUhexVKIF3RPW8Urlxc63Ec4kcxTfqjRaL0XSClWiPJ_aZQN-YcE/s1600/Strength_8542.jpg"><img alt="Red-tailed Hawk" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5688731880068467282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8ZH5nAHPmfs9i9yjv4ooE6bClRIgUfs9FXwEcjlKOofVJFTx70YUncREUAZP5lPG09o_byxkjHB8tkSZehvhTp17hUhexVKIF3RPW8Urlxc63Ec4kcxTfqjRaL0XSClWiPJ_aZQN-YcE/s400/Strength_8542.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><i>A Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) who was actually out in the middle of the road eating roadkill rabbit. There were a pair, and I think they were taking turns flying in and eating. I think they were eating it there because they didn't kill it, so perhaps didn't know how to carry it off the road (just a guess). Made for a cool sighting, though. Can't believe the way s/he was able to perch here!</i></div><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJpCUbaXe0DH49UkdLNK8QsA3aiY2TWx7UN0NIgdr3IxRY2DY_-lRlJBJO-oxAj1aB8S3s-aRVPQ9M18VbxK_26W7_dUI7xzok6G2yV64hi6Ud1V4riocaVSEAjbY9N20Tqd-vXBpVomQ/s1600/SittinPretty_8470.jpg"><img alt="Pine Siskin" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5688732236920478914" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJpCUbaXe0DH49UkdLNK8QsA3aiY2TWx7UN0NIgdr3IxRY2DY_-lRlJBJO-oxAj1aB8S3s-aRVPQ9M18VbxK_26W7_dUI7xzok6G2yV64hi6Ud1V4riocaVSEAjbY9N20Tqd-vXBpVomQ/s400/SittinPretty_8470.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">
<i>This is a little Pine Siskin (Spinus pinus). We've put up thistle feeders for the first time ever, and have attracted lots of these little cuties. They're just about as fierce as the hummingbirds, though, always squabbling and fast movers. However, they really don't like leaving the thistle, so I can get pretty close with my camera.</i></div><br />
<a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/98423669/sparrow-print-bird-photography-brown-tan"><img alt="White-crowned Sparrow" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5688732421219367234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDIF_62spxLoQlf5b_a6wQQQJZr06dxJFiYwN9moo9Tz6vcF7k5exsgpn8W9OaT_PXmNGggmb2uj55rFlqkPGovsN5i2S2kU0nddJI9geIHXOoSGHPBNQvZuVz2pGxRmksLuVNUDIt-fA/s400/Perched_8594.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">
<i>A female White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys) atop sagebrush.</i><br /><br />
<a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/96809365/butterfly-print-shabby-chic-art-northern" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhys19RtBehj3y68iS3i9QeTGV9Jx95EpwQYhu54uCUg5w9Gy0j5tSY1NHwy-q-R5n-5vsqQVsMwfgRwv5bsCOVSjJtZS7HPEJtgxA4SSNYaOWVKJGDYMILMbIUZJ3WqzGx9SbhG2-KB2c/s320/SoftLight_1419.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">
<i>From this summer, a Northern White Skipper (Heliopetes ericetorum).</i></div>
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggyMadHFWVFRh2REZzn1_7ha9gQwrSPDnetz24QSWzkCkKutnyqxMXIdlk0cZY9jc41s7oVptXK999SFNXOcOBamwORhdMgvN-vhlvUq_EdFB0DiYbPgrXY18PlrvwEMTyxeCoisTUneE/s1600/Sharp-shinned121211_8319.jpg"><img alt="Sharp-shinned Hawk" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5688741202318414562" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggyMadHFWVFRh2REZzn1_7ha9gQwrSPDnetz24QSWzkCkKutnyqxMXIdlk0cZY9jc41s7oVptXK999SFNXOcOBamwORhdMgvN-vhlvUq_EdFB0DiYbPgrXY18PlrvwEMTyxeCoisTUneE/s400/Sharp-shinned121211_8319.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Not a great shot, but this was taken through a window on a dark, rainy/snowy day. Believe s/he is a Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus) who landed in the tree for a breather.</i></div>
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2iyPLv_UPjizobLC2eS1SMgsXA97022emr7nKuwf22UXBoAXRBonwYGLKSDlrX8GRL5wNKLIEvBgUlwlGl2x0cTeh7cafjSrOYSiTHOg6Afan0s9LpRCL3To1MGkff6QPx4Zs_eAWSKo/s1600/TopLady_7130.jpg"><img alt="West Coast Lady Butterfly" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5688740992188907122" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2iyPLv_UPjizobLC2eS1SMgsXA97022emr7nKuwf22UXBoAXRBonwYGLKSDlrX8GRL5wNKLIEvBgUlwlGl2x0cTeh7cafjSrOYSiTHOg6Afan0s9LpRCL3To1MGkff6QPx4Zs_eAWSKo/s400/TopLady_7130.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 311px;" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Finally, this is the last butterfly that I photographed this year, a West Coast Lady (Vanessa annabella). I was so surprised to spot her, because I hadn't known these beauties were in Utah, too. Maybe she followed us from Cali;-)</i></div>Erica Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13010721024815560173noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3257409783847747385.post-88800548467174604372011-11-05T14:21:00.002-07:002012-01-31T09:38:32.207-08:00Saturday Sharing - Art - Nancy's Sculptures<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfezUGZBnFlVsxn3ZXiNEENunLi8fLGbpvrTWEJGYdvAHRBrb6U2bu1XSAr8BLd1yq5BuEotKKouD9qqSFObwvKDjWPwhwnr3_yEBw3Fib_oX2LDA6wM8oAuuPZ1mtMXmQQj8MkZWaf5Y/s1600/KatyFull_7568.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 252px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfezUGZBnFlVsxn3ZXiNEENunLi8fLGbpvrTWEJGYdvAHRBrb6U2bu1XSAr8BLd1yq5BuEotKKouD9qqSFObwvKDjWPwhwnr3_yEBw3Fib_oX2LDA6wM8oAuuPZ1mtMXmQQj8MkZWaf5Y/s400/KatyFull_7568.jpg" border="0" alt="border collie dog sculpture" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5671625228146610962" /></a><br />I don't do this nearly often enough, however, part of this blog is supposed to be about art so here we go:-) Today, I wanted to share some of my mom's (Nancy's) recent sculptures because, well, they're just so darn amazing to me! Yeah, I'm her daughter and biggest fan, but just ask her, and she'll tell you I'm her worst critic. I'm a bit... ummm... shall we say anal? ;-) Oh well - I do it with my own art, too. I know there's no such thing as perfect, but doesn't stop me from trying.<br /><br />The first sculpture I'm sharing is a custom dog that she just finished. She did this for Wendy and Charley, the owners of <a href="http://crittercornerpetsupply.com/" target="_blank">Critter Corner</a>. They recently made space for some of Nancy's pieces in their shop. So, as a thank you, she did this sculpture of their 14-year-old Border Collie, Katy. We delivered it yesterday, and they seemed thrilled with it and the likeness. Even Katy gave a sniff of approval:-) I'm including a couple of the photos it was based from.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwQHi-jcz1-wEz3OR055PMMswjC0pqkUeX7taHT8HF_dSNFjnkTq__SwyHZUVQ2rjR84NAdkTLBafkW0M5dmQnr3hM7WB_R_qdot_qlRerNw6K-jIy6IKMhDf2HKtheaJ8AABbg3IZOdg/s1600/KatyPhotos.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwQHi-jcz1-wEz3OR055PMMswjC0pqkUeX7taHT8HF_dSNFjnkTq__SwyHZUVQ2rjR84NAdkTLBafkW0M5dmQnr3hM7WB_R_qdot_qlRerNw6K-jIy6IKMhDf2HKtheaJ8AABbg3IZOdg/s400/KatyPhotos.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5671626865356912850" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSSoduxSh_k7SOSWvT9VcFaX5_3Kx6x-hFKELg7cBSmQ5K1ePCC1uK-g9_jhK3Ywrj0LQCMLKLx_lhMVCWUAOW4Rw4US5ZgE6Q9uCQJPXkNXFXFkCYaVMCnhnkPIhUiX7sdihyC57kWq4/s1600/KatieSide_7545.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 208px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSSoduxSh_k7SOSWvT9VcFaX5_3Kx6x-hFKELg7cBSmQ5K1ePCC1uK-g9_jhK3Ywrj0LQCMLKLx_lhMVCWUAOW4Rw4US5ZgE6Q9uCQJPXkNXFXFkCYaVMCnhnkPIhUiX7sdihyC57kWq4/s400/KatieSide_7545.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5671625568840658114" /></a>This next piece is the first regular horse my mom has done. It's a Gypsy Vanner foal. She's done <a href="http://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/studio/NatureVisions/0/0/102433">carousel horses</a> before, but this little one is more 3-D and realistic.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/82471408" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 307px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfmsKn_7TDARalVX59AWELPOfloQ0wsshQqpVsbDXYjGIQwYCInMC8SvTZJQN-O1aVjQuyTFT24vagmYpBfiBhrBeAc0aOpQY98So67R3lGRdJ36NhgpXwEB600E6IwgNLs_-Lq4FxsKU/s400/ColtFull_6299.jpg" border="0" alt="gypsy vanner foal, horse sculpture" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5671627887969864738" /></a>Oh, and this cutie is the first little girl that she's done:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/89912879/girl-and-puppy-figurine-polymer-clay"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 388px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEaKkngY-CQAbZ6LFp4IWC4d4L9Ie1ClEZHIKThH4EzWmiXwZkUxSlsf7rfcc6Rj6mf0JHIlQGNOqpsn91YItcdgz2raIJTVqYeYclgR0aSFz2zSejUDb70WjoU5F-Ff_FP0VhEaR6mp8/s400/Stella%2526JackFull_4497.jpg" border="0" alt="girl and puppy" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5671628709992949154" /></a>The last two are boxes that she's done recently - these are wonderful for storing lightweight keepsakes! I know, because I have my own:-)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/83805576" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 364px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr0XiRojqXLCQqAoXTu3iaTvPGoEbq5nzuhLnzvvs87IAXMY5J0cWwA9Xy6OIPL6r9M2sY5ehFsfl_6H1QXfkZwO0e_RXRG6SvQOI5bQxrrR68ZOJm8QXCPlKCoBGw46jErrXX8CAcNSw/s400/BarnOwlMain_6795.jpg" border="0" alt="barn owl sculpture" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5671629633718263986" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/82677805" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 385px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfnefHKx3ou1FIdksNkrZV8oqHOWQLwXrOpDVagz9LnPzncpXa81tQeGOge7XTKHETiq8AzenNiOB0AL921WcPoFRZyfr-EQTkxOpVrOssgOSMr65756y7Q1cR0Hzr7Kly0A5g08S0Tgc/s400/CheetahFace_6500.jpg" border="0" alt="cheetah sculpture" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5671629629414624130" /></a>I'm always in awe that these pieces started out as a lump of clay! That, and it would seem no subject is off limits for my mom. If you happen to be interested in a custom sculpture of your own, give us a holler:-) You can also find out more about the non-custom pieces above by clicking on the photos. Hope you enjoyed this art stroll, and stay tuned for more art and photos to come!Erica Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13010721024815560173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3257409783847747385.post-30049875677895856542011-10-29T13:43:00.000-07:002011-10-29T14:04:10.216-07:00Southwest Splendor - Fall FoliageWhen you think of autumn colors, you probably don't think of the high desert Southwest. However, we get some gorgeous fall foliage here! I love photographing the leaves as the sun shines through them. I also love that it gives me a chance to do more abstract photography, which is a definite change for me. Most of all, I just love fall, and the changing of the seasons:-) Hope you enjoy this little leaf journey.<br /><br />P.S. The last photo is a visitor that we've had around the property recently - a truly awe-inspiring sight! The photo was taken through a window angled down through slats into the shade, but I think you'll get an idea of the beauty...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLAx3vUv4TvXIy-5uoAYmI1QoQ3K6pXxxGkuJkXGzYH2GkWSPpBmVaI_Cvn0-qnRJ_XHjLvCnKMcgKLtWEaDNPN4oldWvOIFNZ5JThqTZJXuFORzATNZDrzotFXht0rE3jD2eyWON6ENY/s1600/AmberAutumn_7200.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLAx3vUv4TvXIy-5uoAYmI1QoQ3K6pXxxGkuJkXGzYH2GkWSPpBmVaI_Cvn0-qnRJ_XHjLvCnKMcgKLtWEaDNPN4oldWvOIFNZ5JThqTZJXuFORzATNZDrzotFXht0rE3jD2eyWON6ENY/s400/AmberAutumn_7200.jpg" border="0" alt="yellow fall leaves" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669017979593927138" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqQ4mH41yE08kPF2RC6qWKDlAoSq_LCQKd5rZ_AEovxlTO0zld92ZAuBi6x14-zMtp_AsrLyO6VOHFnFjHBVZqltJxOZskVW1LGnjVzuC8loAHcWxGM5WHIg66Gwyj0I_vHtYVXoSBbDM/s1600/AutumnAbstract_7265.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqQ4mH41yE08kPF2RC6qWKDlAoSq_LCQKd5rZ_AEovxlTO0zld92ZAuBi6x14-zMtp_AsrLyO6VOHFnFjHBVZqltJxOZskVW1LGnjVzuC8loAHcWxGM5WHIg66Gwyj0I_vHtYVXoSBbDM/s400/AutumnAbstract_7265.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669018285754460882" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQc6zpW2KlTmELC29hgjWl8fWYmB9zyJoUsgBo2rTUjQUSxgXRJCFpdh__ObxgoXx2-1pA2mmZS09YzMeQxVXbh1VUbcLubYJvurc3UK-6AGdrnGICxzn1NDSPDxYARIxQLQBlrWaNTAg/s1600/AbstractAutumn_6989.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQc6zpW2KlTmELC29hgjWl8fWYmB9zyJoUsgBo2rTUjQUSxgXRJCFpdh__ObxgoXx2-1pA2mmZS09YzMeQxVXbh1VUbcLubYJvurc3UK-6AGdrnGICxzn1NDSPDxYARIxQLQBlrWaNTAg/s400/AbstractAutumn_6989.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669018292423571186" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDcZS-pphsAE2dPcJfRuQA0GvBZRZ-cXgiVm8P_O8hUTyhEazSQLHDke8fF_l5mNe_Z1a5KF_wmTy5VqxI3Zy-4KNPmIeFh2GfxwStIWcNnAiJBRUpL40M4J1WB27WzRrvjTsmzovd-QM/s1600/AutumnFire_7319.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 311px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDcZS-pphsAE2dPcJfRuQA0GvBZRZ-cXgiVm8P_O8hUTyhEazSQLHDke8fF_l5mNe_Z1a5KF_wmTy5VqxI3Zy-4KNPmIeFh2GfxwStIWcNnAiJBRUpL40M4J1WB27WzRrvjTsmzovd-QM/s400/AutumnFire_7319.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669018290479775170" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4S1kpwMmMfoloDTtNGC_rzVEz3QVPdAbYWI62rQsBGrP6ivxrdmL8zZnVHbvw7vDVmIkBQJjtSB8nH_6UzdvQgaHx4DGqe-H4zhpgY4sfgHWXrKRb4fdT9K9XjN_bM5AfCphGc86nMNc/s1600/RedLight_6940.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4S1kpwMmMfoloDTtNGC_rzVEz3QVPdAbYWI62rQsBGrP6ivxrdmL8zZnVHbvw7vDVmIkBQJjtSB8nH_6UzdvQgaHx4DGqe-H4zhpgY4sfgHWXrKRb4fdT9K9XjN_bM5AfCphGc86nMNc/s400/RedLight_6940.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669019346465073554" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoLbLo08c11FvcWzid8kIuh7gqOuUeOdEBHMrB4jG0neCf2LJae_g__JQZMfsy9cLB4YhPXKewz2mhxF1MJCqSoaK3TO4eVCypIxZaQ9CIZ7_rYVATWMvWNCQMciP2q_6nDNgoFNnilv4/s1600/FanOfAutumn_7065.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoLbLo08c11FvcWzid8kIuh7gqOuUeOdEBHMrB4jG0neCf2LJae_g__JQZMfsy9cLB4YhPXKewz2mhxF1MJCqSoaK3TO4eVCypIxZaQ9CIZ7_rYVATWMvWNCQMciP2q_6nDNgoFNnilv4/s400/FanOfAutumn_7065.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669019327728578850" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9hj0M5xBAMSh6wil7SD3nKFch6mFuNnBe0iabsUTz5ycqUsQsziyHz5na8D4V5G_pUHP48_2hkIVwSJSdkXjIK9ulE2qgVIC05hxqUpLmj1S3CRIKJg6zLRy19cGJj1wkcW3GqmTauU8/s1600/SpotOfGold_7168.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9hj0M5xBAMSh6wil7SD3nKFch6mFuNnBe0iabsUTz5ycqUsQsziyHz5na8D4V5G_pUHP48_2hkIVwSJSdkXjIK9ulE2qgVIC05hxqUpLmj1S3CRIKJg6zLRy19cGJj1wkcW3GqmTauU8/s400/SpotOfGold_7168.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669019432989253218" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizmnPwA9HwRRyPCYfEl_H6fEP9GPm6jxh4DrtE9P9sL4Gqpw7baJ3TGOR6s6kBWOsjO0mqQiy7mCDmZIa6y0VQkpMetFlcJ0SC0M2vX6N0anVV8XOb-V9ID2KRoOACpHmOAta2zoCrrLg/s1600/GoldenGrass_7029.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizmnPwA9HwRRyPCYfEl_H6fEP9GPm6jxh4DrtE9P9sL4Gqpw7baJ3TGOR6s6kBWOsjO0mqQiy7mCDmZIa6y0VQkpMetFlcJ0SC0M2vX6N0anVV8XOb-V9ID2KRoOACpHmOAta2zoCrrLg/s400/GoldenGrass_7029.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669019331990325810" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-tiaYSAtG2x85ngArwDU2NfJV48rxR7VG3JFbo-liuRZpesn_0Z2h4sPoxxaQzLx6vcErBkdmR1MQof6z9jyJ9a7rdJTSzZhflE_yBSwEW5iE5BXc1JixvYdQ5gr_QchsHw0NpzXsfuQ/s1600/NorthRim_7012.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-tiaYSAtG2x85ngArwDU2NfJV48rxR7VG3JFbo-liuRZpesn_0Z2h4sPoxxaQzLx6vcErBkdmR1MQof6z9jyJ9a7rdJTSzZhflE_yBSwEW5iE5BXc1JixvYdQ5gr_QchsHw0NpzXsfuQ/s400/NorthRim_7012.jpg" border="0" alt="north rim, grand canyon" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669019337674938258" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" >Taken at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. It was our first time visiting, absolutely gorgeous and amazing even though it wasn't the best photo time. </span></i></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzZM8Zq5N0Fea0iItXrJUaMjJh3ll3_87slUalV8zsK5C6mfV8H2MViBic_DvnUcStQnev255_0byvrvulg4Hom27H3Z9oP7PMx7NXEbiue0e3pEQBNeHqA_-NPjCwgU-10Q1aI-ZUPXA/s1600/GrayFox_7090.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzZM8Zq5N0Fea0iItXrJUaMjJh3ll3_87slUalV8zsK5C6mfV8H2MViBic_DvnUcStQnev255_0byvrvulg4Hom27H3Z9oP7PMx7NXEbiue0e3pEQBNeHqA_-NPjCwgU-10Q1aI-ZUPXA/s400/GrayFox_7090.jpg" border="0" alt="desert gray fox" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669019347485067282" /></a>Erica Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13010721024815560173noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3257409783847747385.post-46771242118723442932011-10-19T13:59:00.000-07:002011-10-19T14:06:35.634-07:00The Best Apple Pie Ever!Way past time to update my blog, so thought I'd share a favorite recipe. This is the best apple pie! It's not a claim I make lightly, and it's not my recipe, so I can't take credit. I found this recipe years ago in Country magazine (looked it up to see, and it's from 1994). It is sooooooo delicious! Very bad, but yummy:-) I'm no Martha Stewart, as you can see from my crust, and it's not necessarily the prettiest pie, but looks are deceiving. The heavy whipping cream takes this apple pie to the next level. If you're not a sugar junkie, you could reduce some of the sugar in the filling; as you can see it's a lot. Otherwise, follow the recipe, and you're in for a treat!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIxAuCOFNjy2HPEfTz4bg9f-l4cr6vJsbN0EVD6svpwge4G4ZyvQ67Ts9WYKBFhdG8ojO99Y7oco5VWp8cTTPm7JMf7L0FFnN_IG1-NdugQhi6Z7GUs6gN3OIYQAgKaU9Mk7eBlOtJra8/s1600/GermanApplePie_6765.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIxAuCOFNjy2HPEfTz4bg9f-l4cr6vJsbN0EVD6svpwge4G4ZyvQ67Ts9WYKBFhdG8ojO99Y7oco5VWp8cTTPm7JMf7L0FFnN_IG1-NdugQhi6Z7GUs6gN3OIYQAgKaU9Mk7eBlOtJra8/s400/GermanApplePie_6765.jpg" border="0" alt="apple pie" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5665311383142109874" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" >German Apple Pie</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Crust:</b></div><div style="text-align: center;">1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour</div><div style="text-align: center;">1/2 teaspoon salt</div><div style="text-align: center;">1/2 cup shortening</div><div style="text-align: center;">1 teaspoon vanilla extract</div><div style="text-align: center;">2 to 3 tablespoons ice water</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Filling:</b></div><div style="text-align: center;">1 cup sugar</div><div style="text-align: center;">1/4 cup all-purpose flour</div><div style="text-align: center;">2 teaspoons ground cinnamon</div><div style="text-align: center;">6 cups sliced peeled tart apples</div><div style="text-align: center;">1 cup heavy whipping cream</div><div style="text-align: center;">Whipped cream, optional</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Directions:</b></div><div style="text-align: center;">In a small bowl, combine flour and salt; cut in the shortening until crumbly. Add vanilla. Gradually add water, tossing with a fork until dough forms a ball. Roll out pastry to fit a 9-in. pie plate. Transfer pastry to pie plate. Trim pastry to 1/2 in. beyond edge of pie plate; flute edges.</div><div style="text-align: center;">For filling, combine the sugar, flour and cinnamon; sprinkle 3 tablespoons into crust. Layer with half of the apples; sprinkle with half of the remaining sugar mixture. Repeat layers. Pour cream over all.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Bake at 450° for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350° bake for 55-60 minutes or until apples are tender. Cool on a wire rack. Store in the refrigerator. Serve with whipped cream if desired. </div><div style="text-align: center;">Yield: 8 servings.</div>Erica Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13010721024815560173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3257409783847747385.post-43783184317550413562011-09-05T14:42:00.001-07:002011-09-05T15:08:05.940-07:00A Little Happiness<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUDFss7ywaezj5gVm9-7VpPu7JseNwfegmmgHzkp5sA0F8RgxmBjIZCCyjrRbrAVYEJbwbOZqvaCwS4Vk5YlyBXx5SK0EdBBEhNx0KnekAjNHru_tUHZSOeAairpGwScyPJmvqHuzndZU/s1600/FireInTheSky_5767.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 246px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUDFss7ywaezj5gVm9-7VpPu7JseNwfegmmgHzkp5sA0F8RgxmBjIZCCyjrRbrAVYEJbwbOZqvaCwS4Vk5YlyBXx5SK0EdBBEhNx0KnekAjNHru_tUHZSOeAairpGwScyPJmvqHuzndZU/s400/FireInTheSky_5767.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648994265711326338" /></a><p align="center"><b style="font-size: large; ">How To Be Happy</b><br /><i><span class="Apple-style-span">by Robert Louis Stevenson</span></i><br /><br /><style="font-size: large; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Make up your mind to be happy. Learn to find pleasure in simple things.</span><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span">Make the best of your circumstances. No one has everything, and everyone has something of sorrow intermingled with gladness of life. The trick is to make the laughter outweigh the tears.</span><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span">Don't take yourself too seriously. Don't think that somehow you should be protected from misfortune that befalls other people.</span><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span">You can't please everybody. Don't let criticism worry you.</span><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span">Don't let your neighbor set your standards. Be yourself.</span><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span">Do the things you enjoy doing but stay out of debt.</span><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span">Never borrow trouble. Imaginary things are harder to bear than real ones.</span><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span">Since hate poisons the soul, do not cherish jealousy, enmity, grudges. Avoid people who make you unhappy.</span><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span">Have many interests. If you can't travel, read about new places.</span><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span">Don't hold post-mortems. Don't spend your time brooding over sorrows or mistakes. Don't be one who never gets over things.</span><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span">Do what you can for those less fortunate than yourself.</span><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span">Keep busy at something. A busy person never has time to be unhappy.</span></p><p align="center">************************</p><p align="center"><i>Saw this on a forum today, and liked it so much, I thought I’d post it here with a photo of this morning’s sunrise:-)</i></p>Erica Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13010721024815560173noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3257409783847747385.post-6335767559815676102011-08-31T19:05:00.001-07:002011-08-31T19:29:04.108-07:00Wednesday Wings - Finally!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH3l1RssLrUFeQLJAavDEk0PjuuM1kd58S8-UdORww6gDEUbaiq-aWQHF00PTcJN0Snzlm0UlufcPLTEEa7H2h3S3J_W7womh7_4wzg3H_0Zg5bhB-EwVNwwj5cOKJExZs0iWjI8Klz-k/s1600/Uplift_5343.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 311px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH3l1RssLrUFeQLJAavDEk0PjuuM1kd58S8-UdORww6gDEUbaiq-aWQHF00PTcJN0Snzlm0UlufcPLTEEa7H2h3S3J_W7womh7_4wzg3H_0Zg5bhB-EwVNwwj5cOKJExZs0iWjI8Klz-k/s400/Uplift_5343.jpg" border="0" alt="Rufous Hummingbird" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647207579689403570" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><i>"Uplift!" - Rufous Hummingbird</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><i>
<br /></i></span></div>Time flies;-) I will be a better blogger, I will be a better blogger... I do have some new photos to share of an old subject for me - hummingbirds! We finally have enough hummingbirds coming to our feeders here that I've been able to start photographing them again. Good thing, because I am seriously out of practice. We have Black-chinneds and Rufous here. The Rufous have just started coming through (and upsetting everyone because they really are the feistiest), while the Black-chinneds were the first to arrive after our feeders went up. Maybe it's the out of practice thing, but to me, they both seem to be faster than the Anna's. We had some Black-chinneds and a few Rufous in Cali, but I rarely caught them with my camera. So, I'm determined to get them now. I really want the Bc's full throat flash - that purple is my favorite color! In the meantime, here are some shots from the past week, and I hope you enjoy them:-) I'm so happy to have my favorite subject back!
<br />
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEAcmYCdtj3HczCn-hPmNlUu5eyJ8kya-u6zGnX5hj9k4lRlYo33wH2B1rdwuMe_KhFPoewoEVJlC7YbzoBd4dWLuuN3CM4V8R1eIX73Q8sO9Zy0fdu5zCb28vJnTQjSzqHeO1J6t_ddA/s1600/ToughGuy_5203.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEAcmYCdtj3HczCn-hPmNlUu5eyJ8kya-u6zGnX5hj9k4lRlYo33wH2B1rdwuMe_KhFPoewoEVJlC7YbzoBd4dWLuuN3CM4V8R1eIX73Q8sO9Zy0fdu5zCb28vJnTQjSzqHeO1J6t_ddA/s400/ToughGuy_5203.jpg" border="0" alt="Rufous Hummingbird photograph" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647207581291325186" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><i>"Tough Guy"</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><i>
<br /></i></span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh95CIcUq1i2KIUhyphenhyphen4DdMhbuF-3uvkR3oGfz3EraE8xGYgd2QYjk3gbPDRjmwS1_WQdj6IC7no1Nw0Fn3tSkVNWrnX0ITm9e_5KzoLKZkD3gYr4nr17dTNWfOfpw_pd1e3zCgaypBn2HDY/s1600/ReadyToRumble_5210.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh95CIcUq1i2KIUhyphenhyphen4DdMhbuF-3uvkR3oGfz3EraE8xGYgd2QYjk3gbPDRjmwS1_WQdj6IC7no1Nw0Fn3tSkVNWrnX0ITm9e_5KzoLKZkD3gYr4nr17dTNWfOfpw_pd1e3zCgaypBn2HDY/s400/ReadyToRumble_5210.jpg" border="0" alt="hummingbirds" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647207575101713042" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><i>"Ready to Rumble!" - Rufous vs. Black-chinned (they never quit fighting!)</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><i>
<br /></i></span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbuUeqsIWHVRNKbbyG97Y3Al5_MTc-F6jtUxraRAjDibrT_72LNMRc_dswePjVhbLUEk7RVDSMR9Yk6AutpG1vFg5bmcFF6CweVp9iIV8E1-e1KRXZ4Krh2LyX2p0S-Y7l5UiPT8NclZA/s1600/Incoming_5169.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 311px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbuUeqsIWHVRNKbbyG97Y3Al5_MTc-F6jtUxraRAjDibrT_72LNMRc_dswePjVhbLUEk7RVDSMR9Yk6AutpG1vFg5bmcFF6CweVp9iIV8E1-e1KRXZ4Krh2LyX2p0S-Y7l5UiPT8NclZA/s400/Incoming_5169.jpg" border="0" alt="male Black-chinned Hummingbird" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647207568760702546" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><i>"Incoming!" - male Black-chinned, see that purple?!</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><i>
<br /></i></span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHto04ZzVBOBNUwatd-4J1jFYLSa9pcUi3OF6ZkV-_I01fbpAe3dtep83-cCquuk4Xd2r4zmw-9QI1KvbPXWXoL3x4OkY013y5p8qbR17fAAjVSiZIJcJmG5c3ABCv33Uiv-6gLFmKj-M/s1600/Hover_5027.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 311px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHto04ZzVBOBNUwatd-4J1jFYLSa9pcUi3OF6ZkV-_I01fbpAe3dtep83-cCquuk4Xd2r4zmw-9QI1KvbPXWXoL3x4OkY013y5p8qbR17fAAjVSiZIJcJmG5c3ABCv33Uiv-6gLFmKj-M/s400/Hover_5027.jpg" border="0" alt="female Black-chinned Hummingbird picture" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647207575880772226" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><i>"Hover" - female Black-chinned</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><i>
<br /></i></span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7EnJ6kcMeTDgkomDBtg9m8o_iHMlv983ZVtsQvSKaE-5o7BZ38-SdgvWDUS8xqLFFeeRkBRlI0GGaSBcfYeUKl3ikruhOyiVCx59dxp7z54bTVi0pJsOypvBytc0ekJ6YdUHftzbdIaY/s1600/AttackMode_5202.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7EnJ6kcMeTDgkomDBtg9m8o_iHMlv983ZVtsQvSKaE-5o7BZ38-SdgvWDUS8xqLFFeeRkBRlI0GGaSBcfYeUKl3ikruhOyiVCx59dxp7z54bTVi0pJsOypvBytc0ekJ6YdUHftzbdIaY/s400/AttackMode_5202.jpg" border="0" alt="Rufous Hummingbird photo" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647207947398774402" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><i>"Attack Mode!" - one very feisty Rufous!</i></span></div>Erica Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13010721024815560173noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3257409783847747385.post-36596806213237986552011-08-10T16:35:00.000-07:002012-08-04T13:57:37.245-07:00Wednesday WingsI have several recent sightings from different locales to share. I swear, I spent more time trying to id everyone than I did editing the photos, lol! I am still not positive on every identification, so if anyone has corrections, please leave a comment. My eyes are going buggy... ;-)
<br />
<br /><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/102678599/bumble-bee-art-print-nursery-decor" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEineIICU41cf0_w9jHts-oKzC9m3NBofZmnKyADAxJHMXGVXkDm0RKU_7h5EGELq1DBoGtqtqjyZHb0kSglVqb2rPf2A1gk-1yT5qwcj_XvMIOOPQ91cHaQVjxYwGJilnuP1PYE_x19psY/s400/HangTight_3709.jpg" border="0" alt="Hunt's Bumble Bee, bombus huntii" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5639376392337371570" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><i>"Hang Tight" - Hunt's Bumble Bee (Bombus huntii), spotted in the Johnson Canyon area of southern Utah.</i></span></div>
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs3abtCGqrHCr49XQAjr4gHBdmcyhtxA0KvwBQlcx54P2W_qmE0Kyf1O07WbDPXD2ru60TZHbKDTpa_OUlYDiCbFCH1pPKOUfQ8cs1bfEZOiwhboCIr6zx6XvxVe9KnGIfxzOzDXKsERs/s1600/Spotted_3599.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs3abtCGqrHCr49XQAjr4gHBdmcyhtxA0KvwBQlcx54P2W_qmE0Kyf1O07WbDPXD2ru60TZHbKDTpa_OUlYDiCbFCH1pPKOUfQ8cs1bfEZOiwhboCIr6zx6XvxVe9KnGIfxzOzDXKsERs/s400/Spotted_3599.jpg" border="0" alt="Checkered White Butterfly" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5639376024892772194" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><i>"Spotted" - I think this is a Checkered White Butterfly (Pontia protodice), the markings seemed closer than the Western White. Also spotted in Johnson Canyon, and I think s/he was a bit weary.</i></span></div>
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFkfxiIwc_ssDBB4pM0H2cOdoWpucI8TyxpeeSn8io10tEbcAOzocpgMYjANE3fEOWA-smxvnHkXFda-7UFDBSPBvXSzWg4CaDzOE6WkpXrXs64StooJ9onRhwI5PuYAOqKRtgGc8E-ak/s1600/LikeARock_2617.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFkfxiIwc_ssDBB4pM0H2cOdoWpucI8TyxpeeSn8io10tEbcAOzocpgMYjANE3fEOWA-smxvnHkXFda-7UFDBSPBvXSzWg4CaDzOE6WkpXrXs64StooJ9onRhwI5PuYAOqKRtgGc8E-ak/s400/LikeARock_2617.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5639375535775298338" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><i><span class="Apple-style-span">"Like a Rock" - My guess is Western Tailed-Blue (Cupido amyntula) on this little cutie. Spotted in northern Arizona near Jacob Lake, so about 8,000' elevation</span></i>.</span></div>
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1mj-egqbSxCIzLQs5lGKimUwcRYUjaQi1A0LcWNYew5ZTXTu05bNuKwKaWRgHw0BPmm13Txlu9MUBaYQW3d3pOJf05dHJA0nRhDe5Ee-ruSyJx4hhjNiPiF_T_QZLspPjc58vBrs0hJA/s1600/WoodlandNymph_2635.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 311px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1mj-egqbSxCIzLQs5lGKimUwcRYUjaQi1A0LcWNYew5ZTXTu05bNuKwKaWRgHw0BPmm13Txlu9MUBaYQW3d3pOJf05dHJA0nRhDe5Ee-ruSyJx4hhjNiPiF_T_QZLspPjc58vBrs0hJA/s400/WoodlandNymph_2635.jpg" border="0" alt="Small Wood Nymph, Cercyonis oetus" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5639376028419062386" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><i>"Woodland Nymph" - Small Wood Nymph (Cercyonis oetus), also seen near Jacob Lake. There were lots of these little ones flitting around, almost impossible to catch, but one finally landed and stayed for a minute - yay</i>!</span></div>
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZpvc7FIggXvJs_OLOvyR02InEcGslkFiBTDtp25HXhQalTt-dcSqSH7ipc9QxCbJY9i9dvHxhZiDxO5tpZcRYlZKQXWjKpNNZafizLSDKTUvgjRQuNg_ni35wv2ZDI4BYr1KBq0zELlo/s1600/BittyBlues_3915.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 311px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZpvc7FIggXvJs_OLOvyR02InEcGslkFiBTDtp25HXhQalTt-dcSqSH7ipc9QxCbJY9i9dvHxhZiDxO5tpZcRYlZKQXWjKpNNZafizLSDKTUvgjRQuNg_ni35wv2ZDI4BYr1KBq0zELlo/s400/BittyBlues_3915.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5639375536966425554" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><i><span class="Apple-style-span">"Bitty Blues" - Arctic Blue (Plebejus glandon) is my closest guess for this pair. I'm not certain, but I'm basing it on the wing marks. Spotted up in Cedar Breaks National Park, elevation 10,350'</span></i>!</span></div>
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoptfA_t2WQXfLP-gaOxLGIajtuiogIEiq0B71lWEqPT4264AWZr6x8qM5-AttoYUP3l4RvPwuFkOuu1R2lE6AO1BQ_hbASXp1aTKqeicRkHyY0iHKXiU1I4zjONV8tQNIvGCw7Y0nJpg/s1600/LookoutBeeLow_3982.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoptfA_t2WQXfLP-gaOxLGIajtuiogIEiq0B71lWEqPT4264AWZr6x8qM5-AttoYUP3l4RvPwuFkOuu1R2lE6AO1BQ_hbASXp1aTKqeicRkHyY0iHKXiU1I4zjONV8tQNIvGCw7Y0nJpg/s400/LookoutBeeLow_3982.jpg" border="0" alt="Bombus nevadensis, Nevada Bumblebee" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5639376393706152178" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><i><span class="Apple-style-span">"Look Out Bee-low!" - I believe this is a Nevada Bumble Bee (Bombus nevadensis), also spotted at Cedar Breaks. Still have to id the flower, which I think is a type of penstemon. However, I'm saving the flowers for another day, so keep an eye out:-</span></i>)</span></div>Erica Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13010721024815560173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3257409783847747385.post-83080943909153333432011-08-07T18:14:00.000-07:002011-08-07T18:23:22.139-07:00Sunday SnakeI tell you, there's nothing like an unexpected sighting, especially when it happens right outside your door! I had mentioned to my mom that she should toss the fresh corn husks from our dinner out for the critters here. She went out the back door, tossed one over the railing, and the wind took it down. She happened to look where it landed, and realized she'd hit this snake with it, lol! He froze, she called me, and we stood on the deck trying to determine what sort of snake it was, since half of him was under sagebrush. After some minutes, he finally moved, and we could see he was safe (well, except to all the little critters who are coming to get the seed). I believe he's a Great Basin Gopher Snake. He slithered off, I went inside, but then thought I'd check one more time, and was lucky enough to catch him again. Had one chance at a sunlight shot, which is the last one here.<br /><br />It may sound strange, but it was an honor to watch him in his stillness. I've written about snakes here before, <a href="http://naturevisions.blogspot.com/2010/05/snake-medicine.html">Snake Medicine</a>, and was quite happy to have one show up in my life again:-) And while the idea of him hunting the little creatures who come here for seed isn't as appealing, I feel it's all part of the circle of life, and he needs to eat, too.<div><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgToGV3pJ1OjC-A-G4vSlVaMWsOYhCkVPf3poeAjXQwPzUWueNCu8wyHG9oqhOetqNtAyk5dumu29ythGaL2MsHlzJvvrNJfUXFdWLS0gVglrW9Zs9PACAGmHQqpik9FyDV3wTcOBSrEus/s1600/Oops%2521_4105.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 246px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgToGV3pJ1OjC-A-G4vSlVaMWsOYhCkVPf3poeAjXQwPzUWueNCu8wyHG9oqhOetqNtAyk5dumu29ythGaL2MsHlzJvvrNJfUXFdWLS0gVglrW9Zs9PACAGmHQqpik9FyDV3wTcOBSrEus/s400/Oops%2521_4105.jpg" border="0" alt="gopher snake" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5638288007476577522" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifUabHuXRwpepbQBSvzx_0LWwRXa_utqwO2cF0jd7vim7xx3_qzfq2TGEI2ju9X3iSAtE_Ln8pcy-ZtTtwv8B33r0dgRrC7YydFe3SHNrUVUdapuHpsygNlg4tSXnyhT0o5ETN7a6Yypg/s1600/GopherSnake_4115.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 246px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifUabHuXRwpepbQBSvzx_0LWwRXa_utqwO2cF0jd7vim7xx3_qzfq2TGEI2ju9X3iSAtE_Ln8pcy-ZtTtwv8B33r0dgRrC7YydFe3SHNrUVUdapuHpsygNlg4tSXnyhT0o5ETN7a6Yypg/s400/GopherSnake_4115.jpg" border="0" alt="Great Basin Gopher Snake" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5638288206863270210" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZl1l2MzOBfJ3g-9RxSdehqJpdD3ccID3IY5hUghlLSJJ8yRtqCcZHBXU8Ty-xxMNp9U6S5vDeZdZY6WTjOXaxJ6s-RES-_FL7-IfLGbkYu7rezopfMACqRjr7j76vF1pKNuOWdHklDUM/s1600/SeeYa_4148.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZl1l2MzOBfJ3g-9RxSdehqJpdD3ccID3IY5hUghlLSJJ8yRtqCcZHBXU8Ty-xxMNp9U6S5vDeZdZY6WTjOXaxJ6s-RES-_FL7-IfLGbkYu7rezopfMACqRjr7j76vF1pKNuOWdHklDUM/s400/SeeYa_4148.jpg" border="0" alt="gopher snake face" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5638288324582979570" /></a>Erica Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13010721024815560173noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3257409783847747385.post-63370723907289099892011-07-27T20:19:00.000-07:002011-07-27T20:44:24.276-07:00Wednesday Wings and OthersSharing some photos taken today in our "backyard" today. The internet went down for a while, so I escaped outside:-) We have a lot of birds and little critters coming through, but some of them are so fast, they've been a real challenge to photograph. I thought hummingbirds were hard! The birds hadn't been coming to our newly placed feeder, so we started putting some seed on the ground. As you can imagine, everyone has been enjoying it, and we're enjoying watching the activity!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNdS_Mbisy8P_jwmfqpUzG_5gDn0jKQEj0CkwaqRHeagd-RHqwbgqwGYxs2rjjKwIqEI6e_JQh65v-QA9JfoqozHYYsE8NBb392nEN_4SkvQHy7QKGq6f4AKtOKGe5FWcJjhBfp0X98ao/s1600/CheckMeOut_3175.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 311px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNdS_Mbisy8P_jwmfqpUzG_5gDn0jKQEj0CkwaqRHeagd-RHqwbgqwGYxs2rjjKwIqEI6e_JQh65v-QA9JfoqozHYYsE8NBb392nEN_4SkvQHy7QKGq6f4AKtOKGe5FWcJjhBfp0X98ao/s400/CheckMeOut_3175.jpg" border="0" alt="male house finch" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634238238142457218" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><i><span class="Apple-style-span">A very handsome male House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus) who even sang for a bit</span></i>.</span></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFCvs31AohwboMzJ6Vjw95DTZqtMfcOQkfKnawK463fERd7lIwIjTZI45whPKfmorhmh63uv8vzEJGjJbVFQj7eyE-4ZHfuHBjpeD3mbJnvaX0kHdlYE2fEEHxoEgcXfJcMF5gvAQ56wE/s1600/OutOnALimb_3311.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 311px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFCvs31AohwboMzJ6Vjw95DTZqtMfcOQkfKnawK463fERd7lIwIjTZI45whPKfmorhmh63uv8vzEJGjJbVFQj7eyE-4ZHfuHBjpeD3mbJnvaX0kHdlYE2fEEHxoEgcXfJcMF5gvAQ56wE/s400/OutOnALimb_3311.jpg" border="0" alt="female house finch" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634238475260337730" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" >Mrs. House Finch, who didn't mind my presence that much - the finches were the calmest visitors.</span></i></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggLFHbAmAhHbrzNTWGM5oz8gMDBhHM2NZRp7sr2AE9xMi4z8eHIGFYuCvu973f4HycRe4lQ7NHL7ik2ADaQtRhuVRjfD3qBzxGg_Cfao3s2mELddEoX9wucX14sw-hmnphwrC6Orunbko/s1600/SpeedyPewee_3266.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 311px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggLFHbAmAhHbrzNTWGM5oz8gMDBhHM2NZRp7sr2AE9xMi4z8eHIGFYuCvu973f4HycRe4lQ7NHL7ik2ADaQtRhuVRjfD3qBzxGg_Cfao3s2mELddEoX9wucX14sw-hmnphwrC6Orunbko/s400/SpeedyPewee_3266.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634239485667973362" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><i><span class="Apple-style-span">A Juniper Titmouse (Baeolophus griseus) before s/he flew down to the seed. These little birds are so cute, make such an assortment of noises, and move so darn fast! By the time my camera focuses, they're usually somewhere else</span></i>.</span></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgktNQ4zhTkir57UBbwEPPacOJmD5LPfKliBNiByA-NIZOksCfrSwRE7BWcjcYzNwhcirSc1Nstd134l_ycRFq8mD4cqNfkEIvHKZdNPeTsXv98F6Q_qBslOgDVGUyRh3QezKenhyphenhyphenr5SsI/s1600/JuniperTitmouse_3288.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 311px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgktNQ4zhTkir57UBbwEPPacOJmD5LPfKliBNiByA-NIZOksCfrSwRE7BWcjcYzNwhcirSc1Nstd134l_ycRFq8mD4cqNfkEIvHKZdNPeTsXv98F6Q_qBslOgDVGUyRh3QezKenhyphenhyphenr5SsI/s400/JuniperTitmouse_3288.jpg" border="0" alt="jumiper titmouse" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634239677394430898" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><i><span class="Apple-style-span">This is the same Juniper Titmouse - can't believe I actually caught him/her so close</span></i>!</span></div><br />Now it's a good thing these next two little critters are so darn cute. They've been eating my newly planted container plants, and once they've discovered they like something, nothing seems to deter them. I only use organic methods, and right now my garden smells like an Italian restaurant with all the powdered garlic and other spices. Whether or not I get any tomatoes will remain to be seen - I'll have to try to find some netting or something. Like I said, it's a good thing these guys are adorable and so entertaining to watch:-)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi17kefK4ASehMMNgW-zg13ZWKtYxMnK_6vupUmsOAqgkNtY4b6NfmwJPoDS6R5MmpjGo43lbp-oHM4izfvSz2KdZxJyd4M5B2y8OyHM4YB3tw1cwKAubXe6-BbwIZCCnaey00RvHSdhwg/s1600/Caution_3240.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 311px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi17kefK4ASehMMNgW-zg13ZWKtYxMnK_6vupUmsOAqgkNtY4b6NfmwJPoDS6R5MmpjGo43lbp-oHM4izfvSz2KdZxJyd4M5B2y8OyHM4YB3tw1cwKAubXe6-BbwIZCCnaey00RvHSdhwg/s400/Caution_3240.jpg" border="0" alt="uinta chipmunk" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634240961274494018" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><i><span class="Apple-style-span">Uinta Chipmunk? (Neotamias umbrinus</span></i>)</span></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio-HDsOPjGTGTNkrEOSHpvU2km1gjcvszh8-6UlTnwjUJVXnkY0dM0qImUdDoWAGI2YYrCryddc9DRMkUjDXB6e3jhmdV8pUeGSceHIwEuJ4G90Cnn-HHCZ2eFfv7qXZ4b9OHmJCqq1U8/s1600/GotSeed_3260.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 311px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio-HDsOPjGTGTNkrEOSHpvU2km1gjcvszh8-6UlTnwjUJVXnkY0dM0qImUdDoWAGI2YYrCryddc9DRMkUjDXB6e3jhmdV8pUeGSceHIwEuJ4G90Cnn-HHCZ2eFfv7qXZ4b9OHmJCqq1U8/s400/GotSeed_3260.jpg" border="0" alt="white tailed antelope squirrel" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634240959981165986" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><i><span class="Apple-style-span">White-tailed Antelope Squirrel (Ammospermophilus leucurus</span></i>)</span></div><br />Still have some more subjects I'm trying to get good photos of, so stay tuned!Erica Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13010721024815560173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3257409783847747385.post-91075722637083342242011-07-21T10:27:00.000-07:002012-08-04T14:00:22.112-07:00Evolution of a SunsetNo Wednesday Wings this week, but I wanted to share a recent sunset with you. I'm so happy to see the gorgeous sunsets and cloud formations here in southern Utah again! I can't tell you how much I appreciate them. Not only that, but I also have an addiction to photographing the skies here. I haven't done much landscape photography, but something about the clouds and cliffs here compels me to keep trying to capture them through my lens. This sunset was last Sunday. I was outside a little early for it, but was fascinated by the clouds. I had a feeling there might be a good sunset, and didn't want to miss it. So, this is the evolution of that sunset. From start to finish, it was only 26 minutes - some of the most dramatic color changes were only three minutes apart. Mother Nature paints really fast:-) Hope you enjoy!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjTqj98IgOIWa43wNURjzQyzDRfYkxhHkzmkuIxVbSuA-ng2qndE8Unkd7UWCshcoWWm9n9n_-HE8egTWbfAEVLrN2scR7IkcP13Sw5ZPpApsAmiCi2suqDh0RyoqJcStm-AEXJrDt9WE/s1600/Ev1_2763.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjTqj98IgOIWa43wNURjzQyzDRfYkxhHkzmkuIxVbSuA-ng2qndE8Unkd7UWCshcoWWm9n9n_-HE8egTWbfAEVLrN2scR7IkcP13Sw5ZPpApsAmiCi2suqDh0RyoqJcStm-AEXJrDt9WE/s400/Ev1_2763.jpg" border="0" alt="southern utah clouds" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631858883834777154" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB4EVp-sDK2EgHfdZ6_e43ZAuX_btP-ZDaJNCRHh7Z0EbMcYsVLMwthEn7EojVF2fhAHnxsD2fgdTpyuZc-52ICRq49SY947TowJNZOBQn3sX7AHvLuLC0LtWlpi5BNNbTvEtJophqVbo/s1600/Ev2_2804.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB4EVp-sDK2EgHfdZ6_e43ZAuX_btP-ZDaJNCRHh7Z0EbMcYsVLMwthEn7EojVF2fhAHnxsD2fgdTpyuZc-52ICRq49SY947TowJNZOBQn3sX7AHvLuLC0LtWlpi5BNNbTvEtJophqVbo/s400/Ev2_2804.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631859068240622050" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZs0g1dW9ROociIvzOfJmVqutlycxJfw-0l7nog6hiUukDq6phoLPNhNTb54nWTDeiqHd4SiNIhSkaFxOGbc2GKYa-p5SKs03oszG8mVByFjAsrIjpz2dTSgIP8vajPfd3puAZ8xVmSvc/s1600/Ev3_2820.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZs0g1dW9ROociIvzOfJmVqutlycxJfw-0l7nog6hiUukDq6phoLPNhNTb54nWTDeiqHd4SiNIhSkaFxOGbc2GKYa-p5SKs03oszG8mVByFjAsrIjpz2dTSgIP8vajPfd3puAZ8xVmSvc/s400/Ev3_2820.jpg" border="0" alt="southwest sunset" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631859240151480226" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSHpvYH9F5GV4prFXtDXBHmda2ptdj6IAuOizlgvP7O_2l4AE5f8vYdHUzIb0u4dbwGn8YaYuklXowwDpTVFclR63l63Ux-HU7IzbhIDmR9fPDWxVeExnco-PJUUdpkrkCU5InGcX_4M8/s1600/Ev4_2842.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSHpvYH9F5GV4prFXtDXBHmda2ptdj6IAuOizlgvP7O_2l4AE5f8vYdHUzIb0u4dbwGn8YaYuklXowwDpTVFclR63l63Ux-HU7IzbhIDmR9fPDWxVeExnco-PJUUdpkrkCU5InGcX_4M8/s400/Ev4_2842.jpg" border="0" alt="sunset" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631859374267049250" /></a><br /><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/96337159/southwest-sunset-photo-landscape" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNp4A0aZUJ8un86jLk31YS0wGD0-n3kproHMAQhonYTa1s3kT3qhFJ4pwxF4wWdG3l66-ny7AxN-xvDtFjUgSOXDY0SDUJckD0aMRVNveFEFMp7rAuNWW2TSo-LV-PgMQmkXRwgAvbBVc/s400/Ev5_2859.jpg" border="0" alt="southern utah sunset" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631859494961460738" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfpLzpvLsvvxoJs9lY440Ptp_l3vLp5O9boKchFta8XgOnqjiwaIuAS7ERJBLkkKxehIATfKSx908-O0HCRF-nNjvBmwMGT7UUePpHxCgcndd03yqnt6-D2noMhMSfnw06ZlhVo_GRcAo/s1600/Ev6_2873.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfpLzpvLsvvxoJs9lY440Ptp_l3vLp5O9boKchFta8XgOnqjiwaIuAS7ERJBLkkKxehIATfKSx908-O0HCRF-nNjvBmwMGT7UUePpHxCgcndd03yqnt6-D2noMhMSfnw06ZlhVo_GRcAo/s400/Ev6_2873.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631859642850699154" /></a>Erica Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13010721024815560173noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3257409783847747385.post-47598740092321394702011-07-13T15:53:00.000-07:002011-07-13T16:15:23.090-07:00More Wednesday WingsIs it really Wednesday again? ;-) Here are a few of the winged creatures I've met in Utah so far. If any of the id's are incorrect, please let me know.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhONahKgWIld7-gMrKSzFdnf0RubqgXxwZa8uV3gIneeou782PDiwnHSrncz4-xQca0HtcRDTAWl7W0DEdDFoVff-XOl6kDaPg4lNlJFq6Y2YlqOIoa02-N07vpL6-XHETAclyYrki4X7s/s1600/BrightSpot_1055.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhONahKgWIld7-gMrKSzFdnf0RubqgXxwZa8uV3gIneeou782PDiwnHSrncz4-xQca0HtcRDTAWl7W0DEdDFoVff-XOl6kDaPg4lNlJFq6Y2YlqOIoa02-N07vpL6-XHETAclyYrki4X7s/s400/BrightSpot_1055.jpg" border="0" alt="variegated fritillary butterfly" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5628976954557142034" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><i><a href="http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=Shop&op=listing&product_id=3492911" target="_blank">"Petal Wings"</a>, Variegated Fritillary (Sphaeralcea coccinea)</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><i><br /></i></span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2AROXYYaDSe4oj2NzlFz2X2sGtWSDpVERsD-NVubxFQzDK64TrbIdyIjI0mZsBjukGITWB73QbZsen5adDErAp5B1UL3IfN2e0ERBlBaaExr0-Kzl_EhgknJDobiaKo7jK0qFY-BK-q4/s1600/Suspended_1408.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2AROXYYaDSe4oj2NzlFz2X2sGtWSDpVERsD-NVubxFQzDK64TrbIdyIjI0mZsBjukGITWB73QbZsen5adDErAp5B1UL3IfN2e0ERBlBaaExr0-Kzl_EhgknJDobiaKo7jK0qFY-BK-q4/s400/Suspended_1408.jpg" border="0" alt="variegated meadowhawk dragonfly" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5628976952767526034" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><i>"Suspended", Variegated Meadowhawk (Sympetrum corruptum), a familiar sight in Cali, too:-)</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><i><br /></i></span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv4ccI46Alck_YmCwR37P8C5PwvVaZ_3AUFhKEegvbuwik47kd0Pdx0JO6DUApQKZJWNp1_yZf1kPPxJmVWu_6pmrtybuAkGg45TVjZMrP1ahkpX13Z62VkRz6-ii0m979kDXYU2U9Z88/s1600/TipTop_1201.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 311px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv4ccI46Alck_YmCwR37P8C5PwvVaZ_3AUFhKEegvbuwik47kd0Pdx0JO6DUApQKZJWNp1_yZf1kPPxJmVWu_6pmrtybuAkGg45TVjZMrP1ahkpX13Z62VkRz6-ii0m979kDXYU2U9Z88/s400/TipTop_1201.jpg" border="0" alt="Northern White Skipper" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5628976949687479986" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" >"Tip Top", Northern White Skipper (Heliopetes ericetorum) on Globemallow (Sphaeralcea coccinea)</span></i></div>Erica Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13010721024815560173noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3257409783847747385.post-87473089504421640552011-07-06T17:56:00.001-07:002011-07-06T18:00:16.284-07:00Wednesday Wings<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi47CCK_PHxHM382mob7pkSF2IS0LLextjcL9qAgf1_BZr30PP9Jmk1q0A4vAtVWTyYF8Mt6y5ZixLt4YfFF6qrCH7hmgiwIrgj4MU4aH8PSmsf8dKl64wmTPhDvoNehv_ZGQVcjd3TIow/s1600/ISeeYou_1926.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi47CCK_PHxHM382mob7pkSF2IS0LLextjcL9qAgf1_BZr30PP9Jmk1q0A4vAtVWTyYF8Mt6y5ZixLt4YfFF6qrCH7hmgiwIrgj4MU4aH8PSmsf8dKl64wmTPhDvoNehv_ZGQVcjd3TIow/s400/ISeeYou_1926.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5626408098243869394" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><i>Juvenile Black-throated Sparrow? Spotted today, I think s/he thought they were hidden (my camera thought so, too, lol!).</i></span></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSm4IaX3sj9U6LzBLnKbhm5snw69o7LJsByUg8RXRKYbip7x_GhfnWOhKstp_Y1POjHHcJ7Ey1qq0t1KR9cEbW9SI_YK9XpSD6bKgVc86kuZWu98wyQ3-fH8qfOXfDSNfqt_JI5L3XenA/s1600/Don%2527tSing_1348.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 311px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSm4IaX3sj9U6LzBLnKbhm5snw69o7LJsByUg8RXRKYbip7x_GhfnWOhKstp_Y1POjHHcJ7Ey1qq0t1KR9cEbW9SI_YK9XpSD6bKgVc86kuZWu98wyQ3-fH8qfOXfDSNfqt_JI5L3XenA/s400/Don%2527tSing_1348.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5626408100856054898" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><i>Western Meadowlark with goodness knows how many bugs in his mouth! Yet, he was still singing:-)</i></span></div>Erica Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13010721024815560173noreply@blogger.com2