Quail Dad on the Ready…

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This male spent at least 10 hours on our fence. We think his family is in the bushes below.

The quail call started at sunrise right outside our bedroom window. It’s a panic-like yell intended to warn the brood that trouble may be near, so listen to dad.  The call continued throughout the day, reaching crescendos when I quickly cut some wood with a power saw in the late morning.  This protective male is perched on our fence overlooking a portion of our front yard where we suspect mom will be giving birth soon. Or, maybe she already has given that we spotted 13 chicks hopping madly around the bushes across the street. For now, we have surrendered the yard to the family. quail watch2 - Copy

Weekly Photo Challenge: Transient

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via Photo Challenge: Transient

deer on the coast

A stag blends in with the coastal oaks as it travels though a neighborhood front yard. The transient nature of deer out of the forest has been a fact for me whether my early days in New Jersey or the current times by the Pacific Ocean.  They wander. They nibble. Protected by state laws. I still take pause with those antlers.

 

Short Term Fire…

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Taco fire

A few days ago I walked out of Starbucks in Prunedale, California at 10:50 a.m.  As I walked to my car, I noticed a handful of people looking up at the sky. Smoke was rising quickly. Then I saw two planes flying overhead and a flash of red. Explosion? Fire retardant? Ultimately, the forest fire was out with less than one acre burned–hats off to the firefighters.

This is a very strange place for me. The Taco Bell in the photo–it’s next to Starbucks–was the site of a murder a few years ago–I was part of the jury selection process for a the felony murder trial. I didn’t get selected but I did learn more about the crime. This shopping area has been upgraded to erase, in part, the memory of a bad moment. It hasn’t erased mine.

 

Photo Regret…

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I took this shot a few weeks ago of a hillside in Big Sur. I was struck by the focal points: a handful of evergreens at the top of the hill, fog, and deep green brush between the hilltop and wild mustard below.  There is something about this shot that draws me in…and I think it is the focal points that together give the photo depth.  But, in the end, it is regret for not putting more yellow mustard in the frame. Frankly, I didn’t realize the drama of this shot when I took pressed the shutter.