Squirrel Nutkin

Yeah I know it's a cat but she looked very squirrelly when we first brought her in so she became Squirrel Nutkin, Nutty for short. Little bitch was in my chair.

Squirrel Nutkin

Just for a change from cats here's a Dark-eyed Junco.

Dark-eyed Junco

Willow

Playing with my new lens again this morning. Here's one of little Willow just before she fell asleep.

Willow

It's been ages.....

...since I've stuck a kitty picture on here. Just got a new lens so the kitties are my test subjects. Here’s one of the little Rascal. Little bitch would NOT keep still for me but even so I managed to get this one I like.

Rascal

Cold Saturday Morning.

It's barely above freezing outside so I've been cuddled up with 3 cats before I venture out to do some yard work. I need to shift a few leaves from the newly repaired lower deck. A large branch fell from a very tall oak and fell 100 feet or so and impaled itself through  a 20ft length of composite decking. Decking was repaired yesterday so I'll go tidy up the leaves.

In the meantime while waiting for the temperatures to rise a little I've been playing with photos from the UK last May. Here's a couple I like.

Arctic Tern

Northern Gannet

Thanksgiving Turkey

The remains of the Thanksgiving Turkey is going to feed the outside critters. Hopefully foxy will return to claim its share. I'll be keeping an eye out for him tomorrow camera at the ready. Here's another picture from a couple of weeks ago.

La premiere neige

Bit of French I picked up in my travels in the dim distant past. It means the first snow, its also a downhill and giant slalom race at Val d'Isere which I always used to enjoy watching. This morning we got the first snow of year and this doe showed up in the yard.

Red Fox

We see them in the yard from time to time and I hear them occasionally but this one wanted to pose for us.

Red Fox

Wet Sunday morning.

It's been howling it down with rain and leaves this Sunday morning so I'm not working in the yard. So much to do out there and so little time before winter sets in and I'm curled in front of the fire with a cat on my lap and a nice cup of tea. No matter. I've just been playing with a beta version of a program that I can't mention because I'm sworn to secrecy.  I decided to rehash some photos of Staffa. I mentioned back in June how much I've been wanting to visit Staffa and Fingal's Cave. I want to go back and see it again. Maybe at high tide with dark moody clouds. Yeah.

What to do today?

Difficult decision, there's so many things I need to do. No really. Do I vacuum up the cat hair that Juno is shedding all over the place? Do I go down and clean up the kitty kitchen? Do I get the chainsaw fired up and chop up the remains of the dead Oak at the bottom of the driveway? Cant do that because Kelly is going out and I'm not allowed to chainsaw unless she's here to call 911 if I loose a body part or two. Should I sweep the leaves and Hickory nuts off the decks? How about I get the rototiller out and go over the area I weeded last weekend? Mmmmmm. Decisions, decisions. I think I'll have to ponder over the question with a second cup of tea.

In the meantime here's a Phoebe.

Eastern Phoebe

Vermont Part II

 Here's a few more from Vermont.

Smugglers' Notch

Smugglers' Notch from part way up Mount Mansfield

We tried to do the Ben & Jerry's Factory Tour but it was too crowded.

Water after Tuesday night's 3-4 inches of rain

Another covered bridge.

Cascade on Smugglers' Notch

Smugglers' Notch

Old Tractor

Wouldn't be Fall without Pumpkins

Vermont and Barns go together

Another Barn

Vermont Part I

We were perhaps a few days early for the foliage colors on the North Western side of Vermont but a day trip over to the North Eastern side in search of Moose (unsuccessfully) showed us what fall foliage in Vermont is all about, absolutely stunning. Initially the weather was pretty nice but a series of thunderstorms and heavy rains on Tuesday left Wednesday very overcast. Here's part I of some of the photographs I took during the week.

We went down this dirt road called South America Pond Road for miles.

Not sure exactly where this was only that it was near the birthplace of Calvin Coolidge which we visited.

One of many covered bridges.

Internal construction.

Johnson Falls

I think this is a Thin Leaf Sunflower, there were lots along the roadsides.

Sunset from the cottage overlooking Lake Champlain

Sunrise from the cottage.

Vermont - Fall Colors

Got home late last night. Just downloading my photographs from the week in Vermont to my iMac. Here’s a simple one I like for now.

Just a quickie.

So I don't leave leave it another whole month and not wishing to disappoint my many thousands of avid readers, here's a few from the back yard.

Common Buckeye

Coopers Hawk

Monarch Caterpillar on Swamp Milkweed

It's been a whole month!

I don't know why it's been so long since I've taken any pictures. Been doing a bit of this and a bit of that but no excuses. Today is Labor Day and it's raining so I've been indoors. I decided to get off my arse and take some pictures. Rather than harass the cats I decided to take some pictures of the Hummingbirds. Theres been at least a couple hanging out by the feeder and they were quite active chasing each other around.

Ricketts Glen

Time for another trip up to Ricketts Glen and the waterfalls. It was forecast to be 92f but as it's 2400 feet high up there in a shaded glen with water spray I figured it would be cool enough and it was. It was very bright sunlight, I would have preferred more overcast but you can't have it all ways. Still it was most enjoyable, lots of water over the falls so very nice. Heres a few that I like. I don't remember the name of most of them.

This one is the easiest to get to as it's right alongside the road.
It's Adams Falls and one of my favorites.

Adams Falls

Adams Falls

Got me out of weeding

Having almost a month in the U.K. combined with lots of rain in the US and high temperatures and humidity means the yard has got  the better of me. Lot's of weeds. I had every intention when I got home early this afternoon to go to town on a lot of weeds in the front yard.  I did say I had every intention didn't I.?Well seeing all the Monarchs and Swallowtails munching on some of these weeds made me revise my intention. Screw it, let them nectar away. There were loads of them, great to see them.

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

Monarch

Monarch

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

Easter Tiger Swallowtail