Mostly Birds...

One thing that has "inspired" me to post more often is that I have a new camera.  Back in early December my Leica camera broke.  Actually, what broke was the sliding off/on button.  I don't know how many thousands of photos I've taken since I purchased this camera several years ago, but I do know that I've turned it off and on hundreds... probably thousands... of times.  I plan to have it fixed when we get back to the States, but know that will take time.  When our daughter wrote that she and her husband were coming for a visit in early January, I started looking for a new camera... ordered a Nikon from Amazon, had it sent to Donna and she and Glenn brought it with them a couple of weeks ago.  I'm just learning how to use it...  it does produce really good photos...  the biggest problem I'm having is that it doesn't seem to have much of a stabilizer, and since I don't use a tripod, I need all the control I can get.  My little Canon Powershot is a good camera and takes good photos, but it doesn't have a viewfinder (just that screen-like thing that is hard to use outdoors), so it is really "hit or miss" taking pictures.

I think most... or maybe even all...  of today's photos are with the new Nikon....

This male Painted Bunting was checking out our fountain.  There were 2 or 3 here, but none stayed very long.

We haven't seen nearly as many herons along the river as we did last year.  This little Green Heron is watching the shallow water for something good.

This Laughing Falcon was perched in a dead tree way across the river.  It never did turn around so I could get a good shot of the front.  And...  we didn't hear it laugh either...  which is kind of an eerie call.

This year we've been seeing American Wigeons on the river.

At first we were thinking they were Gadwalls...  but are slightly smaller and have the green stripe on their head.  But they all hang out together so you have to look closely.

The ocean has had really high waves the past few days.  It's fun to watch the pelicans dive down and hit the water.  But I enjoy seeing them just floating out on the water just as much.

We have both Cormorants and Anhingas here...

Often you'll see just the head and a few inches of neck above the water...  the body completely submerged.  They look like a snake swimming along in the water.

Okay...  not a bird picture...  

How many people can ride in a vehicle?

I'm sure the cab of the truck is packed like sardines!

Not just pick-up trucks are like this...  it's nothing to see a whole family riding on a motorcycle...  Dad, Mom, 2 or 3 kids tucked between and around them.

Also...  not a bird photo...  but so funny...

There is nothing happier than a dog rolling in a nice, squishy pile of something gross...

the smellier the better.  I had plenty of opportunity to get several shots here as this guy spent several minutes in pure joy!  I'm just glad he isn't mine!

I was asked why the internet service is so bad here.  Well, when we arrived early in October it was pretty fast.  Very few "winter folks" had come back yet and the only users were the locals.  Around Christmas the RV parks and rentals really started filling up.  The town population swells from around 1,000 to over 3,000 people.  Most winter folks here are retired and have a lot of time on their hands.  Kids get out of school early in the day.  By noon there are probably a lot of users...  or those of us who are attempting to use...  and by evening everyone and his brother must be trying to get on Facebook or whatever program of choice.  One of our friends uses VPN Express and seems to have better luck...  but the phone system that the internet ties into is the same, so I don't know.

Anyway...  our answer is to do anything important early in the morning and avoid the frustrations of afternoon and evening. 

The End....

That's All For Today!