I had a visit from a Harris Hawk Wednesday. Then a friend joined him. I practiced my photography as he moved around our backyard, looking for his favorite spot.
Photo two:
He decided to try a tree rather than the fence.
Photo three:
I caught him in flight as he flew from one end of the yard to another.
Photo four:
I handed my camera to my husband after seeing a bunch of my blurry photos. He hadn’t used the camera before, but I think he did well!
Photo five:
I took this pic and it turned out! While I’m writing the post, that’s where the Harris Hawk sits. He’s looking down on house finches who are on the ground.
Photo six: Hanging out on the neighbor’s chimney with a buddy.
This is one of two alligators who hang out by the pool. In the background is our waterfall.
Yesterday, two items arrived adding to my recent interest using a DSLR camera. I bought a tripod plus a remote. That’s because I’ve noticed my photos were often blurry. I have shaky hands and I can’t hold the camera steady — especially when trying to capture hawks or bobcat pics.
The photos posted today are the result of my experimenting with my new photography toys in our backyard. I have to say the photos are crisper than when I hold onto the camera and push the button.
The remote allows me to set up the camera on the tripod, stand a few feet away and press a button on the remote to snap the picture. The hardest thing was to line up the shot while the camera is on the tripod. It’s not as easy as point and shoot. But I took lots of photos and made minor adjustments, nudging the camera this way that that.
Flamingos and cacti in the sun.
Two mourning doves in flight. Funny, I was going for a lone quail on the rock, but captured this!
Our swim up pool bar.
If you enjoy photography, do you use your iphone, a DSLR camera or a tripod?
I find a lot of happiness and excitement in little things. Our lives are made of small moments strung together and if we spend too much time worrying or focusing on the past or future, we miss the little bits of joy in the present.
Here’s a list of moments that make me truly happy:
Hearing the birds sing early in the morning.
My kids calling just to talk. They aren’t asking for anything and there’s nothing big going on.
Having lunch yesterday with a good friend and spending a few hours catching up with our lives.
Noticing that my husband got his dish off the table, into the sink and miracle of miracles—into the dishwasher.
Watching baby quail in our backyard.
Seeing a bob cat on my outdoor camera.
Olive the cat honoring me with her presence and stretching out for a cat nap while I’m laying on my side. I have to be careful not to move, so she doesn’t fall off.
Sitting in by back yard reading a really good book.
Walking with my husband and marveling at the beauty surrounding us on a weekend morning.
Checking things off my to-do list and feeling productive.
With the kids on their way to visit, my husband and I kept our promise to quarantine. The days at home gave me new appreciation for life in our backyard. (I wrote about the need to quarantine HERE.)
“Hey, it’s not that bad!” were my famous words I’d tell my swim coach after a hard set. We emblazoned the saying on t-shirts after the coach joked that he should advertise his Masters with my expression. (I wrote about not giving up — whether it’s swimming, fishing or writing HERE — complete with t-shirt pics.)
I discovered staying home “is not that bad” — and I that I love and appreciate my backyard.
The following are views that make me enjoy living where I do:
I watched three Harris Hawks land in a tree across the wall. They love to hang out there. Then one by one, they flew into our yard. I lost sight as they flew over our roof.
Here’s a video of one flying I captured in slow motion:
Look at the sparkle in our pool.
Here’s a young cardinal visiting my Bird Buddy until a Gila Woodpecker takes over.
I was standing outside and these quails didn’t seem to care that I was nearby.
I can’t wait to see my son, daughter-in-law, her brother and my daughter!
What are your favorite things or views from your home?
Our yellow lab Angus (RIP) on our chaise-and-a-half lounge.
I finally let go of our chaise lounges. We moved them from Palm Springs at my insistence. My husband wanted to leave them behind.
I recently wrote about my mom’s unnatural attachment to her flute and her reluctance to let it go HERE. Then I realized I was doing the exact same thing with two chaise lounges we’ve owned since the kids were little. For sentimental reasons, or for what those chaises represented, I couldn’t let go.
The chaise lounges in our Palm Springs backyard.
For the two-and-a-half years we’ve lived in Arizona, we’ve never once sat on our chaise lounges. They’ve been sitting under waterproof covers. Their fabric was deteriorating. But someday I was going to do something about that.
I watched as a chipmunk made trips across our patio, back and forth, with something white and fluffy in its mouth. I finally figured it out. I lifted the cover to a chaise lounge and there was a one-foot hole in the cushion. The chipmunk was using our chaise lounge to “feather his nest.”
Because of harsh desert weather, I’ve had the chaises recovered several times through the years. One of my best friends has an upholstery and sewing business. She recovered them for me at her cost. We used to live close enough to drive them to her.
I shopped online and the chaise-and-a-half cushion is not a standard size. I’d have to have them made to order and now it’s no longer the fabric, but the stuffing is ruined too. For a little more than the cost of new custom cushions, I ordered two standard-size chaises from Costco. We’ll even be able to lounge on them!
What did the chaises represent to me? Why couldn’t I let go? We got the oversized lounges so our young children, dripping wet from the pool, could snuggle in next to us. Angus our lab would spend evenings laying by my side as we watched the sunset. That was one of his favorite things to do. Mine too.
Those years are gone and nothing will bring them back. Not even holding onto chaise lounges that hold my dear memories.
It is bulk trash pickup week. I finally let go and my husband took the chaises to the curb.
The chaises were picked up from our curb — before the bulk pick up truck made it to our neighborhood! I hope they found a nice home and the new family enjoys them as much as we did!
Have you ever been attached to a physical object for sentimental reasons? Was it clothing, art, chaise lounges or something else?
We discovered where the bites of cactus that end up at our front door came from.
I wrote about a mystery in our yard with bits of plants and cactus ending up on our front door mat HERE.
I’ve had a camera on lookout to spot the creatures. I’ve caught a bunny, a chipmunk and a lizard darting by. It was mentioned by another blogger that it could be our courtyard forms a wind tunnel and it’s the wind blowing the bits and pieces to the door.
Ever since I moved the camera from the backyard to the front door, the little presents stopped. I think the problem is the camera’s light. The camera goes dark at night and when movement happens it clicks on video mode with a bright light. We caught one bunny and after that nothing. I think the light has scared away any critters.
The only videos I get of animals are in the bright daylight.
However, I did spot a half eaten cacti in another part of the courtyard in a pot next to a big rock. I believe bunnies climb the rock and help themselves to a cactus buffet.
Another exciting secret I found in our yard is hidden in this Elephant Feed succulent. Also in a pot:
Elephant Feed succulent in a pot by our garage.
Isn’t this exciting? I believe it’s quail eggs. I noticed this because as I backed the car out of the garage close to the pot of Elephant Feed, two quails flew away. I hope they come back!
What treasures have you discovered in your back yard or home?
I was focused on my laptop at the small round table next to the window in the casita. I glanced up and to my surprise I saw three bobcats!
First was the mother, who has been a visitor for the two years we’ve lived here. Following her were two kittens (one is above.) They looked healthy yet somewhat gangly like preteens. Their coats were practically white while momma had a deeper tan with darker spots.
I finally reached for my phone and captured this one shot. The momma and other kitten had walked through our yard out of view from the casita.
“Bill! Bill! Bobcats!” I yelled for my husband as I ran down the hallway to our living room. He had left the kitchen door open with only the screen door closed. The bobcats scurried away when they heard my frantic voice.
It was such a sight! I wish I’d captured them on camera or that my husband could have seen them. Instead of yelling I should have been stealthy and quiet — we might have had them in our yard for an hour or two.
The word that came to mind this morning as I woke up was gratitude. I’m grateful for these wild creatures in my world.
