Bee Good

This little fella was hanging out on my purse yesterday. He didn't seem to mind me sticking my camera and macro lens right up next to his body, either. When I was through taking photos, he flew away. He didn't even demand a model fee.

I'm assuming this is a bee and not a hoverfly. I wouldn't know what type of bee it is, either. As usual, I'm a veritable font of non-information.

Itsy Bitsy

This lovely (and very small) jumping spider hitched a ride on the back of my scooter a couple of days ago.

For the photography tech heads, this is a crop of a larger image. It was taken with my macro lens, but to get super close, it would have required more equipment than I have. Still, I think it came out pretty well.

By the way, tomorrow is the 2nd anniversary of Stayton Daily Photo! I have no special photo planned as of yet, since I haven't had much of an opportunity to go out and take photos over the past week. But I'll see what I can do.

I'm Going Where You Can't Follow

This cute little gray squirrel was hanging around Pioneer Park yesterday, roaming all over the place. I had to follow this grey him or her around for quite some time before I was able to get a (fairly) decent shot, even if it is a bit blurry. He (or she) just wasn't interested in holding still.

He (or she) kept looking back at me, and at one point he (or she) turned around and shook his tail at me. I think he (or she) was telling me to stay back. I did. After all, squirrelz gots skillz (see video proof: video one and video two, both on YouTube).

On A Bed Of Blossoms

So, I've threat... er, mentioned recently I'd probably be posting more cherry blossom photos, seeing that it's spring and all. But today's blossoms come with an added bonus -- a bee. There were several bees hanging around the blossoms (the buzzing was kind of loud, actually... maybe there was a nest nearby?), and this one didn't care when flung my arm out in order to hover my camera a couple of inches from him and snapped a few pictures.

This was at the base of a tree, where there were scattered petals, etc. I was glad he got down to my level for the photo. Such a nice bee.

The photo was taken at Neitling Park, for those who may care about such things.

Happy Goofy Boxer

Theresa Smith, owner of D'-Tail Pet Grooming here in Stayton on Washington St., sent these adorable photos of her boxer, MaeCee Jo. Nothing is cuter than a happy dog frolicking in the grass like in the photo above. It also shows the rather decent weather Stayton's been having. Spring is almost here, and I personally can't wait.

And the photo at right is just adorable, so I had to include it. Click on it to see a bigger version.

Thanks to Theresa for sharing her photos!

Photos are copyright © Theresa Smith. All rights reserved. Do not copy or reproduce in any way without permission of photographer.

A Black-Tail Shows Off Its Black Tail

Today's photo is another from my weekend day trip to Silver Falls State Park, which is about 20 minutes away from Stayton (see also: South Falls, North Falls, and Upper North Falls).

When we first arrived and walked towards South Falls, we came upon five black-tailed deer. I tried my darnedest to get photos of them, but it kind of dark and I had to use a telephoto lens without a tripod... that equals blurry. This photo of a youngster is the best of the bunch.

Tomorrow I think I'll post one more photo from the park before I move on to other things.

Lighthouse Farm Animal Sanctuary

Guest photographer Danni K. has provided us with some rather awesome photos from Lighthouse Farm Animal Sanctuary in nearby Scio. Her description of the farm:

Just down the road from the Shimanek Bridge on Richardson Gap Road in Scio is a most amazing place called the Lighthouse Farm Animal Sanctuary. This non-profit sanctuary was created after it became clear that farm animals (horses, cows, llamas, sheep, goats, pigs, etc.) taken from abusive or neglectful situations rarely had a safe place to go. This fact often prevented them from receiving the help and care they deserved. With the goal of providing a safe haven for these beautiful creatures, Wayne Geiger established the Lighthouse Farm Animal Sanctuary. Just last spring, the farm relocated to this new location on 52 wonderful acres and now provides refuge to about 160 animals.

The farm welcomes volunteers on work party days (be sure to bring apples and carrots!) and many visitor events are planned throughout the year. Be sure to visit the farm's web site (lighthousefarmsanctuary.org) if you'd like to help or want learn more about this great place.

More photos from the farm:

 

Be sure to visit Danni's blog, On the Way To Critter Farm, for more animal photos and more.

Thanks again to Danni for sharing her photos!

Photos are copyright © CritterFarmGirl. All rights reserved. Do not copy or reproduce in any way without permission of photographer.

Amanda-Lynn

Meet Amanda-Lynn (read: "a mandolin"), an adorable and very friendly little French bull dog puppy. She hangs out at Cartwright's Music on 3rd Ave. with her owner, Ken Cartwright.

I took a bunch of photos at Carwright's yesterday, so I'll be featuring one or two of them over the next couple of days. Thanks, as always, to Ken for letting me take pictures at his shop.

Super Squirrel - Part II

Back in April I reported on Stayton's own Super Squirrel, a seemingly regular grey squirrel which has the ability to fly. I now have further photographic evidence of this phenomenon.

Regrettably, I was not able to ascertain if this is the same squirrel from April, since he refused both times to stop for questions. I'm just lucky I was able to get his picture. He's an elusive fellow. Provided, of course, he is a male. He could be a she.

I do know this super squirrel was spotted at the same location, Neitling Park. Coincidence? Perhaps, perhaps not. Obviously, further investigation is required.

I will continue to bring you updates on this important story as it unfolds. Stay tuned to Stayton Daily Photo, your official Super Squirrel blog.

I Was Being Watched

I was at Neitling Park yesterday taking photos of autumn leaves, when I noticed I had an audience. The cat didn't come too close (this was shot at 300mm), but he (or she) stayed for quite a while, just looking at me. Of course, he (or she) was completely nonchalant about it, like he just happened to be facing my direction and wasn't really paying attention to me. Because he (or she) is a cat. That's what they do.

More From The Oregon Covered Bridge Festival

I attended the final day of the Oregon Covered Bridge Festival yesterday, and took a few more photos. The pony pictured above was pulling a little buggy which was giving folks rides around the festival.

For more photos from the event, please see my Flickr photoset. The newest photos are at the end of the set.

On The Prowl...

... And nobody got hurt. Really.

I had stopped to take a picture of the cat, and didn't realize at first he was stalking what appears to be a crow. It was harmless in the end, as the bird flew away after I took this picture.

This was taken in the West Town area of Stayton. Unless it's spelled Westtown. It just occurred to me I really don't know. And here I call myself a Staytonite.

Unless it's Staytonian. No, no, it's definitely Staytonite. Or maybe not.

Oh, forget it.

A Bovine Extravaganza II

A couple of months ago I posted some photos of some black cows who live in town. Since last time was such a moooooving experience, I decided to visit with them again over the weekend. Below are more photos of the lovely ladies (click on the thumbnails to see 'em supersized):

Bird On A Street Light

I can't remember why right now, but I pulled over to the side of the road yesterday, and this bird was sitting pretty on top of a street light right by where I pulled over.

So I took its picture.

And now I've posted it.

Yay.

:)

"Pssst... Wanna Hear A Secret?"

I went and visited my duck friends at Community Center Park a couple of days ago. They swam, preened, and waddled around, I took some pictures... fun was had by all.

Now if I could just convince them to come to my side of the creek where they hang out for some closer photos, I'd be a happy camper. We're friends, but right now it's more of a long distance relationship.

Another shot from the visit is at right (click on it to see it in a bigger size).

Horsing Around

Guest photographer Mark Mason has kindly provided today's photo. It was taken in Gaston (a town northwest of Stayton, near Portland) at a Horse Rescue Ranch. Mark says:

"I think he has character."

I rather agree. I love it.

Thanks, Mark, for providing us with a great and unique photo. Y'all rock.

Be sure to check out previous guest photographers' photos from Mark and others.

Waiting

This beautiful guy or gal was hanging out in the back of a truck at Dairy Queen yesterday. He or she was very well behaved, but certainly perked up whenever someone walked out of the DQ with some food.

Of course, I do the same thing. ;)

A Bovine Extravaganza

I had a rather pleasant visit with a couple of bovine beauties this weekend. We chewed the cud, had some laughs, listened to some music by the Cowsills, and they were very kind to pose for me while I took some photos. In fact, they were rather persistent in the matter. I was happy to oblige, since they're much bigger than me, and I'm a udder coward.

And since I felt I should milk this for all it's worth, below are more photos (click on each thumbnail to see larger versions):

Are You Lookin' At My Bum?

I stopped to take a picture of a pretty azalea near Pioneer Park yesterday, when a little interloper decided it would rather be photographed instead.

The dude above is a narcissus fly, from what I've gathered (please correct me if I'm wrong), which is a type bee mimic. For another view, click on the thumbnail at right.

Super Squirrel

Stayton is not without its superheroes. As you can see from this photographic evidence, this common looking squirrel has a skill not found in regular squirrels -- he can fly.

I expect this to be important news now that it's been made public. This will be bigger than Britney Spears' or Paris Hilton's latest fiascoes, bigger than who should be booted off American Idol next week, bigger than even Donald Trump's comb-over. Yes, friends, it will be huge.

If you're in the neighborhood of Pioneer Park and see a squirrel, pay extra close attention. There may be more to him/her than meets the eye.

Rottweiler

I spotted this adorable dog (male, judging by its size) in a parking lot, in the back of a truck with two other dogs. My own rottweiler won't pose for me (she has an aversion to holding still), but this dog was more than happy to sit there while I clicked away.

By the way, did you know my browser's spell-check wants me to change 'rottweiler' to 'potboiler'? I don't think I will.

Ready For Liftoff

This cute little fella/gal was hanging out on a telephone wire yesterday. Click on the thumbnail at right for another view.

I tried to figure out what kind of bird he/she is, but I haven't a clue. Anyone know? If you could leave a comment, I'd be most appreciative.

UPDATE: Abraham Lincoln at Brookville (Ohio) Daily Photo has helpfully identified the bird as a common starling. Thanks, Abraham!

Steller's Jay

This pretty little birdie was sitting on a park bench at Community Center Park the other day. I believe I've identified it correctly as a Steller's Jay (Google Images is my friend), but if anyone has better info, please let me know.

A Doggy in the Back of a Truck

This adorable doggy was in the back of a truck, hence the clever title you see above. I spotted him/her in a parking lot, being very well behaved. I don't know what kind of doggy it is, but he/sure is definitely a cutie.

Up a Tree

Say hello to my little friend. I spotted this little grey squirrel roaming around the Community Center Park a few days ago, and was surprised I actually managed to get a non-blurry photo of him/her as he/she was heading up a tree. Squirrels move rather quickly, you know. And me... well, I'm not so quick. But sometimes I get lucky.

A Flock of... Dunno

I heard these birds squawking before they made their appearance overhead... and I still managed to get only one non-blurry photo. I'm not sure what kind of birds they are... seagulls? I just don't know. They didn't stop to chat, so I couldn't ask.

The Worms Crawl Out

We had some heavy rain yesterday, and it brought out the worms. They were everywhere... sidewalks, streets, driveways.

The little fella above was busy working his way up a hilly driveway when I took his photo. That's rather industrious for such a small guy. Or gal. Or whatever. I didn't check. ;)

Crows' Nest

I really like crows. I think they're beautiful, with their shiny black feathers. But, alas, I get the impression the feeling isn't mutual.

There's a certain yard I pass by often which gets frequented by a mass amount of crows, and I every time I try to take their pictures they fly away. *sniff* And I adore them so.

I did manage to get a picture of several of them sitting in a tree... I couldn't tell if any of them were k-i-s-s-i-n-g. ;) I count 14 of them in the photo.

And, in case you were wondering, this is a actual new photo! Wow, eh?

Like Shooting Fish in a Tank

Welcome to low-res day. I shot (hence the title) this photo of a nifty fish in a fish tank with my Palm PDA. It was all I had at the time. I cleaned up the image the best I could.

It was taken in my doctor's office. I have no clue what kind of fish the big fella (or gal) is, but he fascinates me each time I see him. Or her. If anyone knows what he/she/it/that/what is, please leave a comment. I suppose I could have asked when I was at the doc's office, but it didn't occur to me until now. That's me, always not thinking. ;)

Autumn at the duck pond

I went to visit my duck friends at my favorite pond in Stayton a couple of days ago. The two mallards on the left appear to be playing follow the leader. I thought about joining in, but I didn't want to get my camera wet. ;)

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Just waitin' on a friend

These two adorable little doggies were waiting for their owner to come out of the post office in Stayton the other day. They were very patient, and while they watched all that went on around them, they didn't bark or try to climb out of the car.

If it were my dogs, one would have jumped out the window and chased everything (she loves to play), another would have barked but wouldn't have left the car (she's lazy), and the other would have fallen asleep (she's lazier).

So all in all, I was quite impressed with the two dogs in the picture. Of course, it was a long way to the ground from that window. ;)

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Out of the shadows

Okay, this is the last photo from the duck pond I've been featuring the last couple of days. At least for now. It really is a pretty pond.

I couldn't decide if I like the photo above or the one to the right, so you're getting both. Don't say I never gave you anything. ;)

I promise tomorrow's photo will have nothing to do with ducks. But it may have something to do with donkeys. Unless it doesn't.

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Why it's called a duck

I was going to feature a different duck photo today, but I decided to go with this one, instead. I may post the other one tomorrow. Dunno.

The one above was taken at the duck pond I featured yesterday. I hadn't realized how often ducks either, well, duck either their heads or the upper half of their bodies underwater. They can do the ducking thing very, very quickly, so I ended up taking several photos of duck bodies with their necks leading into the water. That wasn't really my intention.

My favorites, tough, are of their cute little behinds sticking up, like the one above. They also had a nifty syncronized swimming maneuver going on like in the thumbnail at right (click on it to see the larger version).

They're fascinating little creatures. Do you think the people who live in the little neighborhood where the duck pond is would mind if I just started sitting on the bank with my camera and tripod every single day? More importantly, would the ducks mind? I could dress up like Big Bird, like I did in grade school for a play.

I doubt the costume would still fit, though.

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Duck pond

A fairly new neighborhood off of Fern Ridge Rd. in Stayton has a lovely small pond. I think it's manmade, but it's set so well it feels completely natural.

Roughly a bagazillion ducks live at the pond, from mallards to other ducks which aren't mallards.

You may be thinking the only types of ducks I can identify are mallards. You would be right.

The ducks are hard to see in the photo, but they are there. Tomorrow I'll post a photo of a couple of the ducks, whatever variety they may be.

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Sister Mules at the Oregon Covered Bridge Festival

Here we have another photo taken at the 5th annual Oregon Covered Bridge Festival, which wrapped up yesterday. These two mules were part of a "mountain man" display, with old fashioned gear, tent, pelts, etc.

The mules' mother, a Belgian draft horse, was also there, but didn't seem inclined to pose for the camera -- you can see just a bit of her in the background of the photo.

I've uploaded more photos to my Flickr photo set of the event, if you're interested. There you'll find classic car photos (including a nifty Amphicar, which can go on water) and a miniature horse buggy, plus the photos I posted yesterday. Those include Harley Davidson motorcycles, birds of prey, a mountain man, etc.

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Guard Dog

Sometimes I get the distinct feeling I'm being watched. And barked at. I stopped the other day to take some pictures near a house, and the doberman in the photo decided to make sure I didn't come too close.

He (or she) is such a cutie. We used to have a red doberman named Coco. She was the smartest dog I've ever met. She'd let us know when the other animals wanted in or out the back door, or when it was time for the dogs to eat, and she could understand pretty much anything that was said around her. Nothing got by her.

We now have a rottweiler, who's... well, she's a sweetheart, but not too bright. She spends most of her time laying on the couch on her back, and then jumping up as fast as she possibly can whenever she hears something (real or imagined), which of course causes her to knock things over and sometimes even herself in her haste. But we love her, anyway.

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Bird Spotting

Almost every time I pass by this beautiful yard in Stayton, there are usually at least a handful of crows in it. I personally love crows, so it's always a pleasure to see them.

There are four birds in the photo... three of them are in front of the bushes at the back of the grass.

I would just like to point out I made it through this entire post without making any crow-related puns. That's really something to crow about it.

Oh... whoops. Guess I just did. Sorry. And I was doing so well.

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Horsing around

This is Mac, a horse which belongs to my brother's neighbor. He (the horse, not my brother or his neighbor) is wearing a fly mask to keep pesky little bugs off his face. That got me thinking.

One of the joys of having hands is that I can scratch an itch as it occurs, but if all one has are hooves, then flies, mosquitoes, and various other little creatures would be beyond annoying. On the other hand (hah!), feed bags like horses use would be rather nifty. The only physical activity I'd have to engage in is chewing... no more exerting myself, lifting forks, spoons, etc.

At least, so I suppose. I haven't actually tried it. Not yet, anyway.

The photo was taken a bit south of Salem, Oregon, somewhere out in the boonies.

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