Bees Love Lamb's Ears

Lamb's Ears Are A'buzzin'

It seems just yesterday my Lamb's Ears were only inches high. Then the flower spikes began to grow. Now the small flowers are in full bloom and the bees love them. You can see one foraging bee in the bottom left in the photo below. You may also spot a couple of blurry ones. Bees don't stay still very long. And if one is still, several others are in the air or about to be.

Bee on Lamb's Ears, © B. Radisavljevic

If you've ever tried to photograph bees, you know they like to move to a different flower as soon as you get them in focus. When my herbs are in bloom, each seems like an airport. I decided to make a brief video to capture a few seconds of the bees moving around on this clump of Lamb's Ears . You can see how fast they are and how quickly they move from flower to flower. Unfortunately they also insisted on flying into the shadow and out.

Playing with a Bee Photo

I did manage to get one bee to stay still and visible for long enough to get a decent shot. I played around with a focus effect to blur the background and make the bee easy to see. Bees not only move all the time, but they also hide. Sometimes all you will see is the head or the stinger end.

Another reason I used the focus effect was to blur the rhubarb chard plant that was bolting. I liked its colors, but it was looking the worse for wear and it would have been a distraction. Leaving all the details in the chard would also have made the text on this photo harder to see.

Have You Ever Hunted Bees with a Camera?

Praying Mantis Pair Mating Cover For The iPad Mini


Some insects are fairly easy to photograph, but not the bee. Ladybugs are pretty cooperative. So is the praying mantis. They don't exactly pose, but neither do they keep moving most of the time. Here are some of the photos I got of them and put on Zazzle products.

You will notice that they are all on herbs. The Praying Mantis is on mullein. The ladybug is on borage. And I did capture that one bee on the Spanish lavender for my jigsaw puzzle.

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Puzzle: Bee on French Lavender Jigsaw PuzzleSeven-Spotted Ladybug on Borage Blank Card

Which insect do you think is easiest to photograph?

I Don't Know What's Wrong!

It's a Sad Day for Me

I've been having trouble importing photos from my camera to my Windows PC for some time now. The photos would import, but the importing window would not close. I found a work-around by closing with the Task Master. Then I'd put the SanDisk into my iMac and import into it with no problems and it would erase the pictures on the SanDisk. It didn't work that way today. Out of the 71 photos I took today, I have only five that imported. Three of them are here.

Thursday Tree Love

This was the first day I was planning to participate in #ThursdayTreeLove. In today's photoshoot I concentrated on the trees on my block. I photographed bark, several birch trees, ornamental pear tree fruits, leaves turning color, and much more. I was planning several posts around those photos. I have only five photos that loaded and as you can see they aren't the best ones. So I'm sad because I'm not sure what's wrong. The gray day today fits my mood. Here's another photo from this batch -- the one I'll use for the Thursday Tree Love. 

So What Could Be Wrong?

I've narrowed it down to a defective SanDisk, a defective disk drive on my PC, since that's where the symptoms started, or something wrong in the software. I'm inclined to think it's the SanDisk. Since it's been acting up for weeks on the PC during the import, I thought it was the drive. But today it imported the few photos it did get very slowly. Normally within a couple of minutes even over a hundred pictures will import. Today it took about ten minutes to get those five photos and then another half hour or so for the drive to indicate the import was finished. All the photos after the first five were blank. 

When I ejected the drive from the PC and put it into the iMac, I expected the iMac would import the pictures as usual. Unfortunately I also had a thumb drive I was using in the iMac at the time, and when I put the SanDisk in, the iMac never even recognized it. When I finished my work with the thumb drive and ejected it, I also removed the SanDisk and then put it in again. The iMac still never knew it was there. If it's not the PC or the iMac or the SanDisk, that leaves only my fairly new camera, a Canon PowerShot SX410 IS. I hope it's not that. It's the only camera I have left. 

If any of you very experienced photographers has any idea which is the most likely culprit, I'd love to know. I was thinking of taking the disk into a tech person at Walmart tomorrow to see if the pictures show on their computer and if they can be saved. I'll also try another disk tomorrow to see if it works and unloads. 

I guess I'll have to repeat my photoshoot when I get this figured out. 

Watching the Goats Who Live Near Larry Moore Park

A Parade of Goats to Photograph

Yesterday as I was about ready to load up my camera and go home from my walk, I found a reason to stay longer.  A farmer with property adjoining the park opened a gate to let his goats run into a pen right in front of me. In they hurried, one by one, and each immediately started looking for something to eat. It was hard to get the photos I wanted because of the fence between me and the goats and the speed at which they moved.

The Goat Photos

Nevertheless, I did get a few photos, and I discovered some of these goats did not seem in great shape. At first I thought this one just didn't want to turn his head toward the camera.

Then I discovered after watching for a few minutes it probably couldn't turn its head. I had to wonder what had happened to this poor creature.

This goat seems to not have problems - at least to my untrained eye from a distance. In case you're wondering, that white spot near the top edge is a cat.

This goat also has both horns and holds its head normally.

This goat knows exactly what its job is and is going about it diligently. You are seeing the riverbed in the background. I'm using a zoom because the goats are far from where I'm standing, so the river looks closer than it really is.

There were other goats, but they weren't as easy to photograph. I would have liked a better picture of this last one, but every time it jumped up to see over the fence and greet me, it jumped back down before I could get in focus. I finally got this much of it. I think it wants to be a unicorn. Though I guess it didn't choose to lose its other horn.

Have you ever had a goat? Have you ever wanted one? Feel free to share your goat experiences in the comments. I'd also love to hear any comments you have about these goats -- especially if you know their stories.

Black and White in Color: On the Ground and in the Sky

Black and White in Color

In March, the City Daily Photo Bloggers have been challenged to post photos taken in color that appear almost black and white. I've been digging through my files and I found these photos of sights on the ground. I took this shot by the Salinas River on one of those occasions when it was full. The sand easily picks up footprints. 

Prints in the Sand by the River

This next photo was also taken close to the river.  The current has left patterns in the sand. 

Patterns in the Sand by the River

Black and White in Color: Look Up at the Birds and the Sky

Several birds have congregated on the wires. 

Birds on the Wires

One bird perched in a tree. 

Bird High in a Tree

The turkey vultures dominate the sky on these cloudy days, but don't they always? 

Turkey Vulture Flying above Cloud

Turkey Vulture Flying over Wires

To conclude this challenge, I return to the view I shoot every night from in front of my house framed by the oak and the palms. 

A Gray Sunset

I think I've met the challenge to let color pass for black and white, but the truth is I don't much like black and white. I think God gave us colors to brighten the world. If I'm going to shoot the sky, I prefer this. 

Weathervane in Sunset

Do you prefer color or black and white photos?

See which shots other City Daily Photo Bloggers chose. 

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Out-of-Focus is Easy from a Moving Car on a Road Trip

Business Road Trip from Paso Robles to Ventura County

Some of the best photo opportunities are from the windows of moving cars. There is usually a clear view ahead from the windshield or to the side from the side window. You can't capture many of these shots anywhere but from the middle of the freeway or road.

X in the Sky, © B. Radisavljevic

We started our trip in Paso Robles on Interstate 101 heading south. I didn't get my first blurry shot until we were at the south end of Atascadero. The sky had been putting on a show since we left. Here is the first out-of-focus shot.

Why out-of-focus? Because it's theme day for City Daily Photo Bloggers and the theme for November 1 is Out-of-Focus. See what others did for this theme here.

It is really easy to get an out-of-focus shot from a moving car. One doesn't have much time to even point and shoot, which is what I did with my three cameras I used on this trip. The sky was magnificent during the entire trip because of the way the clouds and sun and contrails were interacting. I saw that X in the sky for almost the entire trip to Newbury Park and it was still in the sky when we left to come home.

Santa Barbara County Out-of-Focus

The photo above was from the trip southbound. The photos below are from the return trip northbound. I was on the side of the car opposite the ocean but I wanted to capture the sunset as best I could over the ocean. It was difficult to aim the camera away from the rear view mirror which was hanging down from the top, and to also miss my husband and the edges of his window on the left.

What's amazing is not that these photos are blurry, but that so many I shot turned out well. Those I will share in other posts. These shots were taken between El Capitan State Beach and Buellton. The first is near El Capitan State Beach.

Sundown Near El Capitan State Beach from 101 North, © B. Radisavljevic

This next one is farther north near Refugio State Beach.

Coastine Near Refugio State Beach from 101, © B. Radisavljevic

This one was taken as we were getting near Gaviota Pass. You can see that it's almost dusk now.

Approaching Gaviota Pass, © B. Radisavljevic

Now we are approaching Buellton, of Pea Soup fame. We usually stop at Tom's Gas when we get there for the best prices around. It's also a clean rest stop. ( See photo of Tom's Gas in this post.)

An Oak Tree on the Way to Buellton, © B. Radisavljevic

The turn-off for Highway 246 which leads to Lompoc to the west and Solvang to the east is a bit north of this great blur -- the ultimate out-of-focus shot. Tom's Gas is just east of 101 in the Albertson's Center on Highway 246.

Out-of-Focus-Scene Just South of Buellton, © B. Radisavljevic

I rather like out-of-focus shots because they look a bit like impressionistic paintings.

When we finally got to Buellton the sun had almost set and I finally got the sky photos of the sunset I wanted. This is the only blurry one.

Out-of-Focus Sunset in Bueltton, CA, © B. Radisavljevic

Which out-of-focus shot do you like best?

Dean Crawford Jr. Work on Display at Kennedy Fitness, Paso Robles

Dean Crawford's Work Needs No Words

Perfect for Wordless Wednesday

Related Art Posts

 Encaustic Art at Studios on the Park Sculptures by Central Coast Artist Vel Miller Heritage Gallery West - Judy Larson's Scratchboard Art

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Shadows and Highlight: Shadows of Me and a Dying Mullein

Theme Day: Shadows and Highlight

This mullein plant, which is at the end of its season and reseeding in January, casts a shadow in the late afternoon sun which looks almost like the head of a hare. At least the mullein looks like a hare to me. Now that I take a closer look at the shadow, it might be a wounded ant. What do you think the shadow looks like?    

Shadow of a Dying Mullein, © B. Radisavljevic

Below is my own shadow, under the shadow of a tree which is next to my driveway. All the shadows fall  onto the garage door.

My Shadow under a Tree Shadow , © B. Radisavljevic

Theme Day is International

City Daily Photo Bloggers all over the world post photos on the same theme on the first day of each month. For June the theme is Shadows and Highlight. See how bloggers in other cities have treated this theme. 

Here's just one more of my shadow, in case you want something to pin on Pinterest.

Related articles

• The Shadows Know

Elusive Sunsets with Clouds and No Rain

Beautiful Sunsets are Elusive Now

Now that we've had no rain for a while, beautiful sunsets inland are getting harder to find. I look at the sky in the late afternoon, see clouds, and get hopeful. By the time the sun starts to set, the clouds have disappeared. So I wait for these elusive sunsets most days, only to be disappointed when there aren't any clouds to make them unique and add color to the sky. Tuesday night I got lucky. The clouds decided to hang around until sundown.

Flowers Want Rain Clouds to Deliver More Water

My flowers, however, miss the rain. They begin to droop or look tired when they are dependent on the little water I can give them.  At least the hollyhocks are blooming, but the carnations are fading fast. I hope the purple hyssop will have more abundant flowers in June, when it is normally at its showiest.

The clary sage on the right edge in the middle is producing large buds, so it's on schedule to be in bloom in June. I need to cut back those oregano spikes at the back before they bloom, so I can dry them for cooking. The irises have finished blooming now, but these that get the most water are busy preparing for next year's growth. We need more rain before summer starts.

Still Hoping for Storm Clouds to Deliver another Rain

If you also hope for more beautiful sunsets and rain, please post this to Pinterest. If you'd like to comment, please use the comment box that appears under the sharing buttons at the end of this post. 

Related articles

• My Greens are Bolting and Making Flowers.
• The Growth of Clary Sage
• Sages Add Color and Attract Beneficial Insects to Your Garden
• Mixed Herbs in a Paso Robles Garden
• Of Hollyhock & Pencil

Shale Oak Winery at Dusk

Shale Oak Winery is right across the street from Red Soles Winery, and I explored both Red Soles and Shale Oak wineries at dusk. I enjoy the solitude and the view of the sunset I get when I make my vineyard visits as the sun is about to go  down. I usually don't stay as late as I did on this evening, January 14, 2014.  I was just in time to see the oak,  for which I assume the winery was named, reflected in the tasting room window. It made me wonder if the window was placed there just to catch that reflection.

Here is the oak that's doing the reflecting. If you look across the street, you will see Red Soles Winery and vineyard. You can also see my white Volvo wagon parked on the street. The parking lots were, of course, closed when I arrived.

Oak in front of Shale Oak Winery, © B. Radisavljevic

Here's another view of the tasting room. From this angle, the reflection is much different. It extends into the water below, which is part of the winery's advanced water circulation system. You can read more about Shale Oak's use of water on their website. 

Another Reflection in Shale Oak's Window, © B. Radisavljevic

If you walk all the way around the building, as I did, you will not only see most of the water system and the oaks on the hill behind the tasting room, but you will also pass a number of patios where customers can sit and enjoy their wine. One of them is pictured below.

 Patio outside Shale Oak Tasting Room, © B. Radisavljevic

Here is an entirely different view, taken from the back of the patio from the hill above. From this vantage point, you can look straight out at the oak in front.

 Patio at Shale Oak from behind Patio Wall, © B. Radisavljevic

All patios are not the same. Here's one that's a bit cozier.

A Cozy Patio Corner at Shale Oak, © B. Radisavljevic

All adventures and explorations must end sometime. I took the rising moon as my cue to leave and get a quick look at Red Soles Winery across the street before dark.

Rising Moon as Seen from Shale Oak Winery Grounds, © B. Radisavljevic

If you enjoyed this post, please share it. The sharing buttons are just above the comment box at the end of this post. The photo below is especially designed for pinning.

This is my nineteenth post for the 2016 AtoZchallenge, a Blogging Challenge for the month of April, 2016. My theme is Things You Can See or Experience in North San Luis Obispo County. Here are links to the other posts if you missed them.

A is for Acorn
B is for Barney Schwartz Park
C is for Cattle in Wine Country
D is for Dark Star Cellars
E is for Electric Wires
F is for Family Farms
G is for Graveyard Vineyards
H is for Horses
Insects in My Neighborhood in April
J's Burgers in Paso Robles: A Review
Kosta is God's Gift to Me from Across the Ocean
Laguna Lake is Full Again
Mission San Miguel Photos
Niner Estates Decorated Heart Hill with Vineyards
Ocean Photos from the California Central Coast
Paso Robles Police Vehicles
Quiet Places Near Paso Robles

Red Soles Winery at Dusk

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