A girlfriend and I got up early after a snowstorm in January for a sunrise photography outing and then we headed to a birding location when we came across this guy along the way.
Did you know that one the west coast it’s common to only count the points on one side of the antlers, and on Mule Deer like these you don’t count the brow tines- the ones coming above the brow?
On the east coast they count all the points. Who knew? I’ve gone with the west coast rule of thought and counted only one side. 😀
There were quite a few Doe’s too. Here’s one.
I hope you are having a lovely week. We’re halfway to the week-end! Let’s make a point of making it a good one! 😋
Last week was pretty full. I went to see Baby Girl, and the Grandson’s for a couple of days then got home and had friends from out of town over for the week-end.
We went birding. I shared with them the spot where the Chick-a-dees ate from my hand we were fortunate and saw them again and they ate from our hands. It was just as fun, exciting, and awesome as it was the first time.
Two Chick-a-dees landed on my hand to get seeds and one didn’t like the idea of sharing at. all. 😂
They were quite picky about the sunflowers seeds they would take often spitting several overboard before selecting one and flying off to the trees with it.
In this image, you can see the seed and its shadow in the air in my hand that the Chick-a-dee just discarded. They all did it. Perhaps they were saving some for later?
My friend Anna was wearing a beanie which was perfect to put some seeds on it and get the Chick-a-dees to land on her cap. They did!
This was our first birding stop for the day and it was so much fun.
I’ll share other birds and wild mustangs from the week-end in future posts.
I hope you all are having a great Friday, and your week-end is a good one!
We had 7 inches of snow last Thursday all over Carson Valley! On Friday a friend and I got up and out really early to catch the sunrise and do some birding. Before we even made it out of our gate we had to stop at the pond to catch the wonderful color and scene at the pond.
The storm blew through really fast, but oh what it left behind is so pretty!
Nikon Df| Nikkor 24-120mm @24mm| f/11|0.5s| ISO 100| PS CC 21.0.2
This image is one I made last week. It was a gorgeous morning so, my next-door neighbor and I headed out to look for Fall colors earlier than planned. The morning did not disappoint.
This is my favorite image from the morning. I had it printed. It’s now hanging in my living room. Do you print any of your images? If not, why not?
Nikon D810| Nikkor 24-120mm| Lexar Digital Film| PS CC 20.06
Fall color has been a bit patchy here, but last week a friend and I found a little along the Carson River.
…some late bloomers,
and a Painted Lady. It’s been below freezing many nights and mornings this past week so I was surprised to see this butterfly still here.
I had a lovely visit with my Mom and Step-Dad. I hope you’re all having a good week, and are making some fun plans for the week-end. I’m going to see my Grandson’s, and my Mom once more before she heads back to warm and sunny FL, and hopefully, I’ll see some more of Falls beautiful colors and delights.
A friend came up to meet me for a meet-up over the week-end and after a long day of hiking, and elevation gain she spent the night in our guest room. We both were a bit wiped out after 8 miles of hiking and several hundred feet of elevation gain so, we stuck closer to my area rather than go hiking again on Sunday. I’m still suffering from elevation sickness when going up, and so was she. I hope this isn’t going to be an issue for my whole life!
My left hip was really achy too and has been for a year or more. Anna, my friend suggested P/T for it. That got me thinking about stretching so I dug out my Yoga book and Monday I added 4 stretches to my morning routine that I have left out for a couple of years. After 3 days of incorporating the hip stretches my hip feels so much better! I love yoga stretches!
Anyway, I digress. One of the things she wanted to do was see the area so we did a photo walk of downtown Carson City’s Civic Center. Carson City is the closest “biggish” town to me now.
Thankfully, Carson City has kept some of its old west charms and St Charles Hotel/The Fox BrewPub is a Historic building located across the street from the Capitol Building that is one of those charming buildings that has been preserved and is still in use today. Carson City is the Capitol of Nevada for those out of the country who may not know that.
For the History Buffs, I gleaned some information about the Hotel/BrewPub from Carsonpedia. I’ve linked their page below.
“The hotel was originally built as two separate buildings. The northern, three-story, section was started on April 1, 1862, and was named the St. Charles Hotel. Construction on the southern two-story building started one month later, and it opened as the Muller Hotel. The builders were George W. Remington and Albert Muller, and they partnered with Dan Plitt who owned a bakery on the corner where the hotel was to be built. The hotel was first advertised in the October 2, 1862 edition of the Silver Age newspaper. It was called “the most desirable and commodious first-class house in Carson,” and “the pleasantest resort in Carson and where everything kept by the bar is the best quality.” ~http://carsonpedia.com/St._Charles_Hotel
Isn’t it interesting that no one of those who were invested in or partnered in the venture was named Charles? Who was Charles? I want to know. Was it a neutral name that all could agree to so no one was bigger or more acknowledged than the other?
The Hotel has had some successful years and quite a few failed years and has had 8 name changes since its construction in 1862 and a few owners.
I love how literate the people were back then. No one says commodious anymore and it’s a terrific and descriptive word.
It is said that Mark Twain likely had a drink there since he lived in Carson City for a spell. I wonder if that was after his friends saved him from a pistol duel that he was challenged to in Virginia City where he lived for a couple of years? It’s said his closest friends knew he was a really bad shot and wanted him to live and continue writing, so they helped him get of town in the dead of night to avoid the duel. I’ll have to research that. I do know that he and his brother traveled by an Overland Coach to Carson City from St Joseph, Mo. in 1861 for $150.00! That was a princely sum in those days! I’m gobsmacked that they paid so much then! Are you? He wrote about his journey to Carson City in his book Roughing It. I bought it and have been slowing reading it. It’s really good! FYI. There’s a really great Mark Twain Impersonator in Virginia City. One day I hope to find him alone without some modern person speaking to him to get a photo of him. He’s really great, but there’s been a modern person speaking with him both times I’ve come across him, and I waited, and waited, and waited, Good Lord these people can talk! I have given up both times and moved on after 5 minutes. I just don’t have the patience to wait that long for a “people” shot. I’ll wait hours for a landscape or night sky shot, but not a people shot. My heart just isn’t in it. Hat Tip to those who will wait for that shot! You are amazing!
I digress again! History has so many twists and turns that I tend to get caught up in one or another and go off on tangents for awhile. I eventually come back to the point but…I love history. That probably should have been my major, but it wasn’t. It was my son’s though ( Big Baby Boy)…so the beat goes on. 😀 I’m talking way too much, aren’t I…
Today in 2019 it is the Historic St. Charles Hotel/Fox BrewPub
The door is small from this angle, but I loved the whole building with its red bricks, door, white trim, and balcony. I didn’t get closer for a close up of the door and now that I’m typing this up I thought, ” DOH! We should have had lunch there!” We didn’t. We went to a new to me but a new favorite of mine called Jimmy Johns. I love their Tuna on Thick Wheat Bread. Do you have a Jimmy Johns where you live? We didn’t in Silicon Valley. I need to snap a photo of the sandwich too! I’m usually so hungry by the time I get to the restaurant or deli that I inhale my meal and forget to get a photo of it. Sigh…I’m not a good foodie photog.
I think if the topic fit I should have written this for Stream of Consciousness Saturday cause I’m digressing all over the place, but… it’s not. So, a little bitty view of a red door on very cool Historic building with a whole lot of verbiage is what I’m bringing today to Thursday Doors.
This is part of Norm Frampton’s Thursday Doors. If you have a door or two to share head on over to his blog and join in the fun or just head over and see the doors others have shared from all over the world. Just follow his directions at the end of his Thursday door post.
CarNikon D810| Nikkor 24-120mm| Lexar Digital Film| PS CC 20
I was sitting on the patio with a tasty glass of rosé ( Chateau de Beaupré) the other evening thinking about posting some recent bird sightings when this new title/ category popped into my head so, here is its debut; Friday most Fowl!
Sunday morning I was up early as I am wont to be and it was lovely out so, I opened the patio door and heard the sweet melodious sounds of a chorus of birds. I did what any birder does: I quickly grabbed my camera, snatched my freshly brewed cup-a-tea and headed to the patio. Of course the instant they heard me open the sliding screen door they flew into the far bushes and trees to hide. That was okay. I knew they’d back…this is home.
I settled in and was quiet…camera ready…letting my tea get cold. Oh, the sacrifices we make to get an image!
First back was the Female Rufous Hummingbird…a lifer for me!
…then the Songbirds returned,
a Tern made a pass over, I think it’s a Foster’s Tern?
Then Mr. Quail thought the coast was clear and hopped up on the bottom of the fence to be sure.
He looked me over real good. Then decide the oldest of his brood could come up for a little look-see. Last time I counted there were 6 little ones in his brood.
Then I had the biggest surprise I’ve had in birding in a long, long time. A Male Northern Flicker landed on my fence! A Northern Flicker! Right there less than 20 feet from me!! WOW!!
It only stayed a minute, but what a minute!! Of course, all the other little birds flew away, but I didn’t care just then. 😁
It was a pretty great birdy morning on my patio Sunday morning don’t you think?
He-Man was away on business most the week so I took a couple of days in the middle of that and went to Baby Girl’s to visit the Grandson’s and be there for #1’s first day of First Grade. He’s so stoked. His best friend is in his class and he likes his teacher. A great first day!
I’ll be catching up with your posts over the next few days. I hope you all have a wonderful week-end and Happy Friday!
Nikon D810| Nikkor 200-500mm| Lexar Digital Film| PS CC 2019
