Whatever Wednesday – Circadianreflections Blog

Whatever Weds. Swallowtail Butterfly

August 5, 2026August 4, 2026Posted in Insects, Photography, Whatever WednesdayTagged Changes, Insects, Life Updates, Narrowleaf Milkweed, Summer Changes, Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly, Tiger Swallowtails33 Comments

PLEASE DO NOT USE MY IMAGES WITHOUT EXPRESSED WRITTEN PERMISSION.

The Tiger Swallowtails were out in abundance last month zipping and flitting from flower to flower feeding and resting. The flower of favor was the Narrowleaf Milkweed that is native to No. Nevada.

©Deborah M. Zajac | http//:circadianreflections.com

Summer update-It’s been busy around here. We had the exterior of the house painted. It looks nice and clean and, all the divots in the back walls from getting hit by errant golf balls are fixed!

We’d also been having water pressure issues that the plumbers and water company couldn’t figure out. They decided it had to be the water pressure valve even though the bib tests said it was fine, so after two weeks of this we agreed to replace the water pressure valve. After replacing it the water pressure issues were not fixed. The plumbers left scratching their heads saying they were going to brainstorm with the boss, and come up with other diagnostics to try and pin point the problem. A few hours after they left He-Man and I were going to run up to Reno, which is a 40 minute drive, so as you do I went to the bathroom and turned on the tap to wash my hands expecting the same little dribble of water to come out that we’d been having, when low and behold the tap was back to normal and my toilet bowl filled up really fast…as it should! I mentioned it to He-Man, so he flushed the toilet in the hall bathroom, and turned on the tap and, Voila! The problems we’d been having seemed fixed! Maybe the new valve just needed to settle in a bit? Who knows. We’re thrilled it seems fixed and the plumber is happy it’s fixed as well.

We rarely use the dining room as a dining room, but I have been using the dining room table to puzzle on and we play board games on it as well, so last week I decided to make my dining room a dining, library, game room. I’ve moved bookcases and almost all my books in there and bought a new recliner to go where one bookcase used to live in the living room. I can’t wait for it to arrive. Next up, I’ll be weeding out the books and stuff in my bookcase in my “retreat”. I sold the daybed I had in my retreat and now am trying to figure out how I’m going to refurnish this room. I’m in a season of change.

I’ve been birding, but was so behind updating my Life List after FL and TX trips that I haven’t been motivated to work on any images. I’m finally caught up and have begun to process some images. I hope to return to my Friday’s Feathered Friends posts soon.

How about you, are you in a season of change as well?

more to come…

Whatever Weds. It’s Snake Season

July 22, 2026July 21, 2026Posted in Nature Photography, Photography, Reptiles, Whatever WednesdayTagged Nature, Nikon, Photography, Nevada, Reptiles, Whatever Wednesday, SNAKES, Western Yellow-bellied Racer, Coluber constrictor Mormon35 Comments

PLEASE DO NOT USE MY IMAGES WITHOUT EXPRESSED WRITTEN PERMISSION.

I saw this snake while birding last week. It was the first time I’ve ever seen this species. I believe it’s a Western yellow-bellied Racer. ( Coluber constrictor Mormon)

Fun Facts:

It’s closely related to the whipsnake.

They are common in the northern half of Nevada

They eat rats, mice, small rabbits, frongs, toads, turtles, lizards, and even other snakes. Some climb trees to eat bird eggs.

Young snakes have blotches on their backs so are sometimes confused for other species like Kingsnakes. As they mature they lose the blotches and become solid colors like black, green, brown, or blue on the top with yellow, white, or tan belly. They can grow up to 5 feet long, but the record was a little over 6 feet.

This one was smallish at just over 2 feet in length.

Why are snakes so good at rapping? Because they rap around their prey!

I couldn’t resist a Dad constrictor joke. 😄

Fun facts gleaned from https://a-z-animals.com/blog/snakes-nevada/

more to come…

Whatever Weds. Fireworks

July 15, 2026Posted in Holidays and Fetes, Holidays and Observances, Whatever WednesdayTagged Beach, Travel and Tourism, Fireworks, Reflections, After Dark, Whatever Wednesday, Lowlight Photography, San Clemente CA32 Comments

PLEASE DO NOT USE MY IMAGES WITHOUT EXPRESSED WRITTEN PERMISSION.

For July 4th we went down to Southern CA. to visit Big Baby Boy and the Dark Haired Beauty. We went to the beach to watch the fireworks that were being shot off the San Clemente Pier.

Here are a few images of my favorite fireworks and where I was set up. I thought it was a good spot and since high tide wouldn’t be in for hours I thought I’d be good. Ha! I forgot about rogue waves. I got hit by 4 of them. By the end of the night my shoes were soaked and my jeans were too up to the top of my shins! My tripod and camera were just fine.

I hope you are having a great week!

more to come…

Whatever Weds. Waxing Gibbous Moon

June 24, 2026June 24, 2026Posted in Moon, Night Sky Imaging, Photography, Whatever WednesdayTagged June Moon, Moon Craters, Moon Seas, waxing gibbous moon, Whatever Wednesday36 Comments

PLEASE DO NOT USE MY IMAGES WITHOUT EXPRESSED WRITTEN PERMISSION.

Waxing Gibbous Moon, June 23, 2026. 72% illuminated.

I like this phase of the Moon because you can really see the crusty craters along the edges.

Seas in view are from top left moving diagonally across the Moon are-

Sea of Rains, Sea of Serenity, Sea of Tranquility, Sea of Fertility, Sea of Nectar, and Sea of Crises.

Update: I thought it would be a good idea to share with you that I’ve learned something new about the Moon while putting this post together. I’ve learned there are 23 seas and 1 ocean! Early astronomers thought they were bodies of water, but we know now they’re flat plains of solidified basaltic lava.

In my image you can see 10 possibly 11 of the seas.

There’s an International Observe the Moon Night this year. On September 19th one maybe able to observe and identify 15 of the Lunar Seas, and some landing sites on the near side of the Moon. https://science.nasa.gov/moon/observe-the-moon-night/moon-map/

I’m adding that to my calendar.

The full Moon this month is on the 29th and it’s called the Strawberry Moon. It’s called the Strawberry Moon because it’s peak season for harvesting Strawberries in parts of the USA and Canada.

Happy mid week!

more to come…

Whatever Weds. Early Summer Roses

June 17, 2026Posted in Flowers, Photography, Roses, Whatever WednesdayTagged Flowers, Nevada, Nikon, Rose Garden, Roses, Summer, Whatever Wednesday31 Comments

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Early last week I met a girlfriend up in Reno’s Rose Garden to see all the lovely Roses that were in bloom.

Here are a few of the many images I made of them.

©Deborah M. Zajac | http//:circadianreflections.com Image

Happy mid week everyone!

more to come…

Whatever Weds. The Purple Walrus

June 10, 2026June 10, 2026Posted in Photography, Whatever WednesdayTagged Art, Murals, Purple, The Beatles Songs, Whatever Wednesday19 Comments

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I saw this mural peeking at me on a tunnel wall while birding last week and straight-away the Beatles song ” I am the Walrus started playing in my head.

©Deborah M. Zajac | http//:circadianreflections.com
The Purple Walrus with Sleepy Eyes

Fun Facts:

“I Am the Walrus” is a 1967 song by The Beatles, written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney. It served as the B-side to the hit single “Hello, Goodbye” and appeared on the Magical Mystery Tour EP and album, featuring prominently in the associated television film.

Lennon composed the track to confound listeners attempting to analyze Beatles lyrics for deep meaning, particularly after receiving a letter from a student whose teacher was assigning such interpretations. The lyrics are a surreal collage of three distinct song ideas: one inspired by a police siren, another about sitting in a garden, and a third involving nonsense phrases like “sitting on a cornflake.”

Key elements of the song include:

Lewis Carroll Inspiration: The title references the poem “The Walrus and the Carpenter,” though Lennon later noted he mistakenly identified the walrus as the villain rather than the carpenter.
Orchestral Arrangement: Producer George Martin added a complex orchestral accompaniment featuring violins, cellos, horns, and clarinet, along with the Mike Sammes Singers providing vocal effects.
Radio Experiment: The outro incorporates a recording of Shakespeare’s King Lear tuned in from an AM radio broadcast, creating a psychedelic fade-out.
Chart History: The song reached number one on the UK charts as a B-side while “Hello, Goodbye” was at number two, a unique distinction.

I invite you to enjoy yourselves today…Happy Wednesday!!

Fun facts gleaned from the internet AI.

more to come…

Whatever Weds. Anniversary Get-Away

April 1, 2026March 31, 2026Posted in Landscapes, Photography, Seascapes, Travel and Tourism, Travel Photography, Whatever WednesdayTagged bay, Daybreak, Fog, Morro Rock, Sail Boats, seagull, Sunset, white fence40 Comments

PLEASE DO NOT USE MY IMAGES WITHOUT EXPRESSED WRITTEN PERMISSION.

Last week He-Man and I had a get-away celebratory few days in Morro Bay and surrounding area for our 45th wedding anniversary.

We had a nice room with a balcony view of the famous Morro Rock.

©Deborah M. Zajac | http//:circadianreflections.com
This is the first look of Morro Rock from our balcony after checking-in.

We visited a lighthouse or light station as they’re now called, hiked in State and County parks, ate fresh seafood every evening, and of course I birded.

We we lucky and had some beautiful sunsets. Here’s our first one.

and soft pink daybreaks.

©Deborah M. Zajac | http//:circadianreflections.com
Daybreak soft and pink.

Fun Facts:

Morro Rock, a State Historic Landmark, was formed about 23 million years ago from the plugs of long-extinct volcanoes. Morro Rock was an important navigational aid for mariners for over 300 years because the rock is approximately 576 feet tall which made it the most visible in a chain of 9 peaks. Portuguese explorer, Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo named the rock “El Morro” in 1542. In Spanish “Morro” means crown shaped hill. Morro Rock, sometimes called the “Gibraltar of the Pacific,” is the last peak of the Nine Sisters, which extend from San Luis Obispo to Morro Bay.

The rock itself was mined on and off until 1963. Morro Rock provided material for the break water of Morro Bay and Port San Luis Harbor. In 1966, a bill was introduced which transferred the full title to the State of California. Later the San Luis Obispo County Historical Society and the City of Morro Bay succeeded in getting the Morro Rock declared as California Registered Historical Landmark #821. Morro Rock also became State Landmark #801 in 1968. The rock has since been designated a bird sanctuary for the peregrine falcon and other bird species.“

Fun facts gleaned from~https://www.morrobayca.gov/383/Morro-Rock-Beach

I’ll be sharing more of our get away in future posts.

iPhone 14 Pro

more to come…

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