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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)
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!
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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 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.
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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.
“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!!
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February 18th we had a good storm blow through bringing lots of snow to the area. Down here in the valley we got a months worth in 24 hours.
We got about 6 inches but, up in the mountains they got 20-30 inches. I’m sure most of you were seeing all the car wrecks, and hearing about the major interstate closures out here. Thankfully two days after the storm it was nice enough to get out and run some errands, and make a couple of images.
From my Patio shortly after daybreak the clouds began to break up.
It’s been in the low 50’s the last couple of days and today will be 57 degrees F! The snow here in the valley is melting so fast, but it’s been super windy the last two days. I’m hoping it tapers off this afternoon.
I hope you back east fared well through the Nor’easter and all are having a good week!
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On Valentine’s Day morning the Moon rose just before sunrise and I was up and ready for it. I went out back and while setting up my tripod and camera I thought I heard a quiet “hello”. It was dark and way too early for anyone to be out so I carried on. Then I heard a louder “hello”. Oh, my gosh it was my neighbor out filling her bird feeder. We both giggled and said good morning then we both admired the Moonrise.
There was Earthshine too. What is Earthshine you may be asking? The internet has a better definition than mine.
“Earthshine is the faint glow seen on the unlit portion of the Moon, particularly during its crescent phase.
It occurs when sunlight reflects off Earth’s surface—especially clouds, ice, and landmasses—then travels to the Moon, illuminates its night side, and is reflected back to Earth. This creates a ghostly luminance on the Moon’s dark face, making the entire lunar disk visible even when only a thin crescent is lit by direct sunlight.
The phenomenon is most noticeable just before and after a New Moon, when Earth appears nearly full from the Moon’s perspective, maximizing the reflected light. Earth reflects about 30% of incoming sunlight, and from the Moon, Earth appears 40 times brighter than the full Moon does from Earth. The effect is sometimes called “the old Moon in the new Moon’s arms” or “the ashen glow.”
Earthshine is not just a visual curiosity—it’s a valuable tool for science. By studying the light reflected from Earth to the Moon, researchers can analyze Earth’s albedo (reflectivity), monitor changes in cloud cover, and even search for signs of life, such as the “red edge” spectral signature from vegetation.
It also serves as a natural illumination source for robotic missions exploring the Moon’s night side and permanently shadowed polar regions.”
Isn’t that a lovely thought, ” The Old Moon in the New Moon’s arms”.
The contrail was interesting- it looks like it’s going right through the Moon.
We’ve got a storm coming in as I type this (Tuesday morning). They predict 4-8 inches of snow here in the valley and 12-16 in the mountains. We woke up to snow and it’s still snowing. We’re staying in and getting cozy. Well until we have to get bundled up and start shoveling!
I finished the Love Stamps puzzle I started at the beginning of the month last night so, I suppose it’s a good time to start a new one.
I hope you’re all having a good week!
Nikon Df| Nikkor 120mm| edited and processed in PS CC 2026
Circadianreflections Blog 
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