Photos, videos and docs of Janet Brien, with the keywords: "adorable"

Adorable Chipmunk at LaPine State Park (+6 insets)

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 16:40:02 +0000

(+6 insets!)

Our 2020 RV Adventures in the Midst of Covid--It's time to get back to my travel pictures!
How incredibly lucky we were to have the freedom to travel during this pandemic. When the virus started taking over the world, we sat and worried for months about what it would all mean, what would happen, the whole state of the world. Then we found out that the Oregon State Park system had opened up its campgrounds again and everything changed for us. We could take our RV and actually enjoy ourselves! In our private, protective camper, we'd be able to visit state parks and partake in our favorite activities--hiking, cycling, photography, reading, writing, etc.--and stay completely safe while doing it!

Our RV Adventures
We had two trips: the first part began on June 29 and we got home on July 6. The second part began a couple of weeks later after Steve did some upgrades on both the truck and trailer. I included maps that show where we went on each trip so you have a better understanding.

2020 Covid Trip, Part 1:
6.29-7.06 Humbug Mtn State Park
7.06-13 Bullard's Beach State Park
7.13-17 Tugman State Park
7.17-19 Heceta RV Park (just a glorified parking lot; we couldn't get into Tugman until the 19th)
7.19-26 Tugman State Park
7.26 Home

2020 Covid Trip, Part 2:
8.09-17 LaPine State Park
8.17-24 Detroit Lake State Park
8.24--9.04 LL Stub Stewart
9.04-08 Champoeg State Heritage Area
9.08-10 LL Stub Stewart State Park
9.10-24 Fort Stevens State Park
9.24-27 Tugman State Park
9.27-10-11 LaPine State Park
10.11 Home

Posting pictures and trip reports has been really hit and miss. I finally just stopped after a while, not sure where to pick up and continue. I got behind on my image processing but since we've been home, I've finished countless photos. I'm still at a loss about where I should pick up again but I guess it doesn't really matter. Nobody is keeping score, right?

Today's Pictures
The main picture shows an impossibly cute Least Chipmunk at LaPine State Park. We were constantly entertained by these darling little guys, who scampered everywhere looking for snacks. We would sit at our campsite and watch them running around, finding things to stop and nibble on. Sometimes they skittered right up to us--climbing on a shoe, even racing up to a knee and then off again in a flash! Onto the tables, into our Easy-up shelter, zooming under the RV and truck…it was non-stop entertainment to watch them, and we laughed and laughed at their adorable antics. I would also see them on my walks, and my best pictures were taken on a trail that skirted the beautiful Deschutes River. I'm including a couple of extras to coo at--aren't they just the cutest?! I also have an image of a Douglas Squirrel which stood belligerently on the side of a fir tree yelling outrages at me one day while I stood snickering! Additionally I have the pair of chipmunks I posted when we got back from our second trip and the maps that show where we went.

I hope you are all doing well and staying safe!

Explored on 1/25/21; highest placement #1.

Darling Jumping Spider to Welcome Me Home!

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Wed, 21 Oct 2020 16:54:22 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

Being Home is Kind of Strange!
I have to admit that it's odd to be back home in our "bricks and sticks" house instead of on the road. It's a good thing to be back before the rainy season turns any flat area into sticky, slippery mud, but since the downpours haven't started yet, both of us wish we could be out and about. However, we were out a month later than we expected and we do have lots of things to upgrade and work on--both in our trailer and in our house--so it's for the best that we're home! :)

Trip Stories
I'm going to post a series of pictures that show a picture of each place we went during our trip, along with a quick summary, but I haven't gotten everything organized yet. In the meantime, I'll post some pictures from home!

Today's Picture
Just a couple of days after we got home, I found a little black something crawling on the wall in the bathroom. Of course I knew instantly what it was--a curious little jumping spider! Are you not in love?! JUST LOOK AT THAT FACE!! THE FANCY HAIR! Hearts and flowers everywhere! :D

These are my favorite spiders because they are so cute, clever and interested in everything around them. Of their eight eyes, one of the two pairs that face forward is very large with excellent vision. These awesome hunters are not dangerous and are great fun to hold on the tip of a finger! :) I do love them so!

Jumping spiders, members of the Salticidae family, are the most successful group of arachnids. There are over 600 genera and more than 6000 species found worldwide with the exception of the north and south poles--why, they have even been spotted at the base of Mount Everest!

Thank you all for your visits, comments and favorites! I'm doing my best to catch up and hope you will be patient with me! :D It really is so nice to be visiting once again--you're all so talented with amazing photography to enjoy! :)

Explored on 10/21/20; highest placement #1.

Chipmunks!! in a Double Dedication with Marie-claire Gallet

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Wed, 12 Jun 2019 16:32:35 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

(+1 inset!) Please note: I no longer have internet, will check in when I can

So I am going to try to get my posts up first thing in the morning now because my usual way of doing things isn't working out. Basically, I am pushing my post time later and later because we do things that keep me away from my computer until the latest I can manage. Then I'm so tired that it can be frustrating if there are any issues at all. Last night Steve and I got back from an incredible 2-hour bike ride along the Deschutes River and it was 8pm. Then there was dinner and that made it 9pm. And then we were dead exhausted from the long day and long ride and just to add a wrench in the works, the internet disappeared on us completely. There would be no posting. How annoying that was. But also a lesson learned.

So, I'll be posting this early today. I began by posting yesterday's picture--which is a "technical fail" as a "365" post but who cares, right?

I'm posting two pictures of the chipmunks I successfully photographed yesterday! The main one makes me laugh because he's standing up so high on his hind legs! The inset shows one of the chipmunks licking the grease off the griddle we had sitting on the picnic table. SO CUTE!

Sorry Pam, no time to chat! *BIG HUGS* :)

Pictures for Pam, Day 200: Steller's Jay in Full Fluff

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Wed, 29 May 2019 04:15:53 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

(+3 insets!)

We’ve arrived back at our home on our 14th day out on the road! It’s so strange to be back after all of our adventures! We're feeling a little bit like the Twilight Zone...:D

Steve and I had a luxurious morning full of happy snuggles, a delicious steak omelet and a relaxed check-out. We continue to streamline our process and it’s faster and easier each time we break down our RV and hook the truck up to pull out. We use walkie-talkies when Steve backs up to the RV and I’m getting better at directing him exactly into place.

It’s fun to be a strong team and wherever there are problems, we face them head-on and deal with them as best we can to remove them hopefully for good! There is something to be said about being forced into close proximity for long periods of time. Issues come up and either you deal with them or else, right? We love our teamwork spirit and it’s helping us so much in every way. Hooray!

What a lovely, sunny morning it was. We were so happy about our successful trip and the sunny exit was like a goodbye gift! It would mean we didn’t have to drive in the rain and could enjoy a bright and beautiful day, how nice!

We got on the road at about noon and headed south and then east, revisiting the beautiful road that took us to our first destination at Jedediah Smith State Park. It seemed like so long ago that we were there, and we oohed and ahhhhed over the incredible trees, ferns and verdant forest all around us as we drove past.

It didn’t take but a couple of hours before we were in Grants Pass (about 35 minutes from home) where we stopped to stock up on groceries. Then it was off again and soon we were pulling up to our gate. We wondered if the stormy weather would make our driveway a mess but a couple of dry days made the drive up our hill easy and Steve backed the RV into place without any problems.

How odd it feels to be home after such a long time away in our “home away from home.” We both feel like our RV is becoming our real home and our “land-based” home is more like a temporary place to be before our next trip. Isn’t that odd? I’ve never experienced anything like this before and it’s very interesting to think about.

Other than a short stop for dinner, we have both been working non-stop to unpack and put things away, get the RV set up properly so Steve can work on it, and do the million things around the house that need tending to. I fed our very ravenous Snakey McSnakerton (our California Mountain King Snake) and watered all the plants, started in on the laundry, etc, etc. I like doing all of this though because it’s a nice way to get settled at home. I am tired though, so I’m going to post my pictures!

Today’s main image is the gorgeous, full-fluff Stellar’s Jay that I got a picture of yesterday on our Whaleshead Cove hike. I am so happy that the picture turned out well, we’ve never seen them in a fluffy state like this and I am delighted at my luck! My insets include a detail shot of that lovely Rolls Royce I saw at the car show! Look at that inlayed wood…it’s just WOW! :)

I'm also sharing a pair of pictures of the Driftwood RV Park(ing Lot) and our rig there so you can see what I mean when I say it’s not a place to write home about. It wasn’t bad, just nothing special, you know? Heh.

Pam, I’m so glad that you’ve been enjoying our trip notes and pictures. It means so much to me that I’ve been able to entertain you with our adventures. Stay tuned for more, my dear…next up will be Bend—John Day—Sun River—and another place we haven’t decided on yet…we’ll be home for a couple of weeks while Steve does a few upgrades to the rig and so forth…we’ll let you know as things develop! :) We’re thinking of you and hope you are well! *BIG HUGS*

Explored on 5/29/19; highest placement, #1.

Pictures for Pam, Day 53: Happy New Year!

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Mon, 31 Dec 2018 22:18:01 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

Today is New Year's Eve here in the United States but over in Europe it's New Year's Day!! So I am posting this picture now since it works for both days. :)

First off, I'd like to wish everyone a happy and wonderful new year. I'd like to thank all of you for the support and comradery we've shared since I've returned to ipernity a couple of months ago. I feel like I'm a totally new person, and a whole lot of that is because of the community here at ipernity. I am so thankful. I look forward to another year of getting to share our photography and learning more about one another, getting inspired, and growing more creative each day.

For today's picture, you will recognize my theme: Christmas Eve and Christmas featured holiday cards of two adorable birds I photographed a couple of years ago. If you didn't read about it in my previous posts, it was a perfectly snowy day so I set up our 100-300mm lens in our kitchen doorway that opens out onto our back porch. It also has a perfect view of our bird feeders, so I sat inside while it snowed and clicked away as the birdies stopped by to have some snacks.

I ended up getting hundreds of pictures, most of which were crisp and useable. The majority featured the darling Oregon Junco, but I got lots of pictures of House Finches, Lesser Goldfinches, a few Lark Sparrows, and even a Northern Flicker and a White-Breasted Nuthatch! I thought it would be fun to feature a different bird for each card, so this one has an extremely fluffy Lesser Goldfinch. (I will try to post pictures of the other species when I can.)

Pam, it's been so nice to see more and more comments from you. You leave them for me, and you have been making the rounds too! That makes me so happy. It's nice to know that you're feeling a little better as time passes. Here's to better health in 2019!

Explored on 1/1/19, highest placement, #1.

Pictures for Pam, Day 47: Joy & Peace

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Tue, 25 Dec 2018 23:09:37 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

(+1 inset)

Just like any child the world over, Pumpkin woke up at 5am this Christmas morning and entered my fluffy, comfortable dream.

"Peep!"

I kept on sleeping, but wondered what that odd sound played in my narrative. Who knows was I was dreaming about but I could surely say that the next announcement woke me up.

"Burble-burble-burble-burble…PEEP!"

I cringed when I saw the time. "Peep-PEEP!" Nope. I wasn’t going to answer. Without shame, I pretended I didn't hear her. However, she knew it was Christmas and there was no stopping that little beaky of hers from chiming in another "Peep!" every 5 or 10 minutes. *whimper* I felt as one with all parents on the West Coast right now…all of us trying in vain to get our children to allow us another few moments to sleep. At least my child wasn't running all over the house and sneaking peeks at the presents Santa brought! Memories of joyful Christmas mornings as a child brought a smile to my face.

However, I wasn't going to get up at 5am. Nor would I arise at 6am or even 6:30am, thank you very much! Pumpkin finally lapsed her "snooze" feature to 15 minute intervals and eventually I dragged my bedraggled corpse out of bed at 6:45am. I stumbled, zombie-like, into the bathroom to start the day. Once I was up, of course, all was well but I certainly wore a pair of very heavy-lidded eyes to begin with!

As predicted yesterday, this morning wasn't rainy and it wasn't terribly cold either. As I started my walk, I watched the sun lighten the sky and colors appeared. My present from Mother Nature was a spectacular sunrise full of lemon, orange, purple, blue and magenta. All against lovely cloud and fog formations that whispered around and over the Upper Table Rock in the distance. (See my inset!) The lovely show continued well past the end of my walk, and Steve would go on to mention the beauty of this day. Colors bounced off the clouds. Fog crawled up and down the valley, socking in our property and then falling back again to reveal the valley beyond. Wisps and tendrils of mist created delicate lines into the sky like a diaphanous curtain. It was wondrous.

The birds gave me their present too. Early off on my walk I heard the resident turkeys down in the woods making themselves heard and I enjoyed every note. I heard a pair of acorn woodpeckers calling back and forth to each other. Many little song birds--finches, sparrows and juncos--twittered in nearby trees and flew together from tree to tree.

As I started my last lap I looked up and was overjoyed to see the flock of turkeys near our shop. I stopped for a moment to listen to their lovely contact trills and purrs, smiling happily. They pecked at the dirt, relaxed and comfortable as they wandered towards the hillside. I resumed my walk, hoping I'd see them when I returned back up the hill. I didn't see them at first but I did hear them and watched as they appeared from the rear of our shop.

Quietly I padded up the hill, knowing they hadn't seen me. They wandered up the side of the hill just on the other side of some thick brush next to me. I stood, totally captivated. For the first time I was very close to them as they were vocalizing their beautiful, intimate purrs and trills. Such soft notes was like sweet conversation among a loving family. It was so wonderful to hear them cooing so sweetly, and blissful moments passed as I drank it all in.

The flock climbed up the steep hill and disturbed a trio of mule deer does. They trotted away and stopped to turn and stare at me. They could see me, but the turkeys hadn't, or if they could, were far enough away now that they weren't bothered.

I heard some deep flapping and tried to spot the birds through the trees. One of the turkeys was putting on some sort of wing-flapping display, and with that, all of the turkeys began making a lot more noise. In fact, they were making such a ruckus I tried to record the racket on my phone--to no avail, unfortunately. The flock was obscured by trees but it sounded like they were having a turkey convention up there! No alarm "gobble-gobbles" but all kinds of noisy calls…it was completely crazy! After a while I crept back down the hill to the house, thoroughly delighted by the amazing Christmas present I'd been given by Mother Nature. I am so happy!!

Today's picture is another holiday card! I thought it would be perfect because today is Christmas here in the United States. It also gives me the opportunity to share another picture from my "Birds in the Snow" folder! I spent some time looking through the hundreds of pictures and found lots of really neat shots. I'd set up our 100-300mm lens so I could take multiple pictures in succession, a technique which I have a love-hate relationship with. I love the many choices you get this way but it also means an absolute GLUT of pictures and you must look through them. UGH! The most horrible thing of all was that I discovered that I hadn't processed a single picture from that photo shoot. What a shame, but now I am sharing the second picture. YAY! :)

Pam, I hope you had a very merry Christmas! I cannot tell you how happy I am to see you enjoying ipernity more these days. I know you'd like to be 100% better but gosh, you're doing so well! Let's hope you keep seeing more and more improvement…you sure do deserve it. Many, many great big *HUGGGGGGSSSSSS*!!!

Explored on 12/26/18, highest placement, #5.

Pictures for Pam, Day 46: Happy Holidays!

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Fri, 25 Dec 2020 17:58:27 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

(originally posted in 2018 on Christmas Eve)

It's Christmas Eve here in southern Oregon! If it was cold like it was a couple of days ago, snow would be falling heavily right now. Instead it's raining hard and has been since I got up at my usual crack of dawn. It's a bummer because I was hoping for a white Christmas but it's not going to happen. And, even though tomorrow will be cold enough for snow, the day will be clear so we are out of luck...phooey! Oh well!

The rain clouds held back the lightening sky so it was almost dark enough for a flashlight when I stepped out for my daily walk. Splashing down the driveway I peered around for possible stray cats and dogs falling from the clouds—boy was it coming down! The noise on my umbrella was so loud that I couldn't have my usual internal conversation about thoughts for the day. Maybe it wasn't such a bad thing to just walk along and look through the pouring rain and into the forest and meadow. Actually, it was quite Zen. No distractions, just Being. Very peaceful.

After about an hour the rain finally let up and I put my umbrella on the porch. It was light out now and the world seemed like it was happy to take a break from the relentless deluge. I listened to my podcasts and enjoyed myself.

On my last lap, I was walking up our hill when I noticed an odd filament on the road. Something about it was really strange and I kneeled down to take a closer look. It looked like a 1.5-foot/45.72cm piece of really thin wire coated in a creamy brown color. "Well, that's weird..." I thought to myself. "What is that?" I wondered if Steve dropped an odd piece of wire on the road, or maybe it was a stripped root of some kind.

It moved.

In a combination of horror and excitement I yelled, "WHAT THE HECK IS THAT?!! IT'S ALIVE!" I stared in absolute disbelief at the strange filament that was ever so slowly coiling and waving around on the road. As I stared, the weeks spent studying invertebrates in my Zoology class a zillion years ago came hurtling into my head. "WOAH!! DUDES!! IT'S A WORM!!!"

I could hardly believe I was doing this, but I reached down and ever-so-gently picked it up. It was like holding the thinnest snake I'd ever handled, but I managed to sort of drape it over my fingers as I would a snake. At which point it slid off and landed on the road again. I tried again. This time it didn't slip off and I held it up to my face to get a really close look. Which was its front end? Hmm...one end was a bit squared off, and I guessed it might have actually been longer at some point because it appeared to be cut off there. The other end looked like an extremely miniature version of an earthworm's head. I exclaimed in delight, "SO COOL!" Suddenly, I had a mission.

Carrying my umbrella in one hand and my bizarre wormy buddy in the other, I made my way hastily up our hill. Steve needed to see this! It will blow him away! As luck would have it, Steve was walking out to greet me as I neared the house.

"STEVE! I FOUND THE WIERDEST THING EVER!! LOOK!!!" He came over and I held out my hand so he could see the strange creature. Suitably impressed and fascinated, Steve pointed out its shortened back end. We both wondered how long it might have been originally. 1.5-foot/45.72cm seemed awfully long already. Kinda creepy.

I walked over to the meadow and gently placed it on the dirt. Part of me was totally grossed-out, but I was really happy to find such a strange animal on our property. I wondered what kind of worm it was. However, one thing I knew about worms is that there are a LOT of them. We're talking over a MILLION. The odds of me identifying exactly which one seemed unlikely but with that Earthworm head, I thought I might have a chance. To my great surprise, it only took about five minutes to discover what it was--a Horsehair Worm! (And they are in the same family as Earthworms!) And, though they are normally as long as 14"/35.56cm, some be 6.5 feet/2 meters!! UGH! The good news is that adults don't eat. Only the larvae are parasitic and go after insects.

Oh dear, I hope I haven't disgusted everyone! Please forgive me...wildlife of all kinds fascinates me so I hope you haven't lost your lunch on account of my unusual animal discovery!

Today's picture is a minimalist snowy holiday card! A few years ago it was snowing and I set up our 100-300mm lens in our doorway and took pictures of the birds that visited our feeders. This darling is an Oregon Junco and is among my favorite birds. Did you notice how huge and fluffy it is?! AHHHHH!!! SO CUTE!!! :D

Pam, I hope that this Christmas Eve finds you doing as well as can be and better than you have been doing. Every little step forward is progress, no matter how small. I hope that my healing energy finds its way to you and gives you a burst of energy! Thinking of you always!

Explored on 12/25/18, highest placement, #1.

Pictures for Pam, Day 43: Pumpkin

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Sat, 22 Dec 2018 03:49:37 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

(+2 insets)

My fluffy little alarm clock let me sleep in this morning! I woke up at 7am for once and the extra sleep was so wonderful! I sprang out of bed so happy because it's WINTER SOLSTICE!! HOORAY!!! Now the days will finally start to get longer...THANK GOODNESS!!

I was buzzing merrily around in the kitchen this morning until I got to the part where I opened the 'fridge to get Pumpkin's bowl of fruits and veggies...ACK! Sound the general alarm! There weren't any! I'd forgotten to cut up a new batch the night before. BOO!! "Ah well," I thought to myself, "no worries! Let's get this party started, shall we?"

Reaching down to the veggie compartment, I pulled it open and grabbed the bags of celery, bell peppers, carrots and apples, turned around and plopped them onto the counter as the refrigerator door closed behind me. From her perch at the kitchen window I distinctly heard Pumpkin chuckling at me as she watched the latest episode of the Mama Bird Show...

I stepped over to the other counter and grabbed one of our pretty bamboo cutting boards and pulled out my favorite knife. It's a 6" J.A. Henkels from Spain that Steve's had for many years. I just love it because the blade stays so sharp. Perfect for cutting up Chicken's fruits and veggies! (Pumpkin has a million nicknames but our favorite is Chicken. Others include Fluffball, Fuzzball, Fat Pants, Fluffy Butt, Chick-pea, Fruit Bat, the names go on and on!)

Pumpkin whistled back and forth with me while I rinsed, sliced and diced two spears of celery, half an apple, a dozen baby carrots and half of a red bell pepper. Before I chopped up the celery, I cut off the ends and tossed them to Molly. She was ready and waiting with perked ears and bright eyes. Enthusiastic crunching soon filled the room, a sound which made me smile and elicited a bemused cackle from Pumpkin. I pulled out a sliver of carrot and handed it to her, who gronked joyfully and munched with gusto.

Sweeping the pile of fruits and veggies into a metal bowl, I mixed them up, grabbed one of her blue food dishes and loaded it up as usual. Yay! Now Pumpkin had a brand new batch of fresh food. I covered the metal bowl, put it in the 'fridge and continued with my routine, finally bringing Pumpkin upstairs with her food. As I closed the door to the bedroom, Pumpkin was diving into her bowl and gronking with joy, "YUMMY BREAKFAST!!!" Oh, how I love that little girl! :)

Initially I thought that it would be nice to share a snowy picture today to honor Winter Solstice, but instead I've decided to honor Pumpkin instead! I got Steve to hold her on her back, a position she loves--it's also so adorable that I thought you would all enjoy it too! I also included an inset to show the food I cut up for her and a holiday greeting to all of you. :)

Pam, it was so wonderful to get such a lovely note from you yesterday on my latest picture! I am overjoyed that things are a little better for you these days. Let's hope for continued improvements in the following days my dear! *BIG HUGGGGGGGGS*!!!!!!

242/366: Sinky the Wayward Pacific Tree Frog (+1 in a note)

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Thu, 01 Sep 2016 03:30:22 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

Say hello to Sinky! Steve found him over at our shop a few years ago, sitting in the sink and enjoying the moisture there. However, Steve didn't think it was the best place for a frog, so he brought the cutie-pie over to a plastic wading pool next to the house and released him there. I was out there with my camera at the time and managed to get some nice pictures before he hopped off into the grass! :)

(This is another picture of Sinky that I captured. My first pick can be seen by rolling your mouse over the upper left corner)

47/366: Pacific Gopher Snake Hatchling (+4 more in notes)

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Fri, 19 Feb 2016 02:14:35 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

(4 more pictures in notes above)

One day in October of 2012, Steve came into the house with a plastic box and asked in excitement, "Guess what I found in the shop?!" I had no idea, so it was a wonderful surprise to discover that he'd captured a baby Gopher snake! He knew I'd like to see it before he released it, and naturally, pictures were in order! After a few minutes of happy clicking, we brought the box outside, tipped it on its side in the meadow, and quick as a flash, our young friend slipped out of sight in the bushes!

Soft: Fluffy Pumpkin in a Fluffy Blanket

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 20:05:48 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

This was the picture I used for a Valentine's card and is one of my favorite pictures of her! Pumpkin is my amazing White Bellied Caique parrot, who my husband and I have been honored to share the past 11 years with. She is our feathered child and we love her dearly!

U is for Underaged Ungulate

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Wed, 11 Jun 2014 20:26:48 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

Note: my latest garden article is up! :D
Part 9—Dreams of a Big Flower Garden: We Have A Pumpkin Patch!!

A few years ago, Steve and I went to a nearby county fair and we had a lot of fun taking pictures of the farm animals. One of the sows had an enormous litter of piglets and we spent a long time cooing at their cuteness!

I learned something today about the word "Ungulate". I always thought it meant "hooved mammal", but that's not entirely correct. Wikipedia gives this definition:

"Ungulates are a diverse group of large mammals, most of which use the tips of their toes, usually hoofed, to sustain their whole body weight while moving. The term means, roughly, "being hoofed" or "hoofed animal". As a descriptive term, "ungulate" normally excludes cetaceans, as they do not possess most of the typical morphological characteristics of ungulates; recent discoveries indicate that they are descended from early artiodactyls, and thus are directly related to other even-toed ungulates such as cattle, with hippopotamuses being their closest living relatives. As a result of these discoveries, the new order Cetartiodactyla has been proposed to include the members of Artiodactyla and Cetacea, to reflect their common ancestry; however, strictly speaking, this is merely a matter of nomenclature, since it is possible simply to recognize Cetacea as a subgroup of Artiodactyla."

I had no idea that whales were considered to be ungulates!!

My apologies for not being around much lately. The garden is keeping me very busy, along with everything else going on right now!

Explored on June 11, 2014, highest placement, #2.

K is for Killer Kingsnake (+ 10 more inset images!)

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Fri, 18 Apr 2014 15:43:23 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

+ 10 more inset images above in notes! :)

"Killer" is also slang for "cool", which is what this stunning, beautiful, gentle and non-venomous snake is!

I found this amazing California Mountain Kingsnake on our property 1.5 years ago and when I discovered that this reclusive species is actually quite common in this area, we decided it would be ok to keep him as a pet. Affectionately named "Snakey McSnakerton", he's doing great and growing larger with each passing month. When I found him (we don't actually know the gender, but call it a male!), Snakey was about 10" long, and is now about 16".

There are about 45 species of Kingsnakes, which also include Milksnakes. They come in a large number of colors from solid black to almost white, with a dizzying variety of patterns. In fact, some species, such as this one, mimic the highly venomous coral snake, which only lives in the southern States. (NEVER approach a snake unless you are SURE it's harmless!) Kingsnakes are among the most popular pet snakes due to their docile, friendly dispositions and ease of care. In the wild, they are secretive, usually moving about during the day, and eat rodents, reptiles and birds.

If you would like to know more about Kingsnakes, Wiki has a nice page here: Wiki: Kingsnake

This picture uses some texture in the background, courtesy of Jerry Jones: Soft-Faux-n-Grunge-Bokeh

Explored on April 18, 2014. Highest placement, #2.

F is for Fabulous Froggy

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Thu, 27 Mar 2014 17:39:38 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

A couple of weeks ago I was creeping around by our front gate with my camera and listening to the amazingly loud voices of the frogs singing at our seasonal pond, which is about 20-30 feet away. If you have never heard a pond of frogs croaking in the spring, you would be very surprised to discover how noisy they are! For instance, our pond is about 600-700 feet (213-243m) from our house, or about 1/8 of a mile away. We can see it, but it's not close. When those frogs turn up the volume, WOW! You can hear them clearly from the house (though not from inside).

I didn't want to get too close to the pond because they can feel my footsteps, no matter how quiet I am, and suddenly they will become silent, which makes me so very sad. :( But eventually I couldn't resist, and my light steps (Godzilla stomps) signalled them all to be quiet. Awwww... :( I walked down to the edge of the pond, marvelling at its "to-the-brim" fullness, and smiled. With the strange weather patterns, Steve and I wondered if the pond would fill this year. Happily, it's been full for a few weeks now, and the rains keep coming, so if all goes well, the pond will have water in it until about June or maybe even July. It's an important breeding ground for our local frog species, so the longer there is water, the better chance there is for the tadpoles to transform into frogs.

The funny thing is that I NEVER see frogs in or around the pond. I always hunt for them, but they are perfectly camouflaged and also, they dive to the bottom of the pond or retreat into holes or under plants. So on this day, as I crouched quietly at the side of the pond, looking in vain for frogs, I almost fell over when I actually SAW one!! I looked and suddenly a little Pacific Tree Frog swam lazily up to the surface and floated there just long enough for me to take some pictures. Then, when I paused to adjust the settings on my camera, I looked through the eyepiece again, and...GONE! But see? I have PROOF!!! I finally SAW ONE!!! HOORAY!!! :D

Explored on ipernity on March 28, highest placement, #2.

C is for Cute & Colorful Caique

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Mon, 10 Mar 2014 23:11:51 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

You can also find me on Facebook!

Our little parrot, Pumpkin, is the silliest, cutest, most playful companion I've ever had! She loves to run after little balls like this green one, grab them, and throw them onto the floor! As they fall, she turns her head at an angle to watch, and is always extremely delighted when Steve or I pick the ball up and toss it for her to chase again! Her favorite toys have bells inside of them. She loves to shake them furiously before flinging them through the air and hopefully...on the floor! Much cackling and happiness ensues! :D Pumpkin has a wonderful sense of humor and finds hilarity in so many things, but especially loves to watch the dogs as they are being washed. This activity combines a favorite sound, water splashing, and what looks like a wonderful punishment for those horrible creatures, and she spends the entire time laughing her head off and throwing pieces of bread at their heads! :D She's just too cute!

I couldn't resist putting up a second picture of Pumpkin with her ball! It shows more of her goofy, playful personality and I thought you might enjoy it too!

Explored on March 11, 2014. Highest placement, #2.

C is for Clown of the Parrot World: Caique

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Mon, 10 Mar 2014 23:11:42 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

I got a lot of really cute pictures of Pumpkin playing with one of her toys today. Caiques are known as the "Clowns of the Parrot World", and it's true. I've shared my life with 3 Caiques now, and have known several others...they are all extremely playful, silly, goofy, and funny birds, all of whom have great senses of humor and are always up for something hilarious! :)

Explored on March 12, 2014. Highest placement, page 5.

Alphabet Project: A is for Adorable Animal (Tiny Snail)

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Sat, 01 Mar 2014 21:02:31 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

You can also find me on Facebook!

Well, it's taken me longer to get my gusto back, but as February has changed into March, the world around me is waking up and with it, so is my passion to capture what I find.

I've been out to take pictures just twice now since the beginning of the year. The first was about 4 days ago, but I wasn't happy with my pictures, though they were not horrible. A couple of days ago I went out again, and there were many things for me to find on my little walk.

At one point I was staring intently at the underside of a piece of bark and noticed an incredibly tiny snail shell, about 1 mm in size! I wanted to see if I could get it in focus, and while I was taking pictures, I realized that that shell had an owner, and it was slowly turning away from me! I couldn't even SEE the antennae!

I got some other nice pictures too, including some cool mushrooms and other neat things. It was a lot of fun to discover that after two months without a single picture, I have been able to pick up where I left off! Hooray! :)

I thought that the best way to get me back into uploading pictures on a regular basis again would be to start a new project, so I'm doing an A-Z project! It isn't going to be daily, but it will be fun to keep my eyes open for potential subjects!! :)

Explored on March 2, 2014. Highest placement, #2.

Three Amigos on a Nacho Leaf! :D

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Thu, 07 Nov 2013 05:12:14 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

1 picture above in a note!

I am very blessed to have what I call "micro-vision". I can see things extremely close-up and tiny, tiny things are very clear. Unfortunately, I'm also blind as a bat and must wear glasses all the time. To me, having this special vision is very special and wonderful because I am so crazy about macro!

Today I was looking under logs and peering about 1-2" from the ground, where I could study everything at a macro scale with my incredible close vision. As I stared, I spotted something and looked again. It took me another 20 seconds to find the spot again, because everything I was looking at was extremely small. THERE! NO WAY...it was just what I thought. 3 itty bitty, tiny little mushrooms, just beginning to sprout!! They were sitting on a corner of a decayed leaf, so small that you could barely see the piece of leaf, let alone the trio of mushrooms!

WHAT A PRIZE!!!! I went to pick the piece of leaf up and knocked a leaf on top of them...and it took me another few minutes to find them under the leaf! Just as I was about to give up, I tried another leaf piece and THERE THEY WERE! Carefully I picked the leaf fragment up and set it on top of a piece of bark. I got several pictures and then it dawned on me: nobody would be able to understand how tiny these cutie pies were unless I showed one of my fingers next to them! So I held them up and we all said cheese together as I took the picture! :D You'll see that as an inset above or just click to the next picture! :)

Scale Shot of Me Holding the Decayed Leaf with the Three Amigos!

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Thu, 07 Nov 2013 05:12:05 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

These are the smallest mushrooms I've ever photographed before! Can you believe how tiny they are?!!!! It's just incredible to me!!! :D

Squirrly Whirlly on the Lookout!

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Tue, 22 Oct 2013 03:40:03 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

Aren't Ground Squirrels adorable?! I have always loved squirrels, but it wasn't until I moved to southern Oregon that I found out how destructive some of them can be. Ground Squirrels in particular, are problems because they can and will dig under your house's foundation, which can lead to expensive problems.

However, we capture them and drop them off many miles away, and while they are here, Steve and I love to see them running around and being adorable! This one hears the dogs out front and is looking to see if they will come around the side of the house! (Thanks to Jerry Jones for his awesome textures!! I used Painted Canvas 1 of 8 and Old Photo 5 for this, as well as some Photoshop filters. I needed to do a lot of work on this image to pop the squirrel out of that busy background and the extreme contrast changes of fore and background.)

From Wiki:
The California ground squirrel is a common and easily observed ground squirrel of the western United States and the Baja California peninsula; it is common in Oregon and California and its range has relatively recently extended into Washington and northwestern Nevada.

As is typical for ground squirrels, California ground squirrels live in burrows which they excavate themselves. Some burrows are occupied communally but each individual squirrel has its own entrance. Although they readily become tame in areas used by humans, and quickly learn to take food left or offered by picnickers, they spend most of their time within 25 m (82 ft) of their burrow, and rarely go further than 50 m (160 ft) from it.

In the colder parts of their range, California ground squirrels hibernate for several months, but in areas where winters have no snow, most squirrels are active year round. In those parts where the summers are hot they may also estivate (spend a hot or dry period in a prolonged state of torpor or dormancy) for periods of a few days.

California ground squirrels are often regarded as a pest in gardens and parks, since they will feed off ornamental plants and trees, and will burrow under foundations.