Choices

"I choose…to live by choice, not by chance. To make changes, not excuses. To be motivated, not manipulated. To be useful, not used. To excel, not compete. I choose self-esteem, not self pity. I choose to listen to my inner voice. Not the random opinion of others."

~Unknown

We all have many choices to make in life.  Those range from the simple things, like what am I going to wear today to what am I going to do with the rest of my life.   The choices we make determine how successful we're going to be, how happy we're going to be, etc.  These choices, however, don't only effect us; they effect all those who we meet.   They determine whether we're going to be a positive force in the lives of those we meet, or a negative one.  So,  when you're faced with important decisions today, or in the future, think about the long-term effects those decisions will have on your life and the lives of others.

I wish you well.

At The Water Hole

"We return to old water holes for more than water, we return because friends and dreams are there to meet us."  An old African saying

Isn't it true that we return to places where friends and family members are there to greet us and to nourish our souls?   We need those connections in our lives, those ties that bind us to the past and give us strength to face the future. 

Now for a photo tip.  I used a Topaz plug-in to get the painterly look in this photo.  If you've never tried these plug-ins, they're a lot of fun and fairly inexpensive.  Just go to topaz.com and try the plug-ins free for 30 days.  If you like them, you can buy them after that.  If not, at least you'll have fun playing with them for awhile.

The Sandhills of Yellowstone

Sometimes something as simple as a sandhill crane sitting on a nest in the middle of a pond can convey a sense of peace and joy.   Although we'd seen sandhills in Yellowstone before, I enjoyed watching this pair more than the others.  Perhaps it was because they were in such a beautiful setting,  because they were so interesting or because they looked so peaceful.  The female remained on the nest while the male dug in the shallow pond to get more debris for the nest.  He then flew over to the side of the pond to look for food for his mate.   Based on what we'd seen in other nests, it was too early for their eggs to have hatched, due to the extreme cold weather in Yellowstone this spring, but soon there will be little sandhill cranes running through the grass.  I wish we were going to be there to see them, but we had to return home to our normal lives.  Oh well, it was fun while it lasted and I guess all good things must come to an end.  Visit http://carolynfox.photoshelter.com/ to see more new pictures.

I hope you enjoy the sandhills and have a wonderful day.

Flying for Freedom

Sometimes a simple picture, like this one of two sandhills flying over my head, can convey a lot,.  But, what does it convey?  To me, it means that I was getting dizzy from leaning backwards and shooting straight up over my head.  LOL!  Seriously though, to me it conveys freedom, joy, simplicity, and an easiness about life. What does it mean to you?   If you like reading this blog, please leave comments once in awhile.  Otherwise, I don't know if anyone ever reads it.  Thanks and have a wonderful day!

Sunrise Over Nebraska Sandhills

This was my favorite morning while we were in Nebraska.  The sky was absolutely beautiful as the sun came up.  It provided a nice background for the sandhill cranes that were hanging out on the sandbars before flying to the cornfields for a day of eating.  Unfortunately, the wind was blowing the other way and, between that and the noisy Canadian geese and snow geese down river, we couldn't hear them talking.  On the previous day, however, we had been in a blind and heard them talking quite well.  They're very noisy, but we enjoyed it.  Have a great week-end.  If you enjoy this blog, please leave a comment once in awhile, so I'll know that someone actually reads it.  Thanks!

Swans in the Fog

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2

1

You can do all kinds of things with the help of PhotoShop or other editting software programs.   This picture was taken on a very foggy morning.  There was so much fog, in fact, that you could barely see the trees.  I love foggy pictures, so I just started shooting, knowing that I could make the necessary adjustments when I got home.

Picture #1 is a copy of the original file, with some minor adjustments done in Camera Raw, such as bringing up the brightness, fill light, clarity and adjusting the blacks just a little. 

Picture #2 was altered in PhotoShop using curves & levels to brighten the overall scene and to bring out the whiteness of the swans.

Picture #3  is Picture #2 with the NIK graduated fog filter applied to it.  I softened the effect to the point where I liked it and then saved the photo.

My oldest grandson likes picture #3 best, because he likes the soft, graduated effect of the fog.  I think I agree with him.  Which do you like best?

Swans in the Fog

I did some different processing on this swans in the fog photo to make it look like it was taken at night and illuminated with a spotlight.  I have fun trying different things. Hope you enjoy it.

Swirling Waters

"Beauty is God's reflection in the swirling waters of the universe." Lourdes Mallo (b.1930), Gran Canaria

I used NIK and Topaz plug-ins to improve the focus on this image.  I thought it was worth saving because I liked the splashing of the water and the fun the ducks appeared to be having.  I hope you enjoy the picture as much as I enjoyed watching these delightful creatures.  Have a great day!

Peregrine Falcons Save Lives

Although they may look like nice, unassuming birds, peregrine falcons are formidable hunters that prey on other birds (and bats) in mid-flight.  They hunt from above and, after sighting their prey, drop into a steep, swift dive that can top 200 miles an hour.  They are used at airports to scare other birds away from commercial and military airplanes.  Even larger birds leave the area once they see this small, but determined hunter.  Due to their extreme hunting abilities, they .have saved many lives and thousands of dollars by preventing other birds from flying into airplanes.

Happiness

"Look at the trees, look at the birds, look at the clouds, look at the stars . . . . and if you have eyes you will be able to see that the whole existence is joyful. Everything is simply happy. Trees are happy for no reason; they are not going to become prime ministers or presidents and they are not going to become rich and they will never have any bank balance. Look at the flowers - happy for no reason. It is simply unbelievable how happy flowers are." Osho (1931-1990) India,USA

It's too bad that we can't just be happy for no reason. Why can't we? Do we just make things more complicated than they need to be? Do we constantly strive to have more, to do more or to be more? Do we complicate our lives unnecessarily and, as a result, cause unhappiness and dissatisfaction? Perhaps we need to examine our lives and determine if we're causing ourselves unnecessary unhappiness and stress. If we are, maybe we need to work on being a little more like the flowers, the birds and the trees, and be satisfied with what we have. Does that mean we shouldn't strive to do better and shouldn't have goals? No, it just means that we need to determine what's important to us and do the things that will help us achieve those goals instead of stressing about those things that aren't important.

Love Isn't Easy

Love isn't always easy but, even with the occasional scrapping and squawking, it's worth it. So, cherish the relationship you have, and work to make it better. After all, anything of significant value usually requires effort and continued dedication to retain its' splendor. So, give your loved one a kiss and tell him or her how important they are to you. For those special words can never be said too often and they're always appreciated.

Photo tip: As you probably already know, in order to get the type of wildlife pictures you want, you have to be patient. Unfortunately, animals don't pose for us according to an appointment schedule.