Remember Those Camera Batteries!

With digital cameras the most important accessory / part of your equipment is the battery. This is always brought to home when you leave the house with uncharged ones.

I learned this lesson the hard way on the day we decided to take a different direction on our walk. When we left the house for our morning walk I realized I had forgotten to charge my camera batteries.

Now on any other day this would not have been such a big deal. After all what is one day missing a few shots, right?

But today was the perfect day for taking pictures. It stormed last night and the sky was still a little gray. This meant that I would not have to deal with bright sunlight to ruin my pictures.

One block from the house I went to take a picture and realized my batteries were dead. This should not have been a surprise sense I got the warning last time we were out. My camera is nice enough to flash a little red battery light letting me know that it is time to re-charge. But these modern conveniences do little good if you forget to put the batteries in their charger.

And last night when we went walking I thought it was embarrassment about looking silly always with a camera on my shoulder that prompted me to leave it behind. Could it really have bee that wee small voice I was ignoring that was screaming at me to charge my batteries?

No matter what excuse I could come up with didn't really matter. The fact was clear that I had dead batteries in my camera. And pure willpower just will not make them work without batteries.

So I walked back to the house and put the camera away. Off we walked as I thought to myself, “This will be a good opportunity to just enjoy nature and this lovely cool, sun free day.”

At first I was lost in thought of how this would make a nice picture or that would be the perfect shot. But I have plenty already just sitting on my computer waiting for me to do something with them, so I tried to stay focused on the joy of our walk.

I was cool and calm enjoying the day. Then it happened! There in front of us just across the street sat a beautiful white Egret perched on a fence next to the lake. He sat there as we passed and all I could think was that he would have made a beautiful image to share.

And that thought had just passed when over this Egret's head flew a Great Blue Heron. The weather is just right for fishing after a storm too. Fish are the preferred meal for these lovely birds.

I have heard that rain and overcast days are good days for fishing. These great fish catchers seemed to prove that point.

The clincher on our morning walk was the one that got away.

Just as we finished walking through a new neighborhood with some very unique gardens and flowers, which would have made great pictures all by themselves, our puppy startled yet another Great Blue Heron up from a hidden stream.

I held my breath as it flew gracefully up into the sky just a few feet away. He was close enough to feel the breeze created from those huge wings.

What is the bottom line in this story? Always remember to keep a set of fully charged batteries for your digital camera on hand. Sometimes it’s not enough to have the re-chargeable kind only. It doesn’t hurt to carry a few of the regular batteries just in case.

Happy Shooting. May your prize winning picture never fly off into the sunset before you capture it on film or digital file.

I know this post is about "The One That Got Away!" But you can see lot's of Bird Pictures that I did manage to capture. Visit Crane Bird Pictures and see for yourself.

Happy Holidays!

Many people choose to celebrate this time of year. You will find as many different ways to celebrate as there are people on the planet. Last year while visiting family I played with the photos you will see in this little video. But I never got it published. This morning with Christmas so close and my family so far away the idea of actually publishing came to mind.

From My Heart to Yours

(If you received this post by email, the video may not appear. Click here to be taken to video or visit blog post online by link at bottom of this message)

As I worked on this little video I couldn't help but think of the many works of art that sit waiting for completion. I know many artists and I find one common thread in us all. We are perfectionists.

Life has a way of taking us away from the current piece. That was the case with this work. I wanted to present it as a Christmas card last year only time got away from me. I just couldn't quite get it right.

Today I opened up the files again with a different frame of mind. I began a little chant of gratitude for this talent that I have been given. I set aside those feelings of inadequacy.

I realize there will be those who see this work as imperfect. But at the same time there will be those who view it with the joy and love with which it is presented.

My wish to all fellow artists out there, let your art bring joy to the world. And I hope this little video brings tears to your eyes, a smile to your face, and a warmth in your heart.

When The Family Dog Leads to The Perfect Nature Photo

Sometimes it pays to listen to our pets. This was one of those times. On this sunny evening my dog, Oscar, insisted on a truck ride. As a result I got some beautiful nature landscape photos.

This was one of those rare occasions when I had to work away from home for the day. It was hard telling, Oscar, that he couldn’t go this trip. Being a work from home professional really does have it’s perks. I seldom go anywhere without Oscar.

Since my kids are all grown up and on their own, my dog has become my baby. And there are times when I am amazed at the ways he has learned to communicate.

On this particular day I had to tell him no and drive off watching those sad puppy eyes follow the truck down the driveway. The day went rather quickly for me but when I got home it was obvious that it had not gone so quickly for Oscar. He greeted me as if I had been gone for eons.

Soon it was time for our evening walk around the block. But when we headed for the front door to leave, but Oscar had other plans. He surprised me by going straight to the garage door. That in itself was unusual behavior but I figured he was just being cute. There was nothing wrong with going out the garage instead of the front door.

Only he had another surprise in store. Oscar went straight to the passenger side of the truck and sat waiting for me to open the door. It took a lot of coaxing to get him outside of the garage only to have him break free and run back into the garage and lay down next to the passenger side of the truck.

Well, flexible owner that I am, I decided to make a trip to the local park so that Oscar could get his turn in the truck. After all if one of us went we all should go, right?

I ran in to grab my camera. I’ve learned my lesson after many missed photo opportunities. And off to the park we went.

Little did I realize at the time that Oscar's persistence would lead to an excellent photo shoot. It was early evening and the sun cast some of the most interesting shadows on fences and trees.

Evening is one of the best times to take nature landscape photos and I was vastly rewarded for listening to my dog. Photographers often refer to the light cast by evening and early morning sun as the "sweet spot". Next time your family pet decides to take you in a different direction, make sure you take that camera along. You never know what mother nature will have in store for you.

The pictures used in this article are hosted in my private album. You can gain access to them and thousands more by signing up for my Free Newsletter called Nature Tales.

Low Tide at Sunset Cliffs California

From Low Tide December 2008

Ever since I was a little girl I remember being fascinated with the ocean. My favorite TV shows growing up involved the ocean in some way or other. Do you remember Flipper? Or how about Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea?

When these shows were on you could find me sitting in front of that TV dreaming of snorkeling or scuba diving. And while I watched my favorite stars swim among the coral reefs I was swimming right along beside them.

Alas I grew up and my dream of learning to scuba dive and swim with the dolphins got laid to rest with many other dreams. But one day last summer my daughter, who lives in California, called me bubbling over with stories of Tide Pools and walking on live coral and capturing an actual octopus in a picture. "You have to go with us next time you visit."

From Low Tide December 2008

You guessed it. This is my next visit. Last Thursday on December 11th, low tide happened at around 3:30 p.m. That was just time enough to make the drive and walk on the ocean floor just before dark.

Low Tide happens every day, sometimes even twice a day. But it never happens at the same time. The area we visited is located off Sunset Cliffs Boulevard. There are many places along this stretch of road that you can pull off and walk down to the beach. Well actually in this case we were walking down to the rocks.

From Low Tide December 2008

The view is breathtaking. This is one trip to California that I will remember for the rest of my life. The picture above is of the kids crossing those rocks and the stairs we just climbed down. Notice the water marks on the side of the cliffs. I'm not sure how high the water reaches during high tide but I bet at one time these cliffs were under water.

From Low Tide December 2008

From Low Tide December 2008

Every where you walk along the rocks you are likely walking on something that is alive. That includes the coral that lines the rocks filled with anemone closed up waiting for the water to return. One creature though has to hide to survive. These little crabs hide under the rocks to avoid being eaten by seagulls like the one in the right picture looking for today's dinner.

The pictures in this article will link back to my album where you can see lots more photos of our journey through tide pools. These will be available this week only. Then the photos will join the thousands of others available only to members only. Gaining access is easy though. Sign up today for free access of a growing list of beautiful nature and flower pictures.

Los Rios Ranchos in Oak Glen California

Funny how we miss the treasures that are right under our noses. My daughter and her family live in Yucaipa, CA. They moved into this area about four years ago. One day recently the Pastor from their church said to her, "Do you know how lucky your are to live so close to Oak Glen?"

Imagine the look on his face when my daughter's response was "Oak, what?"

And so it was on my visit to California this year, Oak Glen appeared on the list of places to take Mom. We made our way up the mountain to arrive in one of the most popular ranches in the area. The short drive up the mountain presented a scenic view of mountains, and homes decorated in an array of styles.

"Now this is living." says, Mikki, who is taking a break from her new life passion, Unique Parenting.


I especially liked the home decorated in the old west theme. I have always had a passion for covered wagons. Perhaps growing up on shows like Wagon Trail had a part in that.

We arrived at Los Rios Ranchos close to 4:00 pm and most of the trails were already closing for the day. So you can bet we will make at least one more trip up the mountain again before I return to Illinois.

Walking around this quaint apple orchard was quite exciting. I especially love the tall cedars I have only found in California. There is no place to compare. Since I grew up in the hills of WV my senses are delighted to see this old growth. So of course my camera goes a clicking before me.

The ranch store is all decked out ready for Christmas right now. But a stroll through the apple orchard will reveal the faint aroma of apples that filled these trees earlier in the season. You must try their free samples of "Apple Cider", the best I have tasted in a long time. You can bet we had to take a gallon home to serve with dinner after our trip.


A short walk up the trail reveals a small pond with a floating dock. I was lucky enough to capture one lone duck swimming in the reeds. I guess he missed the flight home for the night:)

The tall pines lining the path are something unique to southern California. The kids loved climbing the giant old Pine in front of the store. They ran so hard through the fields and up the trails, there was definitely no worry they would sleep well tonight.

The pictures in this post are just a sampling of the pictures available through my photo gallery. New pictures are added weekly. Join today to gain instant access.

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