Yesterday I posted an image of Spring Popping Out along the Valley/Ravine. This morning I’m posting another bush that’s close to our back door – same plant variety.
It just dawned on me it may be HONEYSUCKLE. Why do I have a problem with honeysuckle? I’m very allergic to the powerful scent it puts out in the Spring. This is the first Spring in our Condo. I know, to most people it is a wonderful scent. Now I’ve got that out of the way! Many of you know I spend most of the end of October till sometime in early May inside due to the outside temperarures. Most of my images during that period are shot through my windows.
Now, this condition is due to a military service related injury that left my sinuses and surrounding nerves completely out of sync with my brain. (literally) MOVING ON … So now I’ll spend and additional month or more in the house due to the Honeysuckle scent. If it sounds like I’m crying, I’m not. Just disgusted. I am use to it, after all, since I’ve had the problem since 1975 – actually 1965 but that’s a story for another time. I even wrote a One–Act Play about it. Just never dawned on me that honeysuckle would be growing right outside my back door. Thought I’d be outside sooner this year.
Spring is really starting to flourish in Central Illinois. Everywhere green leaves our changing the landscape. This image was shot right out our back door and all down the valley the color is the same. Nice to see new life when the world is in such a chaotic state right now with the Coronavirus.
My wife, Jean, took this image of me shooting the River Valley. The Sail boats were out in abundance that day. There are many more not visible in this shot.
This little fella was trying to keep warm and stay out of the wind while eating at the same time. They always seem to flip their tails up and over their backs at this time.
I stopped using my desktop computer due to running Windows 7 and no longer getting support. I will be getting a laptop with Windows 10 one of these days, I hope. Anyway, for those of you who do not know this, I discovered a way to load camera images onto my tablet – then I can upload them directly to Elm Drive images without using another program. I went online and ordered a connector for the sole purpose of connecting my mouse to my tablet for copying and pasting purposes. GREAT IDEA, RIGHT? NOT SO GREAT!. An android device will not let you paste after you copy. You must use that dumb double finger dohicky. Then once you do get a copy, at least in my case, you can’t paste to a different site.
Anyway, this same $1.43 short connector, noted above, which I ordered from, “MONOPRICE” resolved a different problem. It will cost you more to ship it to your home than it costs to purchase it.
What a find! I’d been setting here for days not contemplating the possibility that the connector might solve another problem by using a camera connector and the new connector to export pictures. It worked perfectly. You plug the micro end of the new, $1.43 connector into your tablet and the USB end of the new connnector into your camera cord USB end – then plug the micro end of your camera cable into your camera. I did this and it immediately exported the images on my camera to the tablet while asking me which ones I wanted to export…just click on, ALL, and bingo, your camera pictures are on you Tablet.
I hope this isn’t confusing. Just take it slow if it sounds like a mess. It’s not and as I said, it works.
I don’t know what to think of WordPress at this time. I can’t understand their posting! Instead of allowing us to put a new post, with an image, at the top we have to change editors, or if we’re in the correct editor that allows you to set your post the top of the blog, then it doesn’t do it. Then the publish widget is nowhere to be seen. Then it tells you it has been published and you don’t know where the post is. Now, I use WordPress.com, and obviously, this post will be published. The PUBLISH widget is visible at the top. Is it me? Is it the ANDROID system? This has not published.
When I was a boy, some 70 years ago, I was already seven years old, winter came in December and with it came the snow – often snowed right up into early April. I MEAN IT SNOWED EVERY FEW DAYS.
Now we’re in another century and I’ve certainly seen a drastic climatic change. Yesterday, Christmas Day, it was 60 degrees here in Central Illinois. It will be 60 today. The forecast for January, at this time, is for snow , not a lot, off and on, through the month. That is not normal! I can remember, before I retired in 2002, it was probably in the late 80’or early 90’s, one January the temperature during the day never got above zero the whole month. Those out there that believe climate change is a hoax are in for a big shock. I’ve been around for more than three quarters of a century and I’ve seen what’s happening – what’s coming! Our government officials had better make this a priority. CLIMATE CHANGE MAY BE GRADUAL BUT IT’S NO HOAX.
I looked out the sliding glass door to our deck and this beautiful, Barred Owl, was sitting on a branch checking out the area. I am not a fan of raptors but he was asking to be photographed. Sorry it’s a bit hazy.
This is, “Scooter.” His mouth contains part of a Walnut he’s about to scurry up a tree with, chew open the0inner shell, and then eat the nut. This goes on most of the day.
This is one of two Feral Cats we’ve had on our deck. I believe I’ll name this fella, “Curious.” He’ll walk across the deck, sit down or lay down, and stare at you until you move on. He doesn’t seem scared but he’s cautious.
This is the view we have at the moment. When the leaves fall we will get a good look at what’s about us. All the normal critters from rabbits to birds to chipmunks thrive here. No deer yet. Soon, we hope.
We are now in our new condo…what a trial for elderly folks. Box after box to unload and we never seem to make any headway.
Called to have our TV hooked up to DISH and find out our Home Owners Association doesn’t allow DISH. Have to go with AT&T our COMCAST. I need to check their prices.
It’s been quite some time since my last post. My wife and I have been looking to downsize for over a year now. She’s done all the work, I must say, scouring through the real estate company website’s for the right place. Finally we found a Condo we wanted to look at and it is just what we need. Going fron 1500+ square feet down to 952 square feet means a lot of material things need to go. We’ve been selling through Face Book’s sales site and have had good luck. We’ve sold everything from a leaf blower to a tread mill, a book case, and a bicycle. More too! Now we’re waiting for the final appraisal of our home which should be the last hurdle to our purchasing the Condo. Hopefully, we’ll move in September 16th – that’s the scheduled date anyway. I won’t be posting any more images till we’ve moved. Thanks for your time and continued interest in Elm Drive Images.
I shot this image in the summer of 2010. The Cicadas had broken through their hidden places in the earth to breed. Their life span above ground is for that purpose only. I was not sure if these were 17 or 24 year Cicadas. You talk about noise! Millions of them bellowing their eerie calls to one another is something you’ll never forget. I can remember, as a boy, when they appeared – by the hundreds of thousands they covered your home, garage, trees. Their eyes are briliant red. I wish I could have got a better image but this was at the end of their cycle.
This is the first Grosbeak we’ve ever seen on our property since moving here in 2007. Sorry it’s so small. I only had time to grab my point and shoot camera to take the shot – could not zoom in close enough. My wife said she thought she saw the bird yesterday. I’ll try to get a better image with my Canon 75-300 zoom lens if I can – if we ever see it again.
These office suites are part of a rustic, country style small business and restaurant complex named, Junction City. Years ago, when the site first opened, there were two railroad dining cars on another area of the site that were attached to the main dining facility which was named, Vonachen’s Junction – after the man who built it. It has long since been torn down and now a parking lot sets in its place. I’ll shoot more images of the main facility this Spring and Summer. The above shot was taken in 2014.
I showcased this image a couple years ago but decided to go back and spruce it up with a new Photo Editor. The new editor has a number of image altering advantages.
This image, shot at dusk, actually shows a bean field up close, and in the distance, a corn field. The road itself is for use by Park personnel only. I simply pulled in, stopped and took the shot. This park is about 14 minutes from Peoria.
This Sparrow is actually waiting for her turn to get back up into the nest. I had to shoot this through our front window as it was early in the morning and cool outside.
