Photos from the Little Pond

Frosted Morning

2011-02-09T15:56:00.000-05:00

I know you all are just dying to see our snowy Upstate aftermath, right? We did not get the huge dump gotten in Boston and other coastal areas.

Just sort of pretty.

pb
Little Pond

SIL Darrell and the grandkids

2011-01-22T09:39:00.002-05:00

Nice childlock you got here!

2010-11-14T07:58:00.000-05:00

Husband RJ's latest contribution to Little Pond.

Baby Bummy at the Front Door

2010-04-14T12:04:00.002-04:00

A quick visit and some lunch. Violet is getting really familiar with our home.

Grandma's first feeding.

2009-08-02T11:43:00.003-04:00

Dig the mohawk!

Waterfowl in the morning sun

2009-04-12T12:53:00.003-04:00

February Frigid 2009

2009-02-25T16:10:00.002-05:00

What's wrong with kids (or maybe their parents) these days? In the sixties, this frozen flooded wood would be totally scored with skate marks. Nary a one. It's sad.
This little goldfinch will be a gorgeous canary yellow, come May.

The blocks make a nice shot near the river, a juxtaposition of cold ice and hot sunlight.

The blue sky seems to be part and parcel with our trips in the mid-morning hours. I feel cheated when there are too many clouds to see sky. It's cold, clear and charming.

wallpapers

2008-02-27T11:04:00.003-05:00

These three photos have been sized and toned for computer desktop backgrounds.Sunlight on the Chemung River, Elmira, New York. February 27, 2008.
Taken after overnight snow storm. February 27, 2008.
Lovely snow dusted thicket. Town of Elmira, New York, USA.

pb
Little Pond

Wrong setting

2007-09-05T09:49:00.000-04:00

The following photos were taken on SCAN. That's what was screwing up the color. Keep in mind that the bird I saw was golden brown.

Immature Hawk?

2007-09-04T10:49:00.001-04:00

Unfortunately the color is wrong and I don't want to mess with them. They were actually golden brown.

I was afraid I would lose him if I took the time to adjust settings. In fact, I did lose him when I tried after getting a few.

Got these two shots with plenty of detail.

And one from behind.

Harry

2007-08-29T23:30:00.000-04:00

One of many photos I've taken of the herons that frequent the Chemung River with the Elmira, New York, USA city limits. These birds, while shy of people, are pretty phlegmatic about being photographed. My holy grail right now is the pair of eagles I constantly see out of the corner of my eye. The two enormous birds are always on the wing when I finally figure out what they are and start groping for my camera.

pb
Little Pond

Happy Halloween from...

2006-10-31T11:40:00.000-05:00

Our Pink Puppy Princess!

Ready for the Bridal Shower

2006-09-19T11:58:00.000-04:00

VeggieGirl and MammaDog in warpaint.

2006-09-19T11:57:00.000-04:00

The Minister and the Maidens. The Minister is at left and the maidens are listed in the next frame.

2006-09-19T11:55:00.000-04:00

The obligatory lingerie shot. MammaDog surrounded by her maids. From the left, Pappa Dog's sister, Mamma Dog, VeggieGirl, and the Little Blonde Girl from across the street.

2006-09-19T11:53:00.001-04:00

That's Grandma of the Bride back there. She still can party with the best of them. Her favorite grandchild is in front.

2006-09-19T11:53:00.000-04:00

I can never escape the unblinking eye. This is my shower outfit, from the Dress Barn. It's what all heifers wear these days.

2006-09-19T11:51:00.000-04:00

It's only fair to show RJ as Dad. He will, of course, wear a bright, fallish tie. I will also wear a suit: we'll be twinsies!

2006-07-31T15:17:00.000-04:00

These are RJ's girls. From the left: VeggieGirl, pb, Husband RJ and MammaDog

2006-07-31T15:16:00.000-04:00

And these are Geoff's girls, sort of. From the left: MammaDog, PappaDog, HuggaMutt and VeggieGirl

2006-07-29T15:53:00.000-04:00

No evidence of the past week's vandalism that could have easily wiped out a lesser business. Let's hope the American flag won't be shamed again by what was likely teenagers being stupid.

2006-07-29T15:52:00.000-04:00

A small sampling of local encouragement greets the would-be diners just inside the front door.

2006-07-29T15:51:00.000-04:00

Waiter calculates a check near some pretty exotic fish pics on glass.

2006-07-29T15:50:00.000-04:00

Must be a famous pagoda over these diners. Note the "skylight" fakes left from Ponderosa Steak House.

2006-07-29T15:49:00.000-04:00

Big buffet presided over by a large photo of Hong Kong at night.

2006-07-29T15:48:00.000-04:00

Pretty pandas are just part of the glass menagerie.

2006-07-29T15:47:00.000-04:00

A full parking lot is the best revenge. Just before noon the place is already full.

2006-06-04T09:45:00.000-04:00

Patches in her preferred pose. We have window kitties and we have a mantle cat. She loves the camera and seems to know that we think she's beautiful. BTW, she's a torttabby, part tortoiseshell and part tabby cat.

2006-06-04T09:43:00.000-04:00

DeeDee loves the self scratcher. Low kitty on the totem pole, she learned to keep herself stroked. Such a big cuddlebunny! She's the one who sits on my lap when I blog.

2006-06-04T09:40:00.000-04:00

The first irises of the summer. Husband RJ quietly shot these for his own enjoyment. But they belong to all of us, and now, all of you.

2006-05-28T21:53:00.000-04:00

This is where I started my long, pleasant day at the Corning Classic. Thank goodness for the tent. It was a haven away from the hot sun and busy walkways. I made it my base.

2006-05-28T21:50:00.000-04:00

The grounds are cool and lovely. At any tournment, groundskeepers are cherished and honored. Perfectly groomed greens and fairways are an absolute must.

2006-05-28T21:48:00.000-04:00

The sign men and ladies hold absolute sway over the crowds. When the signs go up, conversation ends and even strollers stop.

2006-05-28T21:46:00.000-04:00

This is the last shot of the course. My next frame turned out to be an electronic sign admonishing us that only credentialled photographers are allowed!

2006-05-28T21:43:00.000-04:00

Kris works well with young people, maintains high standards and ideals, holding the kids to them. Golfing is excellent for teaching life lessons and courtesies.

2006-05-27T08:58:00.000-04:00

Sirius, the Dog Star is actually two, a binary system. Both the larger star and it's smaller, barely visible counterpart are main sequence, like our sun. Each is called an ms companion.

2006-05-27T08:56:00.000-04:00

Dee Dee and Ellie in their chair. This is essentially the pet chair, constantly being patched and hopelessly guarded by pet-begone sticky strips.

2006-05-27T08:55:00.000-04:00

Bubba and Ellie resting in Husband RJ's back room. This is not an unusual scene.

2006-05-25T11:21:00.000-04:00

Patches and Bubba. Weird and wonderful. The flash really got their attention.

2006-05-25T11:20:00.001-04:00

Baby Patches loves the camera, so it's hard to get her to pose properly.

2006-05-25T11:20:00.000-04:00

Whoops! Something got their attention, so maybe we will get a shot.

2006-05-25T11:19:00.000-04:00

Finally, perfect. Both cats looking at an interloper in the yard.

2006-05-25T11:18:00.000-04:00

Here are the Baker girls, from the left: MammaDog, VeggieGirl, BabySister and yours truly.

2006-05-07T15:32:00.000-04:00

We finally flushed them, even though they really didn't seem to mind us. Note the various sizes, there are hawks, ravens and vultures, all soaring together here.

2006-05-03T19:29:00.000-04:00

This is the keeper. I squished her eye closed, trying to keep her still. She was still being a good sport. More down below.

2006-05-03T19:28:00.000-04:00

This would have been good, but Ellie is bored to tears, reaching back to lick me. Gotta love the pooch!

2006-05-03T19:27:00.000-04:00

Unretouched closeup. Strange to still have acne at 50! No makeup or hair product here. What doesn't show: there are actually four skunk stripes that are kind of cool.

2006-04-13T09:52:00.000-04:00

So, how long are you in for? DeeDee is not crazy about the walk and only want to be with me. She's at the bottom of the pecking order and doesn't like to play with the others.

2006-04-13T09:50:00.000-04:00

All right, guys! Spread out and cover the territory. There are birds to be harassed and squirrels to hunt!

2006-04-13T09:49:00.000-04:00

Already lost interest in me. There's just too much going on in the kitchen, and they know it.

2006-04-13T09:48:00.000-04:00

View towards the neighbor's house. Note them watching the back door. Plumbers are in today, and they want in on the action.

2006-04-13T09:47:00.000-04:00

Full in the sunshine is the best. And there is usually one cat who will claim the hot spot.

2006-04-13T09:45:00.000-04:00

Just in and already they want out. Cats can drive a person nuts before he or she wises up and ignores them.

2006-04-13T09:44:00.000-04:00

This is what our neighbors see from their kitchen window. We have a leash law for cats here in Elmira, NY, USA, and all pets must be contained.

2006-04-13T09:42:00.000-04:00

Patches is one of those kitties who rolls over and over to express her happiness and love. She doesn't mind the camera, as long as we continuously coo at her.

Pretty Patches Pics

2006-03-19T19:38:00.000-05:00

Cuteness alert! Meatloaf on the room divider! Oops, the flash caught her attention. Now the meatloaf--er, Patches--has eyes and paws.

2006-03-19T19:35:00.000-05:00

Came around and tried again. I wanted as many well-lit shots as possible on such a dark winter day. Would she run away from all the attention?

2006-03-19T19:33:00.000-05:00

But she's a ham, after all. Lost interest when the flash stopped. I wanted more candid shots, but she upped and left.

pb
Little Pond

2006-03-14T15:49:00.000-05:00

Can you stand some more hedgehog photos? Ellie can't and heads for her post by the window. Sick of the whole subject, she is.

2006-03-14T15:47:00.000-05:00

Here's Kiwi! She now recognises most of us, and will happily acknowledge me with a small, smelly puddle and, well, you know. Not very cuddlesome.

2006-03-14T15:46:00.000-05:00

Note how she brings her "eyebrow" down to protect her face. No kisses here, I promise. A short hiss and some quills will keep away most people and pets.

2006-03-14T15:44:00.001-05:00

Beady little eye, and rooting around with the nose. If she weren't covered with quills, she's just be another rat or mouse.

2006-03-14T15:44:00.000-05:00

Enough with the camera, already! Where are those cat treats?

2006-02-20T09:01:00.000-05:00

This little inlet is flooded and frozen right now. In the summer it's a narrow ring around the islet to the left. Chemung River in the background. I'm quite fond of the constant change in the area, from winter to flood to lushly verdant to dry and back to winter.

2006-02-20T08:58:00.000-05:00

Down-river view, towards the city bridges. See the yellow intakes in the distance? The grass was dry and crunchy, and we could walk along the shore where we normally couldn't. Peaceful and people-less, except for yours truly...

2006-02-20T08:54:00.000-05:00

This is the scene of the belly-flat crossing last week. Wouldn't dare try it today, although it is less liquid than it looks. It's frozen over, just not very hard or thick here.

2006-02-20T08:53:00.000-05:00

Time to go home. Ellie's tired of sliding on the ice. Must be cold on her toes, too.

2006-02-18T09:05:00.000-05:00

KT's kitties, Patches and Bubba, assist with my bloggin all the time. Patches is what we've been told is a tort-tabby and Bubba is, supposedly, a blue Russian. Both are very badly trained.

Remember this from Pat's Pond?

2006-02-04T13:33:00.000-05:00

This was the first sign. Bright sunshine through the window, and our poggie hiding away. Today there's a storm heading our way from the Buffalo area. Husband RJ says it's "milking over" even as we blog!

Overdressed? Or Not?

2006-02-04T13:28:00.000-05:00

It's the beginning of February and winter has a way of teasing us. Lovely, bright days are cold; gloomy, dark days are warm. What's it going to be? We are out walking while we can. Husband RJ snapped this after a quick stroll around the block.

Ready for Cocktails.

2006-02-04T13:27:00.000-05:00

Here of course is a more formal shot of our little darling in her niche. Comfortable chair for resting, fireplace for warmth and window seat for growling, snarling and snapping at passersby. Less formal shots here.

America, Groundhog--Europe, Hedgehog

2006-02-04T13:24:00.000-05:00

This is Kiwi, our hedgie. We took her out for Groundhog day, aka Hedgehog Day in Europe. Or so I'm told. Note the "Greenies". Not interested, I guess.

Prickly Poggie

2006-02-04T13:23:00.000-05:00

Gosh she sure looks like no fun at all. I think she plain old hibernates during the times we ignore her. Rather more lively shots here.

Amazing Amaryllis

2006-02-04T13:21:00.000-05:00

This is a lucky shot. Thank heavens Husband RJ got it. By the time I remembered, the stalks were bare, bare, bare! But there will be another blooming soon. They are said to bloom only during the winter. Maybe we can count on it to fill in where Kiwi fails.

2006-01-05T08:24:00.000-05:00

On the twelfth day of Christmas we were ready to store the table wreath. Still lit and still twinkling, and all without smoke. Next year we hope to purchase a new arrangement, or a pillar candle for the center.

Through Love's Lens

2006-01-01T09:52:00.000-05:00

Taken by Husband RJ, Christmas Eve, 2005.
In formal black with crystal necklace.

Hoglet Holidays

2005-12-22T08:04:00.000-05:00

It's cuddly time! Husband RJ shot and cropped these photos, so this is his debut in our Little Pond. Kiwi likes to cuddle, but wants to explore a person first. The smirks in these pics are due to little crawly claws grabbing through my work clothes.

In no particular order...

2005-12-22T08:02:00.000-05:00

Husband RJ wants a shot of her sweet little face. Sort of like a ferret. Understand that all I can see here is an oriental chestnut sort of creature, with hind legs.

2005-12-22T07:59:00.000-05:00

The two of us are watching television. Kiwi is soft on the bottom, so she feels lovely on my hand. She likes the caress on the tummy, too.

2005-12-22T07:56:00.001-05:00

My favorite... Just when seems like the critter wants to meet me close up, it dawns on me she really just wants to jump.

2005-12-22T07:56:00.000-05:00

Moving up the arm now. It was right after this shoot, we noticed that the hoglet is indeed eating, and creating droppings.

Happy HollyDog!

2005-12-11T19:27:00.000-05:00

My little buddy immortalized on her own ornament. The work of John Pidcoe, an artist who works in various media and a number of styles, from Owego, New York. I'm always surprised and pleased when it survives another year. It heralds an enjoyable trip down memory lane, as we assemble the Christmas tree.

2005-12-11T19:23:00.000-05:00

Music boxes and tree toppers. Beanie Babies and Gunds. I'm trying to represent all ethnicities, but it is difficult to do here in Elmira. Deep in the heart of nowhere. Note the sweet Inuit angel, seated on the very edge of the crown.

2005-12-11T19:19:00.000-05:00

At the corner is the angel of the Apocalypse. Gabriel, blow your horn! My first African American angel, and one of my favorites.

2005-12-11T19:16:00.000-05:00

Two ceramic angels crafted and given to us by a former inlaw. They became the beginning of the collection seen in all our Christmas photos.

2005-12-11T19:14:00.000-05:00

Note that all ornaments along the bottom are straw, soft sculpture, resin, or other indestructible material. Wiser after some 25 years of children and pets, we are.

2005-12-11T19:11:00.000-05:00

A glorious angel. The banner reads "Peace on Earth," and it plays music. Can't remember what carol, and it doesn't matter. We rarely play it. It's out of reach. Sort of a silly feature, for us, anyway.

2005-12-11T19:08:00.000-05:00

So it's a memory tree for me. Without the lights, a little bland at first view. I tear up thinking about all the Christmases it represents. No designer creation for me. This is it.

2005-12-11T19:05:00.000-05:00

The creche has terra cotta figurines, made in Mexico back in the seventies, I think. They show their age, but were totally available to the girls, who played with them, colored over them in crayon, and chipped them a bit. In other words they were loved and now are cherished.

2005-12-11T19:03:00.000-05:00

The view from the corner now sports a glimpse into the bay window and our Christmas tree lights.

2005-12-11T19:02:00.000-05:00

A little closer, from Guinnip. We love our awnings in the summer, but they are a nuisance in the winter. And too much trouble to take down just for aesthetic purposes.

2005-12-11T19:01:00.000-05:00

In the window, Ellie eagerly awaits Santa's visit. (Actually, she's whining like crazy, because I'm outside and she's not.)

2005-12-10T19:20:00.000-05:00

Our victim is coming on radar now... The kissing ball is in the upper left. Big Christmas kiss now...

2005-12-10T19:17:00.000-05:00

No, no. To the right. Or is that your left? You missed the kissing ball by a mile.

2005-12-10T19:16:00.000-05:00

What about me? You know, I just got one cat off my lap so I could shoot this. I give up, maybe I'll just shoot the cats.

Colors from a Cold Night in December

2005-12-04T17:28:00.000-05:00

Driving by our home, you will see this from the corner. It's quite colorful, but not as flashy as past years. We had trees and globes and stars.

2005-12-04T17:26:00.000-05:00

Closeup of the porch, although the various colors are not discernable. HP PhotoSmart 315 is severely limited, really just a snapshot camera. Let's try again.

2005-12-04T17:24:00.000-05:00

A flash makes it prettier. I think we need the vigil lights for the windows, but this year we are scaling down. Maybe next year. More photos of our outdoor decorations, but dayside, below.

2005-12-04T15:15:00.000-05:00

A lovely urban view of advent in a small, country sort of city. Elmira, New York, USA. December 4, 2005. Note the rose cones protecting Husband RJ's babies. Last year we put up a ton of truly glittering, tinsel wreaths and garland. This year is subdued. At least in the back yard.

2005-12-04T15:06:00.000-05:00

The garage, way out back. We've always had this wreath out here. Used to be lit by that now dead utility light. A storm took out the service from the house two years ago.