Crops & Clips: Flashback to December, 2013

This post concludes two years of monthly searches through my photo archives for images which match the themes of critters, fences, skies, flowers, macros and reflections. This is a peek through the retroscope at photos taken three years ago, in December, 2013. 

This process brings to mind the creatures and sights I might expect to see once again at this time of year. Let's see how far I need to go into the month to find at least one for each meme. I have won this self-imposed contest twenty-four months in a row since starting in January, 2015. It has been fun but I must decide whether to continue.

It was a colorful month, with a spectacular rainbow followed the next morning by a brilliant sunrise over our back yard lake, on December 26 (click on images for expanded views):





On the day before Christmas, sun, spider silk and dewdrops had combined to produce a rainbow effect:



A Common Buckeye carried its own rainbow colors:



A Boat-tailed Grackle's iridescent cloak added to the mix:



The palette included this back-lit Tricolored Heron:



The Lantana was not content to exhibit only one hue in its flowers...



...as well as its berries:



The frontal shield of a Gray-headed Swamphen glares as, parrot-like, it uses its prehensile foot to uproot a tasty shoot of spike-rush:



A male Anhinga dons turquoise goggles for the breeding season:



More primary color is contributed by this male Northern Cardinal:



A Great Egret's white reflects on blue:



Its background colors show through as this huge Green Iguana fades with age (click on image for better view):



Green shows up well on these female Painted Buntings as they splash in a mud puddle:



The American Kestrel is a bright little falcon:



The "eyes had it" in December, starting with these Burrowing Owls...



...those of a pair of Egyptian Geese...



...a vignetted Great Horned Owl...



...and my reflection in the eye of this Gray Squirrel:



Look closely-- that indeed is me with my hat and camera!



Alas, on first try I found no fence for Theresa's meme. Maybe those far-away fences in the rainbow photo will suffice. Another search provided a better example. Our home is the brownish one on the left without a fence, but look at those of some of my neighbors across the water!



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Linking to Misty's  CAMERA CRITTERS,

Linking to Eileen's SATURDAY'S CRITTERS,

Linking to GOOD FENCES by Gosia

Linking to SKYWATCH FRIDAY by Yogi, Sylvia and Sandy

Linking to WEEKEND REFLECTIONS by James

Linking to BirdD'Pot by Anni

Linking to Wild Bird Wednesday by Stewart

Linking to Today's Flowers Friday by Denise

Linking to Wordless Wednesday (on Tuesday) by NC Sue
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Please visit the links to all these memes to see some excellent photos on display

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Crops & Clips: Flashback to November, 2013

Continuing my monthly search through my photo archives for images which match the themes of critters, fences, skies, flowers, macros and reflections. This is a peek through the retroscope at photos taken three years ago, in November, 2013. 

This process brings to mind the creatures and sights I might expect to see once again at this time of year. Let's see how far I need to go into the month to find at least one for each meme. I have won this self-imposed contest twenty-three months in a row since starting in January, 2015. 

We began the month with a flight to visit our son and family in Amarillo, Texas. They live near Palo Duro Canyon State Park, a deep gorge carved through the red limestone of the Texas Panhandle. This is at the The Lighthouse Rock Trailhead:



I mistook this "hoodoo" rock formation for The Lighthouse, which is similar but much larger and can only be approached by way of back trails. Next to it is Castle Peak.



At the Park we found this Fence Lizard with a spider clinging tenaciously to its head. Was the spider attempting to envenomate the reptile?



We had a pleasant time with our grandchildren, exploring some of the restored ruins:



We visited a nicely situated water feature with a convenient blind ("hide"): 



Among the thirsty visitors to this oasis in the arid canyon, a Northern Cardinal...



...a Spotted Towhee...



...and a handsome White-crowned Sparrow:



The next morning, back at our motel in the city of Canyon, an ominous roll cloud moved overhead, from one horizon to the other:



We then drove westward to the Sandia Mountains of New Mexico, watching the roll cloud as it disappeared to the south. We arrived at Sandia Crest House (Elevation 10, 678 feet/3,255 m) in time for lunch (November 4):



The deck of Crest House provides a breathtaking view of the City of Albuquerque almost a mile below (Since the Fence Lizard may not qualify, this also serves for the "Good Fences" meme):





We hoped to see our namesake rosy-finches during the two mornings we visited Crest House, but they had not yet appeared. On the first day the feeders were otherwise very active and the light was great for photography. A sampling-- Steller's Jay:



Red-breasted Nuthatch:



White-breasted Nuthatch:



Weather conditions deteriorated rapidly the next morning and we encountered blizzard conditions. Three inches of snow had already fallen by the time  we got to the top of the mountain, and visibility was near zero:



We descended to the valley and enjoyed fair skies at Rio Grande Nature Center. Male Wood Duck in the pond:



The migrating rosy-finches arrived the next day, just as we departed for home. This is a view of Sandia Crest (the highest peak in the distance, left of center) from the window of our aircraft. With a few million more megapixels we might have been able to see them!:



I have only gotten through the first five days of the month and accomplished my goal except for a photo of a flower and a decent reflection. I obtained this reflection back in Florida on November 18:



My flower entry is a Florida "squeaker," consisting of these little white ones surrounding a Burrowing Owl in Brian Piccolo Park on November 14: 



Note-- Just before we returned to Florida we got news that my Brother-in-Law is seriously ill. My schedule and travels are rather uncertain for the next week and I may not get much computer time but will try to catch up on correspondence when things settle down. Thanks so much for visiting my page.

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Linking to Misty's  CAMERA CRITTERS,

Linking to Eileen's SATURDAY'S CRITTERS,

Linking to GOOD FENCES by Tex (Theresa). 

Linking to SKYWATCH FRIDAY by Yogi, Sylvia and Sandy

Linking to WEEKEND REFLECTIONS by James

Linking to BirdD'Pot by Anni

Linking to Wild Bird Wednesday by Stewart

Linking to Today's Flowers Friday by Denise

Linking to Wordless Wednesday (on Tuesday) by NC Sue
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Please visit the links to all these memes to see some excellent photos on display

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Crops & Clips: July, 2012 Meme Mashup

This month's potpourri gathered from the archives features photos taken three years ago, in July, 2012. Actually it is a scavenger hunt, as at that time I did not seek to portray each of these memes (CRITTERS, SKY, REFLECTION, FENCE, MACRO). Let's see how far I need to go into the month to find at least one of each. If I can get them all I will have won the game seven months in a row.

CRITTERS:

We started the month at our second home in NE Illinois, where most of the birds were still busy raising their families. My first photo of the month, on July 5, 2012, featured this abundant warbler of the prairies, appropriately named Common Yellowthroat:



Two days later, along the street next to our condo I encountered two majestic raptors, a Red-tailed Hawk...



...and an American Kestrel:



A cute baby Tree Swallow posed for me atop its nest box on July 10:



On the same day a male Indigo Bunting thrilled me with its color:



A Dickcissel sang to us on July 17, just before we returned to our Florida home:



Back in Florida on July 24, a beautiful eight-point White-tailed buck emerged from the side of the path into our local wetlands:



At the local rookery, a Yellow-crowned Night-Heron nestling crouched low, also on July 24, 2012:



Linking to Misty's  CAMERA CRITTERS,

Linking to Eileen's SATURDAY'S CRITTERS,

 Linking to I Heart Macro by Laura

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REFLECTION:

I caught my first reflection of the month on July 12, when a Bald Eagle carried off a duckling at nearby Nelson Lake:

Linking to WEEKEND REFLECTIONS by James

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FENCE:

A visit from our Illinois granddaughters at the end of July saved me from the disaster of not having randomly included any fences this month's photos (July 27, 2012):



In fairness, I also must show our younger Nieta. They were here before embarking on a Caribbean cruise to celebrate their Miami cousin's Quinceañera (fifteenth birthday):



Linking to GOOD FENCES by Tex (Theresa). 

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SKIES:

I finally captured a skyscape from the back patio as clouds moved in from the ocean at sunrise, July 30, one day before the deadline I set for this game:



Linking to SKYWATCH FRIDAY by Yogi, Sylvia and Sandy

Linking to BirdD'Pot by Anni

Linking to Wild Bird Wednesday by Stewart

________________________________________________

Please visit the links to all these memes to see some excellent photos on display

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