Cowgirl Lesson #1

Recently went horseback riding with a friend in the rural countryside of central Georgia.  The spring weather was absolutely gorgeous and our ride took us all over a beautiful farm where we rode through fields, trails, and tracts of timber.  Had a fabulous time and looking forward to becoming a real 'rider.'

A Stroll in Sepia

I took a walk today.  Decided to bring my camera along.  It had just rained heavily and things were kinda dreary, so I was inspired to switch the camera into sepia mode.  Here's what I saw on my walk...

Weakened Warrior

This immature bald eagle was brought to the raptor center recently.  Some DNR people found him on the ground by a pond in a park. He was severely weakened and emaciated with a puncture wound in his chest.  We don't know exactly what's wrong with him but are trying to get his strength back up so they can do more tests.  His crop was full of beetle carapaces, so he was probably on the ground for a while trying to take care of himself.  Poor guy. 

 Snapped a few other shots of things at the center

 Took some shots of beaks and talons for an article I am writing for Untamed Science about predation....this will go under the 'morphology of a predator' section

Cacophonously Colorful Camellias

Recently went to a Camellia show put on by the local Camellia Society in Columbus, GA.  What amazing beauty and diversity in a single species of flower!!!  Enjoy these...

There were hundreds of varieties, all locally grown in the Southeast

At the end of the show, this one was gifted to me by one of the show hosts and I used it to decorate my ponytail!

To the Motherland

A few photo memoirs of a recent trip to Puerto Rico..

 El Cacique, a famous Taino sculpture

 Playa Guajataca...used to go here as a kid

 Gandules in Tia Carming's yard

 Aloe and succulents

 The beach at Rincon, a surfer's paradise

 Scuba diving in La Parguera...I saw sea fans, parrotfish, a boxfish, damselfish, sponges, sea cucumbers, tube worms, jellyfish, crabs, spiny shrimp, huge angelfish, anemonies, urchins, sea stars, and a squirrelfish.

 Lush tropical vegetation

 A tiny island on the way to the dive site

Beach in San Juan

Frolicing Fawns

A friend of mine is a local wildife rehabilitator and deer expert.  She recently called me up to tag along on a release of a young male that was brought to her by a game warden.  Some very unintelligent people were keeping this little guy in their back yard with plans of fattening him up and slaughtering him.  Silly rednecks...

At the raptor center getting ready to load up

Carrying his crate deep into the woods

Sniffing and nibbling in his new home