Monthly Archives: July 2017

Halloween Pennant at Avalon

Posted on by
2

Saturday, July 29, 2017,

20170703085217-5x7wtww30

This bad boy is not a boy. It’s a female Halloween Pennant. How do I know this? Am I an expert on dragonflies? No, but I do know someone who is. Three years ago I needed help identifying a dragonfly I had seen on the south shore.A friend of mine put me in touch with an expert from the New York Dragonfly and Damselfly Survey. Annette made the identification and I came out sounding informed. This is not an easy trick. I reached out to her after I took this photo and Annette was gracious enough to help me out again. When she’s not bailing out clueless photographers, Annette is involved with  the Eastern Long Island Audubon Society as well as writing several blogs, one of which has to do with dragonflies. I invite all of you to visit her at Dragonfly Dazed. She takes wonderful photographs of these very cool insects. JK

Yellow Warbler At Avalon

Posted on by
Reply

Wednesday, July 12, 2017,

20170612084006 (1)-5x7wt2wwThese two admittedly similar photos are of a male Yellow Warbler. I came across this guy about a month ago while hiking through Avalon Park and Preserve in Stony Brook. I was walking along one of the paths that are along the edges of the farm fields when I caught a glimpse of this handsome little beast flitting from branch to branch in the canopy above. He wasn’t spending much time in any one place so I considered myself lucky to have gotten these shots. I hope you like them despite their similarities. JK

20170612084006-5x7wtwwJK

Minx: Three Final Shots

Posted on by
6

Thursday, July 6, 2017,

20170626152209-5x7twtww

This is Minxosaurus, the cat formerly known as Minx. She’s graced these pages twice before. These three pics were taken within the past week, so you’re seeing her as an old lady this time. Minx died last night while we were watching the movie “Gross Pointe Blank“, which was one of her favorite films. She always had a thing for John Cusack. 

20170626172020-5x7wtww

Minx and I had a good run. I adopted her when she was just a wee lass of about three months of age. Eighteen years later, she’d become a grand old lady while remaining a sweetheart every step of the way. This is not to say that she never had her moments. Minx was, in fact, the most annoying cat I’ve ever had. And then some.

I can still recall multiple bloody encounters when it came time to visit the vet. My blood, not hers. She was a biter as well as a scratcher. And she was quite adept at both.

Minx was very nearly named ‘Mouse’ because, as a kitten, she would follow, and attack, my mouse cursor across my computer monitor. This was both endearing and frustrating at the same time. The phrase “I’ll make Minxmeat out of you!” was uttered quite often back then. After she got over this “catch the mouse” phase, she still made my desk her home. That spot, front and center, was her favorite spot in the house. She did the lap cat thing from time to time, more so as she got older, but right in my face as I was trying to work was her favorite place to be. Thank goodness for roll-out keyboard trays.

She was also the most vocal cat I’ve ever known. That isn’t what made her so annoying, but it didn’t hurt. She meowed when the food bowl was only three quarters full. She meowed when I took too long to refill it. She meowed when she felt she was getting enough attention. She meowed when I rubbed her wrong. She meowed when I rubbed her right. She meowed when I couldn’t figure out what she meowing about. I would tease her, saying, “What is it hon? Is Timmy down a well?” That would really set her off because she hated Lassie and any other dog show and, boy oh boy, she’d really let me have it then. But there was never a minute that I didn’t keep loving her.

20170626174411-5x7wtww

Goodnight and goodbye, Sweetheart. You were wonderful, every single moment.

JK