More Food Porn

Since we get so many vegetables from our CSA farmer, I'm always looking for new recipes.

I came across this one for Vegetable Manicotti in the magazine "Everyday with Rachel Ray" and thought I'd give it a try. Here's a link to her recipe and here's my picture:

Jacki... Meet Blackie

And This is the Smart Dog

We've always thought Blackie was the smarter of our two dogs... too smart.

Today I emptied a bag of cat food into the container and let the dogs play with the bag (and snack on any kibble left in the bag). Blackie proceeded to get her head totally inside the bag and sat there with it on for over three minutes. I had time to get the camera and take over 25 pictures (none very good... dang those black dogs). But here she is in all her brilliance.

Elusive Double Rainbow

Had an absolutely gorgeous double rainbow yesterday evening but the perfect picture eluded me.

I should have worked harder at this one. This house has been on the market for over six months and perhaps the realtor could have used my picture to help sell the property. (This is a pre-fab, site build log home. Was the oddest thing. All the exterior walls [windows installed] came delivered to the site on two flat-beds. The shell was up in a day.)



Here's the other end of the rainbow:

Flicker-Mania

I was so excited the other day when I was able to snap a shot of an immature Northern Flicker. Imagine my surprise the other morning when I saw six of them lined up on five adjacent fence posts. Unfortnately I had no way to get them all in one shot but here's four on three posts. (There are two on the far left post.)



And two closer shots of the pair on one post:

Unfortunate Name

Saw this campaign sign in a truck the other day. Couldn't help but think that this county commissioner has an unfortunate name and an even more unfortunate campaign slogan. Sounds like a porno movie to me. (You've all heard of "Driving Miss Daisy"; here's the sex corollary "Keep Kellie Hotter". OK, it's a stretch but there just seems like there's something WRONG with this slogan.)

A Table for Four

Using a tripod helped a lot in getting a better hummer picture:



Afternoon sunshine helped even more:

Too Dark for Hummers

We've been graced by hords (herds?) of hummingbirds this year and tonight was no exception. After the hummers had gone through a quart of nectar since noon, I refilled their feeders at about 8 p.m. and they decended upon us like locusts. Unfortunately it was a tad dark and my hand a tad unsteady so we have some graininess to the picture today. I'll try mid-day tomorrow.

Decker - Good Dog

When I fill the hummingbird feeders I have two very attentive helpers; Blackie and Decker. When I water the tomatoes, they are usually just as attentive. Today was so hot that Decker decided to relax on the shady front porch while I watered. Here he is in his sticky, dirty glory. (By helping with the hummingbirds I mean they stand under the feeder slurping up any sugar water I spill and then they roll in the dirt.)

Immature Northern Flicker

I was going to bore everyone with another smoke plume photo but the photo op and the fire petered out.

Instead though, while outside I spied an immature Northern Flicker on our fence post (about 20 yards from our front porch). While I was able to capture it with the telephoto lens, I realize I need to use my tripod for such shots.

Summertime, Firetime

The department was called out to help on this fire yesterday. This is about xx miles from the house on Ute Mountain Ute tribal land. Most of our personnel and apparatus were still busy from Tuesday's Vista fire so we had few resources to spare. I actually reported to the station to act as "Refueling Technician" (ran the gas pump) but at least I was there if anyone needed me. Turns out we really didn't "do" anything to help on this fire. I think today (Friday) we are shuttling water to them.

Once again, regular lens:



and telephoto:

Another Day, Another 'hopper

Just a different take on the old grasshopper. Instead of getting right on top of the beast and using the macro lens, I stepped back and used the telephoto.