Like most photographers, I try to stay out of the picture — at least, when it’s by accident. Sometimes it just happens.
Like here. And
oops, here.
Spot the Photographer
It’s Not Over Yet
Summer, that is — here in the Northern Hemisphere, anyway. The days are still warm, the nights comfortable. Unless it’s raining, of course. There’s been a tendency for that this year. 
Fall is coming soon, but there’s still a lot to enjoy. Hmm. could be a metaphore….
WHAT?
Oh, just thinking about fall being nearly upon us here and therefore, winter soon. Maybe it’s because I have a little summer cold (in the head that is). I remind myself that half the world is right now awaiting spring.
Must be nice to have that next.
Yeah, I know robins aren’t everywhere. They just seem that way.
We Have Rabbits Too
But I don’t seem to be able to catch any. Meanwhile, here in the suburbs, we have birds and try to feed them. This makes a nice resource for the squirrels.
Eating Well is the Best Something
This is the time of year when everyone, especially anyone selling Fall merchandise, begins to warn that summer is almost over. Not that Fall is a deterence to people who like to grill outdoors. Many a day, even in early winter, I walk out to the smell of ribs or whatever wafting through the neighborhood. Meanwhile, here are the instruments that make it all happen.
I like this one because it looks so serious and high tech.
And this one because it looks like it’s been around for a while.
Here’s one lurking.
And here’s one really lurking.
And here’s one (from last winter) patiently waiting.
More About Geese
Early Spring Duende
(for Judy Longley)
I”m out here looking for Canada
Geese. Is that anything like
a wild goose chase? I only want
to shoot them with
my camera and think
about duende
as they stiff-walk on the dead
grass, take off wildly
honking, hit the water
awkward, put their heads in
the freezing cold and shake
their oily feathers like
trash. Wings tucked, necks erect,
two of them and a duck
arrow across this pond, where
the water, today,
is gray-green and winter’s mourning
still hangs
from the trees. They don’t know
I want their picture. If they knew,
they’d have no idea
why. These frequent tourists
are out looking for their life. I’d have
to say, so am I.
Duck, Duck, But Mostly Goose
One of the many delightful things about having a pond in the neighborhood is the way it attracts wildlife — in this case, the occasional duck, but mostly geese (of the Canada variety)
And sometimes turtles. They tend to lurk at the far end of the pond. The Geese and ducks seem to get along well.
despite the dominance of geese.
I haven’t had the privilege of seeing any duck babies either.
but the geese are clearly family-oriented.
And they do sort of take over the place.
Another Kind of Bike
A lot of beautiful machines around here. These pictures were all taken in the parking lot of the complex where I live. It seems like this kind of bike is also a useful way to get around. And to look good too.
Just about any way you look at it
Even up close
And even in the winter
Why This Bird?
I’ve seen this flamingo more than once here in mid-Virginia, where you really never see any real ones, and it makes me wonder. Why a flamingo? It’s probably like those things you see on license plates (especially here in Virginia, where the privilege is cheap): sometimes obvious, but often so intensely personal, there’s no deciphering it, let alone figuring out why.
Here’s another version of a bird, this one really is from Florida (a store front in Del Rey), and also false, of course.
I’m not arguing against this sort of thing. Doesn’t it make the world more interesting? 
Well, yes, real birds are more interesting still. But require more upkeep…
Patio Figures
In the apartment complex where I live, the patios are at the front, like little front porches, which makes them a not very satisfactory place for practicing one’s tai-chi (unless one were very good, I suppose), but they do provide lots to look at.
And the beauty of it is, people are always moving in and out, so the subjects are often changing.
The artificial geese below, for example, have departed.
As have these angels.
But this icon, also departed, has long been a favorite. I don’t know what it means, or means to depicct. I imagine it to have religious significance.
or I hope so. Here’s one of mine, though he doesn’t live outdoors (he’s made of papier mache). It’s Hanuman, a god with a lovely reputation, which is more than you can say about most gods. I would put him on the patio if he could take the weather.
More About Bicycles
What better way to pick rosebuds while you can, than to fly like the wind on a bicycle?
Or just get from one desired place to another. Good exercise, good fortune. And in between, the bikes get to rest.
Or not.
Angels
This angel appeared on a neighbor’s patio one day. I admired her (I’m pretty sure it’s a female angel) and hastened to take pictures of her. Then one day, I came across her standing a little to one side instead of at the side of the front door, as she had been.
The next time I went by, she was gone. I have no idea where. It’s curious how these apparitions come and go. Just because I don’t imagine them myself, doesn’t mean I don’t think they exist. Hey, my camera thinks they exist.
These are angels too, I think, though it’s less clear. In Victorian literature they would certainly have been called so. They are still in residence in the neighborhood. At least they were yesterday. You never know.
This cherubim lives in a friend’s garden. He (pretty sure it’s a he) seems to me lonely. Or maybe he’s just feeling sympathy for the world. Or maybe he’s just been rained on once too often.
Whaddya Mean Rosebuds? 