Flora, Fauna & Aminals (4)

Okie dokie, I got smart this time and uploaded the last batch of photos using the home computer via the picture CD, just in case my notebook wasn't up and running in time. I now present to you the last installment of Flora, Fauna & Animals for your viewing pleasure.

This shot was taken during a walk around the block. I was running into a dearth of subject material, so when I saw this relatively clean view of someone's side yard, I decided to take the picture. Not much there to look at, but from the stories I've heard, it used to be a large farm of some kind back in the early part of the 20th century. Eventually the owners (whose house you can see off to the left, subdivided and sold off parts for housing, of which you can see through the trees in the background.

There is an interesting story behind this and the next four pictures that you see. One late weekend afternoon, I was standing on my back porch getting a breath of fresh air, when I spotted our resident ducks taking a stroll through the backyard. Inspired, I ran back inside, grabbed my disposable and hoofed it back to the porch. I knelt down and stuck my camera through the railing and took a shot of the ducks. There were two, but in this shot, you can see only one (duh!) of them scrounging for food.

This one I apparently turned the camera sideways, so that I could get a better shot of them. I estimate that the one in the foreground is about three feet away from me. Yes, that is a tire swing, which is currently attached to the dead tree that is decaying in the backyard.

In this one, you can see the male duck (drake?) inching a little closer to the back porch. A couple of old summer chairs are making their presence known, and you can get a better view of the old pool deck in the far right of the photo, along with the other storage shed and the pond.

To take this shot, I leaned over the rail and aimed downwards. I have no idea about the white in the foreground except it may have been an overexposure in the camera. In any event, they were still scrounging for food, but definitely had no interest in the empty soda bottles.

Not much to describe here. Same ducks. I found it so fascinating to see ducks this up close and personal that I went hog wild taking these five pictures. Normally, I don't see any kind of wildlife in my backyard, save for the various birds that take roost in the trees. But from I've been told by the wife and kids, our backyard has been a temporary resting place for a couple of rabbits and the stray frog or two.

And no picture montage would be complete without showing you the absolute least favorite bird in the entire world of Cedar's Mountain and Shooting Suburbia. Still nasty as anything, loud as anything and has responded to the bulk of everyone's displeasure by squawking even louder and earlier than ever before. While I may like my aminals (cat and fishies), I will someday beat the absolute snot out this bird. I don't like this bird and this bird certainly doesn't like me.