New Sony RX 10- IV~

On November 10, 2017November 11, 2017 By cindy knokeIn Conservation, Flowers, GARDENING AT THE HOLLER, HOLLER HAPPENINGS, MY PHOTOGRAPHS, REVERIES312 Comments

Yesterday my new camera arrived and I have been practising with it, taking first photos around The Holler. (Click to enlarge the bees to see the details).

It is getting detail and is super fast, but will require more practice.

I was planning to use the camera mostly for landscapes, so I was pleasantly surprised with these first-attempt macros.

You can see some of the detail capability in this Datura or Moonflower. Moonflowers are night-blooming and belong to the nightshade family. They are poisonous and are pollinated at night by Sphinx and Hawk Moths. Native Americans used Moonflowers in sacred ceremonies as a hallucinogen.

These Night Blooming Cereus flowers were taken with my older, trusty HX400, which is still my go to bird and wildlife camera. The flowers grow on the tallest cactus in the world, Cereus Peruvians. Ours is over 30 feet tall! It’s flowers are as big as plates and open only at night. The tree generates tons of fruit called Peruvian Apples that are crunchy, sweet, and delicious!

Cheers to you from Sony’s views~

Parrot Fever~

On November 4, 2017November 4, 2017 By cindy knokeIn Birds, Conservation, MY PHOTOGRAPHS, REVERIES, Wild Life328 Comments

Parrots prove that Mother Nature,

likes to rock the color quotient.

I think she has parrot fever,

and she gave it to me!

Do you think these cuties know how gorgeous they are?

The clue is in their eyes,

and their flirtatious dispositions!

Cheers to you and I hope you catch the parrot fever too~

French Old Wooden Treasures~

On October 30, 2017October 30, 2017 By cindy knokeIn Conservation, EXTERIOR & INTERIOR DESIGN, MY PHOTOGRAPHS, REVERIES, TRAVEL REVIEWS201 Comments

The Alsatian Museum in Strasbourg France is located in three adjoining homes built in the 1600’s.

All the homes have inner courtyards with multi-storied covered walkways.

We stayed in the Hotel Corbeau nearby that was similar in style and built in 1528.

The museum homes are filled with over 5000 artifacts depicting everyday life.

Hand carved and painted woodwork is especially charming as you see in this very cozy bed.

Flour mill spouts attest to the emphasis placed on artistry in everyday living.

Many homes of this era contained family businesses like this old pharmacy.

This typical traveling prayer case demonstrates both faithful devotion and an artistic sensibility.
Cheers to you from the old wooden treasures of France~

Dear Sierra~

On October 24, 2017October 27, 2017 By cindy knokeIn Conservation, MY PHOTOGRAPHS, REVERIES, TRAVEL REVIEWS, Wild Life227 Comments

This dear came up so close that I temporarily lost focus!

Deer clearly have the right of way in the High Sierra. The doggie seemed too stunned to bark!

Kind people, and dogs, yield to them, and they seemed to expect this from us, smart dears.

We could have easily touched them, but didn’t.

They fawns even nursed in front of us, but I spared you the photo because it was mostly fawn tushy!

They have such a pretty home,

and it is quite an honor to share it with them.

The photo below is Devil’s Postpile which was created about 100,000 years ago from lava flow and is made of basalt. Glaciers later carved and polished the stone towers which are up to 600 feet tall. Devil’s Postpile is a 798 acre National Monument established in 1911 that hopefully will remain a monument and protected. It is transected by both the Pacific Coast Trail and the John Muir Trail.

Cheers to you from the dear-deer in the Eastern Sierra~

Shy Guys~

On October 18, 2017October 22, 2017 By cindy knokeIn Birds, Conservation, HOLLER HAPPENINGS, MY PHOTOGRAPHS, REVERIES, Wild Life228 Comments

Check out some of The Holler’s shy guys like this very skittish Yellow Breasted Chat.

Black Phoebe’s are some of my favorite birds.

They sleep under our porch roof all year and will not budge from the perch in winter. It’s too cold to move!

They are avid people watchers.

Acorn Woodpeckers are extremely shy at The Holler, and hard to capture, because they have large oak groves to select acorns from and rarely bother to visit the feeders.

They always seem to know where I am before I do!

Mockingbirds only visit the bird baths on very hot days.

This Scrub Jay is worse for wear. It looks like something, probably the Roadrunner, grabbed him by the neck.

But he got away and recovered, helped by copious quantities of Holler seeds.

Spotted Towhees are very rare Holler visitors.

And then of course we have very shy Squirrely who thinks he’s a bird.
Cheers to you from The Holler shy guys~

Fall Fell~

On October 12, 2017October 14, 2017 By cindy knokeIn Conservation, MY PHOTOGRAPHS, REVERIES, TRAVEL REVIEWS, Wild Life218 Comments

In the Eastern Sierra.

Casting trees in autumnal hues,

fringing lakes in liquid gold.

Creatures are scarce now,

as winter waits,

to toss her veil.

Cheers to you from the Sierras in the fall and prayers for those in the path of fire~

Living Gold~

On October 7, 2017October 7, 2017 By cindy knokeIn Conservation, MY PHOTOGRAPHS, REVERIES, TRAVEL REVIEWS193 Comments

Walking under a canopy,

of glittering gold,

all you see is light

and life.

A fairy forest,

in the high Sierra.

Cheers to you from the Aspens in the fall~

The Cabin on the Lake~

On October 3, 2017October 4, 2017 By cindy knokeIn Conservation, MY PHOTOGRAPHS, REVERIES, TRAVEL REVIEWS, Wild Life268 Comments

I have always wanted to stay for an extended period of time on a high mountain lake,

in the Eastern Sierras, far from people,

in the fall,

when the leaves change,

in a cabin,

on the lakeshore.

As the temperature drops each day,

critters have time to prepare for winter. (Golden Mantled Squirrel)

Winter still holds herself back.

Tonite it will be 21 degrees F.

Cheers to you from the beauty, refuge, and safety, of the wilderness (chipmunk)~

Foundlings~

On September 28, 2017September 29, 2017 By cindy knokeIn Conservation, EXTERIOR & INTERIOR DESIGN, MY PHOTOGRAPHS, REVERIES, TRAVEL REVIEWS159 Comments

These are foundling fotos. (Hotel stairway, Lisbon).

Photos I don’t have a place for. (Selfridges elevator, Museum of London).

They stand alone. (Mask shop, Venice).

Unique in themselves. (Slava Ilyayev seriagraph, Budapest).

Somehow they form connection. (Gaudi’s buildings, Barcelona).

A match made of artistry. (Palau Guell, Barcelona).

Cheers to you from beauty that stands alone. (Pier, Corfu)~
Note: Photos 2 & 4 make nice desktop backgrounds. Feel free to use them if you want a change.

The Holler Spa~

On September 22, 2017September 22, 2017 By cindy knokeIn Birds, Conservation, HOLLER HAPPENINGS, MY PHOTOGRAPHS, REVERIES, Wild Life305 Comments

I love The Holler Spa! First of all, they have an all you can eat buffet which I take full advantage of!

You get to swim in the spa pools, for as long as you want!

Few things feel better than being well fed and well bathed.

I especially like soaking my tail, it needs the extra moisture.

I could also use a manicure, but they don’t offer that here, which is a significant demerit.

But, there is nothing quite like a sunny day at The Holler Spa!

Unfortunately, they let the riff-raff in, like this very pushy thrasher.

The even more really-rude-roadrunner, thinks he belongs on the owner’s table!

The snobby goldfinch is so annoying. She is over prized by the owners, only because she scarcely ever bothers to show up here!
It’s a good spa, but the management could use some improvement.
Cheers to you from The Holler spa~