look down

Header Challenge:look down

May 20, 2013

Normally, we keep our chin up and take on the world at eye level, which is fine for most things. But there are so many interesting observations we would miss if we did that with our cameras. Therefore, I chose "look down" for this week's Headbanger's theme. Check out my  pals for their interpretations on this theme: Fishing  Guy, Katney, Imac and Lew.

Lead mining in Galena, Illinois

Lead mining in Galena.  If you're up on your geology, that will sound redundant.  The man below isn't real; it's a mannequin, and this was taken through a thick pane of protective glass.  We couldn't venture down into the mine, but the closest access was an observatory the size of a closet.  There was a museum on the main floor with plenty of artifacts and information, though.

baby 'possum

This little fella was found in my backyard last year, and the following morning, I found him again as I was doing yard work.  We took him to a local refuge, because if he stayed around here without his momma, he'd only be coyote bait.

wee little toad

Most wild animals are shy and skittish, and that makes it difficult to get a shot off.  That was not the case with this guy.  I used a tripod and manual focus.  When I tried moving him around to a different pose, he decided he was finished with me and hopped back into the leaves.

oak leaves in shimmering lake

This was taken flat on my belly, off a pier in Wisconsin.  The sparkles in the water drew my attention, and since it was in constant motion, I wondered if I could snap a relatively sharp image, and it worked.

Speaking of being flat on my belly, that's what I did to capture the header photo, too.  I walked past a room where someone had four cats.  There was nobody inside at the time to entertain them, and this one begged for my company, but I did not open the door for fear that I would end up chasing four cats through the whole building!  So instead, I talked to this cat from the gap under the door.

hoppin' good times

The big news this weekend was soccer. The team my buddy and I coach, on which both of us have children who play... we won our first game!!! Unfortunately, we didn't take pictures.

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The rest of this weekend was crammed with all kinds of good stuff. Saturday afternoon, we went to a cookout at a friend's house. These guys really know how to throw a party. The mix of people was absolutely delightful. There were a few new faces from his family and neighbor friends... Loved it! After eating waaaay too much, and a season of friendly chatter, the siren song of their pond overcame any sense of social graces. I pulled the fishing tackle out of my van, and extended our party to the edge of the water. The fish barely nibbled. Mostly I just caught glares from the local frogs.

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One coworker tells me that the Asian way of eating is, how shall I call it? More "communal?" Everybody shares all the stuff in the middle of the table. I think I would prefer eating that way. If we did, I could have sampled a little of this, and a little of that, without feeling like I had to polish off a whole cheeseburger by myself between other savory morcels. The food was terrific. I'll say it again; this guy really knows how to throw a party!

copper frog

A frog telephones a psychic hotline and is told, "You are going to meet a beautiful young girl who will want to know everything about you."

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"Great," says the frog, "Will I meet her at a party?" "No," said the psychic, "Next year - in biology class." ...

(Arcamax joke.)

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Back in the middle of June, I was taking pictures of the sky, and a friend walked up to me, pointed to this lawn ornament and said, "Take a picture of that." So I did. The sun was already going down; it was tricky to get the copper color right.

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Is it bad that I think it's hideous? The decoration has nothing to do with anything. Somebody saw a patch of turf and decided that a copper amphibian, standing upright, holding a bucket of tiny flowers would be just the thing for this spot. Now if we had a copper theme, or a frog theme...

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Anyhoo, this is where I was aiming the camera when this episode started:

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Um... that's copper, right? Not bronze? 'Cause if it's bronze, that changes EVERYTHING!