Guest host Dianne Millard of Rambling Ranger has asked us to get wild for this challenge. On her blog she says “I’m talking about Mother Nature untouched and untrammeled, allowed to get on with her work without human help or hindrance.” Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska meets all of those criteria. It’s the wildest place I’ve ever been.
The landscapes in Denali are breathtaking whether seen from land or from the air.
Wildflowers growing in the middle of the riverbedDenali Wilderness, AlaskaView from overlook on Denali Park RoadMorning walk near our campsiteMt. DenaliThe high round snow covered peak is the south peak of Mt. McKinleyFlying over a glacier in Alaska
We were always looking out for wildlife. Except for a couple of moose, most of the wildlife was too far from us to get a good close up picture.
Dall Sheep in Denali National Park, AlaskaMoose in the Denali WildernessGrizzly Bear in Denali National Park, AlaskaCaribou grazing in Denali National Park
This week’s challenge from Patti asks us to find images of objects that begins with the letter S. I chose a few objects found in or around sand or things that are made of sand.
Seashells and seals on the sandy seashore
Seashells on a Georgia seashoreClam shell on sandy beach in Haines, AlaskaHarbor Seals on a sandy beach in OregonHawaiian Monk Seal on Kauai’s North Shore in Hawaii
Sand Dunes
Great Sand Dunes National Park, ColoradoSleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Michigan
This week, Patti has asked us “show how cropping helped to improve an image and create a desired effect.”
I enjoy wildlife photography and even though I usually use a zoom lens the animal or bird I am photographing is often too far away to get a good close up. I crop many of my wildlife photos in order to make the animal the focal point of the image.
Here is the before image of a Ruby Throated Hummingbird at a feeder. The hummingbird is the focal point of the shot but he is too far away to see his face clearly and there are too many distractions around him.
Original Ruby Throated Hummingbird
After cropping the photo, I was able to get the desired effect of a closeup of the bird without all of a extra space around him.
Cropped Ruby Throated Hummingbird Male
All this spring I’ve been watching a pair of Painted Buntings who come by my feeder almost daily. This week was the first time I was able to get some photos of the female. In the original image she’s too far away and I didn’t like having the bird bath in the shot.
Original Female Painted Bunting
After the crop, the female Bunting is the star of the show.
Cropped Female Painted Bunting
The before picture of a Blanket Flower in my garden is ok, but the bricks and mulch take away from the vibrant colors of the flower.
Original Blanket Flower
When I cropped the photo into a square, the colorful flower takes center stage.
We’re not traveling as much in our fifth wheel anymore so I thought it would be fun to relive some of our most memorable days from previous RV trips. This January I am highlighting our January, 2012 snowbird trip to Florida.
Part 3 of our January, 2012 RV trip around Florida
On this day eight years ago, January 16, 2012, we were camped in Everglades National Park in Flamingo, Florida. This was the southern most location of our 2012 snowbird journey.
One of our favorite drives in Florida is Highway 41, a National Scenic Byway which goes from east and west through the Everglades. We stopped at the Oasis Visitor Center in the Big Cypress National Preserve for a look at the alligators before continuing on to the Flamingo Campground in Everglades National Park.
We stopped at the Oasis visitor center on Highway 41 to check out the alligators
Our first time camping was three years earlier (more about that stay at Throwback Thursday #13 – December 5, 2009). The big difference between our 2009 visit and this visit was they had added electricity to some of the sites. There were only a few electric sites and they were available on a first come basis so we made sure to get there early enough to score the last one! Woo hoo!
Hawk hanging around the campground in Flamingo
The sunrise was spectacular over Florida Bay.
Sunrise in Flamingo, Everglades National Park, Florida
The birding was also spectacular.
Roseate Spoonbill in Everglades National Park, Florida
Heron in Everglades National Park, Florida
Spoonbill and Egret at Mrazek Pond, Everglades National Park 2012
Cormorant Everglades National Park, Florida
Osprey on nest, Everglades National Park, Florida
Green Heron, Everglades National Park, Florida
Flamingo is remote, natural, and wild. My kind of place.
This week, Tina has challenged us to focus on things that come in twos.
I enjoy taking animal and bird photographs. As I searched through my archives I came up with a few of my favorite animal and bird pairs.
Animal pairs are fun to capture. These two Irish sheep looked right at me as if posing for this photo.
Pair of Irish Sheep
A pair of Scottish Highland Cows, Hamish and Heather, came to the fence to beg for some free food.
Pair of Highland Cows in Scotland
These next photos are some of my favorite pairs of birds. The photo at the top of the page is a pair of Bald Eagles we saw from a wildlife and glacier cruise in Valdez, Alaska.
Pair of Whooping Cranes on Texas Gulf Coast
Pair of Ospreys on the nature trail, Gulf Islands National Seashore at Ft. Pickens, Florida
Pair of great egrets at St. Augustine Alligator Farm Rookery
Wandering Dawgs 