Ordinary Day, Incredible Sights.

Blog Post #6350!

Saturday is a good day for sharing birds and other critters. This first beauty is not a real bird. It's a peacock made of Legos and I saw it today in Glen Burnie Gardens in Winchester. We didn't get to tour the entire exhibit because a thunderstorm moved in, so I plan to go back again before the show closes on September 3rd.

Sometimes I feel very lucky. The other day I glanced out the window and saw something tall and straight out by the lake. It was a Great Blue Heron, and my camera was handy. (I keep one with a zoom lens on a table in front of the window because our community lake attracts many birds.)

After I took a few almost-identical shots, the heron lifted up and flew. I didn't have time to focus so I just snapped a picture before he disappeared behind the trees.

I don't get lucky shots every day, but I believe that you increase your chances of seeing something remarkable if you go out and look. I took the last four photographs on Dickey Ridge in Shenandoah National Park. The cute squirrel seemed to pose for me.

The wild turkey did not, however. He was running in the picnic area and I grabbed a shot as soon as the car stopped. Although wild turkeys are not a rare sight these days, they are shy so I don't get photos of them very often.

Then I saw a mother deer and her child. She was licking him tenderly. After a while he licked her too!

I suspect the origin of "love" is the caring that a mother has for her child. It has tremendous survival benefits, keeping the offspring safe until it can take care of itself.

Isn't love incredible?