Everything is black and white

Although when in the sleepy pod the first day I saw them these American pelicans looked, with the exception of their exceptional beaks, completely white, on this day they were showing off their underlying black decorative touches.

“Life is better in black and white!”
― Avijeet Das

“When you photograph people in color, you photograph their clothes. But when you photograph people in black and white, you photograph their souls!”
― Ted Grant

Does this count for birds, too? Stretch those wings!

“The most colorful thing in the world is black and white, it contains all colors and at the same time excludes all.”
― Vikrmn, 10 Alone

Little photo bombing snowy egret in the background.

Photo bombing again, but in aggressive cormorant black. Doesn’t the middle pelican look as if it has its proverbial hands on proverbial hips in annoyance?

It’s also Pearl Harbor Day here in the U.S. as well as my mom’s and good friend’s birthdays. Can you imagine living in California and having your birthday on Pearl Harbor Day? Not the best birthday my mom ever had!

Contrast

for One Word Sunday

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge…mirror/reflection/black & white

Pardon a second post for the day, but when I visited Cee’s site, I saw that three of her Fun Foto Challenge themes, mirror, black and white, and reflection, could be encompassed by one photo I took some years ago and still really like.  So without further ado…

Pond

While at one of the tent shows in Arizona, I saw this pond.  At the angle I took the shot, the effect was naturally (almost) black and white.  I had a wonderful time visiting my parents.  Now that I’m back, I’m working quite a lot and struggling to keep up with my blog and yours.  I’m looking forward to a relaxing weekend and I hope yours is the same.

Silent Sunday…lines

Black and white, day 7…glowing

I’m playing around just a bit with the “rules” for my last B&W entry, using a focal B&W edit to leave a bit of the light in the shot.  Yeah, that’s about as radical as I get.  🙂  Back from a great time in Philadelphia being Mom and friend with our younger daughter.  Yes, Dan, there will be doors, although not this week, as Thursday is Thanksgiving and although we’ll be on our own, it will be a day off of extraneous things, even though blogging is something for which I’m very thankful.  Happy Tuesday, all.

Wordless Wednesday/B&W Day 6…standoff

B&W Day 5…Living on the edge

One of the pleasures of visiting my parents in Arizona is not only the opportunity to be warm in winter, but to sometimes dip into another culture.  Montezuma Castle, not far from Sedona, looks great for being over 800 years old.  The Sinagua who lived here used a combination of hunting/gathering and subsistence agriculture to live until sometime in the 15th century, they left for no apparent reason.

Originally, visitors were allowed to go through the cliff dwellings, but that eventually stopped to better preserve the site.  That move allowed the site to be one of the best preserved cliff dwellings in the United States.  Visit if you get a chance.

B&W Day 4…It’s coming!

The colors of fall have finally arrived and are reaching their peak.  But we know that on the other side are scenes like this.  I’m good with that.  I love winter and I love snow.  Without snow, winter is perpetually grey, cold, and boring.  With snow, it’s Christmas every day.

Falling Snow
Amy Lowell

The snow whispers around me
And my wooden clogs
Leave holes behind me in the snow.
But no one will pass this way
Seeking my footsteps,
And when the temple bell rings again
They will be covered and gone.

Linking to Ailsa’s Travel Theme “Frozen.”

 

Silent Sunday…Spikey