Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #207…seeing double

Jez is our guest host for this week’s challenge and as I’m posting this on Monday morning, maybe one or two of you really are seeing double after a rough weekend. I hope not. But this challenge might make you feel that you are, even if you had an abstemious two days.

Double pizza on offer at Manhattan Pizzeria at Manhattan Beach, California. Didn’t try the pizza but enjoyed the wall art.

These two pelicans did everything together for the longest time: swam, ducked heads under the water to fish, raised wings, turned, repeated. Someone told me they often do that but I’d not seen it before. Ballet on the water.

Matching boojum trees. I’m not making this up or taking it from Dr. Seuss (of whom more later.) These “trees” are actually succulents from the occitillo family and are fascinating, protected, and expensive! You can read about them here and I promise you it’s an interesting read. The name comes from a poem by Lewis Carroll, “The Hunting of the Snark” which ends:

In the midst of the word he was trying to say,

   In the midst of his laughter and glee,

He had softly and suddenly vanished away—

   For the Snark was a Boojum, you see.

Coffee with a friend. These decorations could be a metaphor for us: although we’re not exactly the same, we are definitely a lot alike in the ways that count.

Be the sun on the right!

Bottoms up!

Yes, a repeat but it works so well for this challenge, don’t you think?

Finally, I can’t resist seeing double things here, catnip-filled things that, along with the catnip Cat in the Hat that I cropped out on the left, were a Christmas gift for our younger daughter’s cat last year.

Are you a dabbler or a diver?

“Wild ducks in North America are divided into two broad groups: the dabblers or paddle ducks, and the divers.”
― Anonymous

Most people come to the Preserve to see the birds but at this time of year, there aren’t nearly as many and there aren’t as many kinds. There are plenty of ducks, though, either dabblers or divers. This handsome male ring-necked duck falls into the diving category although at the Preserve where in one lake you’re allowed to feed the birds, the minute you walk onto the bridge, the flotilla heads towards you at top speed expecting goodies. I’m always a disappointment to them.

I believe this to be a sort of exorcist mallard, its head turned around while resting. (I never saw the movie, but I do know her head spins around at some point. His does not.) Forward or backward, he sports such lovely, deep colors on his head. Mallards are dabblers, going after food in the iconic duck-bottom-up pose. To see a group of them doing that makes me smile every time. 🙂 See?

“In terms of habitat, ducks can be found anywhere that is wet.”
― Victoria de Rijke, Duck

This trip I finally saw a female ring-necked duck (although I can’t really detect a ring on either of them). Her coloring isn’t as dramatic as the male’s but she looks more soft and mother-y, don’t you think? I can see ducklings following her or pushing up under her wings while dad’s sharp eye watches for danger. This is the first time I noticed the little hook at the end of the beak, too. The better to snag something to eat, my dear.

“Be like a duck, paddling and working very hard inside the water, but what everyone sees is a smiling and calm face.”
― Manoj Arora, From the Rat Race to Financial Freedom

I think her face looks calm although I doubt she’s worried about financial freedom. But who knows? I can’t pretend to know what a duck thinks. I do think that this is the end of this post. I hope you’re having fun dabbling in this and that today or perhaps are diving into something you really enjoy (hopefully not your food.) I’m going to duck out to do some dabbling a/o diving of my own. Enjoy Wednesday!

Bottoms up!

I’m happy to report that I’m finally almost back to normal. What a relief! Seeing ducks like this always amuses me so I thought it might be a nice way to start the week after the tension and animus of the last months. It’s not as easy as it looks to keep your derrière in the air! Their little webbed feet go like crazy to maintain that position. 🙂 After this last week, I personally am looking forward putting bottoms up to a nice glass of wine!

My, what orange feet you have!

for Six Word Saturday 10.3.20

Family Friday

How about a little dose of cuteness to get your Friday off to a good start or to make it better if you’re already part way through?

We are family.

I got all my sisters with me (or maybe brothers.) This group of cuties and their mom weren’t too afraid of me as I sat by the side of the lake. They would bunch up, for all the world like a pre-game huddle, then waddle cutely to and fro a bit before huddling up again. Not sure what the pep talk was, but it kept them coming back for more.

Did you know that the Pointer Sisters didn’t do the original “We Are Family?” The Sledge Sisters, four sisters named…you guessed it… Sledge sang it and it became their hit song. This part is particularly appropriate:

Everyone can see we’re together
As we walk on by
(And!) and we fly just like birds of a feather

but you might enjoy the whole song to get your Tuesday off to a great start.

Think your COVID hair looks weird?

for Six Word Saturday

The Riparian Preserve

As most of you already know, last week I left my canal walks, heading for The Riparian Preserve in Gilbert, Arizona. The City of Gilbert manages the seven recharge basins (lakes) to replicate wet and dry periods.

A riparian habitat or riparian zone is a type of wildlife habitat found along the banks of a river, stream, or other actively moving source of water such as a spring or waterfall. The term generally refers only to freshwater or mildly brackish habitats surrounded by vegetation and may include marshes, swamps, or bogs adjacent to rivers. The Spruce

Birds are the big draw for a large number of people. The many trails are also perfect for walking, jogging, biking, or even in some places, horseback riding. It’s also used for dog walking and fishing and…photography.

Even at 5 am, just before sunrise, everyone is out and about! There are lots of egrets rushing in all directions for juicy insects and perhaps some fish.

The duck family wasn’t too afraid of me and although Mama kept an eye on me, everyone else was busy eating and cleaning themselves.

Don’t get in a flap!

I admit it. I’ve been bored. Bored with not seeing anything new or much of anything at all on my walks, bored with dry dirt, bored with the “river” being a canal, happy to get out and walk…but bored.

Then Wednesday I went to the Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch and bored went by the board! These last few days have been cool (only up to 90F constitutes cool here) and the mornings have been below 60F. Perfect!

On the very first day, I saw some amazing things and was able to take some fantastic photos. But about an hour in, the memory card on my camera filled up! Nooooooo!! There I was, frantically trying to find photos I could delete in case another perfect opportunity came along. 🙂

Is this mom ducking her responsibilities?

for Six Word Saturday