Post a good thing that happened in your life today

[Cecile Marion]

I can totally understand, Paulette. 

[Betty LaRue]

I lived in 10 apartments in the 3 1/2 years Bob was in the AF after we married. We kept running from cockroaches in Texas. We finally found one the landlord had sprayed every month. South Texas is buggy and you put saddles on the mosquitoes.
This is the 9th move since then. Two apartments, 7 houses.

[Bryan]

Got to see our third grandchild again yesterday, he's coming up to to a year old and has started to walk. Took him to see the swans in Roundhay Park, Leeds and he had a go on the swings.  No crying was heard.  Shot some video.

 

At the other end of the age spectrum, we attended a one year Covid postponed golden wedding party last night, along with other old friends.

 

Life starting to get back to normal. 🙂

[sb photos]

Yesterday evening shot some reportage, first for a while. Hoped to edit and upload last night, but there were more keepers than expected and I got home late. I only finished the images shot with the 70-300 lens. Will complete and upload later today. Today heading west down the M4 to an event related to one of my hobbies. May shoot some personal documentary photography there. There is nearby a company's premises I want to shoot. Hopefully the weather won't be too bad. Setting off now.

[dunstun365]

My aunt arrived in the UK (Boston) yesterday from California and doesn't even have to self isolate as the gov lifted restrictions for US & EU travelers if they're fully vaccinated. She still has to take the covid test thou.

[Betty LaRue]

My first of five Monarch butterflies emerged from its chrysalis at noon today. Success, perfect! I left it in the cage for three hours until it’s wings were inflated and dry, then released it at 3 pm. It flew over my house and disappeared.
 

It is one of the butterflies that will lay eggs for the last batch that will migrate to Mexico. It will only live about three weeks, long enough to breed and lay eggs. I’m very happy to play a part in saving the Monarch  butterflies from extinction.

4 more to go. The next one should emerge either tomorrow or the next day.

A previous shot…

 

 

Edited August 3, 2021 by Betty LaRue

[Allan Bell]

8 minutes ago, Betty LaRue said:

My first of five Monarch butterflies emerged from its chrysalis at noon today. Success, perfect! I left it in the cage for three hours until it’s wings were inflated and dry, then released it at 3 pm. It flew over my house and disappeared.
 

It is one of the butterflies that will lay eggs for the last batch that will migrate to Mexico. It will only live about three weeks, long enough to breed and lay eggs. I’m very happy to play a part in saving the Monarch  butterflies from extension.

4 more to go. The next one should emerge either tomorrow or the next day.

A previous shot…

 

 

 

Beautiful.

 

Allan

 

[Betty LaRue]

1 minute ago, Allan Bell said:

 

Beautiful.

 

Allan

 

❤️

[NYCat]

15 minutes ago, Betty LaRue said:

My first of five Monarch butterflies emerged from its chrysalis at noon today. Success, perfect! I left it in the cage for three hours until it’s wings were inflated and dry, then released it at 3 pm. It flew over my house and disappeared.
 

It is one of the butterflies that will lay eggs for the last batch that will migrate to Mexico. It will only live about three weeks, long enough to breed and lay eggs. I’m very happy to play a part in saving the Monarch  butterflies from extension.

4 more to go. The next one should emerge either tomorrow or the next day.

A previous shot…

 

 

 

Oh Happy Day!

 

Paulette

[Michael Ventura]

1 hour ago, Betty LaRue said:

My first of five Monarch butterflies emerged from its chrysalis at noon today. Success, perfect! I left it in the cage for three hours until it’s wings were inflated and dry, then released it at 3 pm. It flew over my house and disappeared.
 

It is one of the butterflies that will lay eggs for the last batch that will migrate to Mexico. It will only live about three weeks, long enough to breed and lay eggs. I’m very happy to play a part in saving the Monarch  butterflies from extension.

4 more to go. The next one should emerge either tomorrow or the next day.

A previous shot…

 

 

What a nice story and good deed!

[Sharon]

Got the outside windows washed this morning.... don`t know where I got the energy from, but sure feels good!.. Just hope the birdies don`t over indulge on fermenting berries and attack their reflections.

[Bryan]

4 hours ago, Betty LaRue said:

My first of five Monarch butterflies emerged from its chrysalis at noon today. Success, perfect! I left it in the cage for three hours until it’s wings were inflated and dry, then released it at 3 pm. It flew over my house and disappeared.
 

It is one of the butterflies that will lay eggs for the last batch that will migrate to Mexico. It will only live about three weeks, long enough to breed and lay eggs. I’m very happy to play a part in saving the Monarch  butterflies from extension.

4 more to go. The next one should emerge either tomorrow or the next day.

 

Heartwarming story and nice photo. I might be tempted to shoot the colourful butterflies that gather around our buddleia bush. 

 

Makes a change from chasing and trying, generally unsuccessfully, to kill the all too numerous cabbage whites that pollute the brassicas on the allotment. Actually I could take some photos of them, might as well make the best of the situation.

[Betty LaRue]

1 hour ago, Bryan said:

 

Heartwarming story and nice photo. I might be tempted to shoot the colourful butterflies that gather around our buddleia bush. 

 

Makes a change from chasing and trying, generally unsuccessfully, to kill the all too numerous cabbage whites that pollute the brassicas on the allotment. Actually I could take some photos of them, might as well make the best of the situation.

Yes!

[Betty LaRue]

Sorry, I just noticed predictive text changed my “extinction” word to something else. I get so tired of that. I usually read over and catch those, but that one slipped by me. I corrected it. Too late! 😬

Thank you all for the nice responses!

As you may have read when I started with the eggs, I had told myself I wouldn’t try to raise them again. Last year, I had two. Right when the first one made a J hook right before forming a chrysalis, a big fat maggot burst out of it and killed it. The predator flies lay eggs on the monarch eggs or tiny caterpillars, then the fly egg hatches and burrows into the Monarch egg or tiny caterpillar while still outdoors and  before I find them. So after feeding the caterpillar from when it was so small you could barely see it until it was big, I lost it.

The one I had left made a chrysalis and emerged as a butterfly. But when it emerged, it fell to the bottom of the cage, injured itself and couldn’t totally inflate its wings. It died.

I cried buckets over those two, like they were beloved pets. I know. Kinda over the top, eh? I think the older I get, the easier I cry.  I don’t know what possessed me to try again, but it’s like I couldn’t not try when I saw the eggs on my milkweed. Only around 4% of eggs make it to become butterflies, and the Monarch population is threatened. Last year, I saw maybe a dozen, this year I saw one. 30 years ago, they were everywhere.

 

This year, in case I had a clumsy new butterfly again, I had a fluffy small towel in the bottom of the cage. It didn’t fall, but wouldn’t have hurt itself if it had. I just might be getting more knowledgeable about fostering.

To start it all off, I bought expensive milkweed plants last spring since milkweed is the only plant Monarchs will lay eggs on, and the only plant leaves the caterpillars will eat. I planted five plants and only lost one to the Big Freeze we had. They are planted in a bed in my side yard, next to my tomato bed.

 

[John Mitchell]

Speaking of monarch butterflies, I was lucky enough to visit one of the monarch butterfly reserves in Michoacan, Mexico, about 20 years ago (Yikes! Time flies). It was a long hike up the mountain but well worth the effort. The millions of monarchs clinging to the pine trees is a remarkable sight. They are amazingly resilient little critters. We don't see any monarchs here in Vancouver. However, I remember seeing plenty of them when growing up in Quebec. 

 

P.S. When I scanned my slides from this trip, I discovered that most of them weren't sharp enough for Alamy even though I had successfully used them to illustrate articles that I had written about the sanctuaries. There are now plenty of images on Alamy.

 

 

Edited August 4, 2021 by John Mitchell

[Betty LaRue]

1 hour ago, John Mitchell said:

Speaking of monarch butterflies, I was lucky enough to visit one of the monarch butterfly reserves in Michoacan, Mexico, about 20 years ago (Yikes! Time flies). It was a long hike up the mountain but well worth the effort. The millions of monarchs clinging to the pine trees is a remarkable sight. They are amazingly resilient little critters. We don't see any monarchs here in Vancouver. However, I remember seeing plenty of them when growing up in Quebec. 

 

P.S. When I scanned my slides from this trip, I discovered that most of them weren't sharp enough for Alamy even though I had successfully used them to illustrate articles that I had written about the sanctuaries. There are now plenty of images on Alamy.

 

 

To see that sight would be wondrous for me, John. Lucky you. But I know the pain of having a once in a lifetime opportunity and coming away with images just off good enough. It’s rather painful and hard to let go of for me.
 

I just released my third Monarch after midday. The second emerged at 5 yesterday afternoon, but there wasn’t enough time for its wings to dry and release her before dark. They need time in the sun. I released her about 10 am this morning. Then the 3rd emerged at 10:30, and I released “him” 3 hours later. Two to go, and I think it will be 1-3 days before they are ready to emerge.

The males have a spot on each wing in the black channels that identify them as males. Two females, one male so far.

[Betty LaRue]

Very nice happening today. My son purchased an automatic car wash membership a month ago. He noted he could add another family member, so he called me this morning to get my car tag info, then added me. I just tested it and sailed right through.

No more of me being a skinflint and pulling my car out in the rain to get it clean.

Heaven knows this summer we haven’t had but about two “car wash” rains. I kind of hate to get rid of my skinflint tag, though.
 

Oh, yeah! I cut my own hair, and do my own mani/pedis.

I can hang onto that designation.

As far as the haircuts go, I must do ok because now and then some strange woman, while shopping, will ask what salon cut my hair. I’ve always taken it as a compliment, but on second thought, they might simply want to know what salon to avoid.

Edited August 4, 2021 by Betty LaRue

[sb photos]

This afternoon I eyed up the old used cameras in my local Oxfam shop. I saw 2 that I used to own long ago, an Olympus Trip and a Werramat. I'd often considered collecting examples of all the old film cameras I previously owned. Luckily in most cases Oxfam was closed, as they usually close earlier than most shops. Today they were open, rather worrying. The original Olympus Trip used to be my first compact camera that went everywhere with me (now a Sony RX100). I once shot Margaret Thatcher with the Trip before she was Prime Minister during a shopping centre walk about. The Trip was later replaced by various Olympus or Canon rangefinder cameras. The Trip was given to my mother, she put it to good use. The Werramat was an interesting camera, turning a ring around the fixed lens to wind on. The protective cover that screwed over the lens doubled as the lens hood. It went places where I didn't want to risk better cameras.  Eventually it died when it was dropped onto a pavement or road. Its last use was to photograph a hippy gathering at Stonehenge. My keepers from Stonehenge came from the following years trip, shot with an OM1 and mainly the Zuiko 28mm. I surprised my self, I still have will power, I walked away empty handed.

Edited August 4, 2021 by sb photos

[John Mitchell]

46 minutes ago, Betty LaRue said:

To see that sight would be wondrous for me, John. Lucky you. But I know the pain of having a once in a lifetime opportunity and coming away with images just off good enough. It’s rather painful and hard to let go of for me.
 

I just released my third Monarch after midday. The second emerged at 5 yesterday afternoon, but there wasn’t enough time for its wings to dry and release her before dark. They need time in the sun. I released her about 10 am this morning. Then the 3rd emerged at 10:30, and I released “him” 3 hours later. Two to go, and I think it will be 1-3 days before they are ready to emerge.

The males have a spot on each wing in the black channels that identify them as males. Two females, one male so far.

 

OTOH, the fuzzy pics are a good excuse to go back. I'm pretty sure that I could still make it up the mountain. 🦋

 

Good for you. Do you plant milkweed? It sounds like a helpful thing to do.

 

Milkweed used to grow all over the place in rural Quebec, where I lived as a kid. It's not exactly a pretty plant, and the "milk" sticks to your skin and clothes. However, the monarchs thrive on it, as I'm sure you know.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 4, 2021 by John Mitchell

[Betty LaRue]

15 minutes ago, John Mitchell said:

 

OTOH, the fuzzy pics are a good excuse to go back. I'm pretty sure that I could still make it up the mountain. 🦋

 

Good for you. Do you plant milkweed? It sounds like a helpful thing to do.

 

Milkweed used to grow all over the place in rural Quebec, where I lived as a kid. It's not exactly a pretty plant, and the "milk" sticks to your skin and clothes. However, the monarchs thrive on it, as I'm sure you know.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes, I planted 5 milkweed plants  last spring. They are where I found my 4 eggs and one caterpillar that I raised. They aren’t the common milkweed you usually see growing wild, but somewhat tamer, garden-friendly varieties. Some can send out below-ground tentacles that can take over a yard. Mine can’t do that.

 

No way could I make it up the mountain. My back won’t allow me to make it around the block, especially since I have a leg trying to go numb. I have a handicapped placard for my car, because I can’t walk too far. Some of our parking lots are huge.

The dreaded surgery might be down the road. I’ll be getting an MRI before long.

Edited August 4, 2021 by Betty LaRue

[John Mitchell]

18 minutes ago, Betty LaRue said:

Yes, I planted 5 milkweed plants  last spring. They are where I found my 4 eggs and one caterpillar that I raised. They aren’t the common milkweed you usually see growing wild, but somewhat tamer, garden-friendly varieties. Some can send out below-ground tentacles that can take over a yard. Mine can’t do that.

 

No way could I make it up the mountain. My back won’t allow me to make it around the block, especially since I have a leg trying to go numb. I have a handicapped placard for my car, because I can’t walk too far. Some of our parking lots are huge.

The dreaded surgery might be down the road. I’ll be getting an MRI before long.

 

Glad to hear that you found a more agreeable type of milkweed. No point in planting it here. The monarchs don't like Vancouver for some reason. Sorry to hear about your back difficulties. Without the new hip I got three years ago, I'd never make it up the mountain. As it is, I'm quite "spry" now. The surgeons do wonders these days. Operations are never fun, though. Best of luck.

[John Mitchell]

A good thing that happened to me today is that I found a "pre-owned" Sony E 55-210mm lens in pristine condition at a good price to replace my current one, which has mysteriously contracted fungus inside the front element. It's amazing how much barely used equipment there is out there these days. Either people are continuously "upgrading" or giving up on cameras altogether and using their phones to snap pictures. Probably a mixture of both.

[zxzoomy]

A good thing for me was that I got my new (to me) Nikon D750 working and input all the settings I want. And I have just received 2 rolls of Fujichrome 120 to test my Super Ikonta when I get round to it. 

[Bryan]

9 hours ago, John Mitchell said:

A good thing that happened to me today is that I found a "pre-owned" Sony E 55-210mm lens in pristine condition at a good price to replace my current one, which has mysteriously contracted fungus inside the front element. It's amazing how much barely used equipment there is out there these days. Either people are continuously "upgrading" or giving up on cameras altogether and using their phones to snap pictures. Probably a mixture of both.

 

I have a barely used 55-210 standing on my desk in front of me, my copy isn't very good, despite having had a return trip to see its maker. Much prefer my ancient and more limited, but heavy, Pentax 75-150 which cost all of £15.  Guess I have been unlucky with Sony zooms, I've yet to find a really good one. Probably a QC issue.  Hope yours delivers the goods.

 

Finding that I am carrying the RX100 V rather than my a6500 these days. I did use the a6500 to snap a diseased plant in the greenhouse yesterday, but that only involved a short walk!  The RX is not perfect, but mid frame, good light and low ISO (and only limited messing about in LR/PS), you can't tell the difference between it and the a6500.

 

Stopped looking for a replacement for my dodgy 19 mm sigma lens, the RX100 covers that base reasonably well most of the time.

Edited August 5, 2021 by Bryan

[CAROL SAUNDERS]

11 hours ago, zxzoomy said:

A good thing for me was that I got my new (to me) Nikon D750 working and input all the settings I want. And I have just received 2 rolls of Fujichrome 120 to test my Super Ikonta when I get round to it. 

Good luck with your new camera 😄

 

Carol