Retired soldier, I spent about 30 years in the military (USMC/Army). Also recently retired computer systems engineer. So, I'm just plain retired. I need something to do so, I decided on photography and bird watching as a hobby. Unless otherwise stated, all photographs I post are my own. I take pictures and want to share them with you, so please follow my blog. #TheScienceofBirds #birds #birdwatching #photography #photographer
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2026-08-11T21:28:03Z Event JSON
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Last Notes npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Are You a Threat This blue jay (Cyanocitta cristata) was the first bird to show up at my feeders after I filled them one morning. You can see how warily it was checking out both me and Charlie, making sure we weren’t a threat. Blue jays aren’t grazers — they grab what they want and fly off to a safer spot. And this one had a very specific goal in mind: it wanted a peanut. If you're enchanted by images of blue jays and other captivating corvids, dive into my photo gallery for a visual treat! Take a peek: https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com #photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #corvids #bluejay https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/117/343/579/659/224/683/original/2572df61a58be176.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Good morning. 🌞🌳🦆 24 September 2026 I remember when I thought people in their 40s were old and anyone in their 50s was practically ancient. From that perspective, someone in their 70s might as well have been a living mummy. Perspective changes, doesn’t it? Somewhere along the way I started prefacing stories with, ‘When I was a young man in my 50s…’ Mostly I said it to get a chuckle out of someone in their 20s. Unfortunately, I have a deadpan delivery, so people often struggle to tell when I’m joking. It’s a gift and a curse. These days, when I look at the people running things — soldiers, police officers, teachers — so many of them look too young to be doing what they’re doing. I’m tempted to ask their age just to make sure they’re not playing hooky from school. And then the opposite hits me: while I’m still the same person looking out through the same two eyes I’ve had for decades, my appearance has aged exactly the way it’s supposed to. That’s part of the deal. If you live, you age. If you’re lucky, you live past the point you once thought you’d never reach when you were twenty. And really, all things considered, we’re lucky to have been born at all. The odds are practically zero. When mathematicians try to calculate it, they end up with numbers like 1 in 100,685,000. It’s a statistical miracle. “In the end, reaching this age feels less like decline and more like improbable victory — a reminder that every day we wake up is another win against impossible odds, and worth savoring. “To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.” — Oscar Wilde The soul becomes dyed with the color of its thoughts.” — Marcus Aurelius “Do not regret growing older. It is a privilege denied to many.” — Unknown #photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #morning #silhouettes #shadows #sunset #lake #perspective #life https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/117/325/998/719/609/827/original/d3773fb3475b760f.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Reflections at Low Tide This image caught my eye partially, because of the sandbar and the tidal pool but mostly because of the odd perspective. In the upper left a ring-billed gull walks down a sandbar fro left to right. In the bottom right a snowy egret forages in a tidal pool. The gull farther away yet somehow appears larger than the egret which is a much larger species. It is an example of how photography can bend reality. My photo gallery features over 1800 carefully selected images. While most are chosen for their visual appeal, a few stand out as novelty shots. Feel free to explore my gallery at: https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com #photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #gull #heron #egret #RingBilledgull #snowyegret https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/117/315/879/560/591/615/original/7d44e89f08506748.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Thoughtful Eyes The features of this white‑faced capuchin are striking. Its eyes and nose are so familiar that you can’t help but wonder what might be passing through its thoughts. I took this picture a few years ago on the island of Roatán, Honduras. If you enjoy wildlife and nature photography, check out my photo gallery here: https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com #photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #monkey #face https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/117/304/441/229/196/876/original/226120b2eeec2f75.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs 😂👍 npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs On Your Mark When the curtain rises, Henry the House Finch is frozen in place — wings swept back, toes gripping the starting block. Any second now the race will begin. Who will claim the prize sunflower seed? Will it be Henry, or will a local cardinal steal the victory? We’ll have to wait for the finish to find out. Step into a world where even the smallest moments—like the glint in a bird's eye—tell their own story. https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com #photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #finches #housefinch https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/117/264/282/003/258/552/original/06844a151a08d027.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs The scientific name for lovebugs is Plecia nearctica. They’re small black insects in which the male and female are often attached at the abdomen, flying and moving as a pair. They’re found mainly along the Gulf Coast of the United States, where the warm, humid climate suits them best. npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs 😂👍 npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Good morning. 🌊🩵💦 29 August 2026 I’ve been hiding in the house the last few days because it’s hot and the lovebugs are swarming. If I get on my lawn mower, they follow me around like I’m the grand marshal of a very stupid parade. They’re attracted to the exhaust, of course. Researchers in Florida actually studied the little buggers and found that exhaust fumes exposed to sunlight chemically resemble the smell of decaying vegetation — the same stuff they use as breeding grounds. That’s why, during peak season, anyone driving on the highway ends up with the front of their car absolutely plastered with the little B*****ds. To make matters worse, once they splatter on hot paint, their bodies start breaking down fast. That rapid decomposition creates organic acids, which can damage the finish if you don’t clean them off in a timely manner. I did read somewhere that the enamel on newer vehicles is more resistant, but I’m not eager to test that theory. If I’m going to do anything outside for the next few weeks, it’ll have to be in the morning before they start swarming. They love heat and humidity, and once the day gets going there are always several perched on the back storm door like they’re waiting for instructions. Other than being a nuisance by getting in and on everything, they’re harmless. But still, I can’t help getting that feeling of a wildlife swarming attack like in Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds. I don’t quite run through the yard with my arms over my head, but it sure feels like I want to. Sure, lovebugs serve a purpose by helping break down decomposing vegetation — but honestly, is it really worth it? “Nature is indifferent to our plans.” — W. Somerset Maugham “Chaos is a friend of mine.” — Bob Dylan It’s the little things that are the most important — and the most annoying.” — Anonymous #photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #morning #lovebugs #GulfofMexico https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/117/178/962/340/383/626/original/cee014b487f75053.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs That is interesting. npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Good morning. 🕊️🕊️🕊️ 23 August 2026 It’s quiet in the morning. I can hear myself think. I mean that literally — I can actually hear the voice in my head, and I bet you can too. Not my voice, of course, but your own. I’ve never really stopped to examine it. That inner monologue has just always been there, running in the background. It’s tied to the same part of the brain that handles speech, which explains why the thoughts we “hear” in our heads sound like us. It’s strange and fascinating that we can think something silently and then speak it out loud almost exactly the way it sounded internally. Although, to be fair, some people seem to let the voice part happen before the thinking part. What’s even more interesting is that we can take that inner voice and transmit it through our hands — turning thoughts into written words, making the voice in our heads appear visually. Most people can do that without much effort. But there are people who still have an inner monologue yet, because of their biology, can’t connect it to speech or writing. That must be more than frustrating — like being trapped inside with no reliable way to communicate outward. I know I’m in way over my head with this subject. Did you know there’s a cord that connects the two halves of our brain? It’s called the corpus callosum. When it’s severed, the two halves no longer communicate, so literally the right hand doesn’t know what the left is doing — sort of. Each eye, for example, sends information to a different hemisphere, so if you cover one eye, the functions controlled by the other side of the brain don’t know what’s going on. Oops… out of space. “Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice.” — Steve Jobs “Listening to the inner voice — trusting the inner voice — is one of the most important lessons of leadership.” — Warren Bennis #photo #photography #morning #nature #birds #birding #birdphotography #rockpigeons #blackandwhite #innervoice #corpuscallosum https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/117/145/063/159/026/623/original/2dd84f3039fa8e21.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs In the Net While chasing this butterfly around with my camera yesterday, I was reminded how I briefly amused myself with a homemade butterfly net. Hmmm ... I'm not sure it was homemade, that memory is a bit eroded, but I think I might have had one made of material from a nylon stocking. Do you think that we think in binary? I mean the messages our brain sends and receives must be that way. Anyway, back on the track, this is a Tiger Swallowtail butterfly (Papilio glaucus). I posted a photo a few days ago of one at a great distance on a green field. https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/117/141/231/174/447/568/original/601c9c786395d1e3.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Thanks, Amber! npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Good morning. 😎✌️🍵 21 August 2026 My fingers need to get a tappin’, because it’s a walk day and I want to git‑er‑done before it warms up too much. Truth be told, I might end up doing the walk before I finish my morning rant — priorities and all that. If only I could think. As Quick Draw would often say, “I’ll do the thinnin’ around here, Baba Louie.” And this morning, my brain seems perfectly happy to let him. Is it just me, or does anyone else find it hilarious that Underdog’s girlfriend’s name is Sweet Polly Purebred? I mentioned it to my wife, who didn’t find it nearly as funny as I do. But as an adult, the name hits different. The writers slipped in satire that kids would never catch — a little jab at pedigree, genetics, and social class wrapped in a Saturday‑morning cartoon. Genius, really. Another name that comes to mind is Pepé Le Pew, who had an ongoing crush on Penelope Pussycat — the black cat who always seemed to end up with a white streak of paint down her back, making her resemble a female skunk in Pepé’s eyes. For some reason he insisted on calling her Fifi, one of his many over-the-top French pet names. Meanwhile, Penelope spent every episode trying to escape his romantic advances. And then there’s Dick Dastardly’s dog, Muttley. He’s a favorite of mine because his sly little snicker reminds me of the look Charlie gives me when we’re playing catch and he decides it’s time for keep‑away instead. I’ll reach down to grab his toy, and he gives me that mischievous side‑eye before pulling it away — pure Muttley energy. “Reality continues to ruin my life.” — Bill Watterson “Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole.” — Roger Caras “Humor is reason gone mad.” — Groucho Marx #photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #morning #cartoons #satire #shorebirds #blackskimmers https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/117/133/582/005/764/349/original/29c231a47bffee00.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Butterfly on Bench A vibrant blue butterfly with black and aquamarine wings is perched on a gray surface, its wings fully spread. The light reflects off the butterfly's wings highlighting shades of green and small red dots along the edges. It is a red-spotted admiral (Limenitis arthemis). This one landed on the rustic metal arm of a garden bench that sits outside my backdoor. If you enjoy wildlife and nature photography, check out my photo gallery here: https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com #photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #butterfly https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/117/117/076/191/091/940/original/fb60d50def7bdb7d.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs I Got a Peanut A bright-eyed, red-bellied woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) is perched on a tree limb with a peanut in its beak, showcasing its striking patterned plumage against a vivid blue sky. The bird's sharp beak and claws are prominently displayed as it grips the textured bark, ready to enjoy its find. Explore more chic woodpecker photos by visiting my photo gallery. https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com #photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #woodpeckers #redbelliedwoodpecker https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/117/105/735/247/819/520/original/c563d9ad6a4ca37a.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Gnome of the Treetops The first thing that came to mind when I saw this image of a female northern cardinal was a gnome. Her crest points straight up like a tiny gnome’s hat, giving her a whimsical, woodland look. If you’re captivated by norther cardinals and other members of the Cardinalidae family—better known as the cardinal family—step into my photo gallery for a visual feast. Come take a look: https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com #photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #northerncardinal https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/117/100/292/534/564/955/original/2672b9272d08c0bd.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs 👍 npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Thanks npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Good morning. 🚌📚🚸 15 August 2026 My granddaughter, a first‑year teacher, held her very first class two days ago. She has twenty‑two five‑year‑olds — all brand‑new to school — which already makes for an interesting combination. She told me that many, if not most, of her students don’t speak English, and I think that adds a whole different level of challenge to her job. She described day one as total chaos, and in my mind’s eye I can see a scene straight out of a movie. She had five behaviorally challenging kids and four runners. Evidently, runners are the ones who just take off out the door. She said she tried to stop one by blocking the way, but the kid slid right between her legs and kept going. Wow. Can you imagine teaching twenty‑two five‑year‑olds, many of whom can’t speak English? That’s well above my capabilities, so hats off to my granddaughter. Day two went much better — things settled down, routines started forming. She made me smile when she said she’d be “duolingoing” on the weekends. I love that she invented her own word. That means she has a high level of geniosity. Rumor has it that every kindergarten teacher at her school from last year quit. I tried to find out more because… well, because I can sometimes be nosey, as they say inquiring minds want to know. I asked my granddaughter, and she just said, “No gossiping.” I’m proud of her for that. My mind immediately jumped to Hee Haw: “We’re not ones to go ’round spreadin’ rumors. No sir. We’re just not the gossipin’ kind. You’ll never hear one of us repeating gossip… so you better listen close the first time.” “Children are not a distraction from more important work. They are the most important work.” — C.S. Lewis (attributed) “The beginning is the most important part of the work.” — Plato “A closed mouth gathers no foot.” — Southern proverb #photo #photography #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #morning #westerncattleegrets #kindergarten #school #teaching https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/117/099/548/733/733/670/original/00b59e92890ca935.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Thanks Rick. No, it must be worn. I bought a cleaning kit to clean the connectors. Initially, it worked a little better but that didn't last long. I have a wireless charger in my car but that is finicky as well. But as you said that is all water under the bridge. We have new phones. npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Good morning. ⏰🫘☕ 13 August 2026 We received our new iPhones via UPS yesterday evening, and I spent last night getting mine set up. The process is simple enough, but it still makes me feel like a rocket scientist once everything finally transfers over. It’s mostly time‑consuming because the phone has to download every app I use — and I use a lot. Then comes the ritual of logging into each one so it’s ready when I need it. I can never remember all my passwords, so I end up flipping through my little book of hints. I use a personal code when I write them down, so even if the book fell into the hands of someone unscrupulous, they wouldn’t be able to decipher it — and not just because my handwriting is terrible. Our old phones were iPhone 14 Pro Maxes, perfectly good devices except for one growing annoyance: charging them became a chore. Something in the Lightning connector had worn down, and I often had to spend several minutes plugging and unplugging the cable just to get it to start charging. Annoying at best, and a real problem if we were away from home and woke up to a dead phone. Hard to imagine dealing with that in simpler times. The new iPhone 17 Pro Max uses a USB‑C port, which is far more reliable and doesn’t wear out the way the old Lightning connection did. I still don’t have cases yet, but I ordered two from pixels.com using a couple of my photos — flowers for my wife and a Caribbean sunset for me though I'm thinking about getting one with a recent pic of flying ibises. “The biggest part of our digital transformation is changing the way we think.” — Simeon Preston “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” — Arthur C. Clarke “The greatest achievement of technology is not how it changes life, but how it improves it.” — Satya Nadella #photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #morning #redbelliedwoodpecker #iPhones #technology https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/117/088/333/380/981/999/original/851d26acff646ee3.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Embden in Reflection There is something relaxing about watching geese languishing in the water, don't you think? The is an Embden goose I say in Texas. https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/117/067/576/617/398/473/original/37b7adaecc658644.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Good morning. 💮💮💮 9 August 2026 We’re in the heart of hurricane season, and so far the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico are pretty quiet — knock on wood. Down here it’s natural to wonder how many years we can go without a big storm passing over. Tropical Storm Bertha skirted the coast a few weeks ago, but we’re about seventy miles north as the crow flies, so we only got the tiniest bit of rain. I read that El Niño is strong and still strengthening this year, which suppresses Atlantic storm formation. That’s good, I think. I don’t enjoy the days when the rain blows sideways. I wondered for a second if the name Baton Rouge meant “batten down the hatches.” Not even close. It means “red stick,” which is an odd name for a city. The story goes back to 1699, when French explorers saw a tall, reddish cypress pole on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River. Local Native American tribes had placed animal skulls on it to mark the boundary between hunting territories. So the French wrote it down as le bâton rouge. I just learned that this morning, so now we’ve all learned something. For some reason, that reminds me of the old TV show F Troop, when Chief Wild Eagle gives directions to the soldiers: “Go past the rock that looks like a bear… then the bear that looks like a rock.” For me, that was the most memorable line in the whole series. If you’re not of a certain age, you may not have even heard of F Troop. Look it up. Today will be a good day. As Sergeant O’Rourke, played by Forrest Tucker, would often say: “O’Ro “Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise.” — Victor Hugo “A single sunbeam is enough to drive away many shadows.” — Saint Francis of Assisi “I knew this would happen!” - Corporal Agarn #photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #nature #morning #flowers #storms #hurricaines #FTroop #BatonRouge #history https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/117/065/582/901/853/055/original/edea18534d9e6db9.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs 😂 npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Willet’s Path This willet (Tringa semipalmata) was moving through a tidal pool in Gulfport, Mississippi. Discover nature's fleeting moments through my lens—visit my photo gallery to see more. https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com #photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #shorebirds #willet https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/117/055/522/587/734/477/original/c2e84da27b75cd18.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Good morning. 🌴🐚🐬 7 August 2026 My wife and I are heading out for our annual immunizations today. Hmm… that really does sound like something only a senior citizen would say, doesn’t it. Still, it feels like an outing—an adventure, even. We have somewhere to go, something on the calendar, a mission. I haven’t made it down to the senior center yet, though I’ve been thinking about sticking my head in. My wife went once and told me we should go together, but she’s never mentioned it again. Evidently the lady she went with had been banned from the center. I’m not sure what the official charge was, but my wife said it had something to do with her allegedly taking an artificial plant—and apparently she was a repeat offender. The police even showed up while my wife was there. I mean honestly, how do you get banned from a senior center? I don’t think that woman is part of my wife’s gang, the Sew Crazy Quilters—the local quilting guild. They’re a wild bunch, but I haven’t heard of any of them getting kicked out of the senior center. I always picture them in denim vests with a quilted sewing machine on the back and a tiny embroidered “QG” in the corner. Naturally, “Sew Crazy” would be stitched in an arc over the top like a biker patch. Every so often they go on what’s called a shop hop—a list of quilting shops scattered across the region, sometimes pretty far out. The goal is to visit each shop, collect a token, and sign in. I suppose it’s not entirely unlike a bar hop or a poker run that motorcyclists do, just with more fabric and fewer leather vests. And so our day’s big mission comes to a gentle, well‑stitched close. “You know you're getting old when you stoop to tie your shoelaces and wonder what else you could do while you're down there.” — George Burns Old age is not so bad when you consider the alternative.” — Maurice Chevalier #photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #morning #birds #quilters #seniorcitizens https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/117/054/407/451/974/899/original/74c3dcabb80ff399.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs 👍 npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Peanut Pause Whenever a red‑bellied woodpecker shows up at the feeder, it digs through the seed mix until it finds a peanut. Explore more chic woodpecker photos by visiting my photo gallery. https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com #photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #redbelliedwoodpecker https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/117/043/798/966/470/670/original/6d982c6542849509.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Good morning. ☕☕☕ 5 August 2026 The road in front of my house is a mess this morning. It’s a dirt-and-gravel stretch, and after last night’s rain it has fully committed to being a muddy road. Luckily, I don’t need to go anywhere. My wife does, though, which means she’ll track mud up the driveway and into the garage when she gets back. It’s funny how a hard rain will wash the driveway clean but turn the road into a mud pit — so if we do have to go somewhere, we end up tracking that same mud right back up the driveway again. A perfect little loop of annoyance. Ugh. On the bright side, I don’t have to water the grass today, and the whole yard got a good soaking. The downside is that it might interfere with my morning walk… assuming I even decide to go. Right now, a nap is sounding pretty competitive. If I put Charlie on his leash, we could avoid the mud entirely by staying on the grass until we reach the paved main road — it’s only about a hundred meters. From there, we could walk into town on pavement the whole way. Paved roads and swimming pools… no movie stars, though. A little Beverly Hillbillies humor for the morning. Honestly, if we hadn’t gotten rain, I’d probably be complaining about that, so there’s no winning. Or I could just flip the mood and look at it positively — dancing in the rain or basking in the sunshine, whichever fits. The temperature is cool this morning, so that’s a plus. I love that my toughest decision today is whether to go for a walk or not. “Some people walk in the rain, others just get wet.” — Roger Miller “A good walk puts everything in perspective.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson “Joy is not in things; it is in us.” — Richard Wagner #photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #shorebirds #morning #blackandwhite #rain #mud #walking https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/117/043/075/538/517/236/original/f9730fa01eeea7ed.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Blackbird Amongst Cypress Greens I saw this female red-winged blackbird (Taxodium distichum) at Alligator Lake, a small local lake here in West Central Louisiana. I thought this photo of her perching on the branch of a bald cypress tree looked nice. Step into a world where even the smallest moments—like the glint in a bird's eye—tell their own story. https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com #photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #redwingedblackbird https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/117/039/326/166/666/626/original/f3dad7b86d15419b.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Carrying the Prize I was searching through a bunch of images that I captured in Georgia during a trip in 2023. I noticed this out of focused image of a crow flying in a tree with something held in its beak. My first thought was the crow stole and egg and was making its getaway. But it was in Georgia where pecan trees are everywhere. By order of the Galactic Empire, your presence is commanded at my photo gallery: https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com #photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #corvids #americancrow https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/117/032/296/694/619/385/original/886c0e8476f61842.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Good morning. 🌲🌳 3 August 2026 My grandfather clock has started chiming three minutes early, so I need to deal with that. I usually reset the time to match my phone whenever I wind it, unless I’ve managed to misplace the phone — which happens more often than I’d like to admit. Winding the clock means using a small crank to raise three brass weights that hang from brass chains. The old Black Forest clock is about twenty‑five years old now, but it still ticks like a champ — knock on wood. We picked it up the last time we lived in Germany. The only real trouble we’ve had with it was when the lock on the front door broke and we couldn’t open it. That becomes a major crisis when winding time rolls around. We had to track down a clock repair person to get it open and replace the lock. He suggested we simply stop locking it, and my first thought was, well, duh — I should’ve figured that out myself. Inside the clock, down each side, are two narrow glass shelves. Sitting on them are four ten‑inch‑tall white porcelain clown‑musician figurines with gold‑leaf hats and accents and sapphire‑colored Swarovski crystal buttons — souvenirs from a porcelain factory we visited in Italy. Of all the figurines we have, they’re my favorites: simple yet elegant. That reminds me — the first time we visited Italy was in the ’80s, before the euro became a thing. We took a million lire with us. Just saying “a million lire” made me feel well‑off, even though it was only the equivalent of about seven to eight hundred dollars. We were actually packing lire, marks, and dollars. Nowadays it’s mostly euros everywhere. We were living in Germany when that country switched currency. Oops, I’m past my character limit. “Clocks slay time… time is dead as long as it is being clicked off by little wheels.” —William Faulkner “Memory is the treasury and guardian of all things.” —Cicero #photo #photography #nature#birds #birdin #morning #landscape #egrets #grandfatherclock #travel #currency https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/117/031/652/879/262/774/original/c1ecf9ff7cb0f1bb.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Soft Steps in the Foam This sanderling (Calidris alba) appears to tiptoe through the surf at Gulfport, Mississippi. It’s always amusing to watch sanderlings chase the waves, darting in and out as they search for whatever treasures the latest retreating wave uncovers. Discover nature's fleeting moments through my lens—visit my photo gallery to see more. https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com #photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #shorebirds #sandpipers #sanderling https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/117/021/228/556/514/673/original/ae9c229ae17c2eb9.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Good morning. 🌸🌸🐦 1 August 2026 I started the morning by blowing off the day entirely, but then I changed my mind. Now I’m here, sipping coffee and trying to coax the day into motion. Supergirl started streaming, so I rented it last night. I liked it — very entertaining, mostly a family film. What stood out most was the way they gave Kara real depth. She feels like someone you could actually know: someone who tries hard, messes up, learns, and keeps going. Hopeful but not naïve. Strong but not invincible. Bright but not shallow. And of course, she still has the whole superpower thing going on — most of the time, anyway. It’s funny how, in comics, superheroes travel between solar systems — places light‑years away — as casually as we go to the corner store. But that’s imagination for you. When I was a kid, I used to read the old comics. My mother somehow saved my not‑insubstantial collection. I still have one from August 1964. I pulled it from the box almost at random. The price on the cover is 12¢ — Superman’s Girl Friend Lois Lane. It’s tagged: Featuring “The Three Wives of Superman!” The Most Amazing Imaginary Novel of All Time! It’s 24 pages long if you count the front and back covers, and six of those pages are full‑page ads. I suppose it could loosely be considered a graphic novel. One page advertises a 204‑piece Revolutionary War soldier set for only $1.98. I can’t help wondering what would happen if I cut it out and mailed it in. Hmm… August 1964. I was 11 when I bought that comic — 62 years ago. That’s over half a century ago. “The morning is when I am awake, and there is a dawn in me.” — Henry David Thoreau “Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.” — Albert Einstein “Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.” — Robert Brault #photo #photography #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #morning #Supergirl #flowers #CarolinaWren #comics #superman https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/117/020/437/290/165/728/original/41950edc2536a35c.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Branchside Encounter This female northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) and male brown‑headed cowbird (Molothrus ater) share a branch for a brief moment, their encounter quiet and fleeting. Step into a world where even the smallest moments—like the glint in a bird's eye—tell their own story. https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com #photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #northerncardinal #borwnheadedcowbird https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/117/009/666/654/627/671/original/3bac91859068eef3.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Good morning. 🏗️🏗️🏗️ 30 July 2026 When you look at this picture, does anyone else immediately think “Imperial Walkers?” The cranes have that same looming, mechanical posture — like they’re about to start marching. Turning to Star Trek — back when I was still working, I had a coworker I’d tease, in the friendliest way possible, about being a Trekkie. He wasn’t one, but I kept nudging the joke along because it amused both of us. I don’t even remember how it started; it just became part of the daily rhythm. At one point, I printed a Starfleet Academy diploma I found online, put his name on it, and hung it on his wall. It took him weeks to notice, but once he did, he kept it. Eventually, I found the perfect way to finish the bit. I came across a Star Trek uniform shirt for sale, bought it, and had my wife embroider his name on it. Then I hung it above his desk like it was his official Starfleet assignment. Honestly, it’s probably still there. Why go through all that trouble? Because that’s how you build camaraderie — the small, shared jokes that make people feel like they’re part of something together. I had other running gags with other folks, but this one was the clearest example. Not everyone enjoys a little ribbing or a harmless prank, but that’s life. The people who do? They remember it. “The only way to have a friend is to be one.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson “Angels can fly because they take themselves lightly.” - G.K. Chesterton “Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.” - Henry Ford #photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #morning #cranes #blackskimmers #starwars #startrek #camaraderie #blackskimmers #jokes https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/117/009/048/804/663/238/original/994bec19a6cc55ef.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Skimmer Swarm The photo is of hundreds of black skimmers, mostly silhouettes swarming in a blue, white, and gray cloudy sky. Discover nature's fleeting moments through my lens—visit my photo gallery to see more. https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com #photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #shorebirds #blackskimmers https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/117/003/855/216/146/214/original/009239fa05aaa7ba.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Good morning. 🌹🌹🌹 28 July 2026 I was up at 0230 this morning and on the road to the airport by 0330. We were sending our granddaughter back home to Georgia—school starts next week. On the drive in, I noticed the moon, full or close to it, and wished I could stop and take a picture. Then on the way home, a red ball of a sun was just peeking over the horizon in my rear‑view mirror, and I thought that would’ve made a good picture too. Oh well, maybe next time. Now the fatigue is catching up with me, and there’s no doubt I’ll log some substantial recliner time today. I remember back in the day when I could survive on one or two hours of sleep. I’d work all day and party all night as long as I got one good night’s sleep somewhere in the week. Nowadays, not so much—I need seven or eight hours to function, plus a siesta somewhere along the way. As if to prove my point, I keep dozing off while trying to write something—anything—this morning. When I’m like this, I often startle myself awake and find I’ve typed out a long string of random characters. I wonder how much of this fatigue is in my mind, just the expectation that I’d be tired because I didn’t get my usual quota of sleep. But if you can read what I’ve written this morning, you’ll probably agree the fatigue is genuine. I don’t know why I keep typing. It’s time to put this morning’s rant to rest. “Fatigue is the best pillow.” — Benjamin Franklin “Morning is wonderful. Its only drawback is that it comes at such an inconvenient time of day.” — Glen Cook “The moon is a friend for the lonesome to talk to.” — Carl Sandburg #photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #nature #morning #flowers #roses #fatique https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/997/786/132/445/864/original/c2f4b79219937c15.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Yellowlegs in Flight Here is a lesser yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes) that I caught in flight at a small pond in Albany, Georgia. I took the photo in November 2023. https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/997/667/967/200/896/original/c47dba7727bc310d.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Sparrows in the Sun These are chipping sparrows (Spizella passerina) gathered and foraging on a grassy patch. The composition, in a funny way, isn’t entirely unlike a tiny, feathered version of The Last Supper. If you enjoy photos of birds and other wildlife, take a look at my photo gallery. Sparrows are never overlooked—they're a valued and important part of my collection. Feel free to explore! https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com #photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #sparrows #chippingsparrows https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/992/845/571/164/110/original/e2475182083b36a1.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Good morning. ☕☕☕ 24 July 2026 Do you remember a time when you didn’t know how to write? I do. It’s a vague, hazy memory of trying to imitate my parents by scribbling squiggly lines across a chalkboard. That’s something that supposedly happened seventy years ago. Or is it? Is it an actual memory — or just a memory of a memory? Do I only remember it because I’ve remembered it before? Whoosh. I just blew my own mind. 🤯 A memory of a memory of a memory is a strange concept. It’s like that old game where you line up ten people and whisper a sentence into the first person’s ear. Each person passes it along, and by the time it reaches the tenth person, the message has transformed into something completely different. If memories work the same way, how accurate can they really be? Memory is a tricky thing. My wife and I often experience the same events together, yet years later we sometimes recall them differently. Sometimes the difference is so stark that one of us remembers something clearly while the other insists it never happened at all. Was the memory lost by one of us — or created by the other? So how can a false memory begin? A false memory starts when your brain fills in missing details, blends experiences, or absorbs suggestions — and then treats that new construction as if it were an actual event. It usually doesn’t happen overnight. Imagine your mother telling you a story over and over about something that happened when you were young. Eventually, you might fill in the blanks and believe you remembered it all along. Nevertheless, the chalkboard event really happened. “Memory is the diary we all carry about with us.” — Oscar Wilde “What we remember is not what happened.” — Julian Barnes “Every act of memory is an act of imagination.” — Oliver Sacks #photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #nature #morning #flowers #lilies #memory https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/974/946/612/259/485/original/64abafd6230af741.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Get Off My Lawn I caught this brief dispute between a blue jay (Cyanocitta cristata) and a northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis). Usually a cardinal will make way when a blue jay shows up, but in this moment the cardinal stood its ground, beak wide open in a defiant warning for the jay to steer clear. Discover nature's fleeting moments through my lens—visit my photo gallery to see more. https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com #photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #corvids #cardinals #bluejay #northerncardinal https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/964/188/219/227/735/original/b0c497d91b98adf9.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Good morning. 🌊🌊🌊 22 July 2026 In 1972, I was assigned to Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 9th Marines at Bien Hoa Airbase in South Vietnam. I served on an 81mm mortar crew, so what I’m about to relate isn’t firsthand information — it was scuttlebutt, the kind of gossip that drifted through the company like smoke. There was one Marine, a rifleman, who had earned the nickname “Radar.” Yes, Radar — like the character from MASH*. The TV show wouldn’t air for another decade, but the movie had come out a couple of years earlier, so there was nothing supernatural about how he got the handle. Radar was considered an odd duck. Whenever someone pulled duty with him, he showed up carrying a bag full of electrical components and spent the time fiddling with them. Guys said he had a sack of transistors he liked to play with, and that was enough to mark him as different. I was a 19‑year‑old Marine private first class, so naturally I listened to all the scuttlebutt — “scuttlebutt” being the old Marine and Navy term for gossip — and I was dutifully amused by it. But looking back, I think Radar was probably building some kind of electrical device, maybe a ham radio or something similar. Which means he had a hobby, and it also means that Radar — the guy who was the butt of jokes — was probably a lot smarter than the rest of us. In those days, almost half of Marine infantrymen didn’t have a high‑school diploma. Being “different” wasn’t encouraged. In retrospect, I wish I’d had the courage to be an odd duck myself and buck the peer pressure. It would take a few more years before I matured enough to reach that level of contentment. “Do not fear to be eccentric in opinion, for every opinion now accepted was once eccentric.” — Bertrand Russell “If you are always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be.” — Maya Angelou “Not all who wander are lost.” — J.R.R. Tolkien #photo #photography #photographer #morning #seascape #Vietnam #conformity #Marines https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/963/750/017/210/716/original/ee9c15036b5a1e9d.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Whistler on the Roof This is a pretty good photo of a female northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis). Her crest is pretty striking. https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/963/602/694/168/503/original/7274a45fb4425214.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Sunlit Sparrows Here are a couple of chipping sparrows (Spizella passerina) in the early spring. If you enjoy photos of birds and other wildlife, take a look at my photo gallery. Sparrows are never overlooked—they're a valued and important part of my collection. Feel free to explore! https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com #photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #chippingsparrows https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/958/454/628/116/154/original/1290f99e52a8c485.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs @npub1wmu…kxl8 Good morning. 🦆🪿🦢 20 July 2026 When you can’t think of anything else to talk about, bring up the weather. Today’s report says we’re in for six days of hot temperatures, but when I look at the extended forecast, I see nothing but heat all the way to the end — at least ten days. My guess is it’ll last straight through the summer. It always does. These days we have air‑conditioning, so when it gets hot we just stay inside as much as possible. But sixty years ago, when AC wasn’t common, people spent more time outdoors simply because it was cooler out there than inside. At least in the South. Here in Louisiana, where the heat comes with a side of humidity, working outside can feel like you’re slowly melting. Lately I’ve been living in gym shorts and a T‑shirt unless I’m doing yard work or heading out somewhere. If I’m leaving the house, I get all duded up and presentable. Okay, I really don’t have much this morning, so I’m going to cut this short. Have a wonderful day. #photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #morning #waterfowl #ducks #geese #weather https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/953/620/141/687/560/original/b7a6df00b72293f5.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Held in the Beak of Morning I liked the profile of this blue jay (Cyanocitta cristata) captured here among the forest leaves. It holds something at the tip of its beak — perhaps a small seed — and until you notice it, the beak almost appears to have a tiny hook at the end. If you're enchanted by images of blue jays and other captivating corvids, dive into my photo gallery for a visual treat! Take a peek: https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com #photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #corvids #bluejay https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/942/184/151/849/812/original/cb0f739f49fe0ff4.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Good morning. 🦎🦎🦎 18 July 2026 I just finished reading The Friend of the Family by Dean Koontz. I enjoyed it, though it felt like a slow burner and not quite the type of story I was expecting. I wouldn’t call it his best work, but it held my interest. The story is told in first person by Alida, a young girl with marked—though mostly undescribed—physical deformities and a strikingly beautiful face. More importantly, she has a beautiful soul. Early in her life she falls under the control of the captain, a man who keeps her as his ward and displays her nearly naked in carnival sideshows. Her only escape from his dehumanizing manipulation comes from books, which give her hope, strength, and a sense of inner freedom. The captain steals these books during their travels, usually from libraries along the way. This is Alida’s life—isolated from the world except when she’s put on display—until one night at a speakeasy performance. Franklin and Loretta Fairchild, a well‑off couple, witness the show and are horrified by the exploitation of a young girl. They confront the captain in a tense exchange and ultimately secure Alida’s freedom. Alida travels with them to Bramely Hall, their home in San Diego. Franklin and Loretta adopt her and welcome her into their family, which includes their three biological children. The story centers on Alida’s life among the Fairchilds at Bramley Hall. Other characters include the large household staff. Alida’s chronicles are mostly delightful; she is living a wonderful life she never imagined possible. But the captain hasn’t forgotten his golden ticket. “Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.” — Frederick Douglass “Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” — Lord Acton “To feel at home is to feel safe.” — Maya Angelou #photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #morning #books #DeanKoontz #reptile #lizard https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/941/123/619/356/605/original/ba18694a7aa914d8.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs On The Road While my wife and I were traveling north into Arkansas on Friday (10 May 2024), I spotted a hawk perched on a powerline along a road in the Ozark mountains. I pulled over and grabbed my camera. Later, one of my granddaughters asked what species it was — and looking at a tiny phone photo of a bird 50–100 yards away, I wasn’t sure. Now that I’m back home and can check it properly, it’s a red‑shouldered hawk (Buteo lineatus). Check out breathtaking photos of magnificent birds of prey, visit my photo gallery here: https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com #photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #raptor #birdofprey #redshoulderedhawk https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/937/286/130/491/316/original/388f5d624c11323b.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Rain‑Soaked Visitor I looked outside and saw a Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana) under the bird feeder. I’d seen it before, but this time I got pictures. I gave it a little spook and let Charlie out; he caught up to the critter, but that was it. Opossums aren’t exactly built for speed. https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/931/743/279/166/282/original/16b1796677eaae91.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs But watching her get her feet under her made me think about the rest of the family too. My daughter’s girls have made good choices, worked hard, and are stepping into lives that will carry them forward. They’re building something solid — you can see the path forming right in front of them. Not everyone gets that kind of beginning. I’ve got nieces and nephews who, for all sorts of reasons — poverty, unstable homes, bad breaks, bad decisions — never got the same launch. When you start with nothing, you stay stuck with nothing. No transportation. No place of your own. No cushion to fall back on. And once you’re behind, every step forward feels like climbing a hill made of loose gravel. It’s a reminder that “getting started” isn’t the same challenge for everyone. Some kids step into adulthood with a foundation. Others step into adulthood with a hole they have to climb out of first. “Not all storms come to disrupt your life; some come to clear your path.” — Paulo Coelho “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about.” — Ian Maclaren “The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet.” — Aristotle 2/2 npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Good morning. 🐦🐦🐦 16 July 2026 I haven’t posted any photos for a few days. We drove up to Little Rock, where one of my granddaughters is starting her first teaching gig — kindergarten at a school in North Little Rock. We went up to help her begin setting up her classroom, and most of our time was spent assembling furniture, organizing supplies, and putting together the tools she’ll need to teach those little ones. I have to say, it’s startling how much teachers end up paying out of their own pockets if they want to give their students an excellent classroom experience. The upside is that it lets them shape the room around their own vision — the colors, the themes, the little touches that make learning feel magical. But when you walk into a classroom and see all those extras that make the space warm and inviting, remember: the teacher probably bought most of that themselves. This was the week for getting her room ready, and as I mentioned, we were there to help. I’m not entirely sure she’s being paid for this setup time, but I hope so. She’s been working another job up near Branson all summer and had to take time off from that just to get her classroom in order. She also had to establish a place to live near the school, and she’s settled into a nice little apartment not too far away. It’s her first real stretch of life away from home, and it’s a perfect example of how challenging those early adult steps can be. You have to figure out how to fund your life before the first paycheck ever arrives. The answer, of course, is working hard all summer and saving every bit you can. ... 1/2 #photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #morning #northerncardinals #education #teachers #launch https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/929/825/430/905/522/original/5907afc87081d17e.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Good morning. 🌸🌸🌸 11 July 2026 I use my phone mostly as a pocket‑sized computer rather than a telephone, though I do occasionally make or answer a call. If I want to look something up—anytime, anywhere—I reach for my back pocket, pull out my iPhone, and the world opens. It’s amazing, really, and I know I’m not the only one who does this. But if I set my phone down while moving around and suddenly think of something I want to research, which happens often, I find myself scrambling. Where did I leave it? That moment of panic is unsettling. It’s strange to feel so tethered to an object. In a way, it’s like carrying around a genie everywhere I go—one that can answer any question or fetch almost anything with a tap. Aladdin’s lamp has nothing on this little slab of metal and glass; I get far more than three wishes. It makes me wonder how I managed daily life for so long without a cell phone. Maybe it’s similar to what my grandparents must have felt when they looked back and asked how people lived without running water or electricity. Was there really life before the automobile? I suspect most of us today wouldn’t last long in that world. Imagine the chaos if all the cell towers suddenly went dark. It’s not impossible. Then what? Payphones have vanished, and most homes have abandoned landlines. And that’s just the communication piece. If electricity and fuel stopped flowing, survival itself would be at stake. It’s almost comical that misplacing my iPhone can spark visions of a dystopian future—but here we are. “Technology is a useful servant but a dangerous master.” — Christian Lous Lange “We live in a society exquisitely dependent on science and technology, in which hardly anyone knows anything about science and technology.” — Carl Sagan “Big Brother is watching you.” - George Orwell, 1984 #photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #nature #morning #technology #cellphones #flowers #dystopian #genie https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/901/502/642/047/831/original/7147b2ac6db1f7d2.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Yellowlegs in Flight I captured this image of a yellowlegs gliding down the red‑clay bank of a small lake in Georgia. Based on the length of its bill, I believe it’s a greater yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca). Step into a world where even the smallest moments—like the glint in a bird's eye—tell their own story. https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com #photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #shorebirds #greateryellowlegs https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/890/924/756/673/106/original/5183aa41448790a1.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Good morning. 😴⏰☕ 7 July 2026 I got up this morning and immediately started doing things. I knew better. My first bright idea was to empty the paper shredder — a terrible decision at that hour — but I had a foolproof plan: flip the container upside down into a plastic bag. Well, never underestimate a fool. Half the confetti slid straight down my front and the rest sprinkled across the floor like a ticker‑tape parade gone wrong. I still haven’t cleaned it up. I’m waiting for the rest of the household to wake before I fire up the vacuum. At this time of morning, it’s usually just Charlie and me shuffling around. C’est la vie. Do auto manufacturers even make hubcaps anymore? I haven’t owned a car with hubcaps in decades. My teenage dream was a ’55 or ’56 Chevy with black rims and baby‑moon hubcaps — a fantasy from a long, long time ago in a state far, far away. Instead, I wound up with a beat‑up Chevy pickup that had “potential,” but potential costs money, and I had none. Any repair parts came from the junkyard down the street. I think the truck had two, maybe three hubcaps. Three sounds odd, but it matched the mismatched retread tires perfectly. If someone drew a comic strip of that era, it would only need two frames: Dream and Reality. Honestly, I’m shortchanging the story, because that truck did have an 8‑track tape player bolted under the dash — ready to blast rock and roll through two old bare speakers I wedged behind the seat. That part was pure glory. “Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes.” — Oscar Wilde “You can’t have everything. Where would you put it?” — Steven Wright “The difference between fiction and reality? Fiction has to make sense.” — Tom Clancy #photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #morning #blackandwhite #cars #mishaps #woodpeckers #redbelliedwoodpecker https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/878/764/572/598/746/original/f64d78383ed5ca16.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Who Wants to Lay Her Eggs in Another Bird's Nest Here, a female brown‑headed cowbird (Molothrus ater) lifts one wing as if to answer the question — or maybe to say, “Let me, let me.” Brown‑headed cowbirds are brood parasites, laying their eggs in the nests of other bird species and relying on those unsuspecting foster parents to raise their young. Step into a world where even the smallest moments—like the glint in a bird's eye—tell their own story. https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com #photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #blackbirds #brownheadedcowbird https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/872/939/604/922/855/original/0b24c45ba72e6a02.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs The Bold and the Bushy This Eastern Gray Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) showed up one quiet morning with a single mission in mind — to plunder the bird feeders set out in the middle of the backyard. In this moment, the squirrel sits perched atop the fence, the forest rising behind it like a deep green curtain. Its body is tense with intention, tail curled high, eyes fixed on Charlie and me as if weighing whether we’re obstacles or merely part of the scenery. The scene captures a tiny outlaw of the woods caught in the act, sizing up its audience before making its next move. https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/869/528/524/041/453/original/418ec200dee7b3a5.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Ground Forager Here is a sharp image of a female northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) foraging on the ground. Step into a world where even the smallest moments—like the glint in a bird's eye—tell their own story. https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com #photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #northerncardinal https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/868/240/405/939/651/original/70c6300d6b80bfb2.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Good morning. 🌤️🌉💨 5 July 2026 I received a short hose I’d ordered to connect a hose reel to a water faucet. I thought I’d bought one with two female ends — exactly what I needed — but nope. It was just a regular hose, only shorter. Four feet long. What am I supposed to do with that? And the punchline: I didn’t need a new hose anyway. I just needed to tighten the connections. That tells you exactly how I feel in the mornings when I first gen up. It’s the perfect metaphor. There is coffee, though. By some miracle, the doctors haven’t taken that away — knock on wood. As long as I don’t add anything to it, I’m good. I call it my last vice. Something true about aging is that when one thing goes out of whack, the doctor hands you a list of foods to avoid. When something else starts acting up, you get another list. Then another. Eventually it feels like you’re juggling prohibitions. If a food isn’t banned on one list, it’s almost guaranteed to be banned on another. Lettuce, though — lettuce is safe. My new lunch go‑to is a Marketside Salad. Then for supper, I live in the danger zone and often have real food. It’s just that so many dishes I once took for granted are now off the table. How does a hotdog sound? I love them, but I may have eaten my last some time ago. When my wife asks what I want for supper, I always say meatloaf, knowing full well it won’t happen. Several years ago, a doctor suggested I give up bread. My response at the time was, “In your dreams, doctor.” But as it turns out, dreams do come true. “The trouble with life is that it’s daily.” — paraphrased from Mignon McLaughlin “I’d rather take coffee than compliments just now.” — Louisa May Alcott “To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art.” — La Rochefoucauld “If you don’t make mistakes, you’re not working on hard enough problems.” — Frank Wilczek #photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #nature #morning #food #waking #landscape #savannahRiver https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/867/417/098/102/769/original/029fb4b7f89d9eae.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Sly Eye This blue jay (Cyanocitta cristata) seems convinced it’s invisible among the leaves. Each bird’s facial markings are said to be unique, helping them recognize one another. This one has a thin black line running straight through its eye, giving it a distinctly sly, almost mischievous look. If you're enchanted by images of blue jays and other captivating corvids, dive into my photo gallery for a visual treat! Take a peek: https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com #photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #corvids #bluejays https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/862/482/126/461/998/original/bd56b8fbcff9c3ce.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Good morning. ☕☕☕ 3 July 2026 I’m having another one of those mornings where I’m moving around, but everything feels just a little out of sync. Not quite a stumble, but it wouldn’t take much of a nudge to turn it into one. Charlie and I just came in from setting up the sprinkler and putting out the bird feeders. I never leave them out overnight because monsters roam the backyard after dark. I don’t often see them, but I always find the evidence of their passing. They’re small, people‑shaped creatures wrapped in gray and black fur, with pointed ears and ringed tails. Their clever little hands let them pry open feeders and steal whatever they can. Their eyes are dark, but at night they glow a ghostly yellow, floating in the darkness like disembodied lanterns. And when the flashlight catches them, you see the black masks they wear — as if they’re trying to hide their identities. Sometimes Charlie charges out into the night to confront the threat, but the little creatures always vanish before he reaches them. Only to return again later, undeterred. The carnage they leave behind makes me cringe. More than once I’ve had to repair the bottom of the shed door where I keep the birdseed because they try to claw their way inside. So far, the doors have held. I can only imagine the chaos I’d wake up to if I ever forgot to close them. Years ago, a hummingbird feeder went missing. I searched everywhere, convinced the monsters had carried it off into the night. Then one day, I happened to look up — and there it was, wedged at the very top of an oak tree. I still shudder when I think about it. “The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.” — W.B. Yeats “There is pleasure in the pathless woods.” — Lord Byron “The night hides a world, but reveals a universe.” — Dejan Stojanovic #photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #morning #vultuire #racoons https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/856/062/878/135/789/original/cb3fa34293862dbe.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Three’s Company Here’s an action shot of three house finches (Haemorhous mexicanus). Two females and a mostly hidden male share a curved perch, with the foremost female blocking most of his red plumage from view. Another female is just arriving, wings half‑spread as she hovers in place. She glances toward the camera with a cautious, judging look, as if deciding whether it’s safe to land. A moment later she settles on the opposite side of the male, effectively sandwiching him between herself and the perched female already in front. If you enjoy wildlife and nature photography, check out my photo gallery here: https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com #photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #finches #housefinches https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/834/894/305/763/413/original/4c080c1ae1352b5c.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Merganser Air Dance Here’s an image of a pair of hooded mergansers (Lophodytes cucullatus) that I photographed years ago. It was an overcast day, the birds were far off, and my gear wasn’t nearly the quality of what I use now. The original file had quite a bit of noise, but after smoothing it out, the image took on a painterly quality that I find really appealing. Discover nature's fleeting moments through my lens—visit my photo gallery to see more. https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com #photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #waterfowl #ducks #hoodedmergansers https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/822/935/365/808/262/original/993f21ca7e84e82d.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Good morning. 🐦⬛🐦⬛🐦⬛ 27 June 2026 I’ve been pretty lax when it comes to keeping up with important dates. I suppose I should finally figure out how to set up my phone to remind me of recurring events like birthdays. They start stacking up fast once your grandchildren start having children. I was thinking about that this morning because I’m pretty sure I may have missed a birthday this month. Anyway, macht nichts — it’ll all come out in the wash. Speaking of forgetting things, I think I forgot to feed Charlie yesterday morning. When I went to the refrigerator that afternoon to grab his food, there was no can waiting for me. I usually give him half a can in the morning and half in the afternoon. Fortunately, Charlie is very forgiving. I gave him a full can yesterday afternoon and sang, “Hurray, hurray, it’s a full‑can day,” hoping to fool him into thinking it was something special. I’m not that forgetful of a person, though I do often forget to turn off the water in the kitchen sink. It usually happens when I’m rinsing out the coffee pot — I start multitasking, drift into something else, and since I don’t hear well, I don’t notice the sound of running water. Sometimes it runs for a long time. Most of the time I catch it myself and do a quick look around to make sure nobody saw what happened except me and Charlie. If I don’t catch it, my wife eventually does and asks how long the water has been running. At that point, I just give her the classic deer‑in‑the‑headlights look because I know I’ve done it again. Maybe I’m just getting caught by the doorway effect. “The advantage of a bad memory is that one enjoys several times the same good things for the first time.” — Friedrich Nietzsche “I’m not young enough to know everything.” — J.M. Barrie “The best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time.” — Abraham Lincoln #photo #photography #wildlife #nature #birds #birdphotography #morning #crow #memory #forgetfullness #silouettes #blackandwhite https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/821/990/997/512/202/original/6d813a622323cdc0.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Emerald Setting This female ruby‑throated hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) was one of several using the dead branches of our crepe myrtles as morning perches on 4 May 2024. Two or three of them rotated through the same spots, settling briefly before darting off again. The distance from where I was sitting is perfect for photographing slightly larger small birds like finches, but hummingbirds — being truly tiny — make that same distance feel much farther. Step into a world where even the smallest moments—like the glint in a bird's eye—tell their own story. https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com #photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #rubythroatedhummingbird https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/816/898/564/413/660/original/2012d404ff1944f8.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Twin Lookouts These two blue jays (Cyanocitta cristata) are perched on top of the hanging bird feeder where I usually leave a few peanuts. At first glance they look like they’re just waiting for the store to open, but looks can be deceiving — I’m pretty sure there was a little tension between them over who got the prime spot. If you enjoy wildlife and nature photography, check out my photo gallery here: https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com #photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #corvids #bluejays https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/811/402/984/091/025/original/03caa900b9e96d7c.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Searching for Death This turkey vulture (Cathartes aura) rose out of the forest this morning (4 May 2024), beginning its slow ascent into the sky to start its relentless search for food. It passed to my east, giving me just enough time to raise my camera and capture a few shots. This image shows the vulture’s face more clearly than any other in‑flight photo I’ve taken. Check out breathtaking photos of magnificent birds of prey, visit my photo gallery here: https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com #photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #birdofprey #raptor #turkeyvulture https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/806/921/062/581/992/original/97e80046966023bf.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Sunflower Snack There are a lot of house finches (Haemorhous mexicanus) around right now. The males seem especially bright this year — richer reds than I remember, though maybe that’s just me. This guy grabbed a sunflower seed and settled in. House finches are grazers; when they come to a feeder, they stay and eat. Other birds, like chickadees and woodpeckers, are snatchers — they grab a seed and fly off to a nearby tree to eat it. It’s an interesting contrast in feeding styles. Step into a world where even the smallest moments—like the glint in a bird's eye—tell their own story. https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com #photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #finches #housefinch https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/794/385/659/036/208/original/d814e6e9818e9cec.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Good morning. 🌅🌤️🌦️ 21 June 2026 I hear the rain a‑coming again this morning, rolling in the same way it did yesterday and the day before. I haven’t seen a proper sunrise in so long it feels like something out of a Johnny Cash song — and yes, I borrowed a few words from Folsom Prison Blues, but the mood fits. Gray skies, steady rain, and that feeling of being stuck in the same weather loop. We had plans to drive down to the Sabine Wildlife Refuge today, but the rain has other ideas. So that trip will have to wait for a clearer morning. In the meantime, I’ll just say “see ya later, alligator,” which is fitting enough since there are plenty of those down there. No crocodiles, though — Louisiana keeps things interesting, but not that interesting. Speaking of crocs, I still don’t understand how those shoes became a fashion statement. I guess they’re no worse than flip‑flops, and people swear they’re comfortable. They do look convenient — slip in, shuffle out — but they seem like the kind of footwear you choose on a day when running is not on the agenda. Definitely not something you’d want to wear while wandering around a bayou. And that brings me to the beach. One of the great things about going is the sand, and one of the worst things about going is… also the sand. Warm sand is wonderful to sink into, but it also finds its way into every pocket, shoe, and crevice you didn’t know you had. Flip‑flops are practically the uniform down there; I wore them myself back in the day. But once sand works its way between your toes and under that little strap, it becomes a slow, gritty torture device. Frequent rinsing becomes part of the journey if you’re walking any distance. So here I am, listening to the rain, thinking about alligators, crocs, flip‑flops, and sand. “I have always been delighted at the prospect of a new day, a fresh try.” — J.B. Priestley #photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #nature #morning #crocs #flipflops #sunrise #ocean #ramble https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/788/205/366/099/947/original/1fe0ab0138c7a3a3.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Mythical Creature Is it a flying narwhal, a unicorn with wings, or a garden fairy? Nope — it’s a ruby‑throated hummingbird (Archilochus colubris). I happened to catch this tiny marvel zipping past while I was set up to photograph much larger (and much slower) birds. These hummingbirds flap their wings about 53 times per second, and even with my shutter speed at 1/1000, the wings still refused to freeze. Despite that, I love the composition of this shot. On that day, it won out over several technically sharper images simply because the moment felt right. Discover nature's fleeting moments through my lens—visit my photo gallery to see more. https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com #photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #rubythroatedhummingbird https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/783/092/975/337/877/original/78ab2c3d781adaf2.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Forest Apprentice This is a fledgling red‑bellied woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus). https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/782/609/294/780/511/original/848c721ce95dd90b.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Good morning. 🌹🌹🌹 19 June 2026 I think I’ll go a little out of my depth this morning and muse about life and death. Is there life after death? I think there absolutely is — just not for the organism that has died. For that organism, there is nothing. Biological function ceases. Consciousness is a function of biology, so when the organism dies, thought dies with it. It’s like a flame: once it’s extinguished, the flame is no more. But what about the universe? When we die and fade into nothingness, does the universe still exist? I’m sure it does — but only for those who still have the capacity to wonder about it. For the person who has died, awareness is gone. Their physical presence remains, but that’s about it. The world continues, just not for them. Their window onto reality has closed. In that sense, death isn’t a doorway or a journey. It’s simply the end of experience. Life goes on for the living; the universe keeps unfolding. But for the one who has died, there is only the quiet absence where consciousness used to be. So where does the idea of life after death come from? To answer that, we probably have to go back to the earliest humans — maybe even before them. Long before scientific understanding, people tried to make sense of death using the tools they had: imagination, fear, hope, and storytelling. They created spirits, gods, and unseen realms to explain the transition from being alive to not being alive. As Temple Grandin put it, the question was always, “Where do they go?” I don’t say any of this to challenge anyone’s beliefs. People find meaning and comfort in different ways, and that’s part of being human. This is simply the way I understand it. As you might discern, I’m not a believer in ghosts — but I still think they’re fun. “Life is a flame that is always burning itself out.” — George Bernard Shaw “We are our brains. That’s all we are.” — Antonio Damasio #photo #photography #photographylovers #nature #rose #life #death #philosophy https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/776/858/041/090/939/original/5bd9ae20e07d9eef.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Stand Up I took this photograph of a Carolina chickadee (Poecile carolinensis) yesterday morning. Noticeably, the bird is standing erect and looking into the window of the bird feeder as if window shopping or maybe just trying find the good stuff. The photo's detail isn't the greatest, but it is interesting. https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com #photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #carolinachickadee https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/772/378/027/625/632/original/96569fb27f3719a1.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Morning Light on Tufted Titmouse #tuftedtitmoue https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/768/259/175/694/967/original/1f727c52f54789bc.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Gull in the Blue I saw this laughing gull (Leucophaeus atricilla) flying in from the beach at Tybee Island in Savannah, Georgia. Step into a world where even the smallest moments—like the glint in a bird's eye—tell their own story. https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com #photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #shorebirds #laughinggull https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/767/281/528/280/137/original/e3f8104b9550391c.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Good morning. 🕊️🕊️🕊️ 17 June 2026 Coffee, coffee, coffee 😩. What else can I say — it is definitely coffee time. Back in the ’70s, I knew a girl — the sister of a friend — who had teardrop tattoos on her face. I’d been away for a couple of years when I saw her again, and I remember wondering what on earth she’d been thinking. I mean, I had put a small tattoo on my hand a few years earlier, but even then I wouldn’t have dreamed of putting something permanent on my face. In fact, by that time I was already regretting the tiny one on my hand. I lost touch with most of the people I knew back then, but assuming she stopped the inking process right there, her little teardrops would be considered mild by today’s standards. These days people mark themselves up so heavily it’s hard not to stare. Don’t get me wrong — I don’t care what anyone does with their own skin. To each their own. But I do think that permanently marking yourself deserves a bit of forethought. It shouldn’t be a spontaneous “let’s go get some tats” kind of event. I have a hypothesis about why tattoo parlors tend to cluster near bars. In Louisiana, it’s against the law to tattoo someone who is visibly drunk or otherwise impaired. But the shops sit right there in the bar and club districts, and it’s up to the tattoo artist to decide whether a client can actually give consent. It’s kind of the same rule bartenders follow when they’re not supposed to serve someone who’s clearly intoxicated. So as long as a person can walk, talk, and isn’t throwing up, they’re probably considered “alright” — at least by the loose, real‑world standard that gets used on a Saturday night. “The years teach much which the days never knew.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson “Youth is easily deceived because it is quick to hope.” — Aristotle “We do not learn from experience… we learn from reflecting on experience.” — John Dewey #photo #photography #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #morning #rockpigeons #tattoos https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/765/357/926/231/962/original/d5eba0618b5fc7d5.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/751/658/720/398/143/original/7215535c03172352.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Gathering at the Shore There were no nonconformists among this flock of black skimmers (Rynchops niger) at Gulf Port, Mississippi last fall. If you enjoy wildlife and nature photography, check out my photo gallery here: https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com #photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #shorebirds #blackskimmers https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/749/428/560/910/444/original/d69f85a6da1f028b.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Grassland Catch I was looking closely at this image of a western cattle egret (Bubulcus ibis) that I photographed a while back when I noticed it had something clamped in its beak. It’s hard to tell exactly what the creature is, but it’s definitely too long to be a worm. The shape and length make it look more like a small snake. Explore a curated collection of heron and egret images in my photo gallery. Take a look! https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com #photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #heron #egret #westerncattleegret https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/743/505/257/379/481/original/c8334465f1393549.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Good morning. 🐿️🐿️🐿️ 13 June 2026 Back when George Reeves was Superman, I was absolutely convinced that the secret to flight was the cape. Not strength, not alien biology — just the cape. I believed in that hypothesis so completely that one day I fastened a towel around my neck with a safety pin, climbed to the top of the stairs in our two‑level apartment, and leapt. It did not work. What I did prove was that the human body is surprisingly durable — not Superman‑durable, mind you — but durable enough to survive a fall like that with only a sprained arm and a bruised ego. I wouldn’t call it a failed experiment, because technically I gathered evidence disproving the “cape = flight” theory. But with only one sample, how sure could I really be? Not very. Still, the pain from that first trial was persuasive enough to shut down any plans for further research. If Superman really flew because of his cape, then his cape must have been something special — and I was never going to get my hands on that particular model. So, C’est la vie. I had a history of sprained arms as a kid, each with its own questionable origin story. One of the earliest came courtesy of an old washing machine — the kind with a roller wringer mounted on top. Modern washers use rapid rotation and centrifugal force to fling water out of fabric, but this machine relied on squeezing everything between two hard rubber rollers. That idea fascinated me. So I decided to feed a sock through the rollers. I should have let go of the sock. Instead, my arm followed it straight into the wringer — not good. Not good at all. I can still remember the aftermath: the throbbing, the scolding, and the unmistakable smell of a potato poultice pressed against my arm. Childhood medicine had its own aroma, and that one stays with you. “Play is the highest form of research.” — Albert Einstein #photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #morning #squirrel #superman #childhood #experiments https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/742/769/089/160/601/original/f120cf3daa38fd92.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Glasswater Reflection This snowy egret (Egretta thula) stood poised in a quiet tidal pool in Gulfport, Mississippi, watching for its next meal. Explore a curated collection of heron and egret images in my photo gallery. Take a look! https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com #photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #heron #egret #snowyegret https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/732/103/096/586/694/original/95650350d203cc1e.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Good morning. 🦢🪿🦆 11 June 2026 I just took my first sip of coffee — now what. I’ve discovered it takes real effort these days to get myself together enough to leave the house. I used to be out the door in under an hour every morning. Nowadays, the idea of getting up and getting moving feels… optional. It still happens sometimes, of course — the horror 😱. At this hour, I say let the vegetative state take over. Who really needs movement or clear thoughts anyway. That calls for another sip of coffee. Help me, Mister Wizard — I don’t want to be a vegetable anymore 🐢🧙♂️. Some of you will get the reference. I was thinking that maybe instead of coming straight into my office in the morning, a quick walk around the yard might get the blood moving, sharpen the senses, and make it easier to think while I write. Or I could just keep doing it my way and let my fingers do all the thinking. I just got up to feed Charlie. After I set his bowl down, I decided to mess with him for a second — bent over with my hands on my knees and stared at him while he ate. He hates that. He’ll stop chewing and give me the side‑eye like I’m violating some sacred code. Sometimes he’ll growl, but not this morning. It’s a funny little behavior. Honestly, though, he stares at me when I’m eating, so maybe he should be a little more accepting when the tables turn 😂. Well, I’ve got a big day ahead — full of things I may or may not do — and one of them actually requires me to leave the house. Since the others depend on me doing the first… well… it looks like I’m leaving the house. “I’d rather take coffee than compliments just now.” — Louisa May Alcott “Morning is wonderful. Its only drawback is that it comes at such an inconvenient time of day.” — Glen Cook “Dogs laugh, but they laugh with their tails.” — Max Eastman #photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #morning #ducks https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/731/360/814/422/888/original/a7327e3a7dfd0928.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Blue Majesty This blue jay (Cyanocitta cristata) appears to be thoroughly in charge of the realm. Oh what is the word I'm looking for to describe this look ... noble, that is it. My dog, Charlie who is a border collie, gets that look whenever he lays quietly with his head raised. Charlie would spoil the moment though by acting silly. https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/728/614/486/882/438/original/3d3d6585a897f19f.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Good morning. 💤⏰☕ 9 June 2026 My head’s coming together slowly this morning. I’ve got a doctor’s appointment in an hour and was going to skip the coffee, but let’s be honest — I need it if I’m going to get moving. It’s fine; the doc told me coffee before labs is okay. Still, I always feel like I’m trying to pass a test. I finished my latest read last night. It’s a book I normally wouldn’t have picked up, but one of my granddaughters sent it to me, so I gave it a shot — and it turned out to be surprisingly good. The book is Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman, a New York Times bestseller. The story feels like a cross between TRON, The Wizard of Oz, and War of the Worlds. It’s this wild blend of fantasy, science fiction, horror, and comedy. The main characters are a guy named Carl — as you might guess — and a talking show cat named Princess Doughnut. One early morning after midnight, the two are thrown into chaos when aliens invade Earth. The survivors who manage to get underground are dropped into a kind of living video game the aliens call the Dungeon. Their goal is always the same: fight their way to the next level by battling monsters, earning tools, gold, skills, and whatever else might help them survive — if they can even find the way down. I know, it sounds like a mess on the surface, something that shouldn’t work at all, but Dinniman somehow pulls it off. It’s a series, and I’m thinking about picking up the next book to see what happens next. “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” — Arthur Ashe "Welcome to the Dungeon survival is optional" - Matt Dinniman Dammit Doughnut - Carl #photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #nature #morning #book #DoctorsAppointmentDay https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/720/210/344/904/967/original/3f4306182663153f.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Full Moon Rising Through the Trees https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/705/077/317/631/915/original/4e97c60898ec1b59.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Scarlet Descent Northern Cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis) are regular visitors to my backyard. They are here year around. Generally, when they arrive in my backyard, they come in small groups and often I see mated pairs hanging out together. This one is diving for the ground underneath a birdfeeder or maybe diving for the birdfeeder itself. If you’re captivated by northern cardinals and other members of the Cardinalidae family—better known as the cardinal family—step into my photo gallery for a visual feast. Come take a look: https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com #photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #northerncardinals https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/703/930/846/228/729/original/a369eac215a60516.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Perched with Purpose This Carolina chickadee (scientific name) perches with an unusually straight posture and it sports an oddly punk haircut. Both the posture and the uneven head feathers are indicators that the bird is molting. Apparently, the more upright posture may help relieve the pressure from new emerging feathers. Step into a world where even the smallest moments—like the glint in a bird's eye—tell their own story. https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com #photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #carolinachickadee https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/675/463/253/024/386/original/d8d0d89d02a298b3.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs The Mushroom Realm This ground‑level mushroom scene, wrapped in green grass, has been artistically altered to feel dreamy and abstract. If you love flowers—or just enjoy discovering their beauty and names like I do—come explore my gallery of blooms captured in moments of wonder and curiosity. https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com #photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #nature #mushroom #abstract https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/670/109/957/784/806/original/6a25629fbdc7f938.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Good morning. ☕☕☕ 30 May 2026 I remember when telephones with push‑buttons started showing up. They looked so modern, so futuristic, like something out of a science‑fiction movie. If you had one sitting on your desk, you must have been somebody — even though, at first, they didn’t really do anything the old rotary phones couldn’t do. I still wonder why we started with a dial instead of buttons in the first place. I don’t wonder long, though. It had to be whatever the technology of the time could manage. When I was a small child living with my grandparents — my parents were off at the Great Lakes while my dad went through Navy training — I had to memorize their phone number. To this day, it still doesn’t make sense to me. It was “Sycamore 5‑2453.” Try dialing that into a phone today. There have been a few changes since then. And isn’t it funny that after all these years, after all the technical leaps that led to the cell phones we carry in our back pockets, we still say we’re “dialing” a number? I’m sure plenty of young people don’t even know what that means. I’ve seen clips online where teenagers are handed an old rotary phone and look as confused as I’d be if someone handed me a crank‑and‑jar churn. I wouldn’t know its purpose, let alone how to use it. Makes you wonder what the next fifty years will bring. I’m certain of one thing: nobody will be running down to the telegraph office. And someday, even cell phones will go the way of buggy whips. “We shape our tools and thereafter our tools shape us.” — Marshall McLuhan “Nostalgia is a file that removes the rough edges from the good old days.” — Doug Larson “If you don’t like change, you’ll like irrelevance even less.” — General Eric Shinseki #photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #morning #technology #telephones #dial https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/663/794/210/226/807/original/a74fdb0be0c116db.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Rosy Goldfinch I think that when I took this photo, the American goldfinches (Spinus tristis) had mostly moved on, but here’s one from a few weeks earlier. I really like the soft, rosy background. https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/603/275/443/060/403/original/b75492fe2dd6f452.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs A View from Below This female northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) looks as though she’s fluffed up against the chill, her feathers puffed into a little winter coat. I had a temporary change in my bird‑seed mix, and many of the smaller visitors—like the sparrows—seem to have taken their business elsewhere. But the cardinals? They’re still showing up, unfazed and faithful as ever. If you’re captivated by northern cardinals and other members of the Cardinalidae family—better known as the cardinal family—step into my photo gallery for a visual feast. Come take a look: https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com #photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #northerncardinal https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/602/144/615/593/450/original/4aed9325414e8fe9.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Forest Reflections A serene woodland scene is captured with a quiet body of water reflecting the bare branches of trees. The dense growth of trees and underbrush is indicative of a wetland or marshy area, and the lighting suggests late afternoon or early evening. https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/591/996/857/298/259/original/035402aaa5f3bc21.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Good evening. 🌄🌅🌇 16 May 2026 We just rolled back into the house after our trip. I brought two cameras — not counting my iPhone — and somehow managed to take zero bird photos. Not one. Apparently every bird in the Ozarks and Oklahoma entered the Witness Protection Program the moment I arrived. Plenty of pictures of my granddaughter graduating from college, though. That part I nailed. First thing I did when we got home was take a Zyrtec. Something started attacking my sinuses while we were away, and naturally I grabbed the wrong bottle before we left, so I spent the whole trip raw‑dogging allergy season. Oklahoma City didn’t help — the air quality there was so bad it felt like the atmosphere was trying to exfoliate my lungs. The only thing wrong with the house right now is that Charlie isn’t in it. He’s still in boarding at the vet’s office, serving hard time. I can’t post bail until Monday morning. But Monday… we party. The drive home was more chaotic than the drives to the Ozarks and OKC, mostly because I had to actually drive the car myself for most of it. The navigation system decided we needed a scenic tour of every country road between here and the state line. At one point, “Country Roads” by John Denver came on, which would’ve been charming if I hadn’t been white‑knuckling the steering wheel like a man trying to defuse a bomb. Speaking of navigation systems: while we were doing 75 on the interstate leaving OKC, the voice calmly instructed me to “turn right at the next stop sign onto Industrial Road.” My wife and I both said “WHAT” in perfect harmony. I’m pretty sure the Industrial Road it meant was hundreds of miles away near our home. What cha gonna do? “If you want to make God laugh, tell him about your plans.” — Woody Allen “Not all those who wander are lost.” — J.R.R. Tolkien “Happiness is a warm puppy.” — Charles M. Schulz #photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #nature #travel #navigation #trip #allergies https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/587/104/470/587/970/original/d8ed28fbccdad98b.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Gathering at the Feeder Four Feathered Friends Share a Sunlit Snack. Among these four birds are three different species. A female northern cardinal is perched at the feeder, a male house finch is flying in, and a female house finch and a Carolina chickadee are both winging their way out of the frame. Discover nature's fleeting moments through my lens—visit my photo gallery to see more. https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com #photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/578/738/669/690/708/original/212cc8080d61b50d.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Sparrow Hideaway A Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina) Finds Solitude Amidst the Twisted Branches. If you enjoy photos of birds and other wildlife, take a look at my photo gallery. Sparrows are never overlooked—they're a valued and important part of my collection. Feel free to explore! https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com #photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #sparrows #chippingsparrow https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/575/735/318/091/107/original/24e1a7f199112ae2.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Flock in Flight A flock of black skimmers (Rynchops niger) fills the air over Gulfport, Mississippi. Discover nature's fleeting moments through my lens—visit my photo gallery to see more. https://swede1952-photographs.pixels.com #photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #shorebirds #blackskimmers #flock https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/568/114/691/947/755/original/7fe1b85f8a33115a.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Skyward Descent This blue jay (Cyanocitta cristata) was in the yard one morning, along with a couple of others. It’s the first time I’ve seen them come to the feeders since last fall. https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/561/982/012/631/382/original/909eef4382f432ca.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Golden Reflections I saw this greater yellowlegs in Albany, Georgia about a years ago. https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/550/267/986/294/018/original/eeba4896c34af491.jpg npub1wmuwvj6566q7cdlckvlww5rfe8mgvlkwj9qdkslgyxnen5exy8xqsdkxl8 Swede’s Photographs Good morning. 🍵🍵🍵 7 May 2026 While feeding Charlie this morning, I discovered Roomba wedged under the breakfast table. It must have gotten stuck yesterday during its rounds, and I only just noticed — meaning it had been stranded for nearly twenty‑four hours. The suffering it must have endured is unimaginable. The thought of being pinned between a table leg and a chair for that long is simply horrid. Naturally, I blame myself for being so unobservant that I didn’t hear its cries for help. It was neglect on my part, and I feel deep regret. In my defense, the moment I spotted Roomba lying lifeless under the table, I immediately extricated it and rushed it to its base station, where it is now receiving the resuscitating care it deserves. As you can see, the excitement of mornings in this household knows no bounds. Mine begins with the sudden realization that I am, in fact, still here — awake, with ambient light filtering through the curtains. When I say I “discover” I’m still here, it’s because seconds earlier I was somewhere else entirely, in a world that exists only in my mind. Or does it. I get up, stagger into the bathroom, and revive myself with a toothbrush after the night’s sleep. When I open the bedroom door and step into the rest of the house, Charlie is waiting. The moment he sees me, he turns and thunders toward the back door, fully confident that I will follow and let him out. And now, somehow, I’m already out of space this morning, so I’ll have to end it here. That’s all the chaos my morning budget allows. “Normality is a paved road: it’s comfortable to walk, but no flowers grow on it.” — Van Gogh “The world is full of magical things patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper.” — Yeats “The universe is full of things that are patiently waiting for us to notice them.” — Eden Phillpotts #photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #nature #morning #spanishmoss #roomba https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/116/533/352/408/438/491/original/ec1fa637efcd2f98.jpg