Morea's Photos

Snowy path

2008-02-26T18:13:00.004-05:00

Went for a walk at today. I really enjoyed the shadows on the snow.

Chickadees

2007-12-02T18:42:00.001-05:00

Some friendly chickadees I met on my walk today:

Gargoyles

2007-11-11T11:00:00.003-05:00

A pair of gargoyles that I saw on a recent trip to Montreal:

Sunsets

2007-11-09T09:25:00.000-05:00

Some autumn photos

2007-11-01T16:43:00.000-04:00

Heron in Flight

2007-10-22T19:22:00.000-04:00

Here's a shot of the elusive heron that visits the banks of the Magog River. I wish that he wasn't so camera-shy.

Sherbrooke, Québec

2007-10-21T15:42:00.000-04:00

These shots were taken in Downtown Sherbrooke. Here's a little bit about the city, courtesy of Wikipedia:

Sherbrooke (2006 population: 147,427) is a city in south-eastern Quebec, Canada, the only major city in the Eastern Townships. Although originally settled in the early 19th century by anglophones, it is today primarily a francophone city.

The area of Sherbrooke was first settled in 1793 by American Loyalists, including Gilbert Hyatt, a farmer from Schenectady, New York, who built a flour mill in 1802. In 1818 the village of "Hyatt's Mills" received its current name, being named after Governor General Lord Sherbrooke at the time of his retirement and return to England.

It's a beautiful city with some very nice architecture. Here are a few of my photos:

Marais de la Rivière aux Cerises (Magog, QC)

2007-10-20T20:36:00.000-04:00

Today we visited the Marais de la Rivière aux Cerises (Cherry Riveer Marsh) in Magog, QC. As the day wore on a storm rolled in... we were fortunate to make it back to the car and actually got home before the rain began.

These photos show the progression of the storm.

Stone church

2007-10-13T20:58:00.000-04:00

I saw this beautiful stone church in the distance when I went out today, and I just had to drive over to it to take some pictures of it. I had time to take a few shots before it started raining, but I think that the dark sky compliments the stonework rather nicely.

Autumn Walk in Lennoxville

2007-10-13T20:36:00.000-04:00

The weather was willing to cooperate today, so I went out for a walk at Parc Atto Beaver in Lennoxville. Here are some pictures from the walk. The leaves are really colorful this week, so I wanted to enjoy them before they are gone.

Quebec City

2007-10-10T10:36:00.000-04:00

As the weather turns a little cooler, I've had more time to sit down and sort through some of the photos I took over the summer.

Here are some photos from our trip to Quebec City (the capital of the province) this past July:

Johnville Bog & Forest Park

2007-10-07T15:46:00.000-04:00

We went walking at Johnville Bog & Forest Park today... it was a little chilly, but very sunny and a nice day to be outdoors. It was a really interesting place to visit.

Here's more information: Johnville Bog & Forest Park

This wooden walkway leads through most of the park:

Some birch trees on the outer edge of the bog:

Trees growing in the bog:

The bog was surprisingly colorful in some places:

Pine trees are one of few species that can tolerate the low pH here:

There's not a lot of wildlife in the bog... mostly insects:

In places, it looked almost surreal:

A mushroom that looks like a fingernail :)

A tree being pulled down into the bog:

It was a beautiful day for a nature hike:

Wildlife along the bike trail

2007-10-03T13:35:00.000-04:00

I love biking, but sometimes I prefer to go for a walk on the bike trail and bring my camera along. Here are some shots of some of the wildlife I've seen along the way.

A chickadee - very quick and hard to photograph, but this one played along:

A curious fawn - one of two walking through the woods with their mother.

A mussel or clam - he disappeared quickly when I poked him. :)

A heron - I've been stalking him for over a week in order to get a decent shot.

Three different garter snakes. Also very quick! I was quite pleased with these shots!

Mushrooms

2007-09-30T15:14:00.000-04:00

I love mushrooms. I love to eat them, and I love to take pictures of them. :)

Unfortunately, I don't know enough about them to identify them growing in the wild, and I'm totally paranoid that I would make a mistake identifying one and poison myself, so the only ones I eat come from the store.

I'm not sure what these are, but I was really pleased with this photo:

Here are some others that I saw on a walk today at Fraser Beach. I had never seen any like them before:

I have tentatively identified these as "coprinus comatus" mushrooms. There is more information about them here and here.

Vineyard Tour - Le Cep D'Argent

2007-09-21T18:43:00.000-04:00

Hanu and I took a tour of a local winery, Vignoble le Cep d’Argent in Magog, Qc.

We took a tour of the facilities which concluded with samples of several of the wines produced by the vineyard. We both thoroughly enjoyed the tour (which was very informative). Our guide (who was quite a good photographer in her own right) was very friendly, and the wines were excellent. For more information, be sure to check out the vineyard's website, here.

Biking at Mont Orford

2007-07-27T11:23:00.000-04:00

Here are two shots taken of me on a recent biking trip. :)

Nice Day for a Hike

2007-07-26T11:09:00.000-04:00

The weather is finally cooperating here, so I've been spending as much time outdoors as I can. Today the destination was nearby Mont Orford. It was a tough hike, but we took the time to stop and take some pictures along the way.

Mountain biking

2007-07-22T10:44:00.000-04:00

This was the first time I had ever done "real" downhill mountain biking. On one run I took the water bladder out of my hydration back and used the case to stow my camera so I could get a few pictures. These don't really do it justice - it's really high, with very steep sections and the trails are really curvy.

Fortunately, the weather was very cooperative. It was a lot of fun!

Here's the mountain as viewed from the car on the way in. Look at the other cars in the picture for an idea of the scale.

Here are the bikes on the lift in front of us:

The view from the lift:

My bike (Zem) at the top:

Some shots of the trails (unfortunately, the photos look flat - you can't see the ups and downs in the trails):

Fireworks

2007-07-13T10:02:00.000-04:00

There's a fireworks competition held here every July. Here are a few shots:

Melina

2007-03-30T11:39:00.000-04:00

I love this shot of Melina. It's not often that she holds still long enough for me to take her picture.

Crocus

2007-03-26T10:26:00.000-04:00

It's just about time again! These are some crocuses from last spring:

It's officially Spring!

2007-03-25T10:53:00.000-04:00

It's "officially" spring! Apparently I'm not the only one who is eagerly awaiting actual spring weather! Here's Martell taking in the sun at the front door. He's such a handsome boy. >^..^<

Photo contest: "cold"

2007-03-25T10:50:00.000-04:00

I took this shot for a photo contest with the theme "cold". I didn't adjust the colors or anything - the scene was really that stark.

Snowdrifts

2007-03-25T10:46:00.000-04:00

I really liked the look of these snowdrifts. They reminded me of ocean waves.

Winter sure can be beautiful... I just wish it wasn't quite so long! :)

Teepees

2007-03-25T10:36:00.000-04:00

I saw these teepees at a wilderness camping site during a winter hike. They reminded me of the hot air balloon festival held in my hometown every fall.

Sunset

2007-02-11T11:01:00.000-05:00

A beautiful sunset captured recently.

Chickadee

2007-01-29T19:31:00.000-05:00

This was one of those "chance" shots that result from being in the right place at the right time with my camera turned on and aimed in the right direction when the little guy landed right in front of me.

I'm pretty happy with it. :)

Geese on the river

2007-01-23T17:56:00.000-05:00

Tyrael

2007-01-12T16:22:00.000-05:00

poor Tyrael was sick for almost two months after a nasty food allergy. He's feeling much better now, and back top playing with his little white ball like a maniac. :)

House at twilight

2006-12-05T08:44:00.000-05:00

Not MY house, mind you, but I would accept it graciously if they wanted to give it to me. :)

Ah, the ocean...

2006-11-29T15:11:00.000-05:00

If I could, I would walk on the beach forever.

Martell again

2006-11-17T12:59:00.000-05:00

I can't help it... he is just so beautiful. :)

The River

2006-11-11T17:02:00.000-05:00

Here's a shot of the river that runs alongside my new bike trail. It's very peaceful there. :)

It must be hard to be a cat

2006-11-03T11:34:00.000-05:00

I mean, just look... ;)

Happy Cats

2006-10-31T08:22:00.000-05:00

It's been a long road, getting from there to here... no, wait! That's a song...

I have recently moved and as a result I had to find new homes for many of my rescue cats. It was traumatic, to say the least. Nope, I guess I still don't want to talk about it.

Regardless, the three that I still have seem to be settling in to the new place. What do you think?

Tyrael (tiger) and Martell (white):

Martell, Tyrael, and the back of Melina:

Sleeping Beauty Hike

2006-10-10T21:10:00.000-04:00

I went for a hike on Sunday near Lake George... here is some information about the trail.

It was really a great day to be outdoors! Here are some pictures:

Cedar waxwing

2006-10-04T09:13:00.000-04:00

A cedar waxwing I saw on my trip this past summer.

Bike trail

2006-09-24T12:01:00.000-04:00

Stan (my bike) taking a break in Canada:

A lovely park where Hanu and I went biking:

A strange hill in Sherbrooke with some crows... it looked like it would have been more at home in the Southwestern US more than in the Eastern Townships!

Bird watching

2006-09-21T00:36:00.000-04:00

From left to right, Sigmund (orange), Splash (tortoiseshell) and Martell (white) engaged in some serious bird watching. =^..^=

That poor little goldfinch had no idea. Another reason I installed pet-safe screens!

Avast, me hearties!

2006-09-19T07:24:00.000-04:00

Today be t' day!

Weigh anchor! Hoist the mizzen! Take hold o' yer inner pirate, ye scallywags, and smartly!

a classic joke in honor o' t' occasion...

A Pirate walks into a bar. The bartender says "Why do ye have a steering wheel in yer trousers, lad?"

The Pirate responds "Arrr, aye have no idear," shaking his head and shrugging his shoulders, "but tis driving me nuts!"

Minne-Ha-Ha

2006-09-08T10:11:00.000-04:00

The Minne-ha-ha on Lake George:

Martell

2006-08-31T22:26:00.000-04:00

Here's Martell testing out my sleeping bag:

So much for "sweet" and "innocent"... he's got his eyes on my sandwich!

Yes, there he goes. This is just before I intervened and rescued what was left of my sandwich from the wandering paws of the Great White Hunter. :)

Crane Mountain hike #2

2006-08-31T22:13:00.000-04:00

Crane Mountain, revisited: the summit is over a 3200 foot climb:

Ducks in Sherbrooke

2006-07-10T13:00:00.000-04:00

Some ducks. I grabbed one of them and picked it up. That one in the background is the mother, and she wasn't really keen on that idea, so she came after me! I didn't get to hold the little guy for very long. :)

Bluebird

2006-05-27T12:00:00.000-04:00

The Bluebird is the state bird of NY, although this is the first one I've ever seen!

Iris

2006-05-20T17:04:00.000-04:00

my first iris this year

Crane Mountain: first hike

2006-05-07T23:02:00.000-04:00

Today Neuro and I climbed Crane Mountain. The mountain is 1700 feet high at the summit, and despite the rough climb the view was breathtaking.

Rocky trail:

Pretty steep climb:

Midway up the mountain we stopped to take some photos:

This one really shows the perspective:

And eventually we DID reach the summit:

There were some little waterfalls along the way:

The weather was perfect, and the batteries in our cameras wore out before we did... which is why I am not sharing any photos of the loons we saw on the way home. :)

spring blossoms

2006-05-06T09:35:00.000-04:00

Some spring blossoms from my own back yard.

Mother Robin on her nest

2006-05-05T09:31:00.000-04:00

I finally for close enough to get a photo of the mother robin sitting on her eggs! I am hoping to get a few shots of the babies when they hatch. :)

Robin eggs

2006-04-30T15:02:00.000-04:00

I found this in one of our shrubs today - a nest with 4 Robin eggs!

Red squirrel

2006-04-30T14:57:00.000-04:00

A red squirrel from today's hike.

red squirrel

Birds of a Feather

2006-04-29T15:01:00.000-04:00

Some birds I saw when I went for a walk through the woods yesterday:

Grackle

Chickadee

Sparrow

Downy Woodpecker

Storm

2006-04-19T13:02:00.000-04:00

These clouds were pretty ominous!

Woodchuck

2006-04-07T17:49:00.000-04:00

I found a little woodchuck hiding under the neighbor's garage. I think he figured if he didn't move, I wouldn't see him.

Cat Walk

2006-04-02T18:57:00.000-04:00

It was a beautiful day today, so a couple lucky kitties got to go out and play in the yard!

Here's Tyrael, who turns out to be a little agoraphobic. He is the King of the House, but wanted to stick close to his people when he was outside.

Melina is going to be 11 years old in May, but she doesn't look or act more than 3. She's very small, but a bundle of energy. She wore herself out running around the yard.

She also enjoyed a nice roll in the grass!

Martell was pretty excited to get out and get some fresh air. The first thing he did was run over and plop down in the flower bed.

Once he was good and filthy he stalked around the yard to take in the sights.

They had a lot of fun, and are happily napping in their favorite chairs as I type. If I were ever reincarnated, I think I would like to come back as a pampered cat. =^..^=

Splash cat in the sun

2006-03-27T17:57:00.000-05:00

Thank goodness it's finally spring!

Splash enjoyed sitting on my desk in the office today to take in some sun. Isn't she a beauty?

dragonfly silhouette

2006-02-20T22:20:00.000-05:00

dragonfly

gray bird

2006-02-12T18:54:00.000-05:00

a little gray bird from my walk on Sunday.

Autumn

2005-12-30T20:12:00.000-05:00

A pinecone that fell to rest in the branches of an oak tree.

Some cat tails alongside a pond.

A few green leaves still standing at the end of autumn.

Country sunsets

2005-12-13T20:21:00.000-05:00

Neuro and I took a drive out through the country and caught some beautiful sunsets!

it is surprising to watch how quickly the colors change!

these were all taken the same night

this one is one of my favorites.

Melina

2005-12-12T18:56:00.000-05:00

My tortoiseshell cat, Melina.

helping with the laundry:

sitting in the sun:

Indoor Biking, anyone?

2005-11-28T17:50:00.000-05:00

It's officially 'winter' here in NY. We had 5 inches of snow last week! Unfortunately, between the mess from the snow and the fact that it is dark outside before I get out of work, I would normally be done mountain biking for the season. BUT... I've just discovered a wonderful new toy!

I've made my bike into a transformer! The "trainer" I got attaches to the back wheel and basically converts my regular outdoor mountain bike into an indoor stationary bike.

It's working out pretty well so far. The fact that I can actually *exercise* while sitting in front of the tv at night makes it much easier to get my winter workouts in. Cheers to indoor biking! ;)

Here's a shot of the cords that attach the little computer to my bike so I can measure time and distance. I just thought this was a neat perspective!

Gothic Spire

2005-11-25T11:50:00.000-05:00

I love this spire.

I used to drive by it every day on the way to work. It just rises right up over the trees, and it looks particularly impressive on cloudy days.

A Cardinal at the park

2005-11-18T22:23:00.000-05:00

I chased him around quite a bit before I got this shot!

It's a male cardinal I saw at Crandall Park.

Autumn in NY

2005-11-13T10:42:00.000-05:00

One of the first autumn leaves changing right in my back yard!

the park

the last remaining dandelion in a field of brown grass

some red leaves

a shot of the bike path during my last outdoor ride of the year

Sparrow

2005-11-11T20:13:00.000-05:00

A sparrow in a tree

Sunset over the airport

2005-11-07T11:12:00.000-05:00

I was fortunate to have my camera with me when I saw this beautiful sunset!

Mallard ducks

2005-11-05T18:40:00.000-05:00

Some mallard ducks. The ones with the green heads are the males, and the brown ones are the females.

We saw these while sneaking in what will probably be our last mountain biking expedition of the year on Sunday.

Flowers

2005-11-01T10:58:00.000-05:00

A few flowers from late summer:

a blue morning glory (one of my favorites!)

a colorful zinnia

and finally, some anemone, not to be confused with the sea creature ;)

a close up of my bleeding heart

a chinese lantern

Balloon Festival - 2005 continued

2005-10-31T20:13:00.000-05:00

the reflection in Neuro's sunglasses:

this shot shows a large group of balloons, as well as the size of the crowd in attendance that morning:

and finally, a shot of some very confused cows!

Hot Air Balloon Festival - 2005

2005-10-30T10:48:00.000-05:00

The Adirondack Balloon Festival is a yearly event here, and one of the few occasions for which I *willingly* get up at 4am!

Here's a shot of the airport at 6am as the sun started coming up:

testing the flame:

inflating:

and then they started standing up. I liked the way these overlapped each other.

here's a shot of the first group up:

Sigmund again...

2005-10-23T00:23:00.000-04:00

Another shot of Sigmund... this is his "Garfield" pose. >^..^<

Sigmund in autumn

2005-10-14T19:42:00.000-04:00

Sigmund looked so nice with the matching fall leaves behind him that I had to take his picture... and he was a surprisingly good sport about it. :)

woolybear caterpillar

2005-10-08T18:22:00.000-04:00

the first woolybear caterpillar of autumn!

isn't he cute? :)

boxwood beetle

2005-10-02T22:25:00.000-04:00

A boxwood beetle...

these little guys are harmless, unless you're a boxwood tree. In the fall they like to sit on the back side of my house and enjoy the sun.

Martell

2005-09-23T21:24:00.000-04:00

My cat Martell.

Some other photos of him:

Martell in his bedroom

Martell in the sun

Tyrael

2005-09-20T18:54:00.000-04:00

Tyrael

Chipmunks

2005-09-15T19:23:00.000-04:00

These little guys were running around my old college campus enjoying the beautiful fall day.

Petrified Sea Gardens - other shots

2005-09-12T20:25:00.000-04:00

Petrified Sea Gardens

Glacial potholes - waterfalls of melt-water would pouroff the slow-moving glaciers and wear holes in the layer of rock... smaller pieces of rock helped the process, but sometimes a large boulder would be wedged in the stream of water and be worn smooth while making the hole rounder.

Solution channels - The crevices in the fossil reef are what led to its discovery in 1923 when a grazing cow fell and got stuck in one.

These crevices are the result of melting glaciers. Rushing melt-water would seek the path of least resistance and follow cracks in the rock, widening them over time.

This stone 'lion' was created from a large piece of fossilized rock in the 1920's.

A sundial and a frog from the Time Garden and Lily Pond.

Petrified Sea Gardens - Glacial Erratics

2005-09-12T20:16:00.000-04:00

Glacial erratics - slow moving glaciers carried rocks and boulders great distances and dropped them in another place... there were three large formations in the park, which also extend deep underground. The largest formation is estimated to weigh over 200 tons!

;

Glacial erratics are often called "Indian Stones". This one (below) is believed to have a history in Native American use. It is oriented to the sunrise at solstice, and there appears to be an altar within the formation.

Petrified Sea Gardens - fossils

2005-09-09T20:07:00.000-04:00

Neuro and I visited Petrified Sea Gardens in Saratoga, NY on Labor Day... a fossil ocean reef estimated to be over 500 million years old.

These fossils were were made by cyanobacteria (bluegreen algae), which formed in mounds but have eroded revealing the inner structure.

Stromatolites still exist in the modern world, most notably in western Australia at Shark Bay, where the water is too salty for most predators.

Modern day stromatolites in Shark Bay, Australia

And a few more of my photos of the fossils:

Yaddo Rose Gardens

2005-09-06T17:39:00.000-04:00

On Saturday, Neuro and I went to visit Yaddo Rose Gardens in Saratoga Springs.

Here are some photos of the beautiful flowers there.

Full moon

2005-09-04T20:33:00.000-04:00

It took quite a few tries to capture the moon so clearly... I wasn't using a tripod!

My sunflowers

2005-09-02T19:19:00.000-04:00

Red dragonfly

2005-09-01T18:09:00.000-04:00

This one finally held still so I could snap his photo! :)

Grasshopper

2005-08-31T21:14:00.000-04:00

A little grasshopper on my sunflowers tonight.

He wasn't nearly as big as the one I got a shot of last year!

armory

2005-08-29T20:28:00.000-04:00

I love this old armory.

Animals at the Washington County Fair 2005

2005-08-29T18:08:00.000-04:00

Friday night Neuro and I went to the Washington County Fair. We had a great time visiting with all of the different animals. Here are some shots from the barns:

Draft Horses

A sheep with some crazy hair

A horse of a different color? This horse and ox were so cute together. :)

A happy little goat

Midway at the Washington County Fair

2005-08-27T15:43:00.001-04:00

I don't usually venture down into the midway when I go to the fair, but those bright lights caught my eye, so I had to wander down and take some shots.

the Ferris Wheel

the Merry Go Round

a second ferris wheel

some flags adorning one of the other rides

Clouds

2005-08-24T19:53:00.000-04:00

A shot of some clouds over the highway:

Another neat shot of the clouds:

Some friendlier skies:

LogoWorks - really a bargain?

2005-08-23T18:31:00.000-04:00

As a graphic designer, I know what goes into a good logo design. I could give you a long-winded explanation, but I believe that the best explanation I have seen is written by Pentagram whom I quote here:

Quote: "Identity is the unique character of a group or brand - a combination of reputation, name, culture, manner and values. Identity design represents these qualities and in doing so adds something to them. The identity designer has to become intricately involved in the group or brand in order to understand and thus influence its presented image."

Many small businesses are drawn to the promise of the "cheap fix" that a company like Logoworks provides, and when a professional designer criticizes the work that these "discount logo" sites turn out, they are often perceived as bitter about losing business to these sites.

I would refer them to this comment, made by Von Glitschka of Bad Design Kills:

Quote:"I am not debating whether LogoWorks.com should be allowed to run their business. They have every right to and I'll be happy to compete with them any day of the week. But that said they should not get a free pass to steal artwork and concepts from those they directly compete with."

Here is the example that started it all:

On the left is an example of an alleged "LogoWorks" logo. On the right is a logo that was designed by Mark Fox, which appears on page 133 of the book "The New American Logo" :

It is likely that many will recognize this one! Original design on the left, source: http://www.xerox.com. Version on the right as seen on InstaLogo.com owned by LogoWorks.com.

And there are many, MANY more. (A complete record of the copied work is being showcased on "Bad Design Kills" here. Take a look!)

For more information, please read this article, written by Chris Gee at The Prepared Mind.

To add insult to injury, the disclaimer on the Logoworks site reads:

"Client agrees and acknowledges that it uses each Response at its own risk and that it is responsible for taking any actions it deems reasonable to determine whether its use of a Response will infringe any third party intellectual property, privacy or publicity rights...

Client acknowledges that LogoWorks shall have no obligation or duty to perform trade or service mark searches or inquiries, or the like, in order validate the propriety or legality of the Response compositions...

if you have a dispute with one or more users, you release LogoWorks (and our affiliates, agents and employees) from claims, demands and damages (actual and consequential, direct and indirect) of every kind and nature, known and unknown, suspected and unsuspected, disclosed and undisclosed..."

Now, LogoWorks also states on their website:

"According to the Graphic Artists Guild you'll pay $2,000 to $10,000 for a corporate logo at a traditional design firm. You can get a company logo from LogoWorks for only $299. And since each logo designer is a specialist, you'll get a higher quality logo design at a better price."

So what exactly does it take to become a logo specialist at LogoWorks? If you check their website you will see the qualifications listed as follows:

"Here is what you will need to signup:
- Two samples of your work (any graphic file or Office document)
- A Social Security number (if you are a US Citizen)"

and

"There is some personal information that we will verify before you can get started. This process usually takes 1-2 business days."

I can not begin to comprehend how LogoWorks can use these minimal requirements to declare someone a "specialist" and then advertise themselves as the "best designers in the business".

In conclusion, if you are in the market for a logo, think twice about using a "discount logo" website. There are as many solutions and as many prices out there as there are designers. While using an "instant logo website" might seem the quick and easy solution, it may result in unexpected legal fees and bad publicity that make it considerably less of a bargain!

Water

2005-08-17T19:22:00.000-04:00

boiling water

a self portrait in water

water on a screen

Some random shots

2005-08-16T18:43:00.000-04:00

lamp post at dusk

archway at sunset

building at night

some nature shots

2005-08-15T15:05:00.000-04:00

Some ferns:

A lily, past its peak but still fascinating:

A black-eyed susan bud almost ready to open:

Saratoga Racetrack

2005-08-14T14:55:00.000-04:00

Today Neuro and I went down to the Saratoga Racetrack to see the horses.

Welcome to Saratoga - "the August place to be"

The scoreboard on the track:

And some horses in the paddock before the race:

the Philadelphia Orchestra and fireworks

2005-08-12T22:52:00.000-04:00

Last night I went to see the Philadelphia Orchestra at SPAC. They put on a great show of Tchaikovsky's works, including Swan Lake and the 1812 Overture - complete with cannon fire!

The performance was followed by some beautiful fireworks.

I had never tried to photograph fireworks, before, and the secret seems to be to anticipate the shot, and open your shutter before the actual "explosion". Before I got the hang of this, I took several photos that came out all black. :)

Congress Park, Saratoga

2005-08-11T23:40:00.000-04:00

Some shots from Congress Park in Saratoga, NY.

beaver

2005-08-09T21:01:00.000-04:00

Another adventure from biking... something caught my eye in the canal alongside the bike trail. At first I thought it was a woodchuck, because there are tons of them in this area.

Upon closer inspection, I realized that it was actually a beaver! I had never seen one before, so I was more than a little surprised.

Here's a head on shot of the little guy:

Again, from the side:

Here he is, finishing off the stick he was eating... he polished it off in about 10 minutes! I love his little hands in this photo.

And here he is swimming away. You can see part of his tail on the left.

It was really surprising. I have been pleasantly surprised with the variety of wildlife we have seen along the trail. It's always an adventure! For another photo, check out Neuro's blog.

a fish

2005-08-08T19:54:00.000-04:00

A fish I saw at the park. I think it is a trout. There were about a dozen of them, and they were huge!

umbrella

2005-08-06T20:32:00.000-04:00

A green umbrella from the cafe where I had lunch: