Riverside Airshow

(March 31) Tons of people, parking a mile away, no place to sit, but great maneuvers that captivated the kids.

riversideairshow

Lizard Games

(March 30) I wish I could think of a better caption. I muffed up a bunch of these. This was the only one where they were both in focus. Here's one of the big guy:
http://chaosgraphics.smugmug.com/gallery/2142606/20/77357419#139843987

Terrible spike

(March 29) I hate barbed wire, what it stands for and what it does. That said, these strands were kind of nice against the gathering storm.

Btw, I tried cloning out the branch in front of the hummer nest:
http://chaosgraphics.smugmug.com/gallery/1367522#139630168-L-LB

It's a big, big, spiky world

(March 28) UCR Botanic Garden yesterday.

Here we go again!

(March 27) This hummer led me to her nest. I don't know if it's the same one who lost her chicks earlier, but it makes a good story if she is. This nest is much more protected in a redwood tree off the path and high up above a bit of a ditch.

And a very friendly lizard for Thusie:
http://chaosgraphics.smugmug.com/gallery/2142606#139206265

Proposals are due today!!!

(March 26) Today was the deadline for two of our grants programs and we were inundated. Martha is relegated to unburying herself for the remainder of the month. Here is some of what needs to be read and reviewed:
http://chaosgraphics.smugmug.com/gallery/1841037#138980224

Seat for two

(March 25) I did a double take at an intersection today. This couple was driving around the neighborhood and local park, just having a fine ol' time. Another shot of the car is here:
http://chaosgraphics.smugmug.com/gallery/1841037#138674854

Up, over, and around

(March 24) Muttley Crew performs at the Riverside Humane Society Walk for the animals. This is Muttley Crew:
http://www.muttleycrew.net/home.html
This is the Riverside Humane Society:
http://www.petsadoption.com/
And for a few more of Chris Cabral and his "crew":
http://chaosgraphics.smugmug.com/gallery/1841037#138379603
This particular shot may not be the most spectacular, but I love the connection of Chris and the dog via the frisbee. Yes, the dog caught it mid-air after doing a back half-gainer of some sort.

muttleycrew

Lizard? What lizard?

(March 23) I'm fascinated by camouflage. This is a bit of a crop.

Annoyed . . . big time

(March 22) No matter that I was quite far away on a walkway between two buildings -- this GHO was not amused.

Two more shots of her here:
http://chaosgraphics.smugmug.com/gallery/1367522#137972381

Pretty spiky

(March 21) Back to the spiky series. The cacti are in bloom at the botanic gardens.

This is nuts!

(March 20) Yeah, desperation shot. Have at it. G'nite.

Three letters, starts with "c"

(March 19) Gypsy puts the finishing touch on the Sunday crossword. Gus gave it a try too:
http://chaosgraphics.smugmug.com/gallery/1367468#137360770

Shot on the fly

(March 18) All I shot today, and on the fly too while at the plant nursery. I just liked the expression on the finches' faces. I wish I'd gotten more of the ones on the bottom. Next time.

So many toys, so little time

(March 17) Happy St. Paddy's Day from Gus and me. I did almost no shooting today, but here's a snapshot from the morning of Gus taking his toys out for a little sun.

Spring unfolds

(March 16) I came across this crow calmly taking in a beautiful day and a beautiful setting.

En garde

(March 15) This was from last Tuesday. There was another set of performances today and I took many photos. But the students were tired; so was I, and the shots showed it. So I'm borrowing from Tuesday's performance of the Chinese Martial Arts Club.

marchucr

open, open, open

(March 14) This bee was a little baffled by the orange bloom bud.

Advanced Geometry

(March 13) Culture Days - UCR Dances was back again at noon with a whole new set of Asian student groups' performances of works in progress. The highlights are blown in this shot, but I still like the general design that the young performer is creating with her body and the ribbons. More photos are here:
http://chaosgraphics.smugmug.com/gallery/2576157/1/135662090#P-3-15
Btw, remember the climbing wall shots I posted a week or so ago? I climbed the wall today! Not nearly as gracefully as the students and on the easy side, but still a feeling of accomplishment. I loved repelling off too.

marchucr

Mind, Body, Spirit

(March 12) UCR students performed dances and works in progress today:
http://www.events.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/display.cgi?event_id=17978
(The photo on the publicity link is not mine.) They will perform again tomorrow and Thursday. This leap was part of a group demonstrating Chinese Martial Arts Dance. More photos are being loaded here:
http://chaosgraphics.smugmug.com/gallery/2576157/1/135662090#135662090

marchucr

Ahead by a nose

(March 11) Still from yesterday's car show -- Good Guys Car Show, Costa Mesa, Orange County Fairgrounds. I really like hood ornaments.

goodguys

A Few Paint Issues

(March 10) Good Guys Car Show, Costa Mesa, Orange County Fairgrounds

goodguys

Passed over by passersby

(March 9) Shot this from the car while waiting at an intersection. I'm thinking he's still part of the spiky series, at least in terms of sociality.

Posh Spike

(March 8) More in the spiky series.

Spikedy

(March 7) More in the series of spiky things.

marcactus

Juggling 101

(March 6) Gotta wonder what the heavy duty medical school curriculum is, dontchya? That would be our chancellor entering stage right. She was at a nooner celebration for the athletic department (for doing something athletic, I guess), hence the baseball cap with the power suit.

What's for lunch?

(March 5) My how they've grown since last week. Mama Hummer wasn't around. Guess she needed a lunchbreak too.

Here's another bird to i.d. for the birders:
http://chaosgraphics.smugmug.com/gallery/1367522#134051108

And for Thusie, some lizards on the side:
http://chaosgraphics.smugmug.com/gallery/2142606#134052706

Sittin' pretty

(March 4) Another one from yesterday. This is with the AF on and when the bird was in the clear. No clue as to what kind of bird, beyond a pretty and very little one. Here is one with MF (the camera did not like the brush):
http://chaosgraphics.smugmug.com/gallery/1367522#133729479
The focus is a little softer, including needing some cloning out of the brush between me and the bird, but I think it's more interesting.

Name the hawk for me, please.

(March 3) I had a fun time shooting in a rather barren area, despite some real frustration getting the 300 to focus or the 30D to take the shot. I had the IS off, but with the AF on, sometimes the camera just wouldn't shoot. It was fine when I manual focused. What am I doing wrong? On my way back, I saw this hawk on a post. What is it? Here's another look:
http://chaosgraphics.smugmug.com/gallery/1367522#133456394

Turtle soup

(March 2) I don't know what's in the water at Fairmount Park, but there were turtles sunning themselves (didn't know the lake had turtles), along with headless, one-legged, and rather wussy cormorants. The group huddled on the left was not going to challenge the turtles.

In like a lamb . . .

(March 1) Does that mean March will go out like a lion?

Attack of the Hacky Sack

(Feb. 28) Students were mesmerized as tiny flying creatures floated onto campus today, gathering students to them as they bobbed and weaved and hypnotized.

More on this little creature's odd behavior here:
http://chaosgraphics.smugmug.com/gallery/1841037#132886433

Too cool for hands

(Feb. 27) Outdoor excursions had their climbing wall out on the quad today. It was cold and windy, so not too many takers. This guy was going for style.

Some other shots of the climbers are here for fun:
http://chaosgraphics.smugmug.com/gallery/1841037#132652718

Eye contact

(Feb. 26) The photography gods were kinder today. This owl has set up her nest on the 3rd story window ledge of the plant pathology building for the second year in a row. Her mate is closeby:
http://chaosgraphics.smugmug.com/gallery/1841037#132442203

Last Stand

(Feb. 25) Bad shot day. This was all I took, so I fooled around with the sepia filter for fun. It looked a little ominous, about like the area where I took the shot: a park area that has been abandoned. I don't know why, but all the trees looked dead and area barren. Quite apocalyptic.

Access denied

(Feb. 24) Another in the series of spikey things.

Bowl like you mean it

(Feb. 23) Our office went bowling again last night. There was a team of rather hefty yet nimble young men in the lane next to us.

Circumspect

(Feb. 22) She is very brave, but also fairly unruffled by the camera. She even left it for a little while, but I had the 70-200 on -- too long a lens to get a shot of the chicks. To get a sense of the size, whatever size screen you are looking at this on, it is probably 2-3x larger than life size. She is no bigger than 2 inches.

Here's another view (remember, just 2"):
http://chaosgraphics.smugmug.com/gallery/1841037#131516494

febhummer

Ash Wednesday

(Feb. 21) I can't say that I'm too wild about a religious service of a single denomination in the middle of a public state-funded university. However, these priests were so earnest, trying very hard to get "down" with the students, that it was somewhat endearing. It's a highly diverse campus too, with many Latino students, and they were glad to have their first Ash Wednesday away from home on campus with all their buddies.

Skimming . . . are these skimmers?

(Feb. 20) No shots today. Instead another shot from the San Jacinto Wildlife Refuge.

febsanjacinto

Another phoebe

(Feb. 19) I managed to depress myself thoroughly by going to look for old walking trails where I used to live. They were all gone, under houses or upcoming development. I found this guy on my way home, but he's well adapted to city living.

febphoebe

Lords of the Lake

(Feb. 18) Back to Fairmount Park again. Since there are no swans there, these geese have taken on the role.

For Ginger, here's an egret looking for you. He was in my backyard in the oak tree this morning, a very incongruous sight!
http://chaosgraphics.smugmug.com/gallery/1841037#130583235

febgeese

Is this a marsh hawk? It was a marsh and it was hawking.

(Feb. 17) Went out to the San Jacinto Wildlife Area today, which is a series of man-made marshes. It is surrounded by hunting areas and the birds are a little skittish. I blew a bunch of shots -- for bif with a lens like the 300 prime, do I turn off the autofocus? I turned off the IS, since that was making the focus way too slow. I took some on autofocus (this was one) and some off, which, when I got it, were sharper. What ups my chances of getting the sharper shot? Practice with manual focus or better foresight and preparation with the autofocus?

Oh, for Thusie, an "almost" good tv shot:
http://chaosgraphics.smugmug.com/gallery/1841037#130304612

febsanjacinto

Shimmer

(Feb. 16) I was at the UCR Botanic Garden again today. It was quite warm and a lot of spring beasties were out and about. I love dragonflies but can seldom catch them. This one stopped on top of a stem for just enough time for me to catch the wing shimmer.

Nothing for yesterday. I took no shots.

dragonflybotanic gardenUC RiversideUCRBG

Special delivery

(Feb. 14) UCR Botanic Garden again.

Resolution (the hummer's, not mine)

(Feb. 13) I was at the UCR Botanic Garden again today. The manager pointed out this tiny nest in one of the potted trees at the entrance. I must have walked by it multiple times this month and never seen her. She is resolute in her duties. Here's a view from the other side:
http://chaosgraphics.smugmug.com/gallery/1841037#129575475

Round the corner
Lickity split
Nice stick
Wasn't it?

(Feb. 12) Almost got nothing today, but as I was leaving campus, I found this dog and owner getting some kinks out after a long day in an office. The poem isn't mine -- it's a slightly altered Burma Shave slogan. Just substitute "car" for "stick" and you'll get it.

Got my eye on you

(Feb 11) Caught this bright fellow checking me out from the safety of the back hedge in a brief moment of sun today.