A Therapy Camel and Some Other Stuff. January 19, 2013

It’s been a while since I posted a this and that kind of entry and find that I have a number of photos I wanted to share with you.  Most of these are from 2012, but there are some in this post that are from 2011 – namely part of the Therapy Camel portion.  I’m starting off with a few 4th. of July fireworks.

Kind of a neat capture on this fireworks.

One day I saw this very small young ornate box turtle in the flower bed.  It was all muddy.  Then a few days later after a rain, I spotted it again not far from where I saw it the first time only this time it was clean.  That’s the only two times I saw it.

Baby Ornate Box Turtle.

Later we had a male adult Ornate Box Turtle visit our backyard several times.  In fact I saw him enough times that I gave him a name — Sam.  I know it’s a male because of his red eyes and red on his legs.  But like most of our other turtle visitors we’ve had, he suddenly stopped coming.  Not sure why.  For comparison, the last photo shows him alongside a very old Box Turtle shell my brother found in the woods in Ohio and gave to me.  They certainly look very similar.

Sam, the Ornate Box Turtle visitor to our backyard.

Sam compared to Ohio Box Turtle shell.

When mountain foothills disappear.  It always feels a little strange when we can’t see the foothills — you know they’re there somewhere – just can’t see ’em.  This happens at times for different reasons such as darkness (of course. LOL), low hanging clouds, dust, snow, hard rain, etc.  Here are a couple examples.

Looking out the patio door toward Table Top Mesa on a clear day.

 

Now looking at it in a dust storm.

Now in a snow storm on Jan. 4, 2013.

Here’s a couple photos of an unusual fly we had on the screen.  I thought it had pretty markings and unlike any I had ever observed before.  It was also larger than the usual house flies we see.   Only saw it once.

I don’t normally call flies pretty, but this one is.

And now we come to the therapy camel named Matilda.  The first time I saw her was when she, the dog named Bandit, and owner George Stone visited a local nursing home.  The patients and staff alike really enjoyed her visit.  I went up to pet her, but she surprised me when she tried to nibble on my fingers.  George said he got her when he lived in California when she was only one day old.  Her mother was originally from Australia.  George and his wife Sherel whom I’ve never met use Matilda for therapy for troubled children and others.  These first photos were taken in August 2011.  It was an overcast day.  If you do a search on the internet, you will find several pictures of George and Matilda and even a YouTube video of George riding her across the dunes.

George brings Matilda and Bandit to Betty Dare Nursing Home. August 2011.

Now we fast forward to December 2012.  Son Chris and I had gone out to White Sands National Monument and were surprised to find George Stone, Matilda, and Bandit out there.  George told us that they were often there on Sunday afternoons.  What a super nice guy!

George Stone, Matilda, and Bandit at White Sands Nat’l Monument. December 2012.

And now the reason we went out there.  Chris wanted to take some pictures of a mini Christmas tree so I took a picture of him taking a picture of it.

Chris taking a picture of a mini Xmas tree at WSNM. Dec. 2012

Last but not least, is a study of what a difference lighting can make.  Both photos of a single yellow rose were taken on the same day (November 14, 2012) and are of the very same rose — just different lighting situations.  I think you will agree that the second one is much more dramatic than the first one.

Single yellow rose taken in early afternoon Nov. 14, 2012.

Same rose, same day, but late in the day lit by the setting sun.

Well, there you have it.  I have more photos that I hope to post later.  Enjoy!!