"Bwisita"

"Bwisita" is a composite word from "Bisita" (visitor) & "Bwisit" (Badluck). Here this squirrel has become a menace to our veranda, knocking several of my spice potted plants, killing some. I hid behind the blinds for almost an hour waiting for a good shot. I used my Macro lense as it gets me a little closer. I am saving up for a telephoto lense.

Chameleon

This chameleon is a local resident at the Washington DC's Smithsonian Zoo. It took me about 20 shots I guess to get a few good ones.

Look no head!

Taken at the Smithsonian Zoo in downtown DC. Petty about the vine spoiling the scene but anyway I thought it looked cool. I couldn't find where the head was and the snake wasn't giving any indication that it was going to say hello soon so I took the shot. About a few minutes later my husband to a photo of the same snake with his head out. He got the best shot of that day. Below is the photo he took. I was kicking myself a little bit for being impatient.

"Mahal Na Ina"

Ang larawan sa itaas ay kuha sa Kathmandu Nepal. Ipinasyal namin minsan ang isang bisita sa Hindu Temple kung saan ginagawa ang pag sunog ng kanilang mga yumao. Ang matsing na ito ay isa sa mga residente sa nasabing lugar at sagrado. Ang larawan sa ibaba ay actual na seremonya habang inihahanda ang pagsunog ng kanilang mga yumao. Just to show you guys what I am talking about.




Note: I lived in Nepal for almost 3 years and this is one of the places we take our guest to visit. Something where most of our friends have never seen before. I didn't normally go here only when there is a guest who wished to come and observe. Foreigners and tourist are allowed to observe but only on the other side of the holy river (where I took the photo). The other side is considered sacred and only Hindus are allowed in. Notice a body wrapped in white garment covered with marigold flower on the left is the pyre where later they will put the body on to burn. There are two sides of this area. The one you are looking at is for Royal families and for Government People , the other side which is not shown here is for common people. Most days you'll see about 3 to 4 burning ceremonies. It is a bit morbid for me so I avoided coming here. There are a huge number of free range monkeys that live off people's discarded food. Since they are considered as sacred they don't have natural prey except for ocassional vehicular run over and sickness so they are kind of prolific. They generally stay a good distance to people. These mother and baby was on the side of the walk path. The mother was scowling at someone, warning them while I was taking photos.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO ALL!

Buttons

These fungi I found in the woods of Catoctin National Park. The trees had almost no leaves, The color was yellow every where. The area looked a little desolate and I was very happy to find the color below. I would try to find what sort of mushroom this is but it takes a lot of energy to search on the net and often you don't really get just in one day. So I will do that later if I do not forget. In the meantime I'll have this on here.

I didn't do any alteration at all whatsoever. As I have mentioned before I don't have any photo editor except iPhoto in my iMac. The image is not as sharp as I would have liked it to be. If you notice closely the mushroom is not actually in focus but the part of the log it is on behind it.

I am really very happy with little Canon Ixuss, with a good light and the right functions I do get good photos. Most of my recent photos are taken with this little one because it is easy to carry around in my bag or in my pocket.

Morchella

An edible mushroom called morel my son and I found on the side of the road during one of our walks in our area. At first I thought this is poisonous but after searching on the internet to know what it's called I discovered that this is actually an edible one and well sought after for that matter. These are prized by gourmet cooks. Commercial value aside, morels are hunted by thousands of people every year simply for their taste and the joy of the hunt. Morels contain small amounts of toxins that are removed by thorough cooking, and morel mushrooms should never be eaten raw. There are anecdotal reports that morel poisoning is more likely to occur if consumed alongside alcohol.

Frog of colors

This image above is taken by my husband at the National Aquarium in Baltimore

NEPAL - Pashupatinath

In the Grounds of the Holy Temple
Photo 2004

Pashupatinath is the most important Hindu Temple and one of the most important Shiva Temple around this region of Asia, many Indian Devotees come and visit here annually. It is located on the banks of Bagmati River. Shiva is the destroyer god of Hindu beliefs and comes in many form. One of his pleasant form is Pashupati the lord of the beast. Bagmati River is a holy river and this is where locals burn their dead in a Hindu ritual. The primate picture below is of one of the permanent resident around the area. Non-Hindus are not permitted to enter the Pashupatinath temple.

Line of Shiva Temples

Free Range Monkey

Primate

Golden Lion Tamarin
(one of the adult)
Smithsonian Zoo, DC
Photo 2007

(One of the babies, not a good shot but I think this shows what they look like.)

This is one of my favorite display at the Smithsonian Zoo. These monkeys, during summer, are on free range exhibit. They put them back inside a warm area during winter. When they are inside enclosure you can view them closely (and gosh they are so cute) but when they are free range they are so happy that they are all over. Of course a few handlers are around keeping an eye on them in case the patrons misbehave or the animals itself. The zoo has quite a few of them but only a handful are on free range. I was hoping they have the pygmy marmoset on display but none yet, next time perhaps.

Both photos were enhance significantly, boosting the colors with Mac's iPhoto software. I don't have any other software, not yet anyway! Although am thinking of buying Photoshop sometime.

More info here

Behind the Glass

A Dragon
Nikon D70

I think this is the "Australian Inland Bearded Dragon" though I am only about 90% sure (LOL). One of the displays at Washington DC Zoo at Reptile Discovery Center. No alteration on the photo whatsoever. I kind of like it this way, almost just the eye in focus.

Back in the woods

Common Daisy
Nikon D70
EX sigma DG Macro 105mm 1:2.8

This kind of flower is a friend of mine because every time I take a photo of one I feel happy and seems to get a better picture compared to the others. Although this one is not really that focus. I still love it though!

Herpetarium

Shake Rattle and Roll
a resident of St. Louis' Herpetarium
14 June 2007

This is an Eastern Diamond Rattle Snake. It must have been very hungry because when we got there (his cage) he was moving around, very restless. My husband and I took turn on taking the photos, like we were almost in competition who gets the best one, ha ha ha ha. I am still practicing with my macro skills and how to use the camera.

According to the Herpetarium management:

This impressive, heavy-bodied snake may exceed eight feet in length, making it the largest of the rattlesnakes. It makes its home in the burrows of armadillos or gopher tortoises. Range around Southeastern United States and the Florida Keys most commonly found in woodlands; abandoned agricultural and logging areas.

Destruction of its habitat threatens this species, especially in Florida. Another growing threat in the Southeast are rattlesnake "round-ups." Zoos and other conservation groups have long been critical of these events, and support their regulation or prohibition. Did you know that this snake is venomous?

Red Squirrel

Red Squirrel
Berrien Springs, Michigan
Nikon D70
June 2007

I had to crop way much for this photo, a macro lens is not really ideal to take wildlife shots. This little guy was trying to stay still as much as possible so that we won't notice him, so he thought.

A flower for you!

A day's Lily
Battle Creek Michigan
16 June 2007

Camera: Nikon D70, EX/Sigma DGMacro 105mm 1:2:8
Software: iPhoto

a spring's confirmation
life is here after a dull's earth tone

This flower is called "Day Lily". Each flower only last a day hence the name. These flowers can be found on roadside, meadows, borders, and blooms from May through July. It reproduces from its roots, and the entire plant is edible. The flower buds (the green buds, not the open flowers ) taste like green beans when cooked and served with butter.