New Camera Test, Pigeon, Smokey, Dasha

I am LOVING my new camera.

I have been playing around with the zoom, comparing no zoom vs zoom, and here are some pigeon on the roof photos, lol.

No zoom

I didn't use any zoom in the above photo.  If you click on the photo to make it bigger, you can (just barely) see the pigeon on the roof).  In the photo below, I used partial zoom, and look how close the bird is now.

Partial Zoom

More zoom

more zoom

I couldn't zoom all the way in because the bird was too close to use the full zoom, but even with partial zoom, the details are stunning! Check out the purple feathers and the red eye!  So cool.

The pigeon didn't seem to mind being my first living model and seemed to pose.  Probably because I feed them and they know me, lol. 

My parrot, Smokey, on the other hand, was not as cooperative a model, lol.  Here she is, checking out the new camera. 

Smokey checking out my new camera

Smokey being destructive

Smokey throwing her bowl around

Smokey playing peekaboo

Smokey is an African Grey parrot; very clever, very talkative, but not a fan of cameras, lol.  I've been living with this bird since 1990; can you believe it?  She was 6 months old when I got her so we've been together almost all of her life.  She is very bonded to me and I worry about how she'll cope if anything ever happens to me.

Just for fun, I also tested the camera on my little Dwarf Hamster, Dasha.  She is very fast so I have to feed her to get her to slow down enough to get photos, lol.  

Merry Christmas 2019

Merry Christmas Everyone!

This was the LAST Christmas of the Decade...

Isn't that hard to believe?

I hope you all had a nice holiday season.  I had a wonderful time with family and friends.  My parents bought an amazing blue spruce tree; it's huge!  Check it out:

Mom and Dad enjoyed opening their gifts, and were very happy with everything I bought them, but were also mad because they thought I spent too much, lol.  My Mom is hard to buy for and doesn't want anything, so I mostly got her clothes.  I bought her 5 new tops, 2 pairs of pajamas, socks, lol, and some lotions and creams and household items.  Here's Mom with some of her gifts:

Dad's main gift was a Aerogarden Harvest, which is a hydroponic grow light set up.   

It came with a set of herb pods, but I also bought him the lettuce seed pods.  He decided to plant the herb pods first.  We set everything up yesterday after supper, because the lights are super bright so we're using them to basically light up the kitchen and entrance hall, lol.  The lights will be on all night so we won't have to use any other lights. 

Here's Dad with his brand new Aerogarden Harvest.  It's so bright, lol.

Here are the seed pods, planted on Dec. 27th at around 7 PM.   It will be exciting to see how quickly they sprout.

The pets also enjoyed their Christmas.  Smokey, my African Grey Parrot, opened her gifts under the tree.  She tried to open our gifts too.  She has been opening gifts under the tree for 30 years now, so she is a pro, lol.

Dasha the dwarf hamster also enjoyed her gifts.  She decided to sit on one of her treats while she ate another.  I cracked up laughing when I saw these pictures, as she is totally using the green pretzel treat as a little sitting stool, lol.

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday too!

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Day 2016

We had a nice quiet Christmas this year.

It started with my little dog Benji waking me up at 3 AM, 3:30 AM, and 4 AM because he wanted to open his presents, lol.

Benji in the early hours of Christmas Morning, wanting his presents.

 I managed to get him to go back to sleep until morning. I was pleasantly surprised that he even noticed it was Christmas because he is 16 and a half years old, is partially blind and deaf and sleeps most of the day. 

Benji diving head first into one of his gift bags.

 Ben was very happy when he was finally allowed to get at his gifts, lol.  He looked adorable in his new Santa sweater.

 My Dad complained that he had too many gifts to open.

 But he seemed to appreciate them.

 The toque I crocheted for him was a bit big but fit OK.  Dad picked out the pattern and colors himself. Just about everything he owns is either blue, grey, or red, lol.

 Mom opened her presents under the tree while Benji looked on.

 She really liked the purple top.

 I opened my gifts last.  My main gift was my new exercise bike, but I also got two cute hoodies, a watch, some bath oils and creams, and loads of chocolate.

Dad and Ben

Smokey opening gifts under the tree

 Smokey enjoyed opening her gifts.  She shredded the small gift bag to get at the toy inside.

Smokey with her new musical guitar toy

We had a lovely day, and a wonderful dinner later on.  It was weird not having my Uncle Buck with us, but he had shingles and felt awful so had to stay home. It was our first Christmas without him since I was born 52 years ago, and probably longer than that (I'd have to ask my Mom).

Smokey the African Grey loves Lilacs

Smokey and the lilacs

Smokey gets a special treat this time of year; fresh cut lilacs.  She absolutely loves shredding them, along with the branches, and they are a wonderful bird safe treat for her.

Smokey and lilacs

Here she is enjoying her fragrant bounty.

Smokey the bird

And here she is looking at me through her rings.  She's such a smart, clever girl.