Dolphins at Clearwater Beach

 Jim and I spent an awesome 8 days in Clearwater Beach, Florida

for Thanksgiving.  We saw dolphins many times each day.  This is a little video of them near our hotel along the Gulf of Mexico.

Messy Weather

We often hear of bad weather, but in reality, no weather is bad. It is all delightful, though in different ways. Some weather may be bad for farmers or crops, but for man all kinds are good. Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating. As Ruskin says, "There is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather." 

~ John Lubbock

Print Available - HERE 

Before it turned to ice we got a bit of snow.

 My video of the snow falling - in a bit of 

slow motion style - HERE 

Another Wet One!

Rain is grace; rain is the sky descending to the earth; without rain, there would be no life. 

- John Updike 

 Not a wet bird this time - but a wet flower.  I think flowers are so lovely when they have raindrops on them.

  I was able to shoot this video (the the sliding glass door of course) of a Grackle at the feeder.  I think his iridescent feathers showed up pretty good.  What do you think?

Rubbing His Wings

What a sweet face! 

Print Available - HERE 

With Lovely Wing Markings!

And another video.  I am using my iPhone and Olloclip lens for the pics above and this video - so no tripod involved.  VERY hard to stay still enough and stay in focus - but my goal was to show you how this Hairstreak butterfly rubs his wings together.  From my reasearch I found out this:

Hairstreaks usually have a pattern of lines or stripes on the underside wings. These, in combination with ocelli ( false eye markings ) and short tails ( false antennae ) act to divert attention away from the head, and towards the outer edge of the hindwings. By oscillating the wings, the tails are made to wiggle like antennae, further increasing the illusion that the butterfly is 'back to front'. Attacking birds will always aim at the head of a butterfly, but are tricked into aiming at the tail. The butterfly is thus able to escape in the opposite direction unharmed. Another reason for wing-rubbing is that male Hairstreaks have patches of specialised wing scales - 'androconia', located on their upperside forewings. Sacs at the base of these scales contain pheromones. Rubbing the wings together helps to disseminate the pheromones, which attract females and induce them to mate.

This info above from the website - 
 Learn About Butterflies



 More of my Butterfly Images - HERE 

Valuable Moments

Do not wait not for old age to wake you up to the true value of each moment.

~Martin Suarez

This was taken with my iPhone and Olloclip macro lens. 
I also tried to video this little guy ...not sure if he was washing himself or taking a drink.  Sorry for the shakiness of the video.  This video is a FIRST for me!

Link to You Tube with my First iPhone Video- HERE