Going for Gold and Other Things

Actually should have put "Going for Goldfinches".Today I planned on doing some bird photography out at the ranch. I really wanted to photograph some Goldfinches on Thistle flowers. I grabbed my leather gloves and some clippers as I headed out the door.When I got to the ranch I cut down a thistle plant and carried it up the hill. Did you know those things those things have thorns that can go through leather gloves? Ouch! Ouch! On the way up the hill to the photoblind I stopped and photographed a couple of deer near an apple tree in the lower pasture. I really liked how they looked in the fog.


When I arrived at the blind I tied up the thistle to a stand next to the bird feeders. I sat back and waited and waited. It helps to keep the feeders stocked to keep the birds coming and I haven't restocked them for awhile. Finally a male Goldfinch came by and I took his portrait

After the Goldfinch came the bird photography slowed down even further.I decided to photograph the jeep that shares the ranch junkyard with my photoblind. I often think while I'm photographing of all the stories that jeep could tell if it could talk. All the places it has been and the things it has experienced.I daydream of what it would be like to resurrect it. But then my mind jumps back to reality because I'm really lousy at working on cars and it's not my jeep.

After photographing the jeep I was climbing out of the blind when a fawn jumped up in the pasture behind my blind and I photographed it as headed away from me towards the forest.Fawns are always so darn cute!

I started down the hill when suddenly I remembered that I wanted to photograph the ridge where I live because a few people have asked where I live. A picture is worth a thousand words. Here is the view of where I live from the ranch. My house in on a ridgetop about four miles northwest of the town of Willits, CA.

The last image I created was of some ripe apples in tree on my way out by the pasture gate. It's the apple on the right. I walked the rest of the way to my pickup crunching away on it's sweet flavor. Delicious!

God's love and blessings to you all,

chris