My pleasure. I had a better picture of the parrots, but really didn't want to share it because it's of my ex-. *L*

I just wanted to share a pair of pictures from very different places, but have one thing in common--critters than normally aren't friendly to people in the wild but sometimes make exceptions.

Wild parrots come down and perch on visitors to the Bunya Mountains of Queensland, Australia. Maybe the birdseed so many people give tthem provides a little extra incentive.


Butterflies are apt to light on the hands of visitors to the Butterfly Museum at Natural Bridge, VA

I was in Sydney, Australia, in 2000 at the time of the Olympics, although I made it to only one event--women's softball. Japan trounced Italy, much to the delight of the Japanese friends I was with at the time. Watching these women play, I wouldn't have wanted to face them; both sides were playing to win!

Japan vs. Italy


Italy on the attack

Thanks! As hard as this critter is to capture--doggone! just missed it again--that may be both my best and my only shot. *L* I think keeping the branch in the picture emphasizes its tininess, don't you?

Thanks, and I hear you about staying still. This one very seldom actually sits on the perch while drinking, and--as soon as I stand up to move closer--it's like it sees me from twelve feet away through the window and beats a hasty exit. *sigh* Unfortunately, wasps and ants have both fallen in love with the h'bird feeder, so that might have something to do with the decision not to perch or stay there long. Beats me. I don't know how to think like a hummingbird. I do well to think like a human being at times. *G*

Thanks, Larry. Your turn will come.

I've been (jealously) enjoying everyone else's hummingbird pictures and keeping an eye on the hummingbird feeder outside my living room window. Even though the liquid food level kept dropping, I hadn't seen any sign of a hummer this summer until a day or two ago. And every time I'd pick up the camera (I keep it on the end table beside my end of the sofa), the hummer would leave the feeder. But this time it proceeded to perch on the bare part of a nearby pyracantha branch. And it stayed there till I could get closer to the window. This picture is through the glass with my d-3100 and 55-200 lens. I used auto-focus. I chose not to crop this picture because a larger version of the hummer would show its lack of clarity. Also, I think the branch itself is interesting.

Hummingbird on pyracantha branch

Most of my trips were short term mission trips (like the one to Wales I posted pictures of a day or two ago). One was an expenses-paid trip to present a seminar at a computer user symposium. Two were family trips (one using inheritance, which also helped pay for several of the mission trips). All that to say, I'm NOT wealthy by any means. But definitely blessed by some of the places I've been able to visit over the years.

I've been fortunate enough to go to Australia seven or eight times over the last twenty years, although I've never made it further west than the east coast. I'd really like to make it to Uluru--and to Western Australia as well. Oh, and to Tasmania, of course. Okay, maybe I just need to move there for a while and do nothing but travel.

Used to be able to climb up the bottompart of the Opera House wall


Didn't take much to amuse my daughter on that trip.


The Opera House is just as beautiful as everybody else's pictures make it look.


Outback bathroom: go behind one of these termite mounds.


The Three Sisters--I never tire of the drive out to see this view.


Tabletop Mountain near Toowoomba in Queensland.

Absolutely! Sometimes I'm behind the camera so much that I don't know what I've seen until I look at the pictures. *G*

I've seen pix of people who might easily have been my twin--and since I'm adopted and don't know anything about my birth family, my twin might REALLY be my twin.

Oh, and thanks about the good pictures. The Sony Mavica did a nice job at the time, but I was happy to retire it when I got my d-3100.

Can you imagine how embarrassing it was to take a photo of Ken Duncan, one of Australia's most renowned photographers, in one of his studios with my little Olympus? I was far less into photography then, but that didn't stop me from taking this picture. I have always hated taking posed pictures, but I didn't have much choice with Ken and Pam. Wish I could remember why I didn't have her take one of Ken and me, though. *L* Incidentally, that print in the background was probably one of the $2000 ones. I assume the frame came with it. *G*

Ken, Pam, & a picture I wish I had taken


I had to convince this young lady at Ken's shop near the Circular Quay in Sydney that I wasn't taking a picture of Ken's work and wouldn't use it for any commerical purposes. (This was taken many years later than the picture of Ken and Pam.)

Ian, thanks for that info about the coracles. And doggone! I just remembered a picture i forgot to post earlier. Let me go back and add it now.

Solva at low tide

I went on a short-term mission trip to Wales in 1993. My group served in Pembrokeshire, which if I recall correctly is a the southwest corner of Wales. It's a beautiful country of hedgerows, narrow roads, cattle-filled roads, and castles. Not to mention ancient bridges and stone buildings and a bunch of other things of interest.

These traditional Welsh boats are extremely light and almost impossible to capsize.


Pembroke Castle was one of the local tourist attractions.


This gentleman was a very effective guide at one part of the castle.


I love this ancient stone bridge


Getting into the public schools was fun, and the kids were great.

I love your observation! In fact, I'm going to quote it some week on my RogerBruner.com/Thoughts.shtml page. (If you come in the front door, that's the Musings tab.)