Manderley Sheep Farm

During our recent visit to New Zealand we had the opportunity to visit a working sheep farm. The Maderley Family Farm is located in Little River near Christchurch New Zealand . It was one of the best tours I have ever experienced.I always wanted to see dogs herd sheep ever since owning Deuce our Border Collie. Ross and Mary Millar run this farm and welcome you into their life.

Except for shearing season they run this farm and about 3500 sheep by themselves with the help of their wonderful dogs. The tour included a complete demonstration of bringing the sheep off of the mountain and then putting them back up there. Using only two dogs, a herder to bring them down and a barker to send them back up. They then demonstrated the shearing process and afterwards invited us in to their home for tea and fantastic sausage rolls and biscuits.

If you have an opportunity to take this tour, do it! You will be happy you did.

To see other images and buy apparel or prints, please visit my commercial gallery.

The Chicago Botanic Garden

We recently visited the Chicago Botanic Garden. A fantastic outing and too big for one day. You could spend most of the day looking at the model railroads alone. The trail to see the entire garden is over two miles and it does not include all the side excursions you can take. Next time we visit we will make sure to get to the Japanese Garden.

To buy apparel or prints, please visit my commercial gallery.

Happy Independence Day America

Independence Day is one of my favorite holidays. Except for the fireworks. I used to love fireworks as a kid. However now I realize how upsetting they are to veterans and also to pets I have revised my opinion. However time for a great barbecue with friends and usually great weather helps us appreciate our freedoms and hopefully we can hold on to these in troubling time.

To see other images and buy apparel or prints, please visit my commercial gallery.

Swing Away

I belong to a group of the world’s best street photographers , The B&W Humanist and Street Photography Corner. They have over 17,000 members and publish thousands of images a day from around the world. Twice a month they produce videos of the best images. Once again, I had an image selected for the video which is a much appreciated honor. You can see the video here.

To buy apparel or prints, please visit my commercial gallery.

Swing Away Fenway Park

All Gave Some–Some Gave All

I realize that wars are necessary sometimes. However it now seems that we are engaged in forever wars and the military industrial complex prefers to have conditions of permanent warfare, something I do not support. However the people that do battle for our country deserve nothing less that our full support and respect.

Memorial Day is a day when we pay tribute to all that went to battle on our behalf and did not return. Thanks for your service and to the families that have lost loved ones, thanks for your sacrifice.

To see other images and buy apparel or prints, please visit my commercial gallery.

A Symbol of America

Selective Color Project–Montmartre

When I took this picture I noticed to joy on this person’s face. It made me think. A garden is a garden no matter how small. I couldn’t help but wonder if the joy came from the windowbox or from a larger garden in days gone by.

To buy apparel or prints, please visit my commercial gallery.

A Garden is a Garden, No Matter How Small

There’s Pigeons Down in Market Square

Legend has it that Tom Petty wrote the third verse of Mary Jane’s Last Dance while looking down on Market Square from his hotel room.

There’s pigeons down on Market Square
She’s standin’ in her underwear
Lookin’ down from a hotel room
The nightfall will be comin’ soo
n”

Who knows if it is true but Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers did play in Pittsburgh frequently and there are usually pigeons in market square. In any case, it is a fun place to spend some time in.

Chtss Move
Lunch at The Oyster House
Sax Man
Windows on Market Square
The Bird Man of Market Square

A Tiny Wonder

Hummingbirds are fun to watch and very difficult to photograph. Sure you can put up a hummingbird feeder filled with sugar water. You can also sit in a tree stand with feed spread out on the ground to shoot a deer. I prefer to do my hunting in a natural way. I want to photograph hummingbirds in the wild and that requires patience and luck.

Hummingbirds are really fast. Their wings beat very fast. The fastest recorded rate is about 80 beats per second on an Amethyst Wood- star Hummingbird. North American hummingbirds average around 53 beats per second in normal flight. They are drawn to red plants for feeding. I invested a few hours to get these pictures.

To buy apparel or prints, please visit my commercial gallery.

Feeding
Flying
Resting

The Protea Farm

While in Maui a friend of ours took us to a Protea Farm. Protea is an ancient angiosperm found in fossils back as far as 80 million years. They only grow naturally in Africa, Australia and South America, It is believed they grew in South America and Australia before the continents split from Africa. They can be cultivated and now grow naturally in Hawaii which is the only place in the United States they can be found outside of a greenhouse.

To buy apparel or prints, please visit my commercial gallery.

Yellow Protea
Red Protea
Protea Farm