Monticello Swans

Swan Park looked truly magical with the trees covered in hoar frost!

This weekend I met up with my friend Roger in Elk River and we headed over to Monticello, MN to see and photograph a somewhat unusual animal gathering. Much like the Eagles that I photographed in Homer, Alaska a few years ago, there is a gathering of Trumpeter Swans along the Mississippi River in Monticello each winter. In Alaska, the eagles were fed for many years by "The Eagle Lady" Jean Keene, who tossed several hundred pounds of fish scraps to the Eagles each day. In Monticello there is a woman known as "The Swan Lady" who tosses food out to the swans each day, only in this case its corn and not fish scraps.

Above: Sheila's neighbor has constructed this photo deck, which can be used (for a fee) by photographers and bird watchers. It gives you a closer view of the birds, and gets you closer to eye-level with the birds on the water. All proceeds go to help Sheila pay for corn for the Swans.

The day we visited "Swan Park" along the banks of the Mississippi in Monticello, every tree in sight was covered in beautiful hoar frost. The previous night had produced some thick fog which froze to all the trees, creating a white winter wonderland! There are a couple of reasons why Swans (and Geese and Ducks) congregate here in the winter. One reason is the power plant that is just a little ways upstream... outflow from the power plant keeps the river water warm and ice-free all winter. The other reason is the food. Several years ago Sheila "The Swan Lady" started handing out some corn to the ducks that wintered on the river. After a while some Swans started to show up. Fast forward several years later and the Swans now congregate in very large numbers on this stretch of river. The day we visited the river there were easily several hundred Swans, as well as a fair amount of Canada Geese and various ducks.


Swan Park is a very small city park nestled in between two home sites on the banks of the Mississippi. From the parking area on the opposite side of the street from the park, you can easily hear the Swans as soon as you get out of your car. As you walk towards the park and get closer the river, the sound quickly becomes deafening. We spent about an hour and a half photographing the birds and by the time we left I swear my ears were ringing!
To see a video clip of the Swans, click here: http://www.travisnovitsky.com/Video-Clips/Misc-Videos/4207197_KrddQ


As the birds wait in preparation for their daily feeding, several small groups fly in one after the other from down the river. This makes for some great flight shot opportunities, as they usually fly right past you then circle around before landing on the river.


One of my favorite things to do when photographing birds in flight is to experiment with slower shutter speeds in an attempt to create artsy blurs of the birds. This takes some practice, though. Too long of a shutter speed and the bird won't be recognizable. Not slow enough of a shutter speed, and the photo will look just like an accidental "out of focus" shot. When you can get the right mix of the perfect shutter speed combined with a well-timed panning motion of the camera to match the flight pattern of the bird, the results can be magical.
If you're looking for a fun way to spend a winter's day, head over to Monticello to see the Swans. It is certainly one of those experiences that will be with you forever!

Gratitude and Hard Math!

Oh dear! Yes, we've been slightly AWOL again - spring break time for the grandpeeps has required Mom's time in the last couple of weeks. I found a quote by Eric Hoffer that I really like for today: "The hardest arithmetic to master is that which enables us to count our blessings." I am so grateful to several bloggers who have contributed vastly to the tekkie aspects of my blog - specifically my header, but to other areas as well. Mimi basically took a disorganized mess over here and gave it a tune-up. She has major techie talent. Ann is not only a techie whiz, she is an artist as well - go here to see some of incredible pieces! And recently, Sugar sent me my new banner/header and I am again, furry grateful. Humongous thanks, Sugar, my pal! What talent your Mom has too!

I am also exceedingly grateful to Twinkie for coming up with GABE. Brilliant idea from a teacup pup with a ginormous heart. At midnight tonight, we will be using our supreme high-tech method of picking the winner's name out of a hat once modeled by Sam. Last few hours to leave a comment if you want to go for a chance to win this great treat dispenser (and training tool too!) The prize does not come with treats, however, as many pups seem to have allergies to certain foodables - hope that doesn't dampen your enthusiasm for this cool pressie!

And last, but by NO MEANS, LEAST, I am completely honored to accept this pawsome award from Dennis who you absolutely have to go visit if you haven't already. He lives a wild and crazy existence - trust me on this - and I am furry grateful for this wonderful "Gold Cup Award." I needs to pass it on to five friends and I think I'd like to give this to new pals who I have met through Twinkie's GABE!

1. 
   Ruby and Penny


2. 
   Booker


3. 
   Oskar


4. 
   El'bow and Hauwii


5. 
   And of course, new pal, Twinkie
   

Have a peaceful Sunday from a grateful...

A New Pet Peeve

I've noticed a trend in new fiction that's making me crazy; yeah I even throw books across the room. And that's when they don't use quotation marks. It makes the book way too hard to read.
I don't want to take time to try and figure out who's saying what and when they're saying it. Why do they think quotation marks were invented in the first place?
Here's my stand. If there are no quotation marks, I'm not reading it. Period. I say, "Put back the quotations marks!"

Food for free

The wild blackberries, or brambles as they're called in Scotland, are ripening. I took this photo on the Water of Leith walkway/cycle path which runs through the city from the hills down to the port of Leith. The brambles along the walkway always attract a varied collection of harvesters. This lady was the first I've seen this year, and she was very smartly dressed for the occasion. I didn't dare get any closer for a better shot, or take the time to zoom in. The wrath of an Edinburgh Lady is not to be incurred lightly.

Black Canyon of the Gunnison - North Rim

Today we decide to go back to Black Canyon of the Gunnison and visit the North Rim. We drive back through Blue Mesa Reservoir and pas the Dillon Pinnacles which we will hike up to sometime.I'm sure the view from up there is spectacular
as the view from down here is pretty good.
We will borrow the Stand Up paddle boards some day and camp down here as well.
The water is very calm in the morning but the wind picks up in the afternoon. We are told to travel west in the morning and ride the winds back in the afternoon.


We get to the Curecanti Dam
This is where we cross over
From the first overlook you can see some of the stairs (236) down to the river where you catch the Morrow Point boat tour
From the next overlook we can see the dock where you catch the boat
The river runs forever.




From Pioneer Point you can see an inlet below there are some people with a dog. The 4 mile Curecanti Creektrail goes down the over 5,000 feet. We will definitely do this one sometime.
Even when the river is out of sight the views are spectacular.
We arrive at the Canyon
and get a view of the Painted Wall from the other side.
It's a long way down there Daddy!Balanced Rock
and the Big Island
It's just beautiful.
On the drive home we stop in Paonia to try and find some ice-cream. We find a combination Art Gallery and Ice Cream. We were told to check out the bathroom - a work of art!
Elephants dance outside
Turns out this is a big Coal Mining area
We connect to Kebler Pass
where there is the largest stand of Aspen in Colorado.

And there's one of those Marmots we were supposed to be watching out for
Till Later!


Meanwhile, we keep on Trek'n

Melissa, Gary & Tucson

Happify - Meeting My Victorious Self

Yesterday I was contacted
by HAPPIFY and asked if I would be interested in trying out their Happify Pioneer
Program. (Happify is a NYC based company with a vision to bring the science of
happiness to mass market in an entirely new way, led by a group of proven
serial entrepreneurs who have teamed up with the leading scientists and coaches
in happiness research and training.) Naturally I said YES!
This morning I began my
first exercise - Meeting My “Victorious Self” – I was asked to imagine what my
future self and life will look like and write it down. This got me thinking about
future goals, hopes and dreams. About where I wanted to be and what I hoped to
accomplish, so I decided to share one of those goals with you...








For as long as I can
remember I have dreamed of owning a home in the Tuscan countryside; a place
with history that I could restore to escape the stresses of life to find refuge
in an oasis of calm. A place others could visit to share in this utopia of
organic living. So universe, if you’re listening – help!
Over time that vision has
slightly changed. I want to turn my haven into a small B&B, a place where
people going through hardships can stay to nurture their spiritual and
emotional growth, perhaps work with a not-for-profit organization. I want to provide
guests with a locale that is committed to sustainable and environmentally-sound
practices where they can pick fresh herbs and vegetables from a garden to help prepare
our meals. A place they can enjoy bike rides along the countryside, picnic
lunches and a glass of local wine, as well as other therapeutic activities like
yoga, spa treatments, cooking classes, and excursions to local vineyards,
villages and artisan shops.
You may ask yourself, why would
you want to share a private paradise with others, in particular strangers? The
answer is rather simple, because I believe there is no delight in owning
something unshared. How great would it be to experience magical moments with
people from all walks of life. To share life stories and experiences, and one
day write a book about these encounters to help and inspire others.
My ultimate dream is to
one day have B&B’s in Provence, Marrakesh, Seville and South Africa; a
network of homes dedicated to providing love and care to those in need. Why
away? Because when people are removed from their environment they experience an
awakening of the senses and are able to see things with greater clarity and
peace of mind. That spark of excitement and adventure is ignited by new sights
and sounds. It’s amazing what a change of pace and space can do for someone’s
morale, but not everyone has the resources to afford such a luxury. That’s
where I step in… to offer them a place to stay. So this is my dream, my fuel, my
wish to the universe.
Most importantly, I want
to share this dream with those I love and with those in need. Now I ask you,
what do you envision your future to look like?
Cheers to dreams and
making them come true!







(These images are ofAgrifuturismo)




If you’re interested in joining the Happify community,
simply click on the link below to skip the invite process and become a direct
member. You're just a click away from becoming a happier YOU!

Easter Armadillo?

The game cam didn't capture the Easter Bunny this year...
All we got was an Easter Armadillo!