Swede1952

@Swede1952@universeodon.com

Retired soldier, I spent about 30 years in the military (USMC/Army). Also recently retired computer systems engineer. So, I'm just plain retired. I need something to do so, I decided on photography and bird watching as a hobby. Unless otherwise stated, all photographs I post are my own.

I take pictures and want to share them with you, so please follow my blog.

#TheScienceofBirds
#birds #birdwatching #photography #photographer

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Swede1952, to ilaughed

Good morning, friends. 🌸🌸🌸

5 February 2024

I was just thinking about learning how to drive. I learned how in cars with manual transmissions. Now days we are hard pressed to find new cars with manual transmissions. I'll bet most people born in this century don't know how to operate a manual transmission, probably most towards the end of the 20th century as well. Here's another thought, try to find a new car with windows that you crank up by hand. Hmmm ... I remember the first car that I bought where the dimmer switch was on the column instead of the floorboard, it took me a while to figure that one out.

“Cars are evolving to match the new paradigm. Soon, things like steering wheels, pedals and rear-view mirrors will seem ancient. More practically, we will all be better able to optimize our time and attention to focus on more important tasks, family, work, and self-care.” - Hendrith Vanlon Smith Jr

#photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #morning #cars #flower

Swede1952, to ilaughed

Good morning, friends. 🏵️🏵️🏵️

10 February 2024

"Slow down, you move too fast
You got to make the morning last
Just kicking down the cobblestones
Looking for fun and feelin' groovy
Ba da da da da da da, feelin' groovy ..." - Paul Simon

There is something to be said about living in the slow lane. Take me for example, I get up early in the morning let the dogs out, then if I feel like it, I take a nap, if not I come here, into my office and write something in this blog, then take a nap. I know, it's a rough life. Every now and again, there is something pressing that requires doing. My next major engagement is Valentines Day in the week coming. I'm going to have to go to the store before Wednesday to get a card.

“Laziness is the natural child of success. Who, after struggling up the ladder, feels like building another ladder? The view is already good.” - Maggie Stiefvater, Mister Impossible

Swede1952, to ilaughed

White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos)

This pelican is about to land in the Calcasieu Ship Channel, Cameron Parish Louisiana. Where are large group of white pelicans were gathered.

"American White Pelicans cooperate when feeding. Sometimes, large groups gather in wetlands. They coordinate their swimming to drive schooling fish toward the shallows. The pelicans can then easily scoop up these corralled fish from the water." - allaboutbirds.org

Swede1952, to ilaughed

Good morning. 🍂🍂🍂

15 December 2023

I have SiriusXM subscriptions for both our cars and when I listen to music, tune into channel 7 - The 70s. I might flip to the 60s or 80s or even the 90s from time-to-time, but the music from the 70s is the music I still enjoy most. My favorite band from the 70s is The Eagles, coming in at a close second is The Steve Miller Band.

I'd have to say that when it comes to music, I'm stuck in an era when singers and song writers had to be able to sell their wares by sound alone over the radio. I know who musicians like Taylor Swift and Beyonce are, but I couldn't tell you what it is that they sing. Except maybe Something, something to the left ...

"Take it easy, take it easy
Don't let the sound o' your own wheels drive you crazy
Lighten up while you still can
Don't even try to understand
Just find a place to make your stand
Take it easy 🎶

  • Jackson Browne, Glenn Frey

Swede1952, to ilaughed

Good morning. ☕☕☕

6 February 2024

I took my lawn mower to the dealer for an annual service last week. They called yesterday to tell me that it is ready. I told my wife that if she would go out and hook up the trailer for me, I'd go get the lawn mower ... she said no ;). Of course, I was just playing with her. Anyway, I suppose that I should get around and take care of that today. I should start needing it again pretty soon, I'd say in about a month the grass will start shooting up.

"Good people don't spend their time being good. Good people want to spend their time mowing the lawn and playing with the dog. But bad people spend all their time being bad. It is all they think about." - Alan Furst

Swede1952, to ilaughed

Good morning, friends. 💮💮💮

18 January 2023

My Harley-Davidson motorcycle is finally in the shop. I called the Harley dealer in Alexandria and asked if they would come and pick it up for me and they were more than happy to do so. The bike is a 2005 Dyna Super Glide Custom, I bought it brand new 18 years ago. I did some addition customization, foot pegs, wind shield, and a sissy bar. The dealer tells me that some relays need replacing, it also needs a service, and I'm seriously considering adding leather saddle bags. I know that there must be some motorcycle enthusiast out there; what do you think about adding saddle bags?

My wife is not thrilled about me riding.

“He had changed. And not for the good. He was using strong language - filthy in her estimation - and had become totally immersed in the restoration of the motorcycle.”

  • John Tigges, As Evil Does

Swede1952, (edited ) to ilaughed

Good morning. 🕊️🕊️🕊️

9 February 2024

Hmmm ... what will I ramble on about this morning? How about car seats? Do you remember vinal car seats? They were the thing for years. I wonder if they still make vinal car seats. A fashionable car seat back in the day, was black tuck and roll vinal car seats in a souped-up car. I suppose vinal was popular because it looked like leather. I only dreamed of getting something like that done to my old cars, but they had vinal seats ... cracked vinal, but they were vinal :). That was the problem with vinal, after a while, it cracked revealing the foam stuffing. I don't want to forget the torn cloth ceiling liners in the old cars.

“No, no, no. There's no such thing as cheap and cheerful. It's cheap and nasty & expensive and cheerful.” - Jeremy Clarkson

Swede1952, (edited ) to ilaughed

Good morning. 🌳🌳🌳

8 February 2024

Why does the month of February have an "r" after the "b"? Am I mispronouncing the name because I pronounce it as "Feb you air ee." I've tried to enunciate that extra "r" but it just doesn't work. I just watched a video of how to pronounce that month name and the "r" after the "b" is still silent, so why is it there to begin with? Do you think it has anything to do with ancient aliens?

"Calvin: Isn’t it strange that evolution would give us a sense of humor? When you think about it, it’s weird that we have a physiological response to absurdity. We laugh at nonsense. We like it. We think it’s funny. Don’t you think it’s odd that we appreciate absurdity? Why would we develop that way? How does it benefit us?

Hobbes: I suppose if we couldn’t laugh at things that don’t make sense, we couldn’t react to a lot of life." - Bill Watterson
'
#photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #morning #February #trees #sky #CalvinandHobbes

Swede1952, to ilaughed

This is an image of an osprey that I took at Gulfport, Mississippi. It didn't come out very well. But here it is anyway.

Swede1952, (edited ) to ilaughed

Good morning. ☕☕☕

4 January 2024

I have a tech coming this morning to work on my home internet and telephone. We switched from a regular landline phone to a U-verse phone which is VOIP - I'm pretty sure. He's supposed to double my regular internet speed as well. Which would be from a whopping 1.5 Mbps to 3 Mbps. The VOIP phone is much less expensive. The internet ... well I usually just use a hotspot because it's faster, not screaming fast, but fast enough that I can get things done. Right now, I get 25 Mbps going through my hotspot device and over 700 Mbps using my phone as a hotspot. I think my hotspot device breaks down into 32 25 Mbps segments. I need to look into that.

Hmmm ... I just looked up a word on the internet and the definition had a word that I had to look up. 😆

“It is the greatest truth of our age: Information is not knowledge.” - Caleb Carr

Swede1952, to photography

Hello Toronto

Well, I'm a Dodgers fan, but I know there are lots of blue jay (Cyanocitta cristata) fans out there. The only baseball teams I can think of named after birds are the Blue Jays and the Orioles ... oh there are the Cardinals. I'll post a cardinal tomorrow.

"The Blue Jay frequently mimics the calls of hawks, especially the Red-shouldered Hawk. These calls may provide information to other jays that a hawk is around or may be used to deceive other species into believing a hawk is present." - allaboutbirds.org

Swede1952, (edited ) to ilaughed

A Cardinal for Karen

Here is a photo of a female northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) that I took in the spring.

"The oldest recorded Northern Cardinal was a female, and was 15 years, 9 months old when she was found in Pennsylvania." - allaboutbirds.org

Swede1952, to ilaughed

Merry Christmas. 🎄🎄🎅

2023

I took this photo early this morning with my phone using only the light of the tree. Maybe turning the room lights on would have been a good idea. This Christmas is the first Christmas in a long time that we've had a child in the house, our great-grandchild. Hence the new tree, last year I took a ceramic tree, set it on the table, and said ... done. As you might imagine, most of the gifts under the tree are for him. Hmmm ... it feels strange being a great-grandfather. That's the way the world turns.

“Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before! What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!”

  • Dr. Seuss, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

Swede1952, (edited ) to ilaughed

Good morning. 🌞🌅☕

29 December 2023

Um ... coffee is ready. 💤

When I was a teenager, I could pull a transmission and replace a clutch and at the drop of a hat. Now, not so much ... not that I would want to do that anymore. Just a few years ago, I had a taillight go out on my car and I couldn't figure out how to get to the taillight, so I ended up taking it to the dealer. Not only did automotive technology advance without me, but my desire to do such things waned out of existence.

I've had my current car for eight years and keep telling myself I need a new car for travel. But my car still runs pretty well, and I don't drive it much anyway, so it's really hard to get new car fever. Besides, I hate the process of buying a new car it's a pain in an area at the lower half of my torso. It's something on my things to do tomorrow list.

“Our cars are turning into smartphones with wheels.” - Mokokoma Mokhonoana

#photo #photography #photographer #morning #sunset #ocean #Carribean #cars

Swede1952, to ilaughed

Sunlight Piercing the Storm

The light caught my eye, I don't know why. It's only the sun's rays breaking through clouds of gray. Lighting a path through darkness to the ocean's surface

Swede1952, to photography

Good morning, friends. 🪻🪻🪻

16 December 2023

It's raining this morning. I started to write it's raining outside this morning but realized that it was a dumb thing to say because raining inside usually isn't an option. I'm not complaining about the weather, just saying.

I had to stop and take Ben to the groomer's place. He goes every two months. If we wait longer than that, then his hair gets out of control, and he becomes a little walking ball of fur. Not to mention the problem of keeping his backside clean.

After the groomer, I had to go get some cash to pay the groomer when I pick Ben up. Hmmm ... I remember having to go into the bank for money. I had a bankbook. I also wrote a lot of checks. Times change, don't they? I think that's a subject for another day.

“The sun did not shine. It was too wet to play. So, we sat in the house. All that cold, cold, wet day.” - Dr. Seuss, The Cat in the Hat

Swede1952, to ilaughed

Good afternoon. 🌊🌊🌊

14 December 2023

Like a pork rind cowboy ... da da dum 🎶 ... riding out on a bus with a box full of Orieos 🎵

I'll let you guess what tune goes with the preceding jingle.

I can remember my mother working as an usher in a movie theater. I suppose that would have been in the late 50s ... Okland, California, I think. In those days ushers wore uniforms and carried flashlights. She took us with her to work a couple times, at least long enough to watch a movie. I don't recall what movie, but I do remember the Three Stooges. I'm not sure if that was the main feature or one of the shorts they showed before the main feature.

"I mean, the whole idea of movies was it was special to go to see - you went to a movie theater to see something that was magical and amazing, in a very special location. - Bob Balaban

#photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #bird #birdwatching #birdphotography #birdsofmastodon #ocean #BlackSkimmers

Swede1952, to ilaughed

Camera Test Canon 5DSR

#photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #birds #birdsofmastodon #birdwatching #ChippingSparrow

Swede1952, (edited ) to random

I’m trying to nap and Charlie won’t leave me alone, he keeps bumping me and making a noise that I swear is “uh uh.” He wants to go out. 😂

Swede1952, (edited ) to ilaughed

Good morning. 🍁🍁🍁

11 December 2024

Only 23 years ago, the world population was about 6 billion, I remember reading about it in some biology books. Today though there are closer to 8 billion people on the earth. To be sure, I haven't studied the impact of people on the earth enough to write about, and this morning I'm just blathering with minimal information, but that seems like an alarming figure, doesn't it? It seems like there will be a point when the population's consumption of natural resources strips the earth bare. Be fruitful and multiply indeed.

"It's coming home to roost over the next 50 years or so. It's not just climate change; it's sheer space, places to grow food for this enormous horde. Either we limit our population growth, or the natural world will do it for us, and the natural world is doing it for us right now." -
David Attenborough

Swede1952, to ilaughed

Good morni9ng, friends. 🌺🌺🌺

21 December 2023

I remember the first Ford Mustangs, that was around 1964 and for a few years they were a popular car. I could only dream of owning one. The cars I went through in the late 60s were older cash cars. Mostly Chevy's, I at times had a 54, 56, and 57 Chevy but for a time drove an old 51 Ford coupe. My last vehicle before leaving home for the Marines was a 50 Chevy pickup truck. The truck was mostly taxicab yellow with a few primer spots. It had a 6-volt battery and didn't always start, so I often had to push it to start. It was useful to travel with a friend. Later, in the early to mid 70s, I did drive a 67 or 68 Mustang. It seems back then I changed cars like I changed my clothes. To be fair, it was often because they stopped running.

“Hey, don’t knock it. It still runs. Most of the time, even after I turn it off.” Jo” - Sherrilyn Kenyon, Son of No One

Swede1952, to random

Parking lot bird (parkious mockious)

Swede1952, to ilaughed

Boundaries!

There were a bunch of these American crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos) in a pine tree near a lake I was at a couple days ago. They started leaving when I showed up, I guess I was kind of invading their personal space. These two hung around long enough for me to get a few pics.

"Crows are crafty foragers that sometimes follow adult birds to find where their nests are hidden. They sometimes steal food from other animals. A group of crows was seen distracting a river otter to steal its fish, and another group followed Common Mergansers to catch minnows the ducks were chasing into the shallows. They also sometimes follow songbirds as they arrive from a long migration flight and capture the exhausted birds. Crows also catch fish, eat from outdoor dog dishes, and take fruit from trees." - allaboutbirds.org

Swede1952, to ilaughed

Good morning. 🔀☕🐥

28 January 2024

When I was a kid, I used to call the Leaning Tower of Pisa: The Leaning Tower of Pizza. I know I'm not the only one. My wife and I went there once and I probably have some old photos somewhere, but they are 35mm and I'd have to scan them to make them digital, but first I'd have to find them. I do have a miniature Leaning Tower that we bought as a souvenir. It sits on the top shelf of my desk, and glancing at it started this train of thought. That was a long time ago. I don't know if we really realized at the time that we were creating memories that would be with us the rest of our lives.

"I've never tried to block out the memories of the past, even though some are painful. I don't understand people who hide from their past. Everything you live through helps to make you the person you are now.” - Sophia Loren

Swede1952, to ilaughed

Good morning. 🌳😴☕

29 January 2024

I've been up for over half an hour already and almost finished my first cup of coffee. Oh yea, it's Monday so many people are going to work about now or getting ready. Not me, but I'll work around the house ... maybe. I've written of this before; I have time to do all of those things I struggled to find time for when I was working. The thing is though, there is plenty of time to do those things tomorrow. Time to do things tomorrow is something you don't have a lot of when you have a job to go to most days, it tends to quash that sense of urgency to get things done right away.

Here is a funny thing: if I drink coffee in the evening, I have trouble sleeping, but if I drink it in the morning, it doesn't interfere with my morning nap.

“Mindful Monday Humans, may your coffee kick in before reality does.” - Napz Cherub Pellazo

#photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #Morning #tree #Monday #coffee

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