Katmai Brown Bears - Walking the Marshlands

It’s time for another photo installment of Alaskan brown bears! 

The Brooks Camp area of Katmai National Park has three observations platforms for visitors to watch and photograph the bears. The one closest to the lodge is the lower river platform. The area is where the Brooks River drains into Naknek Lake. Photos in my January 18 post showed you this great vantage point. 

The concentration of bears at the marshlands below the lower river platform is much less than at the falls. So photographers get to practice patience. But the beautiful setting makes the wait worthwhile! 

The bears that frequent this area are smaller and appear to be younger bears that can’t compete with the big ones at the falls.

Some linger, searching for any fish that may be meandering in the shallows. 

Others quickly pass through, intent on getting to their intended destinations. 

And a few are downright cute!

Wordless Wednesday - Eye of the Horse

Spring Fever

We have spring fever – bad! And these lovely tulip photos ought to pass the infection on to you too! Don't these flowers make your heart melt? 

We took a long drive this past weekend and marveled at all the seasonal changes that are taking place. And we pay close attention to the unfolding landscape when we go on our routine walks around the subdivision. The hillsides around us are looking glorious! 

I am still cranking away the work and anxiously waiting to wrap it up the end of next week. As a joke, I am referring to this employment closure as retirement #4! Two of the three consulting jobs I’ve held since my official retirement in late 2007 have consumed most of the past two years. It has been a struggle to try to improve my photography skills and continue the blog during that time. A little breathing room is going to be a welcomed change. Whew! 

On a semi-regular basis, I am going to start participating in a Wordless Wednesday posting and link up with Kent Weakley's blog. And the first one is tomorrow! I hope you will like it.

Photo Challenge: A Little Bit of My World

It’s time for another Brenda Photo Challenge! The subject is “a little bit of my world.” After checking out my photos, please click on the above link to see contributions of the other participants! 

We live in a lovely valley area of East Tennessee, and it seems that there are always some picturesque spots just around the corner. So I didn’t go far to complete this challenge. In fact, all of these scenes are within a mile or two of our cottage! 

This old building sits immediately next to a meandering country road. When I say “immediate,” I mean smack dab with nary an inch to spare! It is a difficult scene to photograph without getting in the weeds or road and also risking bodily harm from drivers who aren’t paying attention. But the structure has intrigued me for many years, and it has been begging for its image to be recorded. It is clear that it won’t be with us much longer! As a result of some online research, I learned that the building used to be a general store and run by a family with a long history in the valley. The camera settings were f/13.0, 1/320 second, and ISO 500. 

The color processing turned out well. However, with a compelling subject like this, I couldn’t resist applying some Photoshop magic and creating a special vintage version. See what a different flavor it has now? 

The early emergence of spring weather has woken up the tree lines that surround the valley’s farm fields. While this hay pasture waits for its yearly duty, it enjoys a colorful show from redbuds and fresh green leaves. The image was taken at f/8.0, 1/1000 second, and ISO 500. 

We have admired from afar a newer-styled barn with a bright red roof, located down a small side road near the old country store. Upon exploring, we happily discovered that a group of handsome mules and a horse are in residence there. As soon as I got out of the car with a camera in hand, they quickly came over to the fence to greet me! And this beautiful creature decided to demonstrate that the grass is always greener (or at least, tastier) on the other side. The camera settings were f/8.0, 1/320 second, and ISO 500.

It's Daffodil Season!

I can’t let the daffodil season pass by without a photograph to record it! 

I very rarely attempt to do high-key processing. But I decided to s-t-r-e-t-c-h myself and see whether you like the results or not. It is a technique that is widely overused these days, so I have a persistent aversion to it.  However, I do find the disappearing bottle to be mildly amusing!

Vee's Note Card Party - Altered Photos

The delightful and clever Vee (at A Haven for Vee) put her creative thinking cap on about a week ago and decided to host a link up party. The purpose of the party is to feature four of our favorite photos that we have posted on our blogs. The idea is that these images could be used to make note cards. I have been making my own note cards for several years now, so it was an easy decision to participate in the fun. 

The difficult part was deciding which four photos I would feature! I’ve narrowed it down to several older ones that are “altered” in some way, with special effects and/or textures. And I have already printed and used each one of them for card making over the years! 

This photo was shared on May 1, 2010. The momma wren was perched on the edge of our bird bottle (purchased from Colonial Williamsburg), resting a bit between feedings for her new babies. I applied a soft watercolor filter and also a texture. 

The next photo was featured on July 4, 2010. This weathered flag sign decorates an old building in the charming little town of Leipers Fork, Tennessee. I applied a textured background to the sky to evoke a feeling of overhead storms. Leipers Fork was heavily damaged with flood waters in the spring of 2010.

The third photo was presented on March 7, 2009. It features a barn cupola at the Hancock Shaker Village in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. It was a very dull image until I layered it with a photo of a Bali print fabric. Suddenly, it was raining spots! 

My fourth and final photo is of an antique horse weathervane on display at the Shelburne Museum in Vermont. It was also featured on March 7, 2009. The original image is so bad that I almost deleted it! But I decided to see if it could be salvage by applying a floral scrapbook paper layer. When I tinkered with the blend mode, I ended up with this colorful and whimsical graphic. 

It was like a trip down memory lane to feature these pictures again. I hope that you will visit Vee’s web site and check out the photos showcased by other linkup party participants!

Tea-Infused Rub for Beef

One of the most memorable meals in my entire life was at Kendals Brasserie, a restaurant of the famed Mount Juliet, located in County Kilkenny, Ireland. We stayed at this fabulous estate on two different occasions, one as part of a tour and another as part of a special package deal with Aer Lingus. The modern-styled Kendals restaurant had the most delectable tea-infused lamb. The rich flavor from the tea-based rub has lingered in our recollections over the years. 

Now we have discovered a similar rub recipe that is perfect on roast beef or steaks! It is easy to prepare, and you probably have the basic ingredients in your cupboards. The only trick is that you need to grind the spice and tea mixture. (An old electric coffee grinder works just fine.) This past weekend, Jim prepared a standing rib roast on our Weber grill rotisserie and added this rub. The cooked beef was so tender it melted in our mouths. And we fondly remembered our special meal in Ireland! 

Here is a link for a printable recipe: 

Tea-Infused Rub for Beef

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I had a chance to kiss the Blarney Stone when we visited Ireland over a decade ago. I took a pass. There was no way that I was going to plant my lips where millions of other lips have been! YUCK!

Tourists visiting the Blarney Stone, circa 1897.

Note the fellow going down on his knees to kiss the stone,

and his wife holding on to the waistband of his pants!

Katmai Brown Bears - Old Bear Cinnamon

We never successfully timed our visits to the various overlooks at Brooks Falls to catch a glimpse of any brown bear cubs.  Some in our tour group did, and they also witnessed three of the cubs (out of four) getting killed by one of the dominant male bears.  It was a tragic scene and I am grateful that we were not there.  The life of a bear can be a difficult one - competing with other bears for food and surviving the harsh Alaska weather.  A very old bear is a rare creature.

We may have missed the youngsters, but we were fortunate enough to see the oldest bear in the Brooks Falls territory.  His name is Cinnamon.  The park rangers said that he was 29 years old last summer.  He was in such bad shape in 2010, they assumed he would not live through the winter.  But he did!

Cinnamon used to be one of the big boys of the fishing hole at the falls. But now he is the senior citizen of the crowd. He ventured out of the woods cautiously, paused right underneath our platform, and carefully studied the bears assembled in the area.  Once he scoped out the scene, he slowly ventured out into the river and began to bide his time.

You see, Cinnamon can no longer fish.  To survive, he lives the life of a scavenger.  He is not the picture of health, with a thin frame, lumpy joints, worn expression, ragtag fur, and painful gait.  It was astonishing to see this old bear could still successfully meander through the turbulent current. 

Cinnamon chose to stand by a few of the dominant male bears.  Undoubtedly, he chose the ones that would tolerate his hovering.  Whenever they caught and ate a fish, Cinnamon would stand at an acceptable distance and wait to eat any leftover scraps.  Once, he got a little too close to Genghis.  True to his nature as the bad boy of the falls, Genghis rose up in a fury.  But the temper tantrum lasted only a few seconds and Cinnamon was unharmed from the encounter.  Whew!

It was a special treat to see this old bear.  His presence reminded us human visitors of how time marches on and age takes it toll.  And I couldn't help but remember the wisdom of Pooh.

“What day is it?  It’s today,” squeaked Piglet.

“My favorite day,” said Pooh.

~  A. A. Milne  ~

May every day we live be our favorite day!

Coleslaw Chicken Salad

A review of my blog archives reveals that I haven’t posted a recipe in over a year. Well, that’s about to change! Jim is the resident chef here at Grey Havens cottage, and he has been trying out some new recipes. This salad one is definitely a keeper! It is big on taste and small on calories. 

It features precooked chicken, either grilled or baked. Once the chicken cools down, the dish takes only a few minutes to put together. The fat-free mayonnaise dressing is light but has some tang, thanks to the addition of Dijon mustard, caraway seeds, apple-cider vinegar, and pepper. A coleslaw mix and chopped tomatoes provide the healthy vegetable components. And a bit of crumbled bacon on top makes your taste buds sing! 

This one-dish meal is a great for busy cooks, weight watchers, summertime, and potluck suppers. I hope you give it a try! Here is a link for a printable recipe:

Coleslaw Chicken Salad with Peppery Dressing

Act of Valor

We are not regular moviegoers. First of all, we are not fans of the superficial people that predominate the movie industry or their politics. Also, we don’t find most of the products coming out of Hollywood to be worth our time and money. As a result, we are selective and only see one or two movies a year. 

Yesterday was one of those times that we decided to go see a matinee. We saw Act of Valor, featuring active duty Navy Seals and hard-hitting visual scenes. They used live ammunition and explosions in the filming, and immersed the cameras right in the middle of the fighting. I flinched several times and kept utter “dang” under my breath. It was intense! 

The story line gives you a taste of what these brave service folks go through and what they sacrifice. We should be forever grateful! 

We’re glad that we saw it, and you may want to put it on your movie list too. Please keep in mind that it is rated R, mostly for the violence. The movie is not suitable for young children.

Katmai Brown Bears - Walk on Water

After a bit of an absence, the brown bears of Katmai National Park have returned! In this post, I am featuring photos of some handsome creatures while they are standing or walking through the waterways. 

There are two things that amazed me while observing the bears. First of all, the bears all looked so different from each other! You would think that they would look similar and all have a burly build, round heads, and dark fur. Not so! In this post, you can see some of the variety of bears that hail from the Brooks Falls area. 

The other amazing thing was the agility of these large animals. They can walk and stand in strong rivers, and their thick footpads securely grip the slippery rocks. This chunky fellow was one of the senior bears that were routinely stationed at the base of the waterfall. He held a position close to the falls and didn’t seem adversely impacted by the strong current. A recent battle scar is visible near one eye. 

Later on, I spotted him taking a momentary work break and strolling downstream. 

Here’s another large bear, thoroughly soaked, wading through the shallow bank area of Brooks River.

Every now and then, a bear would start charging through the water, intent on something spotted in the water. Perhaps this image makes it look like he is charging at me. But I am safely up on an observation platform and spying him through a telephoto lens. 

This one was calling it quits at the fishing hole and ready to head back into the forest. He took a brief side-glance to see the latest catch at the falls. Part of the bear’s coat is drier than the rest, giving him a noticeably striped look. 

I have to admit that this big brute was a bit scary. With a scowl like that, huge physique, and foaming mouth, I did not want to accidentally startle him along the trail back to the lodge. He looked like he was in a bad mood!

One striking specimen had a bit of a shaggy gold mane around its head, topped with platinum colored ears. This was one of several bears that seemed to resemble a large dog to me! 

And this one was one of my favorite bears. It was very photogenic and you will be treated to more photos of it later. I am convinced that it was a female, based on a couple of close looks that I got of it. 

 

The coat color of this bear was a rich dark chocolate with tinges of red highlights. I thought that its head resembled the structure of a large dog, especially in this particular image. But looks are deceiving and you sure don’t want to try to pet it! 

Fotoshop Fun

I have been preoccupied with non-blogging activities the past few days.  Until I can put together the next installment of brown bear photos, here's something to give you a giggle. I need to learn how to use that liquify tool as soon as possible!

March - A Look Ahead

Hello, March! I look forward to this month every year. Ever since moving from the Midwest to the South 35 years ago, March means spring. Glorious, sweet spring! The earth awakes from its slumber and changes its outfit for something more colorful. Ahhh… 

And with the advent of spring, we've been getting a few bad storms this past week in Tennessee. We’ve gotten through them okay. We have several daffodils blooming now at the cottage, and I hope to take a few photos of them as soon as it quits raining! Spring is here! Bradford pear trees are starting to bloom, and later will come the redbuds and dogwoods. As you can see, my blog got a spring decorating makeover too! 

We had one outside project planned last year, but we couldn’t get anybody to do the work. Such an incredible and funny thing in this bad economy! We finally have a company lined up to build a retaining wall for the front flowerbed on the left-hand side of the cottage. The project will start in a couple of weeks. And yes, I will be sure to document the event for you! 

This will be my last full month with the engineering consulting job. I’ll close up the laptop and quit editing/writing technical procedures in another five weeks. I will reclaim my retirement! My mental to-do list is growing. I’ve been putting things off and keeping tasks on the back burner for too long. I can almost reach out and grab the sweet freedom around the corner. 

I have two doctor appointments scheduled for this month: an annual physical and annual mammogram. The physical got done this morning, and the mammogram will be done next Friday. Speaking of health issues, my mom had a bit of a scare last month, but she is doing better now. Thank you for the prayers! Also, hubby is doing great with his bionic hip. We’ve been walking around the villa road (a big circle) regularly. I’m struggling to keep up with him sometimes! He’s still a bit sore. But it is amazing how well he is doing, especially since it hasn’t been quite 3 months since he had the surgery! 

If you are tired of seeing photos of Alaskan brown bears, you are not in luck. After a brief respite, the bear photos are coming back! I have a few personal favorites in the lineup, and some may end up being on your short list too. 

As a final bit of news, I just got informed from my blogging friend, Whitey of Skunk Hollow, that she saw my “weathered stone flag” photo in an advertisement this morning! It was used in a television ad for Senator Orrin Hatch and shown on Fox 13 in Salt Lake City! Gosh, I don’t know why I didn’t think about it being used for a political ad! ~thunk~ At least the photo is being used by the side that I usually support, LOL! Thanks, Whitey, for that eagle eye spotting and letting me know! The ad agency has offices in Las Vegas, Reno, Denver, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, Phoenix, and Washington, D.C. So if you live in those areas, it might show up in other political ads! Please keep me posted!


P.S.  I found the ad!  I freely admit that I am squealing like a little kid here!