Weekly Winners - 02-01-09

Some of my favorite photos from this week. Be sure to click on photos to enlarge for better details.

Birds of a feather - duck's back


Cold morning

Mystery substance from the refrigerator. Or a petri dish.

Diversity

Some color needed in the middle of winter - a flower stand offers it up.

Rhododendron blooming - in January!

33 degrees.

Visit other Weekly Winners at Sarcastic Mom's site.
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Shadow Shot Sunday 02-01-09: Kitchen windowsill

Visit other shadow shooters via Hey Harriet's site.











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Camera Critters - 01-31-09 More Ducks and Geese

This meme is all about photos of animals/critters.

Another trip to another park with another pond - and lots of ducks and geese.

Click on the photos for more detail.



They all came out to greet me, thinking I'd have treats for them.



And promptly retreated when they realized I was just another dang photographer with no goodies.

Duck shenanigans:

Fighting over the female.


Here's lookin' at you.

Odd ducks.

Goose shenanigans:

Visit more Camera Critter gitters.
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PhotoHunt - Furry - 01-31-09

This week's PhotoHunt assignment: FURRY Click on the photos to enbiggen.

We don't have furfriends living with us, but cats often come to visit our yard. I was hoping for something a little more exotic than a neighbor cat for PhotoHunt this week.


And then, for the first time, I spotted our neighbors' rabbits wandering around their yard. I wonder if he knows he's being watched from above.


I don't know rabbit breeds; this guy is big with very long sturdy ears...

...and a curious brown stripe down his back.



He has a buddy.


This one looks like a cross between a Scotty dog and a Persian cat.


Such a pushed in little face.


I wanted to stroke that very soft looking fur.



The cat was still there, looking properly aloof.

Visit more PhotoHunters at tnchick's site.
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Photostory Friday - Busking and more

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek


This is Kirk. I used to see him on the corner in my neighborhood playing his trumpet (not very well). He always wore a white suit and Mickey Mouse ears. Even though his music was kind of obnoxious and out of season (carols in July), I admired him for showing up. And his playing gradually improved. I mean, it would have to if you play 8 hours a day.


Then I began seeing Kirk perched near the entrance to one of Portland's busiest bridges - the Hawthorne. Not only does he play his trumpet for passing bicyclists, pedestrians, and the cars that have to stop at the entrance to the bridge, now he does a whole schtick, with toys and horns, rubber chickens, juggling, and general merry making.


I usually enter the bridge in the lanes that don't have to stop; but the other day I had my camera with me and decided to take the other route just to have a minute with this interesting guy - and to give him some money. He is so dedicated - he's there in the rain, snow, hot sun, always smiling and laughing. It's hard not to feel good when you pass him.



So I pulled up to the stop sign and asked if I could take his picture. He's such a ham, and I'm sure I'm not the first person to ask! He did a little song and dance. Then I told him I'd like to interview him sometime.



He reached into his pocket and pulled out a DVD and handed it to me. On the DVD are interviews with the local news stations and some cuts from his local cable TV show.

I love encounters like this. Thanks, Kirk, for making us smile. I had to drive on; it was rush hour and the cars were beginning to stack up behind me.
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Looking at the Sky on Friday 01-30-09

Monday I was sitting in my car at the train station waiting for Laurie. I looked up through the sun roof and caught this view. It was a very clear, sunny day after some snow and rain. The sign on the front says "Go By Train" and on the side, "Union Station."





Visit Trish for more sky photos.
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Thursday Challenge: Containers 01-29-09

Thursday Challenge for Fun and Learning - this week's theme is CONTAINERS. Click photos to enlarge.


The broken jar formerly known as container. We salvaged the soup stock though!

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