Camera Critters #247

On Christmas Day, a friend of mine called and asked if I was doing anything and then invited me to spend the day with him and his family.

Knowing he lives in the Ochoco Mountains north of Prineville, Oregon, I said okay.  Before I headed out to his place, I checked my camera…charged batteries…empty SD card…good lens…spare batteries…all were okay and I was ready to go.

When I arrived at his place, the first thing I noticed was about a dozen Mule Deer eating out of some buckets around his house.  Naturally, the deer scattered as I got out of the vehicle, which was when I realized the two inches of snow I got 30 west of there and 2,000 feet lower, was nothing compared to the foot that had fallen at my friend’s place, and was still falling.

As I walked up to his door, I noticed a group of Dark-eyed Juncos in a nearby bush.  Of course, I raised my camera and began snapping away.  There wasn't much light at the time, but I was still able to get a photo of what is nicknamed, “Snow Birds.”



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Camera Critters #235

It's deer season in Oregon.

And from what I am hearing from hunters, I am probably the only person seeing bucks.





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Camera Critters #233

It’s been a long time since I have seen a Wild Turkey.  Took a trip up into the Ochoco Mountains 35 miles east of here to find one.

I sure hope he knows it’s only the end of September.  He still has some time to fatten up.



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Camera Critters #155

When I settled in central Oregon, I didn’t think I would miss squirrels…but I do.  I never saw one when I lived in Prineville. 

When I moved to Redmond, once again, no squirrels.

Then one morning after I sat down at my computer, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed movement at a seed bell I hung in a tree right outside my window.  For a moment, my thought was, “What’s he doing here?”

Then I stopped asking questions, grabbed the camera and began shooting.  At that time, my camera was a Sony Mavica FD-90, which saved images to floppy disks.  I fired a few, then sat and watched as the Western Gray Squirrel made a meal of the seeds in the bell.

Western Gray Squirrels are found primarily along the coastal areas, but are also associated with the Ponderosa Pines on the east side of the Cascades where I live.  But there are no Ponderosa Pines near my house…only Juniper Trees.

The squirrel continued hanging out in the area for most of the year.  During the summer, I would toss unshelled peanuts out for it, which it would quickly grab and bury in the loose soil.  Unfortunately, a Western Scrub Jay also hung around for the peanut fest and as the squirrel buried a peanut, the jay would remove it, and rebury it somewhere else.

I guess the Gray Squirrel got tired of the game and took off for parts unknown.  I never saw him again.

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Camera Critter #109

Towards the end of the last century, I lived near a small town east of here called, Prineville. I rented a mobile home on a small ranch two miles north of town.

I shared the land with my landlord. They lived in a house next door with their granddaughter. One day she came home with a pup. It was a beautiful animal, half Lab and half Healer, who she named Toby.

Toby took me to instantly and he always looked forward to my visits, and me his. When I moved to where I now live, I said goodbye to Toby and never saw him again.

But he is still a gorgeous dog and one of my favorites.

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Camera Critter #85

I have a confession to make...

I live in cowboy country and I have ridden a horse only once, and that happened when I was three or four. But that doesn't mean horses haven't been a part of my life after that ride.

Sometime after that horse ride, I moved to Chicago and years later entered the Air Force. Riding a horse in Chicago wasn't all that easy and it just never crossed my mind to get on a horse and ride while in the Air Force, even though the opportunities were there.

Then I retired and settled in the town of Prineville, Oregon...actually two miles north of town in the ranch lands. My landlord had several acres of land on which he kept a different animals at different times. At one point, he was keeping two horses on his property...one belonged to a neighbor and the other to his brother.

Above is "The Gray." That's what we always referred to her as, and that's what she responded to. When I showed at the fence, she came running. We were good friends. In the background is Lady...the brother's horse.

After some time in Prineville, I moved to Redmond, Oregon. Our place was not far from my sister's small ranch-style home. Her place was on five acres and it didn't take long for them to populate it with horses.

The first to arrive was Curly. Curly was my brother in laws horse. He takes Curly everywhere, whether a local ride or a distance hunt, Curly is with him. Curly is a huge horse who hasn't really taken to me much...unless I show up with an apple.

Curly

However, Curly was nice enough to pose for a portrait when I was testing my new camera years ago. An apple helped, but no one needs to know that.

Then two addition horses showed up. Sarah, a medium sized horse with an easy going temperament and Spook. Spook was a pure white horse and at night with a bright moon, a person seeing Spook in the pasture would swear he was a ghost.

Sarah

Spook

I must apologize for the bad photo of Sarah. It's the only one I have of her and it was still learning to use my camera at the time. And Spook, well he's no longer with us. But Spook was a different sort of horse. Whereas Sarah would come to me, apple or no apple, Spook kept his distance. He would let me get within a few feet and then turn and run off. But my nephew, to whom Spook belonged, could approach with no problem.

And even with all the horses I've been around, I still haven't really ridden a horse.

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