Janet Brien's photos with the keyword: amphibian

(+6 insets!) (The larger size shows the wonderful texture!) This is such a wonderful park. We've been here twice now, and after this 5-night visit, we'll be back again in a couple of months, to meet up with Steve's sister and sons for a multi-campground shared adventure! We love Tugman's beautiful Eel Lake and the short and long trails that skirt part of its edge. We love the glowing-green moss and fern-filled forest. We love the birds and squirrels we are privileged to see. We love the peace and serenity of this gem. And we also love that the campers here share the reverie of this area too. It's just super. A couple of days ago, Steve and I hiked the long, 6-mile trail around part of Eel Lake's northeastern edge. We stopped at the 2.5-mile point where trail maintenance ended and sloppy trails and slimy logs crossing streams took over. We'd been to the end last trip and didn't need to risk slipping and falling just to say we did it again. On the way to the turn-around point I was delightfully surprised to find a little newt moving slowly across the trail in front of me. Cooing in joy, I pointed it out to Steve as I passed by, and promptly found another one. We watched the trail carefully to make sure we didn't accidentally step on one. They were very hard to see unless moving but happily we spotted several more and moved past them safely. On the way back, Steve took the lead and watched his step like a hawk. "Oh! I found one!" Moving into the moss at the side of the trail, we watched the cutie-pie climb into the forest of greenery. I grabbed my camera and took pictures with the hopes my flash wouldn't bother it too much. Crossing my fingers, I looked forward to checking my pictures when we got back. I didn't expect anything but a blur when I loaded my images on my computer, so when my main picture today came up, I lit the room with my beaming smile! JACKPOT!!! :D Today's Insets Inset #1: The American Robins run around in the big park meadow like a determined army, run-stomping their way in starts and stops, plucking out worms and insects as they go. I got lots of total winner shots, and this one was a favorite! Inset #2 and #3: There are lots and lots of Side-Band Snails adorning the trail here and there, especially in the morning. I have a couple of pictures that turned out well. Inset #4: At the end of the short path is a wonderful old hand-hewn bench that makes for a cool but awkward place to sit. So they added a new bench last year which sits further back and is much more comfortable. I noticed that someone thought it would be cool to carve their initials into it, and before I began ranting about defacing property I noticed that the initials were our own! I promise we didn't carve our initials there!!! :D Inset #5: This lovely tree trunk is a favorite that I appreciate every time I pass by…I'm adding the other picture I took from last year too. :) I hope everyone is doing super--and thank you so much for your lovely visits and comments!! Explored on 4/28/21; highest placement #7.

A couple of weeks ago I was creeping around by our front gate with my camera and listening to the amazingly loud voices of the frogs singing at our seasonal pond, which is about 20-30 feet away. If you have never heard a pond of frogs croaking in the spring, you would be very surprised to discover how noisy they are! For instance, our pond is about 600-700 feet (213-243m) from our house, or about 1/8 of a mile away. We can see it, but it's not close. When those frogs turn up the volume, WOW! You can hear them clearly from the house (though not from inside). I didn't want to get too close to the pond because they can feel my footsteps, no matter how quiet I am, and suddenly they will become silent, which makes me so very sad. :( But eventually I couldn't resist, and my light steps (Godzilla stomps) signalled them all to be quiet. Awwww... :( I walked down to the edge of the pond, marvelling at its "to-the-brim" fullness, and smiled. With the strange weather patterns, Steve and I wondered if the pond would fill this year. Happily, it's been full for a few weeks now, and the rains keep coming, so if all goes well, the pond will have water in it until about June or maybe even July. It's an important breeding ground for our local frog species, so the longer there is water, the better chance there is for the tadpoles to transform into frogs. The funny thing is that I NEVER see frogs in or around the pond. I always hunt for them, but they are perfectly camouflaged and also, they dive to the bottom of the pond or retreat into holes or under plants. So on this day, as I crouched quietly at the side of the pond, looking in vain for frogs, I almost fell over when I actually SAW one!! I looked and suddenly a little Pacific Tree Frog swam lazily up to the surface and floated there just long enough for me to take some pictures. Then, when I paused to adjust the settings on my camera, I looked through the eyepiece again, and...GONE! But see? I have PROOF!!! I finally SAW ONE!!! HOORAY!!! :D Explored on ipernity on March 28, highest placement, #2.

2 more pictures in notes above! :) This morning after my photo shoot, I was about to head upstairs when I noticed a dark blotch on one of the dog's water bowls. Freezing, I wondered excitedly, "Could it be what I think it is???!" Slowly peering down to get a closer look, a pair of froggy eyes peered back at me! YES!!! A PACIFIC TREE FROG!!! IN THE WATER BOWL! WOO HOO!!! I backed up and quietly got my camera, put on the macro flash and returned. I think I heard something like, "Oh no... that human is back... I know, I'll keep really still and she won't see me!!" Instead, I cooed at it, "Aww, just look at how cute you are!" as I began taking pictures. Froggy began to sink down the side of the bowl, while seeming to say, "Lady, do you realize that you're blinding me with that pair of blazing suns you have there?!" I took a bunch of pictures as he creeped around the inside of the bowl and then climbed up to the lip, preparing to leap. "That's IT! I've totally had it with you and your Blasting Light Rays of Blindness! Not cool! Not cool at all!!" Unseen by us, a fly on the wall hears the commotion. Cackling gleefully, it mumbles to itself, "Now this is one show I gotta see!" Down it zooms, into my view, and then, to my complete surprise, right on the frog's head. Froggy yells out in my general direction, "INSULT TO INJURY!!! I CRY FOUL!! First you blind me, then you follow me around this bowl and keep flashing suns at me, and NOW THERE IS A FLY ON MY HEAD!" *fly blows raspberries at the frog and me* "BWAH HAH HAH HAH HAH!!! I AM THE PHOTOBOMBING FLY, HEAR ME ROAR!!...or well, hear me blow raspberries!" *Janet clicks the shutter release exactly ONCE* The fly zooms off, cackling into the wild blue yonder and the frog leaps off the bowl, screaming, "GOODBYE, CRUEL WORLD!!!" ... and lands on the soft plush rug three inches below. I pick up the squirming froggy, who's screaming, "GET YOUR FILTHY PAWS OFF MY SILKY DRAWERS!!!" and I carefully cage it in my hands, run some water over it to get rid of the coating of dog hair and take the enraged amphibean outside where it crawls onto a leaf spluttering obcenities at me as I leave, and I coo an affectionate goodbye to my darling little friend. Living in the countryside is so much fun!! :D Sophocles (c. 497/6 BC – winter 406/5 BC) is one of three ancient Greek tragedians whose plays have survived. His first plays were written later than those of Aeschylus, and earlier than or contemporary with those of Euripides. According to the Suda, a 10th-century encyclopedia, Sophocles wrote 123 plays during the course of his life, but only seven have survived in a complete form: Ajax, Antigone, The Women of Trachis, Oedipus the King, Electra, Philoctetes and Oedipus at Colonus. For almost 50 years, Sophocles was the most-fêted playwright in the dramatic competitions of the city-state of Athens that took place during the religious festivals of the Lenaea and the Dionysia. He competed in around 30 competitions, won perhaps 24, and was never judged lower than second place. Aeschylus won 14 competitions, and was sometimes defeated by Sophocles, while Euripides won only 4 competitions. Wikipedia: Sophocles Explored on July 27, 2013. Highest placement: page 1 (#17)...

This morning I went out to water my bulb and flower garden in the front yard, and now that it's starting to get hot, I've been adding water to Lucky's Pond almost every day as well. However, this morning I was about to turn the hose on when I noticed an enormous TOAD in the middle of Lucky's Pond! He sat there with his eyes just above the water, still as a statue! I didn't have my camera with me and when I came out again, the toad had hopped out, booooooo!! However, I thought I might know where it had gone, so I quietly peeked into the weeds where I saw a smaller toad last year. DISCO!! There, snuggled down into a depression in the dirt next to Lucky's Pond was the toad! It sat, still as a stone, and I could almost hear it in my mind..."I am a rock....I am just some lumps of dirt...nothing to see here...move along..." :D Moving very, very slowly, I held the grass and weeds out of the way with one hand so I could take pictures with the other! What fun!! After I got half a dozen images, I carefully pushed the grass and weeds back to cover him up and left as silently as I could. I also got a close-up of his eye, which I've included today, as well as another picture from my garden photo shoot over at my friend's home last week! :) Star Wars is an American epic space opera franchise centered on a film series created by George Lucas. The film series has spawned an extensive media franchise called the Expanded Universe including books, television series, computer and video games, and comic books. These supplements to the two film trilogies have resulted in significant development of the series' fictional universe. These media kept the franchise active in the interim between the film trilogies. The franchise depicts a galaxy described as far, far away in the distant past, and it commonly portrays Jedi as a representation of good, in conflict with the Sith, their evil counterpart. Their weapon of choice, the lightsaber, is commonly recognized in popular culture. The fictional universe also contains many themes, especially influences of philosophy and religion. Wikipedia: Star Wars

This image was photographed on my property in Southern Oregon in July, 2011 View Awards Count

This was supposed to be a picture of cute little Pacific Treefrog tadpoles. However, when I looked at the image on my computer, I discovered that two Water Boatmen photobombed* my idyllic scene! One of them is clearly mooning me, how rude! Look at the large size to see these guys all up in your grill! *photobomb definition by Urban Dictionary: "to drop in a photo unexpectedly...to hop in a picture right before it is taken." Do a search on Google Image for "photobomb" and you'll find countless hilarious examples! There are also many websites dedicated to photobomb pictures...enjoy!

[best appreciated at full size against black] Today is February 29 (well, it was when I posted this picture!!) and I thought I'd celebrate by putting up this picture of a tiny friend I met down at the edge of the Rogue River a week or so ago! Measuring in at just 1/2", I didn't see notice this adorable Pacific Tree Frog while I was looking around for pictures to take. Instead, he got my attention by flinging himself into the air in front of me and landing in a cartwheel, coming to rest on a large rock by the river's edge. This sweetheart was very brave and allowed me to creep closer and closer with my camera until I filled the frame with him! I'm pretty happy because this is my first amphibian shot with my new camera, yay!! I've uploaded two other pictures today and I hope you'll visit them too! Thanks to all of you who have visited and have left comments and favorites! I try to go to all of your pages within a day or two and is a highlight for me to see your beautiful photography! :) NOTE! I have finally updated my profile and I hope you'll take a look to find out a little more about me and how important all of you are to my experience here on Flickr! www.flickr.com/people/sfhipchick/ This image was taken in February, 2012.

Spring is going full-blast here, and the flowers are everywhere! I remember going out almost every day last spring for an hour or more, trying to get pictures of every new flower that appeared...what a job that was! This year I am resigned to the fact that I just don't have time to do that with this photography project, but it's almost a relief! :D I also can't risk burning out from overdoing it, a real issue that ends this project for many who find themselves sick to death of photography. I force myself to stop before I want to in order to keep my desire going strong! It's working very well so far! :) I was checking out a spot where a pretty little flower grew last year, when I noticed some movement and then a SPROING!!! as a surprised Pacific Tree Frog hopped away from a nearby spot. So bright and green, so cute and adorable! I wanted to coo at this darling little guy but I didn't want to scare him even more, so I quietly took pictures and moved along as he hopped here and there, sure I was going to eat him! After a few minutes I left him alone, extremely pleased that he stopped long enough for me to get some great pictures to share! I loved the quote I found, it's just how I feel! :D Cameron Michelle Diaz (born August 30, 1972) is an American actress and former model. She rose to prominence during the 1990s with roles in the movies The Mask, My Best Friend's Wedding and There's Something About Mary. Other high-profile credits include the two Charlie's Angels films, voicing the character Princess Fiona in the Shrek series, The Holiday, The Green Hornet and Bad Teacher. Diaz received Golden Globe award nominations for her performances in the movies There's Something About Mary, Being John Malkovich, Vanilla Sky, and Gangs of New York. Wikipedia: Cameron Diaz

Would you just LOOK at this cutie pie?! Aren't you in love?! So adorable, so sweet, and well...getting really sick and tired of me taking pictures and would you please leave me alone, lady? :D :D I can't ever get enough of these darling little guys, aren't they the BEST?! :D I just love how they can change colors too, this fellow is bright green to match all the new foliage, but in the summer, they'll be mottled tan and brown! And incidentally, I'll be taking more pictures of the little wigglers (tadpoles) in Lucky's Pond in the next week or two, they are so cute!!