Thursday, July 14, 2011

Hummingbird magic

I came home yesterday to find these completely enchanting photos, taken by my husband, on the camera disk. He’d been telling me that the hummingbirds have been visiting daily and he was hoping to get pictures of them.

Unfortunately, they move really fast. And he would have to shoot through the glass windows of the breakfast nook. He wasn’t too thrilled with what he saw on the camera.

But I found them lovely.

 

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I played with a few of them, using textures.

Because that’s what I do.

 

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He told me that they like to rest along the wire.

I love the green background and this light!

 

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The colors on this one are magical.

 

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The flowers are from aloe plants that he has potted and lined up under the window in an old flower bed. The little hummers seem to really like them.

 

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Three summers ago, when we were living in Pennsylvania and my husband was working on a horse farm, he burned his arm using an old weadeater there. It looked pretty bad and I thought he should see a doctor. But he asked me instead to pick up an aloe plant for him and began applying the juice directly to the wound. (If you look at his arm today, you can’t even see a mark – it worked so well).

Anyway, we had no idea how prolific the little plant would be. It grew quite large and has been separated several times and we now have quite the garden, full of blooming yellow-flowered spikes.

: : :

In other news, the oppressive heat has abated, leaving our area luxuriating in wonderful weather and low humidity for the weekend. Hope yours will be a good one.

123 Signature

How are things in your neck of the woods?

36 comments:

Anonymous said...

We always had fresh aloe at hand when we lived in the Southwest and oh, yes... it worked it's medicinal magic very well. Home remedies, sometimes the best and always the cheapest.

Hummingbirds are such frisky birds to catch perfectly through the camera's lens. Your textures really perked them up!

DI

Cheryl said...

Please tell your husband he did a wonderful job capturing those sweet creatures. I have never been able to up here. When we spent a lot of time in St Croix I got amazing photos of them, but they were everywhere, and it was open air living, so no glass in between us!! I'm sure I'll come across them as I am going through all of my photos.
Happy Belated Birthday to George. We are celebrating Emma-dog's 7'th (a week late) this weekend... we will be doing hats, on all three dogs, and all humans, so photos will follow. It's only right.
I am catching up on posts, and have to say that your carousel photo is beautiful, as are the poignant words by Joni Mitchell.

{ T G L } said...

Gorgeous! And the textures really add something unique to an otherwise blurry photograph.

I remember I saw my first hummingbird when in the USA a few years ago. It was magical!

Blessings,
This Good Life

Gail said...

Beautiful shots.

Aloe is something we always have growing in the kitchen window...the living first aid kit.

Mary said...

Oh my, totally magical! I think he did a great job capturing their essence.

I can remember my father using an aloe plant to treat burns, too.

Hope the rest of your week is wonderful, and next week, too!
xoxo

Nurse Nancy said...

I am patiently waiting for the hummers to show up. My phlix is just starting to bloom and that is what brings them in....

Daryl said...

things here are comfortably cool .. no AC was needed last night as we watched The Lincoln Lawyer .. not as great as the book (Michael Connelly) but quite good and I didnt mind Matthew McC as much as I thought I would.

Did you hear NetFlix has been bombarded over their decision to charge more for the combo of streaming and DVDs .. I know how to beat them .. I have a streaming acct, ToonMan had a combo but now with the increase in price he's going to only go with the DVDs .. and he can log in as me for streaming .. gotchya NetFlix!!!

Oh yeah .. tomorrow on my Fridaycation we're going to the 'Pool' (actually a lovely little pond up at 100th Street) in Central Park and I'm going to get pix of the waterfalls....

Low Tide High Style said...

I think they are enchanting too! There is something so amazing about watching hummingbirds, they never stop working! And the weather here is fine too, a perfect night for a kayak ride!

Kat :)

On the Road Again said...

My trumpet vine is just blooming and the hummingbirds love it, so I am keeping a close eye on it. The pictures are lovely. We too keep an Aloe plant in the dining room for burns, it has had several babies that have been seperated but no blooms.

TexWisGirl said...

hot, dry, terrible. today will be our 13th straight day over 100. no rain for forever. nothing's blooming here. or even growing. think we might lose some of our smaller trees this summer...

The JR said...

I use to have a couple of huge aloes where I lived before. I need to get one and try it in this yard.

Beautiful pictures.

Reena said...

I've been having fun capturing my little hummingbirds. Lately, there's 3-4 who are either buddies or fighting for territory, not sure, but sure having fun between the feeder and butterfly bush right outside my office window ... often they'll come right up to the window and it seems they are looking at me..more likely looking at their reflection ...
Yep, beautiful day today for a walk! Everday should be like this. Hoping for rain for our southern friends!

Ashley Sisk said...

These hummingbirds are magical. Love the processing.

Country Gal said...

Fantastic photos ! Hummers are hard to photography thats for sure! I have taken photos of them myself, but this year they seem to be scares last year I couldnt keep up with their feeders lol .
Have a lovely day !

Alli said...

I love the colors on the back of the hummingbird! wow!

They move so fast, I'm impressed he could capture that bird on film at all. :)

Carolynn Anctil said...

Nature has a whole pharmacy filled with miraculous cures. Vitamin E oil has the same restorative powers. I always keep a little bottle of it in medicine cabinet.

Well, we had a few days of sunshine and now we're back to gray skies and the wet stuff. I'm not sure, but I think that was summer.....

My Farmhouse Kitchen said...

they are the sweetest little birds...i just love them. i have them here too...have a feeder and i planted pineapple sage for them....it is just about to bloom those red spikes...which they LOVE...

i LOVE the photo of the one with the green background and those glistening feathers...

~ beautiful

you and george have a wonderful FULL MOON weekend, my friend

kary and teddy
xx

Anonymous said...

The hummer pics are lovely...I've tried photographing them myself and they're just soooo fast!

As for the aloe vera...I've always had one indoors but never thought of putting it outside. I know you get fairly cold winters there...do you take them indoors in the winter or just plant them and leave them? I'd love to try growing one outside.

Jan's camera said...

Beautiful photos. I have never seen a hummingbird up close. The weather has cooled off here in the Boston area. Very thankful for that.

Jamie said...

I think the photos are great!

Country Girl said...

Kate, We bring the plants in for the winter. It's a huge job.

Thank you so much, everyone.

~ C.G.

(GBS) NewsFromTheHill said...

Hummingbirds are one of those conundrums.... so delicate and yet having such strength simultaneously.

beth said...

i think your hubby did an amazing job, considering how fast those little buggers are....sheesh. i wish they would stay in one place longer :)

Reddirt Woman said...

Is there a spot outside close (6 or 8 ft.) from the aloe where you could set a small table and chair? We have a friend that had a wonderful deck and she always had at least 2 feeders for the hummers and we could sit out and visit and they got so used to us we were able to take some photos without scaring them.

But please, tell your hubby that any shot he can get of a hummingbird is wonderful.

Thank him for letting you share them.

Helen

Sheila said...

Beautiful images, your husband did a terrific job. Have a great weekend!

Anonymous said...

I LOVE your blog and look forward to reading it daily! I live in Michigan and have never planted Aloe...do you dig it up every year and bring it inside? I had no idea that it even bloomed. I just gave a lovely plant to a friend who suffered a minor burn. I may need to pick on up for myself now!

The photos of the hummers are wonderful. I have many that frequent my corabells (sp?).

Thanks for your time,

Kelly

kellybarney1966@yahoo.com

JC said...

It's moist out. I even have the fireplace going. Supposed to improve tomorrow though. We get a few of the tiny ones but I've never gotten a photo.

Lili said...

What a wonderful collaboration on those photos, they are very very enchanting! xo ~Lili

Leontien said...

ohhhh i love those birds!
Leontien

Achieve1dream said...

Those pictures are absolutely lovely. He should be proud of them. I like what you did with the textures too.

I miss having an aloe plant. That's the only thing I used for burns growing up. :)

Cloudia said...

yes, they look like antique shots!


Aloha from Waikiki;

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Maria said...

Those hummer photos are wonderful. Have a great time in Maine, the land of double digit temperatures. Sigh.

GailO said...

Lovely photos! The green background is beautiful:) I have tried to take pics of the hummers visiting our feeder ...it's a challenge!

geetlee said...

These photographs are so beautiful.
We had an Anna's hummingbird right outside our window but he disappeared about a month back.
We miss him!

Deb said...

great photos...love the way you played with them.

Anonymous said...

I've seen our hummingbird - only one that I can tell, but I'm sure there's at least one more than that.

I don't think I can get a picture of them - the trumpet vine is too far across the yard and they move just too darned fast. Except, of course, when they buzz me on the deck.

I was able to photograph the bees, but they were on the deck and not so skittish.

Nancy
http://dogear6.com/2011/06/26/over-the-flowers-are-the-bees/