raking leaves...

 and they were taunting me by continuing to fall as i raked.  feels good to be outside on days like this though.  the air is crisp and clear and the sun is shining.  i tend to just try to get out for an hour or so.  got a few bags loaded though.  you may not be able to tell by the morning though.

 the first part of the commentary looks good, now, the rest..will have to focus on that tonight a bit.  need to also start to get a list of universities together for our next mailing.  our first mailing is slowly getting sent out...hopefully not to dead people.

 the news today was that over 30,000 walrus have hauled out again near Point Lay.  the internet comment battle over global warming goes on.  i'm always surprised that anyone feels they can refute that the overall temps are warming.  i think pretty much any scientist will tell you that is what is going on...i also am shocked that my co-humans find it impossible that the billion+ humans on this earth have no impact.  to me, it's how much and what to do about it?

 getting involved with the walrus on Round Island i was naive in thinking at first that i wasn't also getting sucked into the global warming battle....the liberal conspiracy(quoting one or more of the comments posted).  the earth will do as the earth does, but i don't think we should all sit ignorantly by and not monitor the signs and try and come up with ways to slow the warming. animals like the walrus and the polar bears are worth watching as they seem to be the species that are most obviously impacted.

 30-40 walrus, mostly young, were noted to be dead on the beach at Point Lay.  probably trampled, how and why...?  a team will go out and perform necropsies but we may never know if it was a disturbance that caused a stampede and if so what that disturbance may have been.

 loved this dead fish shot...not as much as Blossom loved getting a bite though.

 still prefer black and white over sepia i think.  like the little camera and i think it will be good this winter.  kinda find myself missing my shove in my pocket, snap a one handed shot camera though.

 was happy to see the walrus news making national news. tried to make a few comments and direct people to our facebook pages when i saw the article posted.  no bites yet.

 yard work came first today.  i did eventually get the dogs out for a walk.  we hit Potter to Mchugh Trail.  as i was headed that way, we stopped to enjoy the swans that have collected by Potters Marsh.  okay....i doubt we enjoyed the swans, i did though.

 there are quite a few of them there.  also lots of photographer types, real and imagined.  i am one of the imagined ones.  i am an amateur with minimal gear...i was surrounded by much more impressive lenses.  i will say that little powershot can zoom in pretty sweetly.  i have to get used to distance and not letting the little screen jump around.  you zoom in and then...where the hell did those swans go? haha.  need more practice.

 guy out there fishing in a small lake at Portage...he caught one.

 anyway, i was about to head for the walk when suddenly all the swans were flying all over.  it was a fun show.  i'm sure some of those big lenses got some pretty lovely shots for some folks.  smiles all over. so i was swan paparazzi.

 we just went to the viewpoint and back on the trail. the fall colors were really pretty so we ambled along and i took pictures. it's a rough trail for my blind dog, Rio Catalina as there are lots of roots for her to deal with on the trail.  that isn't easy for her.  she always carries on...she's a trooper that dog.

 after i'd hit hope i cruised up to Summit Lake before heading home the other day.

 looking over notes Karen took at the lecture...thank you Karen and will also look over some notes sent by a biologist who was on the island several summers...see if i can add any of that into my commentary piece.  of course, just because i write it in now way means they will print it.  worth a shot i think though.

 caught a few sunset shots as i drove home the other day.  the sky looked beautiful.

 it didn't last long though.

 wanted an omelet today.  every so often it sounds really good.  i like cheese and potato with some tomatoes in there.  nummy!! my goal was to leave the house by 2pm and i think i was pretty close.

 these are from yesterday down at the beach with Blossom.  the weather has been so amazing this stretch off.  you never do feel like you have taken full advantage of it though.  when you live in a place with long winters and rain in the summers and darkness challenges you really do feel obligated to not waste a second of good weather.  sometimes i find it a relief when it starts to rain good...like now i have a good excuse to laze about the house or catch up on those chores that have been neglected.

 liked this of this woman just walking on the mudflats.  the light was cool.  below Blossom gets herself as muddy as a doodle can get.

 these would be the after shots...

 not only did she load up with mud, but as soon as she hit this sand, she decided to roll around in it.

 those were all i took with my rebel, below are the rebel with the wide angle lens on the Hope trek.

 another month has began. i really need to whip out some continued ed and then get my nursing license renewed.  so hard to figure out if you have enough, i just pay some money and take a class that covers it all...last minute of course.

 october i can also get WARIS a business license.  it's also a month when i start frantically loading photo's to shutterfly so i can make the annual calender.

 Christmas is coming...yikes!!  you have to keep on top of these things.

 haven't actually eaten yet tonight. snacked is all.  will probably just snack more and get back to work on the above mentioned items.

 miss my lazy life!!  it had to catch up with me eventually though...everyone else is busy i should be too i guess.

 the lake...

 then the mad rush to try and capture the sunset on the Turnigan.  made it, but barely.

thankful fors... A.  migrating birds, always fun to see them coming and going.  they are signs of the changing seasons.  B.  omelets.  nummy!!  C.  falling leaves...so fun!