​Sunday, 12:09 PM - Every Sunday morning for the last few months during, a feisty little Tufted Titmouse flies up to the window during the preaching and repeatedly attacks his reflection. He believes the image to be a rival interloper invading his territory. Because the bird doesn’t like what he sees, he decides to fight the reflection. 

​While I watched this aggravated avian, my pastor continued to preach from the book of James. In the letter, James describes the Word of God as a mirror that reflects what manner of men we are. We have our own self-image, but it is often very different than how others perceive us. And certainly, our image of ourselves is always quite different than how God sees us. But the Bible has a way of revealing who we really are; a true reflection, as in a mirror.

Often, as the mirrors image comes into clear focus, we don’t like the image that we see, and like the Titmouse, we fight against that reflection.

​When we see our true reflection in the mirror of the Word of God, let us not fight against it as the church Titmouse. Let us not walk away and “forget what manner of men we are.” But let us be doers of the Word, and as Today’s English Version translates, let us “submit to God and accept the Word that He plants in our hearts” (James 1:21 TEV). Another lesson learned if we will listen to what creation speaks! 

​Wednesday, 8:15 AM - How do you get a wiggly puppy to sit still for a photo shoot? Throw him in the car!!!! “Zeus” was brought into Walton County Animal Control in January 2017. He belonged to the man’s son, but when the son and his girlfriend split up, “Zeus” got bounced around and had nowhere to go.
 
“Zeus” didn’t like being on the tether where I normally take the dog shots. He pulled and thrashed and whined and lunged… all because he wanted to be playing with me! He paused a couple of times for a few shots, but I needed another strategy. So I put him up in the cab of my truck and began firing away. Just to try something different, I used the 40 mm prime macro lens I normally use for the cat photography.
 
I love the shot of him looking in the rearview mirror. This was a split second shot and unfortunatlely had a little blur from movement and camera shake.  But it looks good enough for web viewing and the blur can only be seen at full size viewing. I used the “lomo camera” effect in Photoshop to hide some of the flaws and give it some artistic flare. 

​This was my first shelter pet photography session with the new lens. My go-to lens I’ve used for the outdoor dog shots for several years now, the Nikon 70-300 mm bit the dust last week and I had to replace it. But instead of getting the identical lens, I decided to try the Nikon 28-300 mm. This will give a much wider range of focal length options, but hopefully not sacrifice any image quality. 

​I took five shots in the same focal length range as the old lens, from 78 mm out to 250 mm. All looked really good and sharp. Definitely no sacrifice of image quality at the extended focal lengths. 

Next, three of the shots were at more wide angle focal lengths (28mm to 36mm). I haven’t done much wide angle work with the dogs as I never liked the results too much. However, these images of Buddy looked pretty stately.  To get the images, I laid down just a few feet from Buddy and shot up toward his chin. The images make him look heroic. The only problem is that they may make him appear larger or taller than life. The images were a bit soft at the wider angle focal length, but still good quality.

​All in all, I’m still not happy I had to use up money I'd been saving for the Sigma 150-600 mm lens, but I am pleased with the quality of the Nikon 28-300 mm lens. I’m especially happy that I can get both wide angle and zoom shots without carrying two cameras or switching lenses.

"Buddy" was photographed for Walton County Animal Control, Georgia, and posted on the shelter's website, www.waltonpets.net, for adoption/rescue. ​Buddy was finally adopted on February 3, 2017!

​Monday, 4:45 PM - A windy day, reported gusts up to 20 MPH, making the 52 degree temp seem much cooler. Earlier in the morning I spied the Mergansers diving while looking out my office window. A Kingfisher sat on the duck box on the close end of the pond.

Later in the afternoon, a solitary Redhead drake floated out on the pond with his bill tucked in his wing against the chilly wind. Other years we had groups of up to 50 Redheads, but not this year. Other than the two around New Year’s Day, this is the only one I’ve seen. Although his head was tucked and he looked to be sleeping, he paddled further away from me as I watched from the bank.
 
Walton County, Georgia
Sunrise 7:32 AM; Sunset 6:02 PM
Day length 10 hour, 30 minutes

Thursday, 4:20 PM – It has still been so warm! The daffodils began to sprout this past weekend and are now about four to five inches tall; one grouping in my backyard has yellow blooms already!
 
I called about repair on my failed 70-300 mm lens… $275 minimum! Not worth it for an already old lens. Since I use that lens for just about everything, dog and wildlife photos alike, I ordered a 28-300 mm used lens and it came in yesterday afternoon.  I haven’t had much chance to use it yet, but so far so good.

It is not nearly as long and cumbersome as the 70-300, so it is easier to handle, and easier to move around without banging it on things. It also seems much quieter and faster with the auto-focus, but doesn't lock on my subject as quickly. As far as image quality and sharpness, I haven’t noticed a difference yet. The only thing to practice shooting with the lens are the resident Mallards.
​
I walked up to the pond to try and give it another test. All the ponds are so high and the “duckweed bog” behind the Sheriff’s firing range is refilled as well. The beavers have done a great job of keeping the culvert blocked. The other beauty of this new lens (which is actually used… making it somewhat more affordable) is the ability to go wider angle at 28 mm verses the 70 mm of the old lens. I can zoom in to 300 mm to shoot a bird or dog close up, then zoom out to 28 mm for a landscape shot or full-body dog shot. If it is sharp at all focal lengths, it is a good replacement.
 
Walton County, Georgia
Sunrise 7:34 AM; Sunset 5:58 PM
​Day length 10 HR, 24 MIN
Clouds increasing; high 58/low 43

​Tuesday, 3:56 PM – Just a quick walk up to the shelter pond on a sunny afternoon before going home for the day. Although it is still only January, it feels like spring is in the air!

The Hooded Mergansers are beginning their breeding displays… the Mallard drakes are trailing the hens and getting aggressive toward one another. ​A Great Blue Heron seems to come to the pond many afternoons after the Public Works employees all leave for the day. He is quite skittish and takes flight as soon as he sees anyone. I was able to sneak fairly close, edging myself closer and hiding behind vehicles each time he plunged his sharp bill in the pond to spear a fish.
 
Walton County, Georgia 

​On Monday afternoon, January 23, Walton County Animal Control received a call from a citizen on Anglin Road. A cute puppy showed up at his house and he had no idea who it belonged to. Officer Miller drove out toward Walnut Grove and picked the little girl up.  Of course, she had no collar, tag or microchip to find her owner. She settled in at the shelter around 6 PM that evening; a little startled by the bigger, louder dogs on her left and right, but safe and well fed.  

The next morning I found her curled in a ball and gently padding her tail against the floor as she looked up at me with “those eyes”.  She was as sweet and gentle as can be; sniffing my face and giving a gentle lick to my cheek.  Not wasting any time, I took her outside for some glamour furtography! She did great walking on the leash for such a young pup; not because of training, but from a desire to stay right by my side.
 
Outside, she jerked and tugged a little on the leash as she was tied for her photographs (hopefully the last time she’ll be tethered in her life!). The sun was already cresting the horizon so I tried a few shots with the bright orange glow on her coat. (The sun brought out the details in her fur, but I don’t really care for the dog shots in sunlight.)  I moved her to my typical shady spot and got a few photos.  Being on the end of a tether that she didn’t too much care for, she didn’t strike too many flattering poses. In the end, I got two decent shots in the shade. I then vaccinated and dewormed her and put her back in her kennel.
 
I did some touch-up work on her photo (brightened her eyes and edited out the leash). As soon as the photos were finished I posted her on waltonpets.net to get some exposure for adoption and rescue. I also emailed an applicant who had recently applied for a chocolate Pitbull puppy but was adopted by another person.

​Thursday, 9:08 AM – It seems it has been a little while since I’ve had the time to walk up by the shelter ponds.  It is still so warm at 55° for a January morning; billowy clouds in a blue sky passing over the sun and diffusing the light for some decent photography.

​A female Merganser sits on the pond. Several small birds flit in and about the dried vines: White-throated sparrows, a Ruby Crowned Kinglet (too fast to focus), and Cardinals.  I managed a decent shot of the White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) to update my Photography Life List.
 
The vibration reduction on my long lens is getting worse, causing violent shaking at times. This is a true bummer for me.