We made it to Garden Canyon on Fort Huachuca just after sunrise. Two adults, two teens, and one very enthusiastic orange vested pup.

We all had Slightly Different Agendas.

I was carrying my big 600mm lens, hoping I might run into something unique I could add to my birding life list.

Would you believe that I only saw about a half a dozen birds all morning?

I barely got a shot of that hummingbird before it flitted away as we entered the canyon. Then a clear shot of the sulphur-bellied flycatcher didn’t come until near the end of the hike; even though I’d heard the unmistakable squeaking for hours.

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Kelly of course was out chasing waterfalls. Ignoring TLC’s sage advice as usual. She got some good ones too! Check out those long exposures. 😍

Butterflies

If I really wanted a challenge, I would give up on the birds (everybody is into birding these days) and try to start building a butterfly life list instead. We saw so many different varieties in just a few hours, and in a place like Garden Canyon, they actually sit still long enough to get some good pictures.

Note: I’m having a hard time finding anything dull about those last two Firetips

The Pictograph Site

Did you know that Garden Canyon has a pretty well preserved pictograph site? It probably helps a lot that a couple of decades back some Eagle Scouts did a project to erect a fence at the site to help discourage modern humans from adding their own initials to the rock walls.

Of course the part of the wall that wasn’t fenced (because it didn’t have ancient drawings on it) was free game for climbing … and picture posing.

We wrapped things up with a shortish trek back to the Jeep, where the dog of course ran right through a mud puddle just before we got back to the trailhead. Would it even be a hike if my jacket (which the dog sat on during the drive home) didn’t need to be washed afterwards?

Til Next time,

Right up front: I love this pictures (taken with my 14mm manual lens) and thought about sharing it just on its own as a “BloomScrolling” Note.

But then I started thinking about all the cool and interesting pictures I captured of the creatures within this field. Also, this is starting to have me rethink my wish to find my macro lens. I wouldn’t have gotten most of these shots if the Tamron 90mm macro had been attached to my camera at the time. But the 600mm end of the big Sigma was perfectly up to the task.

I didn’t realize Grasshoppers came in so many different colors.

The Pollinators

Beetles and Ants

Of course, I wasn’t the only one who was happy to find a field full of insects.

Til Next time,

It’s amazing what you can see (and photograph) right in your own backyard if you just pay attention and have some patience. These are all images that I’ve captured over the past couple of weeks either right in my neighborhood, or in the area just outside my office at work.

Birds

Let’s start with the birds. I love to grab my camera and head to Ramsey Canyon, Huachuca Canyon, The San Pedro River, or my favorite little pond on post. But the reality is, I can get some pretty cool bird pictures right outside my door.

Insects

I love dragonflies, and lately they’ve been hanging around our backyard. The first picture below of the red flame skimmer was taken one morning right next to the pool. The grass at work was also really high lately with all the rain we’ve been getting, so that made for some nice encounters with other insects.

Butterflies and Caterpillars

I could take tons of butterfly and moth pictures almost every day. But for the purposes of this post, let’s look at my favorite pictures of three different stages of development.

Mammals and Reptiles

I unfortunately have no recent lizard or snake pictures good enough to share. Also, while I know there are fox and javelina in my neighborhood and skunks at work, the only mammal picture I managed to capture was this waskily wabbit.

I think we’ll make this a regular once every week or two feature here. Especially if I can either find my macro lens, or just relent and buy a new one. Either way, I will make it a point to walk around my office and my backyard with my camera several times a day.

Til Next time,

I went for the hummingbirds, and was not disappointed. Of course the challenge is trying to get good shots away from the feeders. These are two that I liked:

The volunteers mentioned a Costa’s Hummingbird had been frequenting a couple of the feeders earlier. Naturally, it vanished the moment I unhitched my lens cap. Had I caught it, I definitely would have compromised my "no feeders in the photo" rule for that one.

Of course there were other birds in the yard. I can never pass up a shot of a Curve-billed Thrasher (this is one of my favorite Arizona birds).

I also like running into groups of the Mexican Jays:

I even got to add a reasonably good image to my Woodpecker collection:

Finally, a reminder that free seeds will attract anyone with a free morning … feathered or otherwise.

If you want to visit Ash Canyon Bird Sanctuary yourself, it’s pretty easy to get to. About 20 minutes south of Sierra Vista down Hwy 92 (GPS directions are accurate). Once you get there, it is a suggested $10 donation. But that pays to keep the feeders filled. There’s a bathroom, drinks, snacks, and exceptionally thoughtful volunteers who offered me bug spray … about ten minutes after the local mosquitos had already feasted on my legs. 🙃

Let me know if you’re planning to visit. Maybe I’ll grab my camera and drive back down there again too.

Til Next time,

It’s always nice when you stop at your favorite after-work bird spot and are immediately greeted by an interesting scene almost before both feet are out of the car. I opened the driver’s door of my SUV and as I was grabbing my camera out of the passenger seat, I heard a hawk calling.

I switch my autofocus to servo and started taking pictures of a Red-tailed Hawk doing relatively low passes over the parking lot. But what was more interesting is that there were also another 5 or 6 hawks in a big circle, all at different altitudes

.

Maybe there is a downside to my 150-600mm lens, in that I don’t actually have any shots with all six birds in the frame. I suppose if I was thinking, I would have grabbed the Sony with a wider lens on it, or at least snapped a shot with my phone. But since I didn’t you’ll just have to take my word for it. 😎

I thought this was kind of an unusual sight, so I did a quick bit of googling when I got home. It’s possible this was “flight training” for juvenile hawks. But a more likely scenario is it was just a group of red-tails all enjoying the same intense summer monsoon thermal to do a little effortless soaring.

I suppose I could have just gotten back in my car and come home to edit pictures. But I was at my favorite little pond, so I decided to walk around for another 15 or 30 minutes.

I didn’t see many other birds, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t take a few pictures.

I love a good lizard picture, especially to post on Facebook for my mom. I also have a hard time ever passing up a nicely posing dragonfly.

I did get one more good bird picture on my way back to the car. This female vermilion flycatcher decided the reserved handicap sign was the perfect place to stop and have a little sing.

Til Next time,

I don’t have to imagine, I can remember. (Ha! … sometimes anyway)

I lived in Hawaii (aka paradise) three times, but by far the best was when I was a kid in the late 70s and early 80s.

I had a great group of friends, and on any given summer day my parents probably had no idea where I was from sun up til sundown … and sometimes later than that.

• We would ride our bikes over to Pearl Harbor to look at the ships.

• Go to AAA baseball games at Aloha Stadium (future Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn played for the Islanders in 1982).

• One time we rode The Bus to downtown Honolulu and got out at Hotel Street to see hookers and bums 😲 (we were 10)

• Other times we’d just go fishing at the harbor for 11 or 12 hours, trying to catch the big Tiger Shark that was rumored to be trapped in the reef runway lagoon. Luckily we were never successful.

But those are all tales for later posts.

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Today I want to tell a story about the time we were sure we’d found a way to cheat the system, or at least the only “system” we knew about at 10.

In the course of our daily adventures, we’d often ride our bikes around the neighborhood, or even the whole base.

Sometimes we’d end up down at the BX (base exchange … department store for you non-military types) after it closed.

We were usually thirsty.

Luckily there were vending machines.

But did I mention we were ten?

Yeah, we didn’t have money.

What we did have though is a friend with a long skinny arm.

Through trial and error, over the course of many evenings we discovered that if we hit the side of the machine just right, then our friend (let’s call him Mikey … he would eat anything) could stick that long skinny arm up into the machine and extract a “free” soda.

Yes, we were technically stealing. But we were thirsty, broke 10 year olds.

This trick would work over and over again; as many cans as we wanted.

One minor technically …

Only one specific type of soda ever came out of the part of the machine that Mikey could reach with his long skinny arm.

.

.

.

.

Yep, it was TAB.

If you’re too young to know why this was horrifying, imagine the most disgusting metallic-aftertaste diet soda you can think of …

But …

We were 10, and it was “free”, so of course we all drank one almost every night for about a month. 🙃

Decades later, I still drink diet soda. But it’s definitely not TAB.

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Til Next time,

… but only if you want to 😎

When I asked Kelly what she thought her Spirit Animal might be, she answered (a little too quickly, if you ask me):

Praying Mantis

I suppose this shouldn’t really surprise anyone.

She does have a long history of trying to kill me.

Okay, maybe not “trying”, but still …

She would call me “dramatic” and I think she’s a bit too cavalier sometimes.

But I suppose she’s right, we haven’t died … yet. 🤠

For Kelly’s perspective on our hiking adventures you should definitely check out her newsletter Just Over That Next Hill

The first time I lived in Arizona, Kelly and I were just friends. But for about 6 months in 2016, we hiked together three or four mornings a week.

One day she suggested that we head to Fort Huachuca to check out McClure Canyon, and maybe even try to get all the way up to Huachuca Peak.

Note: back then I was in no shape to try to get to the top of any mountain. But that morning I was blissfully unaware of this potentially very relevant fact.

I was just going for another walk in the woods with my friend.

Just around the corner from that trailhead sign, we started to go UP

… and UP

… and UP.

My heart was beating so fast that I thought it was going to jump right out of my chest and dash back down the hill to the car.

At one point I may or may not have instructed Kelly:

Yep, completely rational, not dramatic at all. 🤪

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By some miracle I survived that first mile or two of the hike, and eventually the trail flattened out at least a little bit.

At this point I should probably tell you that Kelly had heard about an abandoned helipad at the very top of McClure Canyon, and she was determined to see it.

One problem …

As we got closer to the top, the “trail” quit looking anything like a trail.

But she could see the top. That helipad had to be there.

So on we pressed. Bushwhacking our way higher and higher.

Eventually I looked to my left and noticed that it was a good 200-300 foot drop off right next to the “trail”.

Oh, and did I mention that the “trail” just kept getting thinner and thinner, until at one point I asked if we were on a no shit mountain goat trail.

It took another 5-10 minutes of inching forward a little at a time before Kelly finally agreed that maybe we weren’t going to see the helipad on that particular day … although she would get there about 6 and 1/2 years later.

We weren’t quite done just yet …

Due to our precarious position on the side of a ridge, we had to literally slide on our butts back down to a place where it was safe enough to stand up.

Oh, and remember that super steep part of the trail at the beginning?

Yeah, we had to run down that hill because Kelly was going to be late picking her boys up from school.

Ten years later, if you ask her about that hike, it was all about the “great views” and we only turned around because we ran out of time.

Goat trails? What goat trails? You’re being dramatic.

Til Next time,

… but only if you want to 😎

Instead of getting out, I just rolled down the windows, drove really slow, and started capturing images right from the driver’s seat of my Jeep.

Poor grasshopper.

I’ve been seeing a lot of Cassin’s Kingbirds in the forest lately. But these Western Kingbirds like the open fields a little better. I know we sometimes get the larger Tropical Kingbirds in this area as well, but I haven’t photographed any yet this year.

Now that I know all these Kingbirds are there, I’m sure I’ll go back to this location again. But they weren’t the only thing I took pictures of that evening.

Another Red-tailed Hawk encounter

As I was one my way back towards home, I was still driving slowly, so I noticed this hawk perched on a tall century plant. It was backlit with the mountains in the background, so I was pretty happy that it sat still for a few minutes so that I could capture a few images. Eventually it got tired of me sitting there though.

It flew across the road just behind me and landed on a different tree in a field on the other side. I think it was hoping for a little harassment.

But alas, it was not meant to be.

A Northern Mockingbird already in the tree (or at least close by) was not happy at all about the hawk’s presence. I don’t know if this little bird was extraordinarily brave or really dumb. But it proceeded to accost the hawk until it left that tree too.

The hawk images were also taken from the driver’s seat of my Jeep. Not sure I’ll do this often, but it’s nice to know that I have the option.

Til Next time,

But I’m a middle-aged white guy.

It’s silly to ask me what my “spirit animal” is.

Nonetheless, that’s exactly what happened at a work event last week.

I wish I could tell you that I was quick on my feet and came up with a brilliant response that not only got a few chuckles but also nodding heads thinking “yeah, I can see that”.

Instead I just demurred: “I’m a civilian now, I don’t have to play this game”.

Perhaps ironically, that did get a few muted laughs.

But me being me, and my brain being my brain, of course I spent the next couple of days thinking about how I might have answered that question for real.

In the end, I landed on …

Yep, a Cat.

(Not a majestic mountain lion or a sleek panther. Just a regular old house cat)

Basically …

I’m not sure exactly what this does or doesn't say about me.

But since we’re here, and the topic had been brought up:

If you ask my loved ones, they’ll tell you I’ve reached the stage of my 50s where my default state is 'grumpy housecat.'

I don’t mind being in the same room as other people …

But if anybody glances directly at me, or tries to start small talk, I may flick my tail in annoyance, and maybe even give them a dirty look.

Then there’s my selective hearing.

Someone can be talking directly to me about weekend plans, and my brain just registers pleasant background noise. I remain completely motionless and oblivious in my chair by the computer.

But if that same person mutters (even quietly to themselves) “Fine, I’ll just go move those boxes in the garage myself,” I’m suddenly fully aware and attentive.

Not because I want to help, mind you. But because I know if I stay still for another five seconds, my quiet morning is officially over.

… of course there is a non-zero chance that I’ll just make my way to a different room and find a quiet corner to curl up in.

Don’t even get me started on affection.

One minute I might be rubbing up against your leg, and even purring if you respond and pet me just the way I like it.

But then 15 seconds later (seemingly for no reason), the mood shifts and I just want to be left alone again.

Very confusing, I know.

Oh man, in the end, I guess I did find my spirit animal after all.

I’m a tad disappointed in myself that I’m not a majestic eagle soaring over the mountains or a noble wolf leading the pack. Just a housecat who wants a quiet room, a comfortable chair, and affection strictly on my own terms, is almost certainly the more honest fit.

But hey, it could be worse.

At least nobody expects me to fetch anything. 😎

Your Turn:

How would you have answered if it was you put on the spot at a conference?

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We are rapidly approaching that special time in the American election cycle where everyone on the internet suddenly transforms into an uncertified political scientist. Over the next few months, we are going to hear an awful lot from people about not only how they plan to vote, but exactly why you and I are wrong if we don’t vote the exact same way, for exactly the same reasons.

But it does come with a few distinct caveats …

There is an unwritten but well defined inverse relationship between how often someone posts about politics and how likely anyone is to actually read it. It’s the Car Alarm Effect. The first time you hear a car alarm, you look around to see if someone is stealing a vehicle. If the alarm goes off every single afternoon at 2:00 PM, you don't look for a car thief; you just look for a new neighbor.

Think about it:

Which is more impactful?

Or …

When every single news cycle is treated like an existential crisis, the human brain naturally tunes out to preserve its own sanity.

Don’t get me wrong, sometimes (and these days maybe even often) it’s perfectly understandable to be outraged about many things.

But what is your goal in expressing that outrage?

• Do you just want people to know you're mad? (Hey look, I'm screaming into the digital void, and I brought receipts!)

• Or do you want to inspire actions that might change the thing(s) you’re mad about? (local and in person > anything on the Internet or your phone)

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Personally, I’ve found that my own record for changing someone's mind via a heated internet comment section is roughly zero percent. Which is why, as the political temperature rises over the next few months, you can mostly find me out on the trails. The local wildlife might occasionally mock me, but at least the lizards never try to debate me about the why the price of gas is so high.

p.s. on a more serious note, please check your voter registration: vote.gov and make a plan to vote in your local primary and the general election on Nov 4th.

Til Next time,

Who do you know that loves funny stories?

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… but only if you want to 😎

Taking pictures of wildlife, birds in particular, is kind of like fishing …

This morning was not like that for me.

After editing, I have exactly one bird picture that was worth keeping.

But don’t cry for me …

I was out in nature for about 2 1/2 hours right after sunrise.

And of course there were things other than birds to photograph … mostly things that were mocking me for my lack of birds. Like this guy:

Near the end of my walk, I thought, 'Oh, look, a chubby little bumblebee!' (Its mimic worked perfectly). Nope. It was actually a western bee killer, which is a type of robber fly.

It turns out I wasn't photographing a gentle pollinator; I was taking pictures of a tiny, winged horror movie villain.

So remember how I told you that I only got one good bird picture?

Well, prepare to play the world's smallest violin for me, because this is how spoiled I am:

Rough life, right? Truly a devastatingly 'bad' day when your consolation prize looks like a flying emerald. 🙃

Oh yea, one last thing, the post title …

I really did run into a skunk.

Thankfully, no tomato juice bath will be needed. 😎

Til Next time,

If I answered: “I’m in the Air Force”, the inevitable follow up question was:

“Oh, do you fly planes?”

Me: “No, I’m a weather forecaster”

Them: “Oh cool, are you on TV?” lol, again, “No”.

This did get me thinking though. I’m not sure I have a really good elevator pitch to answer that question with. Maybe (much younger) Joey and Jaiden can help:

I think they nailed it!

Daddy takes lots of pictures.

He also goes outside, then comes in and tells people what the weather is.

What’s your “elevator pitch”?

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(I still have gift subscriptions for all of these if anybody is interested)

The very first publication I subscribed to was my stepson Johnathan (aka Ace Hope):

A High Level Party Gets a Second Chance

A substack on my light novel series, A High Level Party Gets a Second Chance

By Ace Hope

He’d been working on writing a fantasy book for a few years now, so I was thrilled to see him pop up on Substack to post his chapters. Of course I wanted to support him in this endeavor so I bought an annual subscription.

The next publication I decided to pay for, I probably didn’t have to. I was enjoying the posts I was able to read just fine. But I'd been following Brent and Michael since the first time I was on substack in 2022. One day they announced a promotion on their annual subscription that was extremely reasonable, so I figured why not throw them a few bucks to show my appreciation.

Brent and Michael Are Going Places

The adventures, insights, and travel tips of a gay nomad couple exploring the world. A "Substack Featured" Newsletter. Also featured on CBS Sunday Morning, NPR, and CNN.

By Michael Jensen

Logan Ashe Darrow is one of the people who had commented and intearacted with me back in the fall/winter of 2025 when I was still mostly talking to myself most days when I logged on here. When I saw the promotion price that she’d set up for her yearly subscription (less than lunch), it was an easy decision.

Beyond the Emerald City

"There are more things in Washington State, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy." ~ Pioneer Bill Shakespeare in 1858, after slogging his way over Snoqualmie Pass.

By Logan Ashe Darrow

Even easier was upgrading my subscription on Don Boivin’s Shy Guy Meets The Budha. Honestly, this is one I should have upgraded to sooner. I also knew Don at least a little bit during my first couple of forays onto Substack. Then when I came back on this brand new account in September 2025, he was one of the first to regularly comment/encourage me, and even restack some of my notes/posts. Like the previous two, he ran/announced a promotion and I pulled out my credit card.

Shy Guy Meets the Buddha

Reflections on Work, Love, and Nature.

By Don Boivin

These last two (my most recent paid subscriptions) are a bit different. I am normally extremely anti-paywall. Seriously, I have cancelled my free subscription from many publications when I ran into one too many articles that I wasn’t allowed to read unless I paid.

Well apparently, my health, and specifically the subject of longevity is an area where I’m willing to make an exception.

Caveat: both of these accounts I first noticed due to the valuable information they were sharing in Notes and in their free Posts. I would not have upgraded to either if too much “good stuff” had been behind the paywall.

I learn something new and interesting just about every time I see Harshi Peiris, Ph.D pop up in my Notes feed. Seriously, she keeps telling me that things I already like to eat are actually healthy. How could I not like her? More importantly, I absolutely trust that whatever she’s telling me is based on real research (done the right way).

Harshi Peiris, Ph.D.

Understanding neurodegeneration and aging through evidence, clarity, and practical insight. No hype, just facts.

Along the same lines, Dr Adrian Laurence also regularly shares interesting and useful health information in both his Notes and his Posts. Most of the posts are free for everybody to read, but since I was already getting so much out of his account, when I encountered a paid post that also seemed to had information I would find useful, I decided to upgrade.

Longevity Decoded

Lifestyle Medicine Doctor and Family Physician for 17+ years. I help decode the latest science into evidence-based blueprints to feel better, live longer and perform today.

By Dr Adrian Laurence

Note: this is one where I nearly changed my mind and cancelled the subscription when his Notes feed started to be occasionally interspersed with announcements about his new publication that would teach other substack writers what he did to grow his health account to over 44K subscribers.

This is actually a natural segue into the type of publication I will absolutely NEVER EVER pay for …

The Substack “gurus” who write publications about “How to grow your Substack”. I don’t want this post to devolve into a rant, so suffice it to say that when I encounter one of these accounts, I’m more likely to block them than to subscribe, even for free.

So …

What Lessons did I learn from this?

Well, the first I kind of already knew: I’m cheap, so if I’m going to subscribe it’s probably going to be when someone is running a promotion with a big discount.

But even then, it also has to be someone that I’ve had some good interactions with for a fair bit of time.

If these friends happen to have a paywall, like 90%or more of their content should still be outside of it … and that should still be some good quality stuff.

Finally (and this was a bit more surprising to me), I am apparently willing to pay for well researched information by bonafide experts on topics that I happen to be interested in at the moment … but only if they attracted my attention with equally compelling information in their free Notes and Posts first.

I would love to subscribe to even more of my friend’s publications. But for the time being, raising teens in two separate households (and states) unfortunately doesn’t not allow me to have unlimited discretionary income.

Also, shockingly, the two or three times a year that I pick up a lottery ticket with my energy drink at the convenience store, I never seem to win. 🤣

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I had the 600mm Sigma lens attached to my camera, so I was hoping to see some birds. I was not disappointed.

Almost as soon as I got out of the car, this little female Vermilion Flycatcher was sitting in a tree almost right in front of me, in pretty nice light. Off to a good start.

I then happened to look up behind the pond and there was a Red-tailed Hawk soaring above the hills. I’m not sure I’d say I ever got a really good shot, but it did eventually get a bit closer.

There was also a Turkey Vulture circling overheard.

I walked around the pond a little bit, then found a good spot to watch and see what showed up …

About the most interesting bird that showed up during the 20 minutes or so I was at the pond, was of course the one that I didn’t really get a great shot of.

If I was a real birder I would actually plan some trips to find birds that aren’t yet on my list. Apparently at Miller Canyon which is only like 10 miles from me, someone saw a Black-vented Oriole (normally only in Mexico). Maybe I’ll head over that way one morning this coming weekend.

But in the meantime, I still enjoy that I can make a short detour on my way home from work and get decent pictures of almost a dozen birds in 20 minutes.

Til Next time,

That doesn’t mean we didn’t get to have some fun in training though.

(All pictures in this post were taken by me)

Over the course of 24 years I attended many exercises and training events.

One of my favorites was BWMQT (Basic Weather Military Qualification Training) at Camp Blanding, Florida. In a nutshell, they sent a bunch of Air Force Weather guys who were assigned to Army units (the Army doesn’t have weather people) to be trained by Army Infantry guys, under the theory that if we came under attack downrange we might not get in their way (and/or need rescuing) if we had a bit more idea about what we were doing.

We got to do a lot of cool stuff like blow up C4 and live hand grenades, and shoot 50 cal rifles.

But the best time was when we were out at the MOUT (Military Operations in Urban Terrain) site. Note: it was not as much fun when I was a trainee. But I got to go back a couple of times later as facilitator. It was during these trips that I got to play OP4 (Opposition Force) during the MOUT days.

They Don’t Teach Air Force Guys This Part Anymore

The times I went to Camp Blanding were between 2009 and 2012. I realized at the time that while the training was fun, and we actually learned a lot, it wasn’t terribly useful for its stated purpose of preparing us to deploy; particularly the MOUT site days.

Let me give you an example:

The Infantry guys were basically training us Air Force guys as if we Infantry. They had us walking through the village in formation, and even meeting with village elders. One of our “platoon” was assigned to carry an M249 SAW (more about that weapon later). When we were inevitably attacked, we had to take cover and conduct a counter attack against the enemy fighters.

It was totally unrealistic.

If they wanted to prepare a bunch of Air Force weather guys for the real world, they would have driven us in on HMWVV, set off a roadside IED, had us scramble for cover and wait to be rescued. I suppose knowing how to operate the machine gun might have been useful … but only if the Army guy who it was assigned to got shot and killed first.

Anyway, I digress …

I don’t know if you’ve ever seen or shot simunition. Well, we had it for M9 pistols, M4 rifles, and even that M249 machine gun. Imagine paint balls, but it hurts like 50 times worse if you’re hit in an unprotected area.

Part of the MOUT training was building clearing.

Well one day one of our trainees decided to cop a very bad attitude while we were out at the MOUT site. We (facilitators) tried at first to just let his leadership handle things. But he persisted, loudly and obviously.

We decided the best way to handle the attitude was a heavy dose of tactical reality. My buddy set up the SAW to cover the ‘fatal funnel’ (the doorway) at thigh level (a classic defensive tactic). Mr. Attitude,was somehow volunteered (or more likely was voluntold) to lead the stack through the door.

Aside: Simuntion doesn’t hurt at all if you get hit in the vest. As a result we (OP4) tended to aim for the trainee’s thighs (they were still supposed to aim center mass at us … train as you fight and all).

The first guy in pretty much always took fire; just not always with the SAW.

Needless to say, it was a painful learning experience.

But I’ll you what …

That guy didn’t give anybody any attitude for the rest of the training exercise.

Before anyone accuses us of cruel and unusual punishment, we all (including OP4) came away with bumps and bruises by the time it was done. In these building clearing exercises, OP4 pretty much always got killed eventually (we were always way outnumbered). Several times, while laying in a concealed prone position, when they finally overran me, I was “killed” by point blank shots to my unprotected buttocks. Ouch.

While I’m glad I got to participate in this kind of training, I am profoundly thankful that I was never in a position while deployed to have to use it.

For all three of my combat zone deployments I was a happy and content FOBBIT (Often pejorative term used by Army and Marines to describe military members who never go outside the wire of the relatively secure Forward or larger Contingency Operating Bases).

I still work with the military. But as a civilian, if I want to play with guns (and for the most part I usually don’t) I have to go buy my own … and I don’t even know if it’s legal to have simunition. So these trips to Blanding were pretty much a once in a lifetime experience.

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In a way I’m lucky. I am one of those people who really could eat the same stuff pretty much every day and not be mad about it.

So why was I not already doing that?

Well …

For one thing, there’s this belief out there that families should all have the same thing for dinner, and it’s “ridiculous” for everybody to just eat what they want.

Also …

If I don’t have a plan for breakfast (or I feel like there are too many people in the kitchen and I can’t use the stove), I am very likely to just grab a Clif Bar, or even worse, launch a covert, early-morning raid to steal one of the teenagers' Pop-Tarts.

Then …

If I wait until the morning to decide what I’m going to bring for lunch/snacks, the Popeye’s or Burger King just up the road too often ends up being the easiest temporary solution.

Ugh

I could probably get away with this when I was in my 20s and 30s. But now, at 57, I’m at the point where I really worry about what 75 will look like if I don’t form and stick to some much better habits yesterday … or at least now.

So, What’s my plan? (you can skip this part if you want)

Breakfast: Overnight Oats

• 2/3 cup plain oats

• 3/4 scoop chocolate protein powder

• 5g Creatine

• 2/3 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

• Small scoop ground flax seeds

• 3-4 sliced strawberries

Lunch: Medium Potato with Black Beans

• One potato, either regular or sweet (microwaved, then cooled overnight in the fridge)

• 1/3 can of black beans

• Dressing of EV Olive Oil, balsamic vinegar, minced garlic and ginger, ground tumeric, and a little bit of maple syrup.

Dinner: Three Eggs Florentine +

• 3 large or extra large eggs

• Big handful of fresh spinach

• Clove or two of finely sliced garlic

• Sliced shallot or red onion

• Olive Oil

• Italian seasoning

• A couple table spoons of garlic/basil tomato sauce

• Sprinkling of Italian blend cheese

• 1 piece of toasted multigrain bread w/ real butter

Snacks: Greek Yogurt, Bananas, Other Soft Fruit (I currently have braces)

I’m not going to be religious about this. I may from time to time still have pizza or a hamburger, or go out to eat with Kelly for dinner.

And when we’re out hiking, I’m probably going to have Clif Bars in my pack.

So …

Are you weird like me?

Could you make a plan to eat the same couple of things (almost) every day?

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When I wrote a post last year about the times I’d been unexpectedly “drafted” to photograph weddings, I mentioned at the end that Kelly’s son Seth was getting married in May, and I was kind of hoping to just be a guest, not a photographer.

It didn’t work out that way …

Seth had a friend who is an aspiring photographer traveling from Colorado (to Iowa) to take the wedding pictures. He was even bringing a more experienced wedding photographer to mentor him.

It was looking more and more likely that I might really just be a guest.

Then the phone call came in that their car broke down and they were stuck in Kearny Nebraska, about 4 hours away. If they made it, they wouldn’t arrive until around 2am on the day of the wedding.

Thankfully Seth’s photographer friends did make it on time.

But since I’d already gotten my camera out and ready …

I made extra sure not to step on the toes of the designated photographers. But I did wander around the grounds and sniped a few shots with my long lens.

I didn’t take any pictures of the wedding itself.

There at the venue (beautiful chapel and barn out in the country), my only “non-stealthy” photography was helping out by taking group photos of extended family who were in attendance.

I did get one picture of the bride still in her veil, after the ceremony and before they went off with the other photographer for posed pictures.

But then I really didn’t get my camera out again until about halfway through the reception. I think of the pictures I took there, the ones most likely to potentially get printed and saved are the ones of Seth and his groom’s people, as well as a few other family shots.

Oh, and this one of Seth just after he signed the marriage license.

In the end, I’m pretty sure there’s no way I was going to avoid getting my camera out of the car and capturing at least a few images. Perhaps one of these days I will actually attend a wedding as just a guest … lol, maybe

I’m not really sorry that I brought my camera and took some pictures.

Seth & Jazmin have some additional memories.

And … If nothing else, I’ll have more stuff to add to my portfolio if my friend Chris is ever successful in his quest to convince me to:

Inside Wedding Photography

The First Steps to Becoming a Second Shooter

[Read Time - 6 Minutes…

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10 months ago · 6 likes · 2 comments · Chris Humphrey

Does anybody else regularly tell themselves these kind of lies? Just me?

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I’ll save you some suspense. Kelly says Definitely Not In The House. She’s not scared of spiders or anything. She just doesn’t want any more pets. Fair enough.

Maybe he (or she) could be an office spider?

This idea first popped into my head about 6 months ago when Jamie’s friend Avery moved to Florida and we watched his lizard and hermit crab for about 10 days before mailing them to him.

This left us with a couple of little plastic enclosures that I somehow decided looked like the perfect home for a pet spider.

Obviously the plan was/is to clean it up, then put in the proper kind of bedding and other accoutrements. Basically turn it into a happy spider home.

One problem …

Luckily Notebook LM is pretty helpful in these situations.

I stopped trusting search engines a long time ago. Lately, the top results are either obvious ads, or webpages whose primary purpose is to try to sell me something. I know where to buy a spider, and I already have the enclosure. I just want to know how to care for it and keep it alive.

With Notebook LM I can choose the sources, then not only ask it questions based on just those sources (no hallucinations), but I can also have it produce these neat graphics, and even an audio overview if I want to listen instead of read the relevant information.

Well shoots. I’m glad I did this before I actually went out looking for a spider. It turns out I have the wrong kind of enclosure for a jumping spider. I would also need to get a bright LED light and a misting bottle.

Hmmmm …

When I first had this idea months ago, I was thinking about getting a tarantula.

Here’s the graphic I had Notebook LM make for that:

This actually look more promising. I think I would be able to use the enclosure I already have. Also, check out that “daily care and feeding” up in the top right.

The main thing that kept me from pursuing this months ago was that when I looked in our local PetsMart, the only tarantulas that they regularly have are the Mexican pink toe. I of course would want one of the cool blue or purple ones.

However, from what I’m reading, these make much better pets and are easier for non-experienced first time owners … which is probably why this species is what PetsMart has for sale.

Hmmmm again …

I do want something for my desk at work. I may very well go look at the tarantulas again one of these days.

Or maybe I should get a lizard?

Of course I’d have go create a new “care and feeding” notebook for that first too.

Have you ever successfully kept a spider, lizard, or other small creature?

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Do you know anyone who loves nature pictures?

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When was the last time you went somewhere and just enjoyed yourself?Didn’t take any pictures, not even with your phone.

Over the past couple of years I’ve gotten much better about taking very few pictures on occasions like the 4th of July and New Year’s eve. None-the-less, as evidenced by the image above, I still couldn’t resist pulling out my Pixel phone and grabbing a few shots while we were sitting on the roof last year.

Would I have enjoyed the fireworks any less if I didn’t have pictures of them at the end of the night? More importantly, might I have enjoyed them more?

Sometimes it’s hard to be known (or view yourself) as “the photographer” on special occasions. I was most recently reminded of this at my daughter’s high school graduation.

Don’t get me wrong, I had to take pictures, and they will certainly be treasured, likely even years from now. But on the flip side, I spent the entire time looking through my camera lens. At one point, Jamie’s grandmother actually had to remind me that I should probably be in at least one picture myself.

That was it. That was the one graduation picture with Jaiden and Dad.

I can’t tell anybody else what to do. Heck, I often have a hard time sticking to my own plans. But this year for the 4th of July I really do plan to try my hardest to take absolutely Zero pictures. I’m going to enjoy the time with my family, watch some fireworks, and actually take in the view of the whole horizon, not just what I can see through my camera’s lens.

How about you? What are your plans?

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p.s. okay, I get it, we take pictures, it’s who we are. Some of us can’t help it.

If you instist on getting your camera out tonight, here’s a post I wrote a couple of years back that you might find helpful:

Til Next time,

But I also have literally thousands of previous unedited images sitting in some of my portable hard drives … and when I lived here in Arizona the first time (2014-2017) I was out with my camera 4 or 5 days a week. Just doing the math, it seems possible I’ve got some good stuff hiding not quite in plain sight.

The Red Faced Warbler is one of those birds that I’ve seen pop up in other people’s posts or notes and thought:

“Man, I’d like to see one of those in person someday.”

As it turns out, I already have … in Garden Canyon on Fort Huachuca, in June of 2023. The image I captured was pretty good too. Not sure I why I hadn’t already edited and shared it … let alone remembered I’d taken it.

In that same folder I also found this image of an Hepatic Tanager.

This is a bird that I was at least aware I had seen in the past. But I didn’t realize I already had a pretty good picture of one sitting on my hard drive.

Now I’m wondering what else may be lurking in my unedited files.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m still getting out with my camera as often as possible. But lately I’ve only been encountering birds I already have plenty of pictures of.

Hopefully next time I write a new post in this birding category it will be to report getting a picture of a bird I’ve never seen before. But in the meantime I’m happy enough to just get out in nature with my camera as often as possible.

How about you?

Have you seen/photographed anything new or interesting lately?

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Til Next time,