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Up Close And Personal

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge – It’s A Small World and Ragtag Daily Prompt – Assignment.

Guest host of this week’s Lens-Artists challenge, Anne Sandler, has invited photographers to focus on the small things and she has provided a number of useful tips for macro/micro and close-up photography. Thanks, Anne. Unfortunately, I got carried away and so I might not have stuck strictly to the brief, preferring once more to go with arty-farty rather than teeny weeny. Thankfully my True Love had something up his … oh, never mind!

I have redeemed myself though with some wee poetry – haiku, of course – and some vulgar photography humour. My friend has asked me to keep writing and who am I to refuse?

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All My Trials – As I Was Saying

My little Finnish Spitz, Ama, was diagnosed with copper storage disease a couple of years ago. It has been a long and difficult journey to restore her to some semblance of health, with her blood test results again causing concern as little as four months ago. A new medication was our last hope and, hooray, so far, so good. Her latest test results have shown a dramatic improvement. We can see this in her sassy attitude. The ensuing ruckus is never-ending.

About a year into her treatment, I spoke to the vet about how Ama’s treatment was bankrupting us. The staff suggested I put her on YT (or something like that)! What the heck? Is that a thing? Does your dog go viral and then all of a sudden people want to buy merch? I suppose I could make some Ama “fan” T-shirts or I could make a fund-raising calendar of her cuteness. Is that how people monetise their pets? Anyway, needless to say, we are not doing that, even if she is ridiculously cute and loud. Yes, I am biased.

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Walking With Magpies

This article contains material of a satirical nature that may offend some readers. Please note the photos are awful, but the story is good/scary/funny.

For months now I have been in serious training. Magpie training. It’s full on magpie breeding season here in Canberra (Australia) and for the unlucky few, a walk, cycle or broomstick ride, may lead to being dive-bombed by a rampaging magpie. As of a few minutes ago, the count on the number of magpie attacks that have occurred in Australia this year is 3798, with 466 injuries (see Australia’s Magpie Swooping Map 2020). The number of attacks and injuries are likely significantly under-reported. But have no fear, ladies and gentlemen, there are a couple of ways to mitigate the risks.

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The Changing Seasons – August 2020

Canberra, Australia – Last days of winter. Mostly cold and wet. Still no Covid in town.

There have been no new cases of Covid-19 in Canberra for 51 days. Too good to be true or too good to last? As for the weather, it was mostly cold, wet and miserable with the occasional sunny day. It was a 3Cs month for me – cleaning, creativity and cranky. As usual, I took a lot of photos.

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Last Photo of June 2020

Reds on the couch, not to mention on the washing.

(Last photo on my phone.)

Brian at Bushboy’s World had the wonderful idea of posting the very last photo he’d taken each month — whatever it might be and whatever the quality.

He’s invited us to join him, so if you’d like to share your last photo of June 2020, here’s what to do:

  1. Post the last photo on your SD card or last photo on your phone for the month of June.
  2. No editing – who cares if it is out of focus, not framed as you would like or the subject matter didn’t cooperate.
  3. You don’t have to have any explanations, just the photo will do
  4. Create a Pingback to Brian’s post or link in the comments
  5. Tag “The Last Photo”

Kind Regards.
Tracy.

Information on the photo:
Finnish Spitz, Fynnie and Ama, resting under pastel of Fiksu. Fiksu pastel courtesy of mother of Tracy. Hmmm, that’s probably dust on the glass of the pastel. In my defence, it is awkward to reach for one as short as I.

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All My Trials – Ms Irrepressible

Today, I thought I might do an experiment and try posting a short video of the irrepressible one.  I have no idea whether the file is too big for readers to view, so your feedback would be very much appreciated.  The irrepressible one is of course my little dog, Ama.  When she wants her dinner, she engages in some remarkable attention seeking behaviour.  What do you think?  Should we surrender to her will?

Kind Regards.
Tracy.

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The Changing Seasons – March 2020

March — Australia creeps toward lockdown.  The weather is good but.
Warning:  this story contains many bird and nature photos.

It seems an age ago that the smoke of bushfires polluted my lungs and we hunkered down for the summer in our small abode.  Then the drought broke and the new corona virus reached our shores, causing chaos and disruption, and threatening to kill a generation.  I confess that my summer experience made me hyper-vigilant for danger. Like the virus, my preparations and anxieties gathered momentum as March marched in.  Read more

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Land Of Milk And Honey

It seems an age ago that the aphids were attacking my newly sprouted garlic chives.  Now as autumn makes its long anticipated appearance in the temperate areas of Australia, the black aphids are back.  This time they are attacking a beautiful succulent that my friend gave me last year.  The ants are milking the aphids for honeydew.  It is a good system. Read more

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Suck It Up

For Sunshine’s Macro Monday #32

It was a public holiday in Canberra today to mark the anniversary of the official naming of Australia’s national capital in 1913.  And a beautiful day it was.  It is such a privilege to live in this gorgeous city.  As well as being the seat of the Federal government, Canberra is the home to a number of research institutions and universities, so we have an abundance of very clever people living here.  Some of those people have developed and maintain the Canberra Nature Map, an online map of Canberra’s diverse flora and fauna.  It is a live map updated regularly by members.  As a result of this wonderful resource, we now know the name of the funky fly I posted photos of recently (see original post). Read more