Author Archives: beacon2019

When I was a child, my friends and I loved flying kites. Each of us had our favorite design; mine was a soaring hawk. I would look up at my kite, high in the sky, and dream of one day seeing a real hawk, not one printed on clear plastic. Since then, I have seenContinue reading “Soaring”

Late last year I spent an evening taking pictures of trees and flowers using my flash for light. The result was fun and really quite beautiful. It had just rained and the flash brought out a different kind of emphasis. Because I used the camera’s flash function instead of a separate light source, I couldn’tContinue reading “Flash done differently”

I love pelicans. They are portly, short-legged, slightly awkward-looking with oversized, pouchy bills. Sitting on the ground, they remind me of dignified old gentlemen at an English club. Brown pelicans are equally wonderful to watch, a complete delight for me. White or brown, I adore them, especially when they fly. Their elegance and grace areContinue reading “Pelicans”

Today’s pictures are random. They just illustrate something I learned recently, something I found very interesting. When I first started sharing pictures on social media, I gave explanations of what the images showed. Look at this yellow-rumped warbler, or look at the beautiful markings on that stone figurine above. And some people liked it, butContinue reading “Interesting insight”

Corvids are birds–they have nothing to do with the infamous virus of a similar name–and include crows, ravens, jays, and others. Pictured above is a rook, this one happened to be in France. I love all birds but have a special fondness for corvids, especially ravens. I grew up with crows all around me butContinue reading “Corvids”

I love graffiti, although I admit that it can get out of hand. People living in apartment buildings may not love having someone else’s artistic expression on their front door, and that does happen. But on walls that would otherwise be empty, such as the outside of this factory, graffiti adds value. This image wasContinue reading “Graffiti”

The lotus flower is beautiful, iconic, beloved. I live near several lakes where lotus grows, and seeing the different stages through the year is a privilege and a joy for me. The bud sitting on a tall stalk is a promise of rich colors. Soon the yellow center will present itself. Insects, birds, and otherContinue reading “Lotus”

We are surrounded by beautiful things, but we don’t always see them. Now that most people have to stay within a small radius of their homes, learning to see the beauty around us is more important than ever. It’s no secret that I love birds. They are cute, beautiful, and their chirping cheers me up.Continue reading “Our surroundings”

Covid-19 makes it hard to go places. Either it requires travel of the kind that isn’t advisable right now, or the parks are closed or severely restricted. Therefore it was a great pleasure to realize that there is a park within good driving distance that we had not yet explored. We went there and weren’tContinue reading “A newly-found park”

A young tree in a field. I keep going back to simple things like this. Their beauty isn’t flashy, and yet I find them amazing and wonderful to look at. A young mockingbird sitting in our hibiscus tree. It hasn’t quite learned to sing yet; it’s still in the stage where it cries for foodContinue reading “Simple things”