Category Archives: Photographs

Early morning walk in January at Mason Farm

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This morning I got up early and took a walk at Mason Farm. I took my new spotting scope with me, hoping to sit somewhere and try it out. On the way in I saw a number of deer, and took the best pictures I could given the low light.

Finally I found a comfortable spot, got situated, set up the tripod and scope and began scanning the tops of the tall oaks that stood at the edge of the frosty field. By now the morning sun was just starting to brighten the highest branches. A couple of bluejays flew in and sat sunning themselves contentedly.

Somewhere behind me a Pileated Woodpecker gave the forest a wake up call. I also saw some dark colored birds in the tall dead grass around me…maybe indigo buntings?

Looking through the scope, I caught sight of a Chickadee in a Sweetgum pretty far down in the forest. I was amazed at the detail of what I could see. I also learned something. The Chickadee was moving around the branches picking seeds out of the prickly balls that Sweetgums are known for. I didn’t know that they picked the seeds out of those. After a while it was time to pack up my scope and head back. As I stood up I startled a deer that had apparently wandered in fairly close to where I was.

 

 

Laysan Albatross Flyby

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One morning – this was probably back in the late 90′s – Dina and I were hiking back from the tip of the Kaena Point when our path descended into a small depression about neck high. Suddenly to my left I noticed a Laysan Albatross with a 6ft + wingspan gliding my way and had a premonition. Something about the way he was flying told me he wasn’t going to veer away and keep his distance like they usually do. Because I was standing in a gully, I wasn’t at normal human height. Maybe I looked like a stump. Instinctively I raised my camera – a cheap 35mm with no zoom – and squeezed off 3 shots…

 

When we lived in Hawaii, Dina and I loved going out to Kaena Point, a desolate arrow-shaped beach jutting into the turbulent north shore surf. Its amazing to stand there. It feels like it’s the edge of the world. The ancient Hawaiians believed that this beautiful place was a sacred “jumping off” point where the souls of the dead went to leap from this world to the next.

Laysan Albatrosses nested there and we often saw them riding the winds.

 

My Dad Out West

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One of my favorite pictures of my Dad, from his years out West.

According to my Father, he had someone take this picture of him sitting on a log holding a saddle. They were at a camp up in the Idaho mountains on a roundup.

The caption reads:

“R.W. Perrine Indian Creek camp 1954 Wyoming / Idaho border S. of Tetons”

He kept this photo in a small black album, which contained a collection of photos that he took during the 1950′s when he was a young man, working in various ranches out West. I recorded this using a digital camera, while visiting my father in Oct 2003. I had  remembered seeing it when I was a kid, and as an adult hoped we could find it so I could get a copy of it. To me it was always my favorite most memorable photo of my father’s days out west. He had a number of other photos in the same book, I recall some with barren landscapes and pronghorn antelopes.

Looking at online terrain and satellite views, I learned that there is an Indian Creek that forks on the Idaho side of the Idaho / Wyoming border. On the actual border, there is a North Fork Indian Creek and a South Fork Indian Creek. There are a number of trails (like the very ones he traveled) in the area, and in recent years hikers have posted photos, as well as location points on Google Maps.