Lessons Learned...and Snake

Last night I imported a week's worth of photos via Lightroom. I edited a few, uploaded some to Facebook, posted a few on my other blog, and went to bed.

This morning I realized my computer was frozen. I rebooted it and went to work.

After work, I hopped on, eager to play with more of the photos. Amid other things from the past week, there were beautiful morning glories, wisteria and azaleas at my mom's, bluebonnets and Indian paintbrush lining the highway...and the snake you'll see below. 

But they were gone. The previews were still there, teasing me, but Lightroom swore the original files were missing. I looked everywhere, but sure enough, the NEF file was no where to be seen. I checked Carbonite - the last backup was this morning. No NEF file from yesterday. 

And, of course, being the efficient photographer I am, I had re-formatted my card as soon as I saw my photos were safely imported.

After hours and hours researching and trying different things, I finally gave in, spent $17 and bought FileJuicer, which was able to retrieve jpg formats of the preview files somehow. 

Better than nothing. Sigh.

So what did I learn? 

1. Don't be so quick to re-format my card, for one. 
2. Manually back up my computer on Carbonite each night. 
3. And as soon as possible, bite the bullet and buy an external hard drive for my Mac. 

And now, I'll tell you about the snake...

This poor rat snake was doing his job down by our creek, minding his own business, when our dogs mistook him for something dangerous and injured his lower body. Tom rescued him and let him go in the pond. He swam around then slithered out onto these rocks. But you can see his lower section was still dangling in the water.

Tom used a stick to pull it up onto the rocks to show me how long he was.

Longer than me!

We weren't sure what to do with him.

We knew he wouldn't make it on his own. Ants and birds were already showing interest.

Poor thing.

Still trying to act fierce.

But we knew better. 

Tom used a stick and scooped him into this terrarium he'd lined with a soft towel.

Then he put the terrarium in the laundry room so Snake could die in peace, without being harassed by ants and birds and who knows what else during the night.

And he did.

Just one reason I love my husband.

(I promise I'll post the flower photos next...)


Thank you, Hilary!

Beginning to Bloom

Just in the nick of time, too!

I'm not the only one who's happy about it, either!

The day the Lord created hope was probably the same day He created spring. 

~ Bern Williams

A Mallard Morning

There's nothing like walking through the woods with your puppies on a crisp morning just as the sun creeps into your hollow, 

the woods around you alive with birdsong announcing Spring's imminent arrival, 

giving thanks for the glorious morning just as it is 

and then

 having it get even better...

I was fiddling with my glove when this Mallard couple first flew over.

They took me by surprise and it was a few seconds before I remembered I had my camera, worked my glove back on and snapped the shot above.

I was sighing, sure the photo would be a blur but grateful for the mere sight of them.

(It turned out much better than I expected!)

Then, guess what?

They came back, making a couple of wide circles before finally disappearing.

Alas, all I had with me was my 50mm lens, not my 70-300, 

so I've cropped these quite a lot and the resolution is pretty bad. 

This is how far they really were away from me.

I hope they were scoping out the neighborhood and found a place they like!

Linking with 

and

Skywatch Friday

Stalking Sparrows

As promised,

more from the sparrow photo shoot.

He's so cute and fluffy, isn't he?

"Come on, lady, a little privacy, please! Can't you see I'm trying to eat?"

I guess I deserved that. 

A Walk on the Wild Side

It's March, can you believe it? 

I'm not happy that the year is flying by,

but the signs of spring I find around me make me want to dance.

The Hollow is coming back to life.

Most branches are still bare, but the redbuds are getting the party started.

Mourning doves are back, greeting me on my morning walk... 

...and cooing their mournful song from the trees.

There's been enough rain to keep Max's favorite pool open.

And he's not the only one enjoying it.

Adventurous and hardy Prairie Verbena is always one of the first to emerge and last to disappear.

American Robins have decided they like the Hollow and are lingering a bit.

Our little front yard (home of the bird feeder) is becoming a popular hang-out for the neighborhood critters like this squirrel.

I don't know why this Mexican Jay is giving me the Evil Eye.

A small party of fluffy American Sparrows arrived and posed for me. 

I'll share more of them tomorrow. 

What signs of spring are you finding?

Linking up with

and

The Shower

When your son finds the girls of his dreams and asks her to marry him,

it's time to party...

 ...Shower Style!

My friend Mary Kay searched all over Austin for M&Ms in just the right colors for these favors.

She's crazy like that.

That's why I love her.

I made these Antipasto Skewers all by myself, with only a few skewer injuries, in honor of the honeymoon in Italy.

These kids take after my own heart and love wine, so each of us brought a bottle adorned with a tag offering some kind of marriage advice. Cute idea!

Pre-party preparation, with love.

More scenes from the shower and after-shower party at The Salt Lick.

Once in awhile, 

right in the middle of an ordinary life,

love gives us a fairy tale.

~Anonymous