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Reposted by @Swede1952

@Swede1952 @swede1952.bsky.social · 1d

Good morning. 🦆🦆🦆

12 October 2025

I received a very negative and rude response to one of my morning posts—either earlier today or perhaps last night. The comment was crude, as someone wrote, ...

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#morning #rudeness #ducks #lake #police

"Five ducks glide across a calm body of water, moving in a gentle line from left to right. Their bodies are evenly spaced, creating a rhythmic procession that feels both deliberate and effortless. Each duck leaves behind a subtle trail of ripples, soft waves that fan outward and dissolve into the glassy surface.

The water itself is a mirror—reflecting the ducks, the sky, and the soft hues of early morning or late evening light. The palette is muted and tranquil: silvery blues, pale golds, and hints of lavender shimmer across the surface. The ducks’ reflections stretch beneath them, slightly blurred but unmistakably present, doubling the quiet grace of their movement.

There is no visible land, only water and sky, which blend together in a seamless horizon. The scene feels timeless, as if the ducks are part of a slow-moving ceremony—an aquatic procession through a world of stillness. In the bottom right corner, the image is signed “© Swede’s Photographs,” a quiet mark of authorship that doesn’t disturb the peace." - Microsoft Copilot

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Reposted by @Swede1952

@Swede1952 @swede1952.bsky.social · 1d

Ripples of the Swan Lineage

This pair of Chinese Geese (Anser cygnoides domesticus) belong to the lake’s ragtag crew—a loose fellowship of geese ...

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#photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #ChineseGeese

"Three Chinese Geese glide across a calm body of water, their long necks arched with quiet elegance. Their plumage is a warm blend of earthy browns and soft whites, with subtle shading that catches the light and reveals the fine texture of their feathers. Each goose moves with deliberate grace, orange feet paddling just beneath the surface, sending gentle ripples outward like ceremonial signatures.

The water is clear and reflective, mirroring the geese’s forms with a painterly softness. Light dances across the surface, highlighting the contours of their bodies and the gentle wake trailing behind them. Their motion is synchronized but not rigid—each bird seems to carry its own rhythm, yet they remain loosely aligned, like members of a drifting council.

The scene is framed by the water alone, with no visible land or sky, allowing the viewer to focus entirely on the geese and their mirrored passage. The photograph is signed “© Swede’s Photographs” in the top left corner, a quiet mark of authorship that floats above the stillness." - Microsoft Copilot

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Reposted by @Swede1952

@Swede1952 @swede1952.bsky.social · 1d

Eyes Above the Canopy

This is one of those distant captures where the subject was nearly a speck in the original frame. It shows a Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) soaring above a lake and forest—an aerial witness gliding over water and canopy.

"A Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) soars through a clear blue sky, wings fully extended in a powerful glide. The bird’s plumage is a striking mosaic of warm browns, creamy whites, and bold black bands, with the shoulders tinged in a subtle rust-red hue—its namesake marking. The wings reveal a checkered pattern, like woven feathers stitched with precision, and the tail fans out in alternating dark and light stripes.

Its head is turned slightly, revealing a hooked beak and piercing eyes—focused, alert, and sovereign in their gaze. Sunlight catches the edges of its feathers, casting a soft glow that outlines its silhouette against the sky. The hawk’s posture is both commanding and graceful, a mid-air dispatch from the Ministry of Woodland Surveillance.

There are no clouds, no distractions—just the hawk and the open blue, a moment of pure aerial clarity. In the bottom right corner, the image is signed “© Swede’s Photographs,” a quiet mark of authorship that honors the hawk’s flight without interrupting it." - Microsoft Copilot

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Reposted by @Swede1952

@Swede1952 @swede1952.bsky.social · 1d

Echoes of the Empty Sky

When I’m outside, my eyes are drawn to lone birds perched high in the treetops. ...

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#photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #corvids #BlueJay

"A solitary Blue Jay perches on a slender, leafless branch, suspended against a stark white background. The bird’s posture is alert yet composed, its body angled slightly forward as if mid-thought. Its plumage is a vivid tapestry of electric blues, snowy whites, and charcoal blacks, with a bold crest rising from its head like a ceremonial plume.

Black markings frame its face like a mask—sharp lines that accentuate its eyes, which gleam with quiet intelligence. The wings and tail are patterned with intricate bars and patches, each feather edged in a gradient of blue that deepens toward the tips. The high-key composition renders the background nearly invisible, allowing the Blue Jay’s colors to stand out like brushstrokes on a blank canvas.

There is no visible sky, no forest—just the bird and its perch, floating in visual silence. The branch is thin and delicate, barely strong enough to hold the jay’s weight, yet it does so with quiet resolve. In the lower left corner, the image is signed “Swede’s Photographs,” a subtle mark of authorship that honors the stillness without intruding." - Microsoft Copilot

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Reposted by @Swede1952

@Swede1952 @swede1952.bsky.social · 1d

Blue Flame in Shadow

"A cluster of radiant blue flowers unfurls like a constellation against a velvet-dark backdrop. Each blossom bears five delicate petals, shaped like soft stars with slightly rounded tips. Their hue is a rich, electric blue—tinged with hints of lavender and silver, as if moonlight had kissed them. The petals shimmer subtly, their texture fine and almost translucent, with gentle veins that whisper of life’s quiet architecture.

The flowers belong to the species Plumbago auriculata, commonly known as Cape Leadwort or Blue Plumbago. They gather in loose, elegant bunches, some overlapping like whispered secrets, others reaching outward with quiet grace. The background is blurred and deep, offering no distraction—only reverence for the blossoms’ vivid presence. The contrast is striking: the flowers seem to glow from within, suspended in a moment of stillness and soft ceremony." - Copilot

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Reposted by @Swede1952

@Swede1952 @swede1952.bsky.social · 23h

Good morning. 🧳☕🚗

13 October 2025

A short note this morning, we're headed back to Louisiana shortly. ...

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#photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #morning #GreatEgret #home #species #humility

"A tall, regal bird stands poised in quiet majesty. This is a Great Egret, its upper torso captured in luminous detail. Its plumage is pure white—smooth and silken, like freshly fallen snow brushed by moonlight. The neck arches gently, forming a graceful curve that suggests both elegance and alertness. Each feather seems to whisper, catching soft light and casting faint shadows that ripple like water.

The egret’s beak is long and slender, a vivid yellow-orange that glows against the pale feathers like a ceremonial torch. Its eye, sharp and golden, peers forward with serene focus—neither startled nor passive, but sovereign in its stillness. The background is a tranquil blur of water and distant green, offering a hushed stage for the egret’s quiet performance. A patch of grass in the foreground adds a soft, earthy counterpoint, grounding the bird’s ethereal presence.

The image is signed “Swede’s Photographs” in the top right corner, a gentle nod to the witness behind the lens." - Microsoft Copilot

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@Swede1952 @swede1952.bsky.social · 25m

“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.” — Anne Lamott

“Patience is power. Patience is not an absence of action; rather it is timing—it waits on the right time to act, for the right principles and in the right way.” — Fulton J. Sheen ...

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@Swede1952 @swede1952.bsky.social · 25m

“Shopping is a woman thing. It's a contact sport like football. Women enjoy the scrimmage, the noisy crowds, the danger of being trampled to death, and the ecstasy of the purchase.” — Erma Bombeck ...

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@Swede1952 @swede1952.bsky.social · 25m

I still don’t understand the whole wandering-around-and-shopping thing. I tend to shop like a sniper—quick, precise, in and out. My wife shops like a cartographer, mapping every rack for signs of treasure. I admire the stamina, even if I don’t share the calling. ...

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@Swede1952 @swede1952.bsky.social · 26m

The name of the game: higher-end restaurants.

My wife did more hustling than I did. The International Quilt Show was in Houston, so she and her sisters had to go. And after the quilt show came shopping—hurray 😢. ...

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@Swede1952 @swede1952.bsky.social · 26m

place to another during our visit. The food was good—expensive, too. I learned that other people don’t operate on my timeline. Dinner was always in the later part of the evening and always about an hour away from wherever we happened to be. ...

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@Swede1952 @swede1952.bsky.social · 27m

As it was, his legs were dashing, but his momentum was being politely restrained by the young lady at the other end of the leash.

Once we got home and unloaded the car, I took the rest of the day off. I was wiped out after being hustled from one ...

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@Swede1952 @swede1952.bsky.social · 27m

him out yesterday afternoon. While waiting in the holding area, I sat reading on my phone, half-lost in the scroll. Then I looked up and saw Charlie dashing toward me, dragging a young lady behind him. Well… there would have been dashing and dragging if the floor hadn’t been so smooth. ...

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@Swede1952 @swede1952.bsky.social · 28m

Good morning. 🐶☕💻

14 October 2025

I’m back on my big machine, which makes it easier to pump out a proper morning greeting. Charlie is home—yay! I bailed ...

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#photo #photography #wildlife #nature #bird #birding #birdwatching #morning #restaurant #shopping #fatique

"A great egret glides midair above a still, mirror-like body of water. Its wings are fully outstretched—long, elegant, and feathered like ivory fans—capturing the moment of lift with serene precision. The egret’s slender neck curves slightly forward, and its legs trail behind like twin brushstrokes of shadow. Beneath it, the water reflects the bird with near-perfect symmetry, as if the sky itself had dipped down to greet its twin.

The background is a tapestry of vertical reflections—trees and foliage rendered in soft, rippling streaks of green and brown. These watery columns lend depth and quiet drama to the scene, like nature’s own cathedral. In the foreground, a few out-of-focus green leaves frame the bottom edge, offering a gentle veil that draws the eye toward the egret’s luminous form.

The entire image hums with stillness and grace, as if time paused to honor the bird’s passage. It’s a moment of flight, reflection, and reverence—captured in the hush between motion and stillness." - Microsoft Copilot

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@Swede1952 @swede1952.bsky.social · 23h

😊

@Swede1952 @swede1952.bsky.social · 23h

returns home to find it.” — George A. Moore “Animals are not brethren, they are not underlings; they are other nations, caught with ourselves in the net of life and time.” — Henry Beston

"True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.” — Rick Warren

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@Swede1952 @swede1952.bsky.social · 23h

skeletal anatomy is to our own. It is something to think about. We're not as special as we think we are, though we do have opposable thumbs and even in that respect, we're not the only ones.

"A man travels the world over in search of what he needs and ...

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@Swede1952 @swede1952.bsky.social · 23h

Besides, I need to get Charlie out of lockup. I'm sure he's been clicking his heals together for days. 🤔Do dogs have heels? I'll bet they do have vestige of heels, or more accurately our heels are vestiges of whatever part of the foot they have. It's amazing how similar other animals' ...

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@Swede1952 @swede1952.bsky.social · 23h

It's not so far but we have to get through the heavy traffic of the big city. It's nice here but I'm ready to click my heels together and chant "there's no place like home." Well my shoes aren't ruby, but my car is diamond red - that should do it. ...

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@Swede1952 @swede1952.bsky.social · 23h

Good morning. 🧳☕🚗

13 October 2025

A short note this morning, we're headed back to Louisiana shortly. ...

1/5

#photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #morning #GreatEgret #home #species #humility

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@Swede1952 @swede1952.bsky.social · 1d

Blue Flame in Shadow

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@Swede1952 @swede1952.bsky.social · 1d

👍

@Swede1952 @swede1952.bsky.social · 1d

Thanks

@Swede1952 @swede1952.bsky.social · 1d

👍

@Swede1952 @swede1952.bsky.social · 1d

If you're enchanted by images of blue jays and other captivating corvids, dive into my photo gallery for a visual treat! Take a peek:

swede1952-photographs.pixels.com

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