I think this might also have been in a mosaic posted earlier (September-ish).  This is several miles from where I live, but I have a similar view south of my little town.  This is a rough and rugged, arid, area, but the shrub steppe does have a beauty all it’s own.  Of course a lot of the area has been developed for farming, thanks to the Grand Coulee Dam and the Columbia Basin Water Project.  There are also a lot of deep wells that have been drilled for irrigation purposes, where the Water Project doesn’t reach.  There are also lot of dryland farms, mostly of wheat, in the area east of where I live, in the Palouse.  My town actually used to be called Palouse Junction, but somewhere along the line the name was changed.  I’ve read the story before, but don’t remember it and I’m too lazy to Google.

Today (Sunday) is my day for posting at Vision and Verb – check it out, and the others as well!

Like a stealth bomber, the magpie was flying in low and under radar to unload it’s payload of ammunition on the unsuspecting squirrel, who was caught without his wingman.  Where, oh, where is Maverick when you need him?

Actually, the squirrel was running for dear life, because he knew the magpie was after him.  It was quite amusing to watch. A pair of finches were dive bombing this magpie and it’s mate, because the magpies kept getting too close to the finches’ nest that is right outside my window.  That, in and of itself, was amusing enough, but there was this squirrel hanging around in the bushes right by the office.  Since the magpies were getting attacked by the little birds, they had to attack something in return.  Poor squirrel.

I know exactly how that squirrel felt.  A few years ago I was chased around my yard by a magpie.  I was taking the trash out and heard a noise nearby.  I looked around and didn’t see anything, then I heard something at my feet.  There was a magpie sitting there about three feet away.  I said hello to the inquisitive bird and it hopped closer to me.  I backed up.  It hopped closer yet.  I backed up some more, while it hopped closer.  Pretty soon I was running in circles while this magpie was flying around chasing me. 

I saw my neighbor across the street watching this bit of drama, so over I ran and stood on her steps talking to her through the screen door.  I have no idea why she didn’t let me in their home, but she didn’t.  I wasn’t there for more than a few seconds when the magpie quickly closed the gap, so back across the street I ran, right into my house.  I just barely got the door closed in time or that thing would have flown in, of that I am positive.  I talked with the neighbors again later that day and the bird had been trying to get in their house earlier that morning and also did the same thing to my neighbors right next to me. 

While the magpie mostly eats insects, along with berries, nuts and seeds, it is also a carrion eater.  They are one of the few birds who use their sense of smell to find food.  My across the street neighbor works in pest control and was emptying some mouse trap captures into the garbage can that morning.  I think that is what first attracted the magpie’s attention, and then I added to it by taking some past it’s prime meat out to the trash.  Let this be a word of warning if you live in an area with magpies – don’t let your meat spoil!

Now that the wheat is in the ground the attention has been turned to planting the potatoes.  Farmers all around are busy plowing, disking and amending their soils by adding important fertilizer.  To determine the right amount of pre-plant fertilizer for each field, soil samples are pulled and taken to a lab for analysis.  The lab makes a recommendation, but the farmer, with the help of his fertilizer/chemical rep, decides on the quanitity to apply based on experience and emperial knowledge of the field.  The early harvest potatoes have been in the ground for a little while and the storage potatoes, as in this photo, are what is being planted now.

If you love fresh baked potatoes, but don’t have a farm or a spot for a large garden, you might want to consider growing your potatoes in a garbage can.  Yes, you read correctly.  I ran across this article with a good how-to — check it out!

Just an FYI, there was no tilt to the camera for this shot – it was straight on.  The tractors are pulling the planters up the side of a hill, which slopes just the way you see it.

Yesterday was not a productive day in the sense that I got a lot of work done in the yard and the grass seed planted, but it was productive.  While waiting for it to warm up a bit before going outside yesterday morning, I was catching up on blogs and just about the time I was ready to go out and get started, it started to rain.  And rain.  And rain some more.  It rained all day long.  Not a hard rain, but enough of a rain that working in the yard was pointless and today the ground is too wet to work.  I did make quite a bit of progress on my glass website, though, so the day wasn’t wasted.

Happy Sunday, everyone!

My son left a comment yesterday on the previous version of this windmill photo.  One of the things that I really appreciate about my son is that he is completely honest and doesn’t pull any punches when he critiques my work.  Sometimes it causes a wince or two, but he is always right.  I guess that scholarship and graduating from the Art Institute serves a purpose.  He does have a good eye and I’m constantly learning from him.  I’m posting this new version of the windmill, based on the comments he made.  He was definitely right in that the first one had too much vignette, but I’m kind of undecided about whether I prefer the sepia or the black and white, which  I normally prefer, but the sepia felt appropriate for the image.

In case I haven’t mentioned this before, critiques are always welcome.  If there is ever something that you feel can be improved on any image, please do let me know.  Won’t hurt my feelings at all.  I do know I look at some of my images after they’ve posted and wish they hadn’t!

[Edited to add:]  I was asked what my son said in his critique – here you go, word for word.

I really like this image. I think this is one of the strongest you’ve taken yet. I don’t care for the vignette (i think it competes with the openness of the field) or the sepia (i prefer B&W) but the composition/contrast is perfect.