Physician Epidemiologist & photographer. I inherited my mother's photography business and collection and our lives have been swept into the beauty and obsession. I am expanding the available images, learning the ropes, practicing patience, watching my own daughter develop her "good eye" & becoming a naturalist (I hope).
wide gaited she lobbles along until in mid-air she stretches
and snatches catching a mosquito
That is my girl!
RIP Chickens.
They went down... ALL of them to a mother fox in one afternoon.
They disappeared without a trace
O O O O O Oh oh the vagaries of nature and who who who
do we root for?
We are getting more chickens, pullets this time. God knows by now the value of each egg.
Tigger the cat watches the flock through the fence
Golden Laced Wyandotte
Plymouth Rock
Mother fox and kits have begun to venture from the den. Those of us
living in her range speak of our sightings, check our fences, and call in the cats.
On March 20-- exactly the spring equinox
the amphibian universe activated in Maine
The biological chorus switched on.
The air is wet and cool, sweet with spring and as our car travels
through the tunnel of light down Sligo road
Cued by rising temperature and enough hours of light
the earths' quickening comes as harmony
The Spring Peepers aka "pinkletinks" or tinkletoes
sing A hue and cry,
Hallaluah! the love songs of frogs and toads
sweet enough to break your heart
Here in Maine they hibernate until spring and
when they emerge the nights are capricious
but the frogs can freeze and recover.
It is magic and even if it is not
it is
magical
When the conditions are right they move
to the edges of lakes and wetlands
Males call to the females who listen very carefully to their songs and then decide which to join.
If you click on the "Play Button" you can hear
Songs of the army or the knot (the official name of a group!)
In the audio files below they can give the song for each type of frog and toad.
Interesting....Did you know that what a frog says and
how it says it depends on what it is trying to communicate!
Imagine what we are missing because we do not speak any frog!
According to Nancy shepherd owner of "Pig O my Heart" a farm in central Missouri, This wonderful little piglet is named Gorgeous and she is is a Potbelly. (Link to Pig o my Heart) Nancy wrote to say "I remember so well Gay coming here to photograph a complete litter. It was so much fun watching her work. As I recall for this one she brought a piece of sod and we placed in on top of the picnic table so that we could get the beautiful background of sky and pasture"
Note to reader-- it is well worth a careful look in the trunk of a photographers car. One can find bits of sod, dead possums (more on that later), food for low blood sugar or to appease animals for photos, model and property releases, cloth for backdrops, a towel, odd bits of equipment, a box to hold special found things, etc etc. In fact I am sure it would be interesting to see what photographers consider absolutely necessary equipment to do what they do.
Pigs make wonderful subjects for photos. They are game, willing, expressive, and cute. They can even pose for photos and if you don't believe me see Jezebel posing for show. She is just one of the amazing Showpig photos from Nancy's ranch.
Let us know if you have a caption for Gorgeous or any questions.
Our first cold snap is coming here in Maine.
Maybe all the ticks will die. Oh yippee! Stay tuned to our tick experiment going on in the jar. Yes, with photos -- we just had to .... ugh.
But, each autumn there is a flurry of online inquiry about the "cold blooded" animals and how they will fare. Each species does it a little differently and the details are very interesting.
The specialists say this about it all
"leave them alone. They will find their way, you do not need to herd them off or take them in".
Smart little beasts that they are they will dig down snuggling in the mud and leaves in a pool or river and "chill out". They need some oxygen and Bullfrogs will stay near the top of the mud. Meanwhile frogs on land stay within the leaf cover. In contrast, Toads can dig down under the surface. It is all a type of hibernation. And if you want to see it for yourself you should check out this video - with Robert Krulwich and real frozen frogs and miracles.
This video and a nice explanation of the frogs fate can be found at a website called "frogsaregreen.com:
See you later frogs.
In the scientific literature bullfrogs are considered solitary and not particularly social although no distinction is made by sex. Some sources say they will eat other frogs including smaller bullfrogs. However, there is a growing appreciation of the complexity of their vocalizations as a clue to the oversimplification that may have been applied to their social lives and general intelligence. If they are so darn solitary why are they always sitting around on lily pads and rocks together calling back and forth?
I think frogs are big jokers in the natural world. They love to make sudden noises or to leap up when it is least expected; creating surprises for frogs and non-frogs too. I think they love the freaked out look on those caught off guard. If you watch them a lot there are activities that looks suspiciously like play.
For example, in the photo below there are two frogs sharing a moment of tender affection. You don't see this kind of amphibian intimacy everyday.
In fact in the close cropped view of the picture look at the front of the photo and you can see two young jokers ready to make sure that the intimate moment being shared won't last long or end quietly.
These fellows made a colossal nuisance of themselves in a very social way. They swam surreptitiously under the lily pads emerging beside the quiet pair & filling the air with sudden loud calls.
Then diving under water they would be gone but I could see their silent eyes among the leaves. until they would reappear , out of sight only to reappear and jump on the occupied lily pad making it tip and then off they would go, kicking the pad and making it spin wildly so it would tip and spin.
A group of frogs is called an "army of frogs".
Check out our new updated gallery of frogs and toads Amphibians galore here
I hope you are enjoying the frogs this summer by sight and sound.
And how many frogs are there up there in photo #1?
Sharon
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Greetings! It has been a long time since I sent out a blog post, a tweet, or a facebook message. My journey into septic shock and back was very engrossing. Convalescence has been a circuitous and much slower process than I would have predicted despite years of medical training.
I offer messages of thanks and gratitude for the many people who provided aid in my hours (and weeks!) of need and in the all ways it came. And, of course, I have philosophical views and thoughts from the very edges of life. There is much to learn from life-threatening illness, but today I want to start with lighter fare.
There is a new section on the website called "stories” in which I share the background for some of the pictures on the website: the crazy, effortful, funny, and surprising behind-the-scenes events of Gay Bumgarner, photographer extraordinaire pitting her wits and patience against the goddess of nature. Using her photography journals, the writings of Jim Bumgarner her husband, my own eye-witness accounts, video clips, and occasional poetic license, Mother-Daughter Press gives you a peak behind the creative curtain. I hope you enjoy the unusual behind the scenes views.
If you want to see larger versions of the pictures, go to the new gallery called "Series in Nature"
Welcome to this new feature on the website, and enjoy the story-ettes. Please let me know what you think and feel free to share your own stories. I even take requests, if you have a picture you have wondered about let me know.
To make finding the stories easy, we have added it as a choice on the navigation bar of the website. If you want to automatically get story updates you can subscribe to the blog or send a note.
Most of all thanks for all your well-wishes and kindness in this difficult time
Thanks to all who contributed their vote in the T-shirt contest. T-shirt #1 "I don't need another horse, I don't need another horse..." was the winner. However, if you look at the comments you will see that everyone seems to be voting that she actually, in time, get another horse and suggested ways to amend the T-shirt to reflect this. Such clowns we have as friends really.
As promised we welcome you to opening of the Natalya McDonnell Photography gallery called Animals (especially horses) viewed from the heart. We did add in a few of her wonderful bird pictures and there is a series with the pet rats and toy horses -- they are trying to foment revolution -- that is very funny.
Here is is as a slide show. At any point you can go directly to the gallery or look at any of the pictures more closely.
Thanks for all the wonderful blessings to this young girl coming of age-- our council of wise women and honorary women showered us with poetry, advice, humor and soulful ideas.
I flew cross country this weekend and saw in the on-flight magazine that I could submit a sample of a cheek swab from my dog to a lab and they would determine her genetic background or breed mix. How sad that all this data is looking for a use as real information.
For most of the human medical conditions I am aware of the data from additional genetic information does not add nearly as much as we once thought. Rather, we are still best using the phenotypic infomation (about some sort of physiological expression of a tendency) or we take it into consideration as part of an algorighm that remains unproven.
I have a White dog. She is pictured here in her new disposable booties to keep her paws from freezing. If you pass her on the street tell her how good she looks she is a little sensitive on the topic.
Look-a-like for Lacy the dog in cold weather booties
Thanks to Ano Lobb for the good questions about genetic testing-- its uses and value that were put forward in his blog on JustMeans (click here) Short article on genome sequencing
This "story" presents an exchange between "Shannon" mistress of a lost cat and "David" the graphic artist that she is hoping will help her design a poster to find her cat. This is a tale of passive-aggressive co-workers, using art and words to obscure communication, and a moral tale -- albeit at the expense of a fictional kitty-- that is too good not to share. What happens is dark delicious humor. Enjoy enjoy.
Want more memorable humor? It is winter and it gets dark early. This kitty-tale reminds me of my all time favorite Youtube video called "herding cats." It is a hilarious short piece that we posted before. If you missed it run, do not walk, to watch it. See Herding cats
Kitten with an attitude, "Who are you calling cute?"
If you like these tell us by clicking "like" or add a comment-- even anonymously. We thrive on your good humor.
Best wishes Sharon and Natalya.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Almost a Conversation
I have not really, not yet, talked with otter about his life. He has so many teeth, he has trouble with vowels. Wherefore our understanding is all body expression— he swims like the sleekest fish, he dives and exhales and lifts a trail of bubbles. Little by little he trusts my eyes and my curious body sitting on the shore. Sometimes he comes close. I admire his whiskers and his dark fur which I would rather die than wear. He has no words, still what he tells about his life is clear. He does not own a computer. He imagines the river will last forever. He does not envy the dry house I live in. He does not wonder who or what it is that I worship. He wonders, morning after morning, that the river is so cold and fresh and alive, and still I don't jump in. ~ Mary Oliver ~ from Evidence)
A blog for friends that need a laugh. We all need reminding sometimes.
I have some favorites in this new gallery but I shall pick "high spirits" to head up the group
He was an 6 week old pup and an orphan that was brought out to the house. Oh what a smile.
Laughter-- Another one of the traits we considered uniquely human but, has been found in a much broader array of the animal kingdom. Rats, even rats... you have to see the video of the scientist who finally figured it out and recorded it. Rats laughing- Youtube
Laughter is communicable-- infectious perhaps? It is a "resilience factor"-- in contrast to a risk factor. It increases resilience and protects our health. It is better than aerobic exercise, it creates social bonds and releases all sorts of positive biochemicals that mitigate stress and improve immune function.
Rather than wait for a reason or the mood to laugh, since it is infectious, you just need to play a tape of people laughing and you will laugh. I swear its true. I bought a DVD to put on around the house. You can test it yourself because, of course, there is a website where you can listen to laughter. Listen to Laughter and try not to laugh!
Also Check out the Radio Lab episode on laughter if you have not heard it. Radiolab on Laughter
Try if you can-- wishing you well
Sharon
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Nature Photography: Grandma peels back the curtain
Gay wrote naturalist picture stories as letters to her grandchildren. Fortunately, most of Gay's grandchildren liked icky things like bugs and snakes. During visits to Missouri one grandchild or another would come in beaming and grubby opening his/her hands saying "look what I found grandma". Gaywould peer down, finding frogs, insects, slugs, little turtles, snakes, cocoons, or some other little form of life. She would gasp with wonder and pleasure, clap her hands and either name it in Latin or run for the right guide. What a pleasure! Then she would tell some outrageous fact about the creature-- science fiction has nothing on science for really great stories.
This is a story about the Rough green snake, Opheodrys aestivus,
also known as a grass snake or whip snake.
We have added a few details to her original story(in blue).
By Gay Bumgarner October 2004
and Friends May 2010
"The other day in the garden I found two one inch by 1/2 inch white blob-like things. At first I thought they were mushrooms but I couldn't see a stem and the shape wasn't right. I picked them up.
They were firm but not hard, a little sticky, and they actually did feel like mushrooms. They were eggs, snake eggs! I wasn't sure exactly what kind but I figured they would be interesting to watch and photograph so I moved them inside to my terrarium (that little world in the glass box upstairs in the guest bedroom/ studio) so I could watch the whole thing unfold. I spent some time looking in the books to be sure what I could expect to see and what "it" might need. I called my friends and experts in the vivarium world and was given the advice that they were most likely green snake eggs or ring neck snakes.
I went upstairs often to look in on them and see what was happening. I wasn't sure how fast they might hatch since I didn't know how long ago they were laid. On the third day I saw this little face peering out. cute!
It was a Rough green snake, alert, looking around, sticking out its tongue (smelling), and taking its first glimpse of the world. It breaks through (pip) by making a tear on the side of the egg with its egg tooth. I set up my cameras waiting for more action but, amazingly, it stayed right there in the egg for two days. It would pull his/her head back or poke it out but, seemed to be quite content. I wasn't sure if it was waiting, building up its strength, or even stuck, I wondered, should I rescue it-- Snake Midwife?The other one did the same thing and for awhile they both had their heads poking out looking at each other and the world.
Eventually they came out. It was about the size of a small worm with a thread-like tail.
When I put my finger down toward him to see if I could touch him this is how he responded. Adorable just like a big snake.
He wanted to frighten away whatever this "threat" was. As you can see he has no teeth and he is quite harmless but he is putting on a good show and sometimes the show is everything. Both eggs hatched and I returned them to the garden where I found the eggs. Rough green snakes are arboreal and live in trees which is unusual in the US. Their green color helps them hide among the leaves in trees. When the wind blows they purposely wave their bodies like a branch. In fact when these snakes hang on branches, they maintain rapid, rhythmic, side to side head movements. Some say these motions enhance the snakes vision and ability to see in three-dimensional range, some say it helps them hide.I say it definitely makes them look cool.
In this very brief video clip by the state of Missouri you can see the head movements of the baby snake.
Even more exciting..... a couple of days ago Ben my garden helper saw a bobcat in the shed up in the woods. I find this very exciting since bobcats are hard to see especially since they are nocturnal (stay up all night). THE END.
I love you all
Mother-grandmother Gay"
Thanks to Sharon McDonnell, Suzanne Rhodes, Meg Harper, Karen Joyce and Natalya McDonnell forediting, expertise, and questions.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Additional Questions from our editorial board and readers: 1. Snakes in eggs?
Yes. Some snakes are born from eggs that are laid outside the mother. Other egg-laying snakes besides the rough green snake are black rat snakes, bullsnakes, kingsnakes, racers, worm snakes, ring-necked snakes. As a more "evolved" or advanced alternative there are snakes that retain their young inside their bodies in yolk sacs until they are completely developed. These include water snakes, garter snakes, brown snakes, copperheads, cottonmouths and rattlesnakes.
Mother Green snakes can can keep the eggs in their bodies until they are almost ready to hatch or lay them. The longer they are in their mother the more quickly they hatch because they stay warmer. So, if you see an egg on the ground it might hatch in 4 days or 2 months.
2. They stay in the eggs? Is that typical? Aren't they are hungry or restless?
Female Rough green snakes sometimes lay their eggs in communal sites on the ground or in the holes of trees. As a young snake develops within the egg, a small egg tooth grows on the tip of its snout; the snake uses this tooth to slit the shell when hatching and then sheds it after hatching.
Baby snakes may stay in the egg for 48 to 72 hours after pipping, in order to absorb the remainder of the yolk sac.
3. What do baby green snakes eat? Did Gay have to bring them food?
These snake east all sorts of soft bodied or hairless insects (including moths, butterflies, crickets, grasshoppers, and many caterpillars) and spiders. A snake will find prey by vision or the chemosensory systems on it's tongue. Since these snakes are not venomous, nor constrictors and don't have teeth they simply grab, gum, and swallow. There is a video of this on YouTube that involves a cricket that I spared you.
Yes, Gay fed them little crickets and mealworms before she put them back in the wild. Yummm.
4. If this is a rough green snake is there a smooth green snake?
You betcha. Rough and smooth depend on whether they have scales (rough) also known as keels.
5. They live in trees?
As the University of PA site points out, the name of this wee green snake is very informative. "It is a “serpent” (“ophios”) that lives in trees (“drys”) that is active in the warm months of summer (“aestivus”)". They like climbing branches to high sunny spots to keep warm. But, they are comfortable on the ground and if they need to they can swim quite well too.
Want to see a picture of a copperhead? Picture of copperhead snake
How about a funny snake picture? Snake and dragonfly
If you have more questions or would like us to explore your favorite animal or natural event please send us a suggestion in the comments.
Sharon
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
This is Jim Bumgarner Sr with his loyal friend "Bugsy" the wild (watch) turkey. Jim wrote a short piece about discovering Bugsy that I include below. This picture comes from the gallery "Humanimals: family" and you can jump there to see what it is like to grow up in a wildlife conservation rescue area. Click here for: Gallery of family and fauna in the valley
For several years my wife and I raised wild orphan animals. We raised several squirrels, several raccoons, four foxes, four fawns, one coyote and one wild turkey. We enjoyed them all but if I had to pick a favorite it would have to be Bugsy, our wild turkey.
I was mowing at my farm one spring day and I scared up a wild turkey. I found her nest. It had eight eggs in it. I had been told that if a nesting turkey was disturbed like this, they would never return to the nest. I left this area for several hours and then walked back to check the nest. There was no mother and the eggs were getting cold. I took four of the eggs home and put them in a small-borrowed incubator. My conscience was clear when I returned to the nest the next day and found it destroyed.
I was really quite surprised when two weeks later two of the eggs hatched. One baby died in a few hours. The second one was quite healthy and was drinking water and eating poultry food quite quickly. For the first few days we kept her in a cardboard box in the garage but she took to the outdoors quite quickly and was soon finding bugs and half jumping and half flying up to the lower tree branches. I was afraid of predators at night so every evening I would walk her to the shed. She would jump and fly to the rafters and stay there until I opened the door the next morning and when I return she would immediately fly down and spend the day in the yard and garden. If I would go out on the deck and sit on a bench she would come up and sit beside me always on my left side and stay there as long as I remained. Bugsy liked to follow us on our walks along the paths through the woods-- always looking for bugs. She would fly off from us but return in a few minutes. We’d see her fifty yards away or so from the house with other turkeys but she never went with them.
When she was hungry she would peck on the picture window until someone fed her. In the spring she would still come sit by me on the deck. She would accompany my wife to the garden. One day I heard a yelp from the garden and my wife said Bugsy pecked her on the rump when she was leaning over.
I guess Bugsy liked the response she got because this act was repeated many times. If I heard a yelp from the garden, I knew that Bugsy had gotten her again. Bugsy also started the habit of pecking on my pant leg and shoes. I assume this was her attempt to play. [Editors note: This was his generous interpretation—the rest of us felt were far less charmed and believed we were being warned and thus, tried to steer clear of Jim’s “watch turkey”].
That summer, Bugsy ate all the bugs around the house so I had to start bringing her grasshoppers from the farm. I would catch hundreds of them with a butterfly net while driving my ATV. I would put about dozen in plastic bags and keep them in the refrigerator. She soon knew the meaning of the plastic bags and when I’d come out with one she would come running.
We were surprised when Bugsy stayed with us through the winter. By now she was putting herself to bed in the shed and eventually she started sleeping high in the trees. We would feed her and give her a bit of grain every day. After sixteen months with us, Bugsy left for good. We never saw her again but later we learned a bit more.
In an area that lies to the northwest of us there is a neighborhood called Timberhill. One day a woman living there heard a tapping sound on her picture window. She looked up and was amazed to see a turkey on her deck pecking on her window. She opened the door and the turkey ran toward her. She evidently was frightened by this behavior and ran to the phone and dialed 911. When she calmed down, she reasoned that this was someone’s tame turkey so she threw some birdseed out. She and her next-door neighbor fed Bugsy for several weeks - James E. Bumgarner
Check out other wacky photos of otherwise respectable people living with animals and for my family-- I just had to share. No one will recognize you guys, really.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Sweet and Sad
Thanks to the Vermont National Guard and
Be Well
Wherever you are
You have Friends
I am not confused. I hate war but I love the soldiers. A “friend” welcomes a soldier home — friends build resilience and sometimes the best kind of healing friend is an animal. Amazing but I thought the dog was wearing camouflage too until I looked more carefully. May each of them be greeted so unconditionally and enthusiastically.
This photo is by Michael Jermyn, if you want to see more of his work he is our featured artist with his own gallery just click on this link and check it out.
The red cap and surprising silver shoes make a daring fashion statement.
In this new world of urban refugees and dyspeptic consumers, we are voting with our conscience and our forks for local, homemade and non-industrial food. My sense is that many more people are keeping chickens these days.
Towns are struggling with zoning and we talk about chickens a lot and, of course, there is a lot to say.
Meanwhile, not to make too much out of the patterns of my cohort, but when friends in Boston, LA, San Fran, and of course, Vermont, are all comparing chickens chicken accoutrement, and cute chicken stories then it's a trend.
Seriously now, eggs aside, wouldn't that make a gorgeous jacket? I am planning an eccentric and eye-catching wardrobe with accessories for my older years and this caught my fancy.
Fashion advice or chicken stories welcome here.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Natalya McDonnell and Shadow
January 31, 2010
Announcing the newest member of the McDonnell Parrish menagerie
Yes, we said "NEVER, NO HORSE EVER"
From never to ok is route that is hard to explain
but here we are
Natalya is ecstatic, speechless, squealing, joyful, over the moon
Fortunately, she (Shadow) will stay at her home barn with Patty and Bruce where she will be happy healthy and well cared for and we can stand firm on our final line in the sand,
"NO HORSE IN THE HOUSE"
Thursday, December 24, 2009
I just had to post this. It always makes me laugh. Reiley Lewis, I shall always think of you when I see it too.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Close up... in case it inspires more keywords. Surely a mascot for something?
