The World Through Our Lens
Of all the ancient ruins in Rome, Italy, for me it was The Colosseum that I most looked forward to seeing and exploring. We did not make straight there on our first full day in the city, but instead preferred to set the stage by checking out The Roman Forum just east of there which gave us a sneak peak of the iconic stadium from one vantage point. Read more
When Bob and I made the decision to spend a week in San Blas, in Mexico, it was not done lightly. Reports that listed the area as not the safest to travel to gave us pause for consideration, but the promise of seeing endless numbers of tropical birds had us braving the cross-country trip from Zitacuaro. We are forever grateful for having gone ahead with our plan. We saw loads of interesting birds not the least of which were numerous Black-necked Stilts. Read more
As Bob and I arranged our winter vacation in Mexico, we made a change to the plans that would allow time for birdwatching in San Blas on the Pacific Coast. That decision had us discovering myriad species of birds in that coastal area including some Roseate Spoonbills at the local Shrimp Ponds one morning. We were delighted! Read more
I’ve got to say that, on our first full day in Rome, Italy, looking for wildlife of any sort was not at the top of our list. We had too many ruins to explore, too much history on which to focus. But there we were, barely out of our hotel when Bob spotted a Hooded Crow as we ascended the steps of Il Vittoriano, just off of Piazza Venezia. Of course, we had to get a record shot for this sighting of a new species. Read more
It was so exciting to learn about a juvenile Bald Eagle that had been sighted along the shore of Lake Ontario in Ajax, Ontario. Being tied up with fall chores around our property, we had to wait a good couple of weeks before having the chance to go and look for it and were relieved to find that it was still hanging around the same area as reported. Read more
Our first destination in Italy was the capital city, Rome, where of course we spent several days touring all the ruins of the Old Quarter. While exploring Palatine Hill, I heard an unusual bird song and then spotted a pair of Rose-ringed Parakeets winging through the sky before landing in the top of a very tall tree. We were delighted! Read more
While staying at Sandoval Lake Lodge, it was customary to be wakened before dawn for an excursion around the lake at daybreak. After completing our early morning circuit of the lake, Bob and I returned to the lodge for a much needed breakfast that once again featured local fruits. Read more
Bob and I had not entertained our youngest son and his wife for quite some time, so in early August, we got together to catch up on all the news. Not being ones to sit around and visit ad infinitum, after passing a couple of hours on our backyard deck, I suggested a bit of a walk to work up an appetite for dinner. Cedar Trail at Rouge National Urban Park is close by, and we promised that we would not stand around for hours photographing birds, but the chance sighting of a Question Mark Butterfly did hold us up for several minutes with no complaints from our company. Read more
In August 2015, Bob and I celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary so we wanted to further mark the occasion with a memorable trip. Never having visited Italy, we figured that a jaunt to the city of Rome would be a good place to start our 3-week vacation. After all, it is considered amongst the top ten romantic cities in the world. Read more