A Cardinal Makeover

I haven't been getting out nearly as much as I did in the hot weather, but that just means that when I do, it really means a lot. And now that I have a regular digital camera, rather than just my phone camera, it means that I have a lot more to do when I'm at home. Not only do I get to upload and process my raw photos, but I can play around with some artistic effects when I don't feel like doing much more than sitting at the computer. 

Recently I went to Laguna Atascosa and got a few nice pictures of a cardinal, to which I applied some effects that I thought might make nice cards, if I ever get around to that. 

Pelicans Galore!

Since my first days here in the Rio Grande Valley, I have been hoping to get a good, close-up look at the pelicans. I have seen them fly in formation over the beach at South Padre Island and I have seem them playfully diving and surfing the waves near the Jetties, but they were always out of reach of my normally perfectly adequate Moto G camera.

Well, today I got my wish! I had my new camera (at least by my standards) with me when I ran to the post office on an errand, and I decided to walk the pier at Pirates' Landing before going home. It was cool, even with a jacket, but finding a large group of pelicans waiting for scraps of fish, I just had to stay long enough to get some long-awaited photos.

I didn't stay long, but it was a pure joy to watch the pelicans floating, flying, diving, landing, and fighting over scraps of fish. I love these last-minute adventures!