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2 more pictures in a note above! :) It rained last night and this morning it was crisp and cool with the sun shining brightly to welcome the new day. I was very excited to look for mushrooms, but once I got out there, I realized it was too soon yet. We will need more rain and damp mornings before my little friends begin waking up again! :) However, there was a lot of magic in the air, which was fragrant with wet meadow grass, and I began creeping around quietly, looking at everything through the eyes of my inner child. First I looked under a piece of wood and found a sleeping baby lizard there! Cooing softly, I replaced the wood carefully so I didn't disturb my little friend. Then I explored the edge of the woods that meander up our hillside and found a deer trail heading up through the trees. Stepping along the narrow trail, I noticed the sun peeking over the ridge line and making the leaves glow. Seeing an uncommon tree with leaves starting to yellow, I spent a few moments looking for some special leaves to take pictures of. Then I spotted a wonderful, thick, wild honeysuckle vine curling around a branch, and started to take pictures. I wanted to move a vine out of the way and pulled it down to reposition it, and suddently gasped in surprise when I saw what was at the end! "OH WOW!! LOOK AT THE BERRIES!!" I said out loud in excitement, and instantly abandoned the vine wraping around the branch. You know, when you live out on a rural piece of property, there is always something new to discover, and though we've lived here for about 8 years now, I've never seen these berries before! I took some pictures and was playing around with different angles. Just then, the sun moved a little higher, and a beam of light shone through the trees and right through the berries! I was stunned at how pretty they were with the sun making them glow like Christmas tree ornaments! How amazing it is to discover such beautiful sights. There really was magic in the air this morning, and I'm so happy I was there to find these berries, glowing warmly in the morning sun! :) Heraclitus of Ephesus (c. 535 – c. 475 BCE) was a pre-Socratic Greek philosopher, a native of the Greek city Ephesus, Ionia, on the coast of Asia Minor. He was of distinguished parentage. Little is known about his early life and education, but he regarded himself as self-taught and a pioneer of wisdom. From the lonely life he led, and still more from the riddling nature of his philosophy and his contempt for humankind in general, he was called "The Obscure" and the "Weeping Philosopher". Wikipedia: Heraclitus Explored on September 19, 2013. Highest placement, page 2 (#33).

2 more pictures in notes above! :) Another drizzly morning had me yanking on my rubber boots and pulling on a jacket, with my sights set for the top of our hill, and my aim being another hunt for the first mushrooms of the season. Yet again, I found none, but I did find some interesting fungus, though the images I got weren't quite good enough to share. On my way up the hill, I spotted some wild iris leaves, which were positively covered with droplets! These leaves repel water so perfectly that the droplets form beautiful round crystal balls all over the surface. I discovered them last year, so I was very happy to see them again today, even though I didn't find any mushrooms. Tomorrow is another day, and the nice thing about not finding mushrooms is that this image can be my Picture of the Day! :) By the way, if you are interested, this is my album of mushroom images, which will give you an idea how crazy I am about them! :D Mushroom Album Isaac McLellan (May 21, 1806-August 20, 1899) was an author and poet, some of whose work has achieved notability by republication in anthologies. Wikipedia: Isaac McLellan Explored on September 23, 2013. Highest placement, page 4.

1 more picture in a note above! :) Dashing through the lower forest, everything was so huge all around me, moss as tall as my head, and dried grass as big as trees...and off in the distance I could hear a high pitched voice calling, "8...9...10...READY OR NOT, HERE I COME!!!" I leaped under a moss frond and pulled it over me. Just in the nick of time too, because as I peered through the green branches, a mushroom fairy glided into view and came to a stop, turning this way and that. She moved past me after a moment, calling, "COME OUT, COME OUT, WHEREVER YOU ARE!!" Suddenly I felt a sneeze coming on from the dust under the moss and burst out with a loud, "ACHOOO!!!!" Quick as a flash, the little mushroom fairy flew over and giggled in her tinkling voice, "I FOUND YOU!! I FOUND YOU!!!" I woke up with a start, opening my eyes in the morning light, the laughter from the mushroom fairy fading away from my evaporating dream. Smiling, I knew it was the sign I'd been waiting for! Dressing quickly, I went out into the drizzle and kept my camera under my sweater while I began peering around. This time I chose our smaller meadow. Looking here and there, I suddenly heard a little squeak, a little tinkle of a giggle, and looked down to find a tiny mushroom fairy staring up at me, quivering in delight! "I FOUND YOU! I FOUND YOU!!" Racing around my feet, I laughed out loud in joy and knelt down to say hello to my little friend. "Well, aren't you adorable! You're the first mushroom of the season, wouldn't you like to get your picture taken?!" More squeals of tinkling laughter and she stopped by some moss just long enough for me to capture her dainty form, and then off she zoomed into the meadow, squeaking a happy goodbye! Mushroom season has come at last. :) Immanuel Kant (22 April 1724 – 12 February 1804) was a German philosopher who is widely considered to be a central figure of modern philosophy. He argued that human concepts and categories structure our view of the world and its laws, and that reason is the source of morality. His thought continues to hold a major influence in contemporary thought, especially in fields such as metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, political philosophy, and aesthetics. Wikipedia: Immanuel Kant Explored on September 24, 2013. Highest placement, page 4.

1 more picture in a note above! :) I have a very dear friend over on Flickr who goes by the name "Red Stilletto" , and she is the one who first called me a Pod Sister. Since she didn't have any problems when Flickr changed in May, and she didn't mind the new look, she didn't have any reason to leave, so Lisa and I stay in contact via Facebook. The other day she posted a picture of a cookie called a "Wagon Wheel" and it looked so delicious that I kidded that she simply must send me some if she wanted to live another day, and you know what? SHE DID!!! All the way from Australia, no less!! She sent bunches of them to me and my husband, as well as another kind of cookie called a "Tim Tam" in two different flavors! YUMMY YUMMY YUMMY!!!! I have always been a Cookie Monster at heart, and the best way to steal my soul is by giving me COOKIES! Therefore, Lisa now owns me! :D THANK YOU SO MUCH, LISA!!! WE LOVE THE COOKIES!!! YOU'RE THE BESTEST!!! *BIG HUGS AND SMOOCHES* :) By the way, Lisa also included a recipe for Wagon Wheels, which you can see on her Royal Auto cooking blog, which also has more pictures! ENJOY!! :D Wagon Wheels Recipe on RAdish Textures used in this image: Jerry Jone's Sunrise and Notaclue1. Thanks Jerry! :) Cookie Monster is a Muppet on the children's television show Sesame Street. He is best known for his voracious appetite and his famous eating phrases: "Me want cookie!", "Me eat cookie!", and "Om nom nom nom" (said through a mouth full of food). He often eats anything and everything, including danishes, donuts, lettuce, apples, bananas, as well as normally inedible objects. However, as his name suggests, his preferred food is cookies. Chocolate chip cookies are his favorite kind; oatmeal cookies are his second favorite. In a song in 2004, Cookie Monster revealed that, before he ate his first cookie, he believes his name was Sid. Showing awareness of healthy eating habits for children, since 2006 he has said that cookies are "a sometime snack" and that he also likes fruits and eggplant. Wikipedia: Cookie Monster Explored on September 25, 2013. Highest placement, page 3.

2 more picture in a note above! :) If the last few days are any indication, I think that we are going to have a very wet fall and winter. It's been raining on and off every day, and I am so happy. The point where summer and fall meet is my least favorite time of year. Dry, dead, boring. Of course there are always wonderful things to photograph but it feels so dismal to me. With fall comes the beautiful colors of the leaves, and the beginning of rain again, and of course, MUSHROOMS! :D Between rain showers, I went to the dark areas of the lower forest where I know mushrooms grow. But though the forest floor is getting nice and soggy, the mushrooms have not started to appear there. So, back out to the meadow I went, and was very happy to see about a dozen small mushrooms growing in the same area where I photographed the first one the other day! And this time, I was able to remove enough dead grass and leaves out of the background that I didn't need to resort to using textures to soften the background. (I love using textures, but I prefer using them as an artistic choice, not because the image is too cluttered or has problems that need fixing.) This mushroom is about 1" tall! :) Thomas Carlyle (4 December 1795 – 5 February 1881) was a Scottish philosopher, satirical writer, essayist, historian and teacher during the Victorian era. He called economics "the dismal science", wrote articles for the Edinburgh Encyclopedia, and became a controversial social commentator. Wikipedia: Thomas Carlyle Explored on September 26, 2013. Highest placement, page 4.

1 more picture in a note above! :) This morning I went outside and was again surprised by beautiful poppies which continue to bloom in my garden. I planted them in April or May and the first blossoms opened in July. Here it is at the end of September and they are still blooming!! I can hardly believe it! Last year the deer mowed down all of my wildflowers so I didn't get a chance to see how long various flowers might bloom, but this year our motion-detecting sprayer has kept them away--well, except for a couple of disasters when I forgot to turn it on after watering! (Please don't ask me what's doing on with my seedlings...*cries piteously*...I don't want to talk about it!! :D) Even though I've posted plenty of poppy pictures, it's been a while, and these blossoms in blushed-white, red-tinged salmon, and pink are a lovely present to me and perfect for my Picture of the Day! :) Emanuel James "Jim" Rohn (September 17, 1930 – December 5, 2009) was an American entrepreneur, author and motivational speaker. His rags to riches story played a large part in his work, which influenced others in the personal development industry. Wikipedia: Jim Rohn Explored on September 28, 2013. Highest placement, page 2 (#43).

3 more picture in a note above! :) A couple of months ago, I found out about a very special horse show happening just 30 minutes from my house! This show is for Gypsy Cobs and Drum Horses , which are very uncommon in the United States, so the opportunity to see a show full of them had me bursting at the seams in anticipation! :D And, it just so happened to be on my birthday weekend!! (9/29 is my 49th birthday!) I have been so excited while the weeks passed, and finally the day for us to go arrived!! Steve and I got up at 7am this morning so that we could be sure to be on time for the first class, and I got to sit and watch all the classe and take pictures of the horses. It was such fun!!! Going around to the stalls was fun too. It was a fantastic day and I came home with lots of pictures, as did my husband! :) I picked the above image as my Picture of the Day because this baby represents so much of what I love about these horses: spots, an interesting color, fun face markings, and a blue eye! What a gorgeous baby!!! (By the way, this image has a textured background as well as a frame from Jerry Jones, called PaperBox . THANKS JERRY!! :) Oprah Gail Winfrey (born January 29, 1954) is an American media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer, and philanthropist. Winfrey is best known for her multi-award-winning talk show The Oprah Winfrey Show which was the highest-rated program of its kind in history and was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2011. She has been ranked the richest African-American of the 20th century and the greatest black philanthropist in American history. She is also, according to some assessments, the most influential woman in the world. Wikipedia: Oprah Winfrey Explored on September 29, 2013. Highest placement, page 4.

Today held two surprises for me when I went out to find my Picture of the Day. I made a bee-line to the mushroom I needed to reshoot today, looking forward to fixing the angle. Welcome to the Bad Surprise: I found only the stem. *groan* The rest had been wolfed down by some inconsiderate animal who was too impatient to let me take my pictures before eating it! Oh well, that will teach me to march back out and get the picture corrected right away instead of waiting until the next day! :D I wandered away, grumbling about rude wildlife when I noticed that there were some Grand Mullein plants growing here and there and I soon found my Good Surprise: one of them had a beautiful flower on the stalk!! Hooray!! The universe was back in balance and I had my Picture of the Day! :D (I used a texture in the background from Jerry Jones: "Aborigine" .) Boris Leonidovich Pasternak ( 10 February 1890 – 30 May 1960) was a Russian language poet, novelist, and literary translator. In his native Russia, Pasternak's anthology My Sister, Life, is one of the most influential collections ever published in the Russian language. Furthermore, Pasternak's translations of stage plays by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Friedrich Schiller, Pedro Calderón de la Barca, and William Shakespeare remain very popular with Russian audiences. Wikipedia: Boris Pasternak Explored on October 2, 2013. Highest placement, page 5.

5 more pictures in notes above plus 3 text notes! :) I wanted to find something colorful to show today, so I gathered the dogs and out we went into our larger meadow. I knew where I was going, and after taking a few pictures along the way, I arrived at one of our wild rose bushes, which had many rose hips all over it! Another thing our wild rose bushes have on them are a kind of wasp gall which has several different names, "moss gall", "Robin's pincushion gall", or "rose bedeguar gall. You can see this gall behind the rose hips. When I first saw these, I thought it might be a special kind of moss, but I didn't see it anywhere else. Imagine my surprise when I found out it was a wasp gall!! The red and black wasp that creates these galls must be very common on our property because all of the wild rose bushes we have are completely covered with galls, but I have never seen them before. If you would like to see what this wasp looks like, and read information about it, this page is wonderful: Bedeguar gall wasp Diplolepis rosae (Linnaeus, 1758) . Wiki also has a very good page with many pictures here: Wikipedia: Bedeguar gall wasp Ansel Easton Adams (February 20, 1902 – April 22, 1984) was an American photographer and environmentalist. His black-and-white landscape photographs of the American West, especially Yosemite National Park, have been widely reproduced on calendars, posters, and in books. Wikipedia: Ansel Adams Explored on October 9, 2013. Highest placement, page 4.

3 more pictures in notes above! :) After I finished my work, I decided to celebrate by taking Zoe and Moosie up to the ridge so I could leisurely stroll along in the late afternoon sun, taking all the time I wanted to enjoy the day and to look for interesting subjects to photograph. Though I kept my eyes open for mushrooms, I wasn't actively searching for them because it's actually been on the dry side this fall and as I expected, I didn't find any. However, I was looking forward to finding out if there was anything under "Snakey's Log", which is where I have found many creatures, most recently a Western or Blue-Tailed Skink. Lifting up one end of the log, I saw that today there was nobody at home, but as I carefully replaced the log, my eye caught a quick movement about 5 feet away. What did I see but a gorgeous Mountain Garter Snake! It stayed frozen in place the entire time I took pictures (about 5 minutes) and I was delighted to get so many choices to pick from when I got home! I was very interested to find out what kind of snake this was, though I was fairly certain it was a kind of garter snake. What a surprise to discover there were so many species and sub-species--it took forever to find out what type this beauty is, but I finally figured it out! I've never seen such a pretty garter snake before and I'm so happy that I got some nice images to share!! :) Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 1854 – 30 November 1900) was an Irish writer and poet. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of London's most popular playwrights in the early 1890s. Today he is remembered for his epigrams and plays, and the circumstances of his imprisonment which was followed by his early death. Wikipedia: Oscar Wilde Explored on October 17, 2013. Highest placement, page 8.

3 pictures above in notes! :) Well, this day didn't turn out as expected...I am typing this on Steve's iPhone and am relieved to have this bit of access to the internet. There was a crew working down at the road putting in new cable or optical line, not sure what. At about noon we lost our phone and internet and nobody seems to know when this will be resolved. :/ I had plans of visiting and commenting today but only got to say hi to about 35 people before my plans were tossed in the trash. :( [ NOTE: Service was finally restored at 8:30am pst, yay!!] However, I did take my pictures and we figured out how to get them uploaded so I won't miss a 365 day! :) This morning I was busy commenting and having my usual delightful time when I felt something crawling in my hair! Gently touching, I felt nothing but then saw something on my glasses! Ack! I was sure it would be a nasty tick and pulled them off instantly to see. To my relief, I saw instead a beautiful ladybug crawling along. Without a pause, I hopped up, went downstairs and got my camera! Such fun to take pictures of these beauties... As it turned out, I got 4 nice pictures to share today! Aileen Lucia Fisher (September 9, 1906 – December 2, 2002) was an American writer of more than a hundred children's books, including poetry, picture books in verse, prose about nature and America, biographies, Bible themed books, plays, and articles for magazines and journals. Her poems have been anthologized many times and are frequently used in textbooks. In 1978 she was awarded the second National Council of Teachers of English Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children. Born in Michigan, Fisher moved to Colorado as an adult and lived there for the rest of her life. (From wiki) Explored on October 17, 2013. Highest placement, page 7.

3 more pictures in notes above! :) A few days ago I shared pictures of Ponderosa Pine tree bark. That day I was attracted to the area because I saw pine cones on the ground, and took lots of pictures of them. However, when I saw the pictures on the computer, I realized I made many mistakes, so I studied them with interest to understand what I did wrong. A few days ago, I took more pictures and because I was rushing, I wasn't thinking about the mistakes I made. So, though I did manage to get some nice pictures, I made some of the same mistakes again! :D They say that three time's a charm, so today I took many more pictures. This time I was really paying attention and thinking about what I needed to do differently. I got home and after deleting the garbage pictures, I ended up with lots of presentable keepers! HUZZAH!!! HIP HIP HOORAY! Oh brother! :D This picture corrects my errors of dof that was too shallow or too deep and also ISO too low with blurry results. I have added some texture to the background to bring out the pine cone as well. (You can see my other images as insets above or by viewing the next three pictures!) Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German writer and politician. His body of work includes epic and lyric poetry written in a variety of metres and styles; prose and verse dramas; memoirs; an autobiography; literary and aesthetic criticism; treatises on botany, anatomy, and colour; and four novels. In addition, numerous literary and scientific fragments, and more than 10,000 letters written by him are extant, as are nearly 3,000 drawings. Wikipedia: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Explored on October 18, 2013. Highest placement, page 3.

2 more pictures in notes above! :) I am about to fall asleep from sheer exhaustion!! I'm such a baby! :D I haven't been on my bike for about six weeks and I'm totally out of shape for riding. So of course, when Steve and I decided to go on a bike ride today, we didn't go a reasonable distance like a 10 or 15 mile ride. Instead, we went on a 28-mile ride with enough hills on the first half that I was trembling from the exertion! (How embarrassing! :D) We rode from a little town near us called Gold Hill to a popular tourist town, Jacksonville, and back again...and wow...my poor body is calling for a strike and wants me to go to sleep and rest from all of this activity! :D *yawn* However, we really did have a lovely time and enjoyed the beautiful autumn landscape along the way. In Jacksonville, we stopped and had lunch and iced coffee, and then rode over to the library there, which had many stunning maple trees in front, covered with leaves of all the autumn colors. We had a wonderful time taking pictures, and this one is my favorite, a fallen beauty lit up by the sun! Emily Jane Brontë (30 July 1818 – 19 December 1848) was an English novelist and poet, best remembered for her only novel, Wuthering Heights, now considered a classic of English literature. Emily was the third eldest of the four surviving Brontë siblings, between the youngest Anne and her brother Branwell. She wrote under the pen name Ellis Bell. Wikipedia: Emily Brontë Explored on October 21, 2013. Highest placement, page 3.

6 more pictures and one note above! :) The weather here has been very dry but cold and sometimes frosty in the morning, and there is always dew to enjoy! Most of the wildflowers are gone now except for wild mustard, star thistle, moth mullein, and this awesome beauty, the stinky and sticky but always lovely Showy Tarweed. Their wonderful show is just about over, so the flowers are much smaller than the first blossoms of the season. However, every day I appreciate their bright and cheery faces, and a few days ago I was delighted to see dew sparkling on the petals and thought it was time to feature this flower again as a Picture of the Day! I had a wonderful time taking pictures, and I actually got a bunch of really nice choices, but am only posting this one tonight as there are so many other pictures I'm putting up! :D I'll try to slip in more pictures of these dew-laden beauties in the coming days! By the way, today is Thursday, and that means BOKEH THURSDAY! HOORAY! I was late last week, but this week I was ready and rarin' to get out and get my images for the "Destruction" theme. You'll see them in pictures 3-7 of tonight's upload, or just roll your mouse over the image above to see all of my pictures for today! :) (Picture 2 is another "Autumn flower"!) Enjoy! :) Ethel Waters (October 31, 1896 – September 1, 1977) was an African-American blues, jazz and gospel vocalist and actress. She frequently performed jazz, big band, and pop music, on the Broadway stage and in concerts, although she began her career in the 1920s singing blues. Wikipedia: Ethel Waters Explored on October 25, 2013. Highest placement, page 2 (#51).

7 more pictures above, which include all of my Parasol Mushroom pictures and my other picks of the day! :) (all but the first two are clickable!) I've been watching a pair of Parasol mushrooms growing by a brush pile down by the road, and today was picture day for one of them! This monster is about 6-7" across, just HUGE! It was growing right in front of the brush pile, and I know from experience that the result of a busy, messy background like that is pretty ugly and distracting. (Roll your mouse over the pictures above to the last one, and you'll see one with brush behind it!) However, yesterday when I checked on the pair, which were growing right up against each other, I saw that one had pushed its neighbor over. Gently touching it, I was surprised to find that I would be able to pick it up without hurting it. So, today I pulled grass and weeds right next to the brush pile, dug a hole for the stem, and carefully lifted it out of its original home and to the spot I set up for pictures. Using my stacking technique from my past couple of Parasol mushroom pictures, I got several apertures that would work, and when it was done, I put the mushroom back where it was growing. Processing the pictures, I used two different apertures to get the full depth of the mushroom and then placed it into a picture which had an aperture of 4.5 for a nice soft background. I hope you like it! :) John Oldham (August 9, 1653 – December 9, 1683) was an English satirical poet and translator. Wikipedia: John Oldham Explored on October 30, 2013. Highest placement, page 4.

2 more pictures in notes above ! :) Last night when I was done taking pictures for Bokeh Thursday, I saw another picture I could take, but it required a flash or a tripod, and I just didn't have it in me to set things up for another series of images. Today I planned to take this picture, but before I got to it, I had taken pictures of tomatoes with dewdrops on them and I wasn't sure if I should wait to take this picture tomorrow. However, after I processed my chosen tomato picture, I wasn't totally happy with it. That's all the incentive I needed! :D Downstairs I zoomed and into the kitchen to set things up. A few minutes later I had a set of curling pumpkin stem images to look through, and this picture was the second one! :D It's also almost straight out of the camera, other than a bit of adjustment with levels! By the way, that strange color you see is how this wierd pinky-peachy-green mottled pumpkin looks! :D Plato (BC[a] – 348/347 BC) was a philosopher in Classical Greece. He was also a mathematician, student of Socrates, writer of philosophical dialogues, and founder of the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher learning in the Western world. Along with his mentor, Socrates, and his student, Aristotle, Plato helped to lay the foundations of Western philosophy and science. Wikipedia: Plato Explored on November 4, 2013. Highest placement, page 9.

5 more pictures in notes above ! :) Sometimes picture opportunities present themselves when you're not even thinking about photography! This morning I went downstairs into the kitchen and as I glanced out the window, I noticed the sunlight streaming in, bouncing off a cabinet and landing on one of our pumpkins. It was shining past our parrot's perch that we have attached to the window and casting a very cool, curved shadow over the pumpkin's surface. "Oooooo, LOOK AT THAT!!" I said to myself, and as I appreciated the light and shadow, it suddenly occurred to me that this was not an opportunity that would last forever because even as I looked, clouds moved over and past the sun, changing the intensity of the shadow. I ran for my camera an took pictures from different angles, and then a thick cloud caused the shadow to diminish and leave only a diffused light glowing on the surface. I looked at the different pictures and picked out my favorite image with the shadow, and my favorite with just a diffused light. What I love most about this pair of pictures is that the situation was totally unplanned. The pumpkins were sitting in that position from the night before when I pushed them out of the way for dinner preparation. Louis Pasteur (December 27, 1822 – September 28, 1895) was a French chemist and microbiologist who is well known for his discoveries of the principles of vaccination, microbial fermentation and pasteurization. He is remembered for his remarkable breakthroughs in the causes and preventions of diseases, and his discoveries have saved countless lives ever since. He reduced mortality from puerperal fever, and created the first vaccines for rabies and anthrax. His medical discoveries provided direct support for the germ theory of disease and its application in clinical medicine. He is best known to the general public for his invention of the technique of treating milk and wine to stop bacterial contamination, a process now called pasteurization. He is regarded as one of the three main founders of bacteriology, together with Ferdinand Cohn and Robert Koch, and is popularly known as the "father of microbiology". Wikipedia: Louis Pasteur Explored on November 4, 2013. Highest placement, page 7.

2 more pictures above ! :) This morning I looked out the kitchen window and saw this adorable hummingbird sitting on a branch. I think they are so darn cute when they are sitting still, and I watched in joy while it turned its head this way and that. When it didn't fly away, I thought, "Oh...I'll try..." and I zoomed to get my camera, returning to find it still sitting happily! I took pictures through the window, but when it kept sitting there, I thought, "I wonder if I could open the back door and get a little bit better angle?" I tried...and this darling little bird watched me slowly creep over without fear. I managed to get this picture and several others before it flew off, returning an instant later for a sip of nectar from the hummingbird feeder before really flying off! :) Yay for adorable hummingbirds!!! :D (I am pretty sure this is an Anna's Hummingbird. Its throat feathers are red when the sun hit them, but its back was facing the sun so I wasn't able to get those gorgeous, gleaming feathers to light up for the camera.) Helen Adams Keller (June 27, 1880 – June 1, 1968) was an American author, political activist, and lecturer. She was the first deafblind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree. The story of how Keller's teacher, Anne Sullivan, broke through the isolation imposed by a near complete lack of language, allowing the girl to blossom as she learned to communicate, has become widely known through the dramatic depictions of the play and film The Miracle Worker. Her birthday on June 27 is commemorated as Helen Keller Day in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and was authorized at the federal level by presidential proclamation by President Jimmy Carter in 1980, her 100th birthday. Wikipedia: Helen Keller Explored on November 6, 2013. Highest placement, page 4.