Wordless Wednesday: Itoman Rotary 1953

Location on Google Maps

Super Typhoon Lan Cleanup

It Missed Okinawa

The weather dudes got it all wrong this time but, it gave me some time off.

Typhoon Lan, is a big one and will probably, cause some damage in mainland Japan.

Last night, I crashed at 7 PM and, woke up 3 AM this morning, to see the action.

That's what time, they predicted winds and rain would be severest.

It was a little windy but, dry outside so, I walked the dog and, bought some coffee.

At 4 AM, white clouds were visible, in the dark skies. By 5 AM, I was at the office.

Cleanup Some Bird Photos

There wasn't any typhoon cleanup required.  Yesterday was wasted, for no good reason.

So, I dug up an old bird photo from 2015, to demonstrate cleaning up an image.

There are distractions in this photo which, take away from the subject. Get rid of them.

The subject is a Black-crowned Night Heron, located in Namisato, Kin Town, Okinawa.

To make the photo "pop" some sticks, twigs, and undesirables, had to be removed.

A few minutes, of photo editing and, my cleanup would be done. Call this BEFORE.

Here's the AFTER Image

Had I wanted to spend a few more minutes time, some of the off-colored items, would disappear.

Just in case, another wildlife photographer wants, to find the spot, I left it natural.

The cement block and colored rocks are more than likely, still there.

One Other Item

One of these days, WiFi will need to be installed in my house.

Sitting at home, checking email accounts was next to impossible the past 24 hours.

One email, from Academia, came through and, really had me curious.

But, there was no sense in pushing "View Now" because I knew, I'd get nowhere.

They Got Me Confused with Someone Wearing Shoes

There's plenty, I could tell you, about ways of the world and, ladies of the night.

But, I ain't got no Doctorates Degree!

So, I had to get some cleaning up on that Academia site, too.

Don't get me wrong. People with that level of education, I admire. Some, are my friends.

"Michael Lynch" (the guy in that email) probably, is way more educated than me.

So, I spent a few hours, getting my profile, over there, spiffed up.

There are a few thousand, "Michael Lynch" characters on this planet, I'll bet.

But, I bet, there ain't many, doing their research, wearing yellow flip-flops!

My Typhoon Cleanup is done for the day.

NOTE:  For the best typhoon information (On Okinawa) go HERE

Endangered Bat - The Ryukyu Flying Fox

Someday Might Become Extinct

This 2008 image was found and cleaned for presentation and, the research was done today.

It started last week, when a gal asked me, "Are those owls, flying around here at night?"

Out behind my office, the visitor from Hawaii, caught me while on a smoke break.

There haven't been any owls, spotted by me, in the few years, I've occupied this office.

She mentioned, the critters hang from telephone wires, upside down and, I knew immediately.

She was talking about the Ryukyu Flying Fox, which is a Fruit Bat.

Scientific Name: Pteropus dasymallus 

Five subspecies of this animal, exist in the Ryukyu Islands, Taiwan and the Philippines.

First the Fun Facts

• These bats, won't bite people. So, don't scream as, they swoop down and surprise you.
• They are nocturnal and, usually start flying as the sun is going down. During daylight hours, they hang in trees and, are fairly well camouflaged.
• Adults, with a wingspan of a meter (3 feet) make a good swooshing sound, when they flap.
• Fruit Bats, don't have radar, like others. They navigate, using their eyes and ears and fur.
• The diet of these flying foxes is mainly fruit and leaves, with an occasional insect.

Holy Bat Shitman !

Bats are categorized differently, from one country to another, based upon population size.

At one point the species was declared extinct, in Taiwan. But, somebody spotted, two.

Squirrels, feral cats, dogs, typhoons, deforestation and hunting, wipe the bats out.

Critically endangered on the Japanese Red List, these bats have been declared Natural Treasures.

The IUCN Red List has this bat listed as Vulnerable.

But, they go on to say, "Local illegal cults, operated by farmers in response to crop damage, 

are a major threat, which has been ignored, so far."

In the Philippines (Not all bad people) on certain islands, the bats, have it worse.

Poachers, go after these bats because, they are considered, a delicacy !

REFERENCES

Animal Diversity Web

Animal Info & Endangered Animals

Encyclopedia of Life

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

Wordless Wednesday: Real Treasure

Ocean Image: A Sailing Sabani

Tomorrow Is Ocean Day in Japan

Last weekend, I was out in the Kerama Islands with this sabani team.

This is one of my favorite, out of the thousand or so, photos taken along the way.

Ocean Day (海の日) Umi no Hi is a national holiday and many families will go to the beach.

Hopefully, the weather will cooperate, everyone will have fun and return from the sea safely.

Camera:  Pentax K1

Lens:  Pentax 18-250 at 60 MM

Exposure:  f/6.7   1/5000   ISO 800

Location:  Kerama Islands Okinawa Japan

Date and Time:  JUL 2 2017  9:48 AM

JUN 2017 Night Before the Full Moon in Okinawa

98.8% Full Moon

Camera: Pentax K1

Lens: Pentax 300mm with 1.4 converter Focal Length 420mm

Exposure:  f/11   1/80   ISO 100

Location: Kin Town Okinawa Japan

Date and Time:  JUN 8 2017  7:38PM

Melody Road Got Me Thinking - What a Beautiful Day !

Little Confession First

Always busy, doing something, I don't spend as much time, hunting thieves, as I should.

There's a service I use, called Digimarc which, tracks any photos I post on the internet.

They get about 100 bucks a year, to help me nab folks, who think my images are for free.

It's nice, to think people are honest and, I still believe, most humans are, that way.

Well, I got lazy and, haven't checked Digimarc for a long while. GUILTY !

Three Companies Swiped this Photo

Some photographers would become highly enraged to learn their images were being used.

We're talking about businesses taking images and using them commercially on their websites.

There's a road in Japan, that makes music, as you drive over it and, I SELL ASPHALT.

LOL I got to thinking and, had to dig up this tune on YouTube:

Kind of a goofy old tune from the movie Oklahoma but, this melody is what, I'm singing.

It really is a beautiful day outside and, I don't want to write some long legal letters.

So, I sat here smiling and typed up some real simple letters to the criminals.

"Dear Sirs, I am the copyright holder of that photo, taken on Melody Road in Okinawa.

We can discuss payment for the licensing of the image via (My email address). Classified.

If, my photo is on your website, any longer than, the next 48 hours, I hope you're doing well.

Hopefully, business is fantastic and you are some sort of millionaire. YAY

Because, my attorney and I, are gonna get a bunch from you."


For the Spanish site, I added something a little extra:

"Contact me and, we can discuss payment in English or Spanish.  My Spanish is horrible.

But, the lawyer dude, on vacation at the moment, can handle your language, just fine."

Melody Road in Futami, Nago, Okinawa

It's been a few years since, I've rode along with someone on that highway.

The last time, was with the wife and, we got stuck behind someone driving too slow.

The recommended speed is 40 and, they were only doing 20 kilometers per hour.

The wife said the tune sounded like me, when I'm drunk and singing karaoke.

Here's how to find Melody Road.

Previous Post: Music from the Highway in Okinawa Japan

Flower of the Day: Purple Iris

Fields of Purple

The Okurareruka (iris flowers) in Kijoka, Ogimi, Okinawa are going full bloom.

For tonight, I'll just give everyone a peek at this beauty. I have to run.

It was an adventurous day. I was almost, swallowed alive. More later.

Camera: Pentax K1

Lens: Pentax 18-250 at 42MM

Exposure:  f/4.5  1/ 1600   ISO 400

Location: Kijoka, Ogimi, Okinawa

Date and Time: APR 17  2017  10:41AM

Osprey the Bird and Toenails

If It Wasn't for Facebook

This old photo would not have been resurrected from the files. A friend sent me something.

We were in northern South Vietnam many moons ago and, haven't seen each other since.

With all the modern technology, available these days, we're hooked-up on Facebook, now.

It's kinda neat.  We can joke with each other anytime of the day or night.

It would be even more fun if, they'd serve booze on Facebook. Maybe, that's next.

Anyhow, he sent me this cartoon of an old guy whispering, that made me think.

"Please do not wear flip flops if your feet look like they could swoop out of the sky and snatch

 

your dinner from a lake."

So, I went and cut my toenails !

Travel Photo: A Motobu Fisherman

Camera: Pentax KD 10

Lens: Pentax 18-250 at 27MM

Exposure:  f/11   1/180  ISO 100 using camera flash

Location: Motobu, Okinawa, Japan

Date and Time  SEP 13 2012  1:22PM

Throwback Thursday: Laugh and Dance

They Don't Make Them Like This Anymore

The weather guru, stretched the truth a bit today and, it caught me off guard.

It was supposed to be cloudy and overcast all day long. So, I stayed at the office.

Miserable weather, doesn't mean people have to be miserable, too.

When they predict a lousy day I try and shake it off, by doing something nice.

On the way to work, I plan on making at least three people smile.

Some, I just say "Good morning" to and, others "Merry Christmas."

Smile, when you greet someone and, most times, they'll smile back at you.

Half a dozen smiles, makes even the worst of days, a little brighter. I got five today.

About 4:30 this afternoon, the sun shined for a good while but, I didn't get out much.

While out back, getting some fresh air, I noticed some birds and ran for the camera.

A total of two images were taken. One bird and one flower, I'll save for another day.

This is the first time, I've posted a (TBT) Throwback Thursday image.

This image, taken by Rusty Robertson was originally posted in 2010.

We were in an old, dying shopping mall, which is probably a ghost town nowadays.

Humongous shopping centers, have sort of killed, all the little marketplaces, these days.

They may have outlawed, cutouts such as this one, for tourists to pose behind. Who knows ?

I thought that outfit was fabulous. And, look at my fingernails. Gorgeous, eh ?

7 Things to Know About Cosmos (コスモス) Flowers

The Field Was an Eye-catcher

It was of those days, on a long hike, when  birds weren't cooperating with me and the camera.

 I noticed, women stopping by, jumping out of their cars, to take selfies.

So, when nobody was around, I went over and composed this shot and, figured I'd use it.

My research led to some information, I had never heard of, concerning these flowers.

1. They originated in Mexico and South America

2. There are 20-30 or more varieties. So, I won't give any botanical names

3. Cosmos, are members of the same family as sunflowers

4. They thrive in sunshine, can go without water and bloom in the spring and fall

5. There are some breeds called Chocolate Cosmos

6. Some places, they use these flowers for clothing dyes. Other folks eat them in salads

7. They haven't been approved for usage by the (FDA) Food and Drug Administration

Eat Them at Your Own Risk

Resources:

Get to Know the Different Species of Cosmos

Heart of Herbs

The Flower Expert

The Old Farmer's Almanac

The Telegraph

Useful Tropical Plants

Wikipedia

Wordless Wednesday: Ring the Bell

Sashiba (サシバ) The Raptor in Flight

Grey-faced Buzzard Eagle

This bird is known locally as a Sashiba. Scientific name: Butastur indicus.

They migrate from northern territories and winter in Okinawa.

Normally the birds reside here from November to March and, they are nice to have around.

Raptors, are birds of prey with sharp, hooked beaks that shred meat and, sharp talons.

They swoop down and grab snakes, rats, mice, bugs, and other pests.

This is a fairly large one, that hangs around a field, about 15 minutes walk, from my office.

Now, that I know where he hunts, I may be spending the rest of the month, watching.

It would be my pleasure, to capture a photo of this guy, grabbing and eating a mongoose!

Late Lunch for Wordless Wednesday

Flower Photo: Orange Hibiscus in February

Tired of Snow?  Visit Okinawa

It gets a little chilly and windy sometimes, around here but, it doesn't snow.

Out back this morning, I was doing slome stretching and, suddenly stopped.

The brain was tired from testing yesterday and, the body was sore, too.

When I spotted this flower, it gave me an idea. Shoot it for the poor folks in snow country.

I listened to my brain and body, cancelling physical training for the day.

Camera: Pentax K1

Lens: Pentax 50MM

Exposure:  f/2.5   1/4000   ISO 800

Location:  Kin Town Okinawa Japan

Date and Time:  FEB 16 2017  8:35 AM

Look at the Tit Caught on the Mountain Today

A Couple of Them Were in the Cherry Blossoms

Before, I tell the wife about chasing tits, I'll show her this photo so, she doesn't get angry.

Doc and I went up north, looking for cherry blossoms and wound up chasing tits.

Whenever I come across some bird, I've never seen before, I have to research it.

Over at Avibase, they say, you could call this a Chestnut-bellied Tit.

The Handbook of Birds of the World says, they eat nuts and spiders.

At Wikipedia, I read they eat seeds and caterpillars.

At Wildlife Okinawa, I got アマミヤマガラ (Amami yamagara) the Japanese name.

The scientific name:  Poecile varius amamii

The simple English name: Varied Tit

The mountain, we were on, when these tits came along was  Oppadake in Nakajin Village.

Now that I know, they have tits flying around, up there, I might go do some camping at that location.

An Uka-Uka (ぅかーぅか) Sort of Day

Call It Daydreaming

The word got into my vocabulary, yesterday because, I ate an Ukauka pizza.

There's no sense, running around these islands, eating if, I don't review the places.

Well, I had other things to catch up on and, put the writing on the back burner.

The camera business, kept me extremely busy, over the past few days.

So, I skipped doing my daily regimen of lifting cement blocks and doing calisthenics.

Early this morning, I made up for it, by doing a few hours of torturous training.

By 10 AM, I was exhausted, changed out of the sweatsuit and, went to get some breakfast.

Dark skies, gave me an idea. Eat then, take a two hour nap. That worked !

Except for One Thing

When, you have aching muscles, on a dreary day - Who feels like writing ?

Clearing out all the social media sites and checking emails, wore me down.

But, I got an idea from reading mail from the Travel Agent Academy.

They're always sending me reminders about travel courses, I can take. What the heck.

Into the online academy, I went and, finished another course.

Now, I can find travel information around the globe, in just a few seconds.

A gazillion off the wall experiences, events, attractions and, things to do, are at my fingertips.

Once, I got that certificate, it was time to get back to doing my normal business.

 Ukauka Pizzeria

This was where we had lunch, over on Sesoko Island, yesterday.

The chef  let me photograph him, preparing my meal in that wood-burning oven.

The professor and I, were freezing from being up on a mountain, in the rain.

So, this was a great place, to grab lunch and, get warmed up.

After we left, we had to make a stop, to grab some chicken; the pizza was vegetarian !

Today I Learned What Ukauka Means

The Jaded Network says, "daydreaming or not paying attention."

At Wikibooks - "to be careless or absentminded."

Well, I'm not sure if we were absentminded or daydreaming, when we walked into this place.

But, I know some friends and family, who would really love it.

So, I did a Google Maps review, for everyone.

The pizza was tasty. If, I go back there again, I'm sneaking some pepperoni in with me !

Nature of Politics: Presented by Three Birds

Black-faced Spoonbills Discussion

Left Bird: My way or, I crap on this rock.

Right Bird: My way or, I crap on this rock.

Middle Bird: Quit arguing or, I crap on this rock.

End of the Day

The birds fly off  and, they are still friends.

Mother Nature has to clean the crap off the rock.

That's a crappy Tweet or Facebook post you could send everybody ! 

Black-faced Spoonbill

Poinsettia Plant Taller Than Me

It May Not Be Full Grown

Poinsettia plants can be shrubs or trees, according to the botanical experts.

Yesterday, I was up north, checking on the progress of plum and cherry blossoms.

Both, the sakura and plum blossoms, looked kinda iffy but, this tree impressed me, alright.

So, I handed the professor my camera and, asked him to shoot me. And, that's what he did.

When I was younger, I was almost 6 feet tall; I may have shrunk some, over the years.

That red thing, at the end of my paw must be, over 7 feet above the ground.

Some people, think the red things are flowers but, they ain't. They're just red leaves.

And, the Wiki dudes say, the flowers are "unassuming." Whatever that means.

Unassuming 

For the heck of it, I went to the Thesaurus folks and, checked for y'all.  I like them.

Humble, meek, modest, unobtrusive or, unpretentious, would have worked.

Unassuming, unassuming, unassuming. Who wants to be called that ?

Now, I don't speak very eloquently but, I can be eloquentlier than that !

If, you have any of these plants, leftover from Christmas, do me a favor.

Don't talk to plants, that way and, take good care of them.  Alright ?