Imitation/Flattery
Today’s Daily Post suggests I write about something — anything — in the style of my favorite blogger. (Be sure to link to them!) I don’t have a favorite blogger. I have a lot of favorite bloggers, each a favorite for a different reason. Some make me laugh, others make me think. Their work entertains and inspires me … but how could I imitate one of them?
I have been left pondering the conundrum. I love my blogging friends … but copy someone’s style? I don’t think I can. It’s not they aren’t great writers, but imitable style is something else again. A favorite author, maybe Hemingway with his short, sharp, sentences. He’s easy to parody. Poe. Faulkner. Joyce. Wolfe. Easy to make fun of them, but I’m sure parody is not the same as imitation. And surely it’s not flattery.
What to do? Then, an epiphany. Many of my favorite bloggers don’t write, or at least, not much. They are photographers. By fortuitous circumstance, this very morning I spied a flash of red in the big forsythia bush. I ran for a camera, all the while thinking of Suzanne Rogers, who takes gorgeous pictures of wildlife around her home.
She doesn’t use a lot of words, but posts amazing pictures — especially of birds. Other creatures also populate her world, but the birds seem to steal the show.
So not so much in imitation of A Window Into the Woods, but more in acknowledgement of her beautiful work, I present (short drumroll) — Cardinal On A Snowy Morning.
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Categories: Animals, Daily Prompt, Nature, Photography, snow, Winter
We have a pair of cardinals in our yard, too, and I’ve been hoping to capture them in a photograph. But alas, they don’t sit still long enough, and it’s just too darn cold to stand there with my gloves off holding the camera just so.
I think I’ll wait until the blue jays come back in the warmer weather and try to photograph them instead.
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I shoot out my bathroom window. Now that the screen is gone (taken to its death by ice dams) and I have a VERY long lens … and of course I actually can’t open my back door (blocked by huge pile of ice and snow) … so this is the only way I can shoot the back acreage. This little guy didn’t move from when I first spotted him, while I ran to the living room, grabbed the camera, opened the window, then shot 9 frames. He was either very patient … or too cold to move. I think probably the latter.
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Or, that little bird knew his picture was being taken, so he posed for you. Silly thought, but I kind of like it.
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It’s a nice thought. I hope so. Poor little birdy was all puffed up with cold. It wasn’t colder than it has been, but it was sleeting. Miserable excuse for a day.
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The color contrast is striking. I know you must be tired of so much snow but you certainly take advantage of the beauty it offers. At least though photos. Take care.
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Thank you 🙂 The bright red bird against the white landscape certainly is striking. I might now have even been able to see him if it weren’t so snowy outside, so I suppose I should be grateful for small favors. But oh, how I yearn for spring.
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Great captures. I am learning so much about different birdlife in different countries.
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This is one of the most common garden birds in our part of the world. You can find them up and down the entire eastern half of North America, from Mexico to Canada. But I’m always glad to see them, that bright flash of scarlet … summer or winter.
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I decided not to respond to this prompt. After all, if I were to write about something — anything — in the style of my favorite blogger and link back to that blogger, I would be linking back to me, as I am my favorite blogger. I never miss any of my posts. And I am so modest, as well.
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You are ‘umble, as the Duke used to say. Very ‘umble.
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It must be cold because that cardinal’s feathers are all puffed up.
Leslie
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Cold with sleet.
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What a great idea-I love your cardinal captures. I love photos of birds. The snow, not so much-
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Thank you!! I was glad to see that flash of red. It’s snowing again today. Snowed yesterday, too, with some sleet mixed in for variety. It’s getting to me, so seeing that scarlet amidst all the white was so refreshing!
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snow here too…. already 5 inches, and it’s Purim so it has killed the day for kids….such a pity
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It’s my birthday next week. I always think of my birthday as spring … but it isn’t, really. March 11th is still winter and this year, it really IS winter. I’ve had enough. More than enough. But I have a feeling we are going into one of the bad winter cycles and it’s going to be a few years before we catch a break. Pity about Purim. One of our rare fun holidays. For some reason, in Jerusalem. it’s the only time of year you can get jelly donuts. I think it has to do with cooking oil.
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Those cardinals seem to be in a lot of places in the States. Up to now I don’t think they have managed to wing their way into Switzerland. If I visited the alps I might get a couple of pictures of some eagles, but would probably have to climb some sort of mountain to do it, so I stay with the sparrows and tits and now and again a crow. Wonderful photos.
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These are some of the most common — and distinctive — birds that hang around gardens and suburban back yards. You never have more than one at a time, at least only one boy. I once saw a second cardinal try to invade the territory and it was a fascinating display of aerial warfare. Cardinal number two went back to his own hunting ground.
They are so very bright red — and easy to spot. Have an unusually loud, sharp call. I’m not good at recognizing most bird calls, but cardinals are easy. Three sharp, loud “Twee Twee Twee”, then a pause, then repeat. They range across North America from the Atlantic past the Mississippi River, from southern Mexico to northern Maine. They are residents through all seasons, the brightest bird in our woods.
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I saw a few cardinals out in my backyard yesterday, and have a few photos of the bird in the archive. They are nice for breaking up the dull monotony of hundreds of ugly, noisy, nasty starlings…
And you bring up a good point about the fine line between imitation and parody. Being an expert mocker of things, I like to imitate all kinds of styles in all kinds of media… but I realize now what I’m doing is really parody. It is very hard to truly imitate even those with very distinct styles…
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Very difficult. The line between imitation and parody is razor thin and I don’t think anyone I know writes is such a distinctive style that I could imitate it. But photographs, now that I can do! More by subject matter than style, really.
Cardinals are so bright. Especially this time of year when everything is white, it was like a flag out there. I didn’t have my glasses on, but that color could only mean one thing. He was kind enough to wait while I got the camera, opened the window, focused, and shot. I think it is so cold the birds don’t move very much. I feel so sorry for all the creatures. This weather is very hard for them.
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OH…MY…GOSH…..I am so honored that you thought of me! I love your cardinal images…please tell it that it’s cousins here would like it to come visit sometime and just hang out. Thank you.
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I know I don’t comment much … but I look at everything you post. Cardinals were much more common a few years ago. I don’t know what happened. We used to have one boy (you never have more than one boy in a territory … two is a battle because they are so aggressively territorial) … but they are so bright and have an unusually loud, distinctive “cheep cheep cheep” call. I will tell them you have made arrangement for their visit and I’m sure they will come to hang out 😉
They are normally a very common garden bird, but I think these terribly harsh winters have taken a toll. Or maybe it’s people spraying poison. We had a neighbor who killed all the robins. That wasn’t what he meant to do. He wanted to kill bugs and weeds. The robins were collateral damage. So last year, we had no robin babies and I saw no cardinals. Maybe this is a sign of recovery.
I do love your pictures!!
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Nice “catch”, Mrs. A. ‘..when the red, red robin comes bob, bob, bobbling along…’
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Red red cardinal, my good man. Cardinal. Like Bernard Cardinal Law. Haven’t seen a robin since our neighbor poisoned them all last year. Let us hope there are a few who will return.
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So sad about the robins! I’ve held off using pesticides, etc. for years…I glad that I did hold off. The weather doesn’t help, that’s for sure.
We do have a lot of cardinals here, but there is a lot of wooded acreage in this area of the county, so lots of habitat. Thanks again for such a humbling “mention”.
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We are mostly woods here, too. The town doesn’t use pesticides and neither do we. This particular moron doesn’t read labels. There are things which are safe for wildlife. He just picked up the first thing he saw on the shelf at Walmart. Imbecile.
It was awful. The robins keeled over dead on their nests.
If I see him with a spray bottle in his hand again, I might have to shoot him.
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Lovely – we have them here in Indy … love seeing them!
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They are surely one of the most easily spotted birds, especially the scarlet males … the first not so much. I’m always happy when one of them drops by for a visit. I even recognize their call.
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Lovely. I don’t see as many cool birds here in the city as I would like to. They fascinate me.
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We used to see cardinals all the time here, but they were missing completely last year. This is the first I’ve seen in quite a while and I was glad he showed up. It gave me hope for better (warmer!) days. It is snowing this morning. Sigh.
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