I Think I Sense a Photographer

Many Personalities of the Cooper's Hawk

Pretending to be an Airplane

Four Finger Salute

Playing Dead

Showing off New Mini Skirt

Pensive

Cooper's Hawk Preening

Sleepy in Valley Forge

Can't Keep Two Good Men Down

A few weeks ago we learned from Ken's first wife Barbara of a new therapy for Parkinson's Disease - Boxing!!  It seems that the exercise of intense punching improves physical performance, stimulates the brain and can even reduce the amount of medicine needed.  We decided - what the heck - let's go for it.  We did a google search and found "Washington Boxing Academy" around the corner near King of Prussia.  We sent a message to the coach and owner - Mr. Arden Washington.  He wrote back and said "Come on over and let's take a look at this Ken Kono."  We've been back three times and each time we come away just a little more amazed and up beat.  Mr. Washington could not be more inspiring or encouraging.  And Ken is having more fun than he has had in a year.  Here's a photo of Ken  and Mr. Washington during their first boxing session.  We've scheduled to go twice a week for the foreseeable future.  Soon that man will be walking on the moon.

Junco Stuck in an Icicle

The Cooper's Hawk

I had one of those days in Valley Forge when a young Cooper's Hawk flew by me, landed close in the trees and stayed for the next two hours just posing for the camera.  Here are a few of my favorites.

The Red Foxes

I saw lots of red foxes today in Valley Forge.  I think they were in love as they were making lots of noise and chasing each other through the fields.  The first pair was too fast and hid immediately.  The second pair was a little different.  I was walking back to the car.   I heard rustling in the bushes and thought it might be a bird.  I set up my tripod, but nothing, so I kept walking and just as I did a beautiful fox ran from the spot where I was looking.  He ran right to the cliff's edge and disappeared.  I raced to the edge  and saw the fox at the bottom and already far in the distance.  I came back to the road and could hear the foxes screaming at each other.  Then one fox came running out of the field directly towards me to cross the road.  She (I think) was too quick to catch.  But I thought if I went into the field, hid behind a log and set up my camera,  the second fox may come too and I would have time to take its picture.  Well I waited and waited a good long time - no fox.  Then I turned around and there was the first fox coming back to look for her mate.  She was so beautiful and was determined enough to not be too phased by the camera.

Interracial Bathing

Red Tail in the Rain in Valley Forge Today

Jumping Junko

Little Flicker on a Cold Morning in Valley Forge

Little Tree Sparrow Smelling the Roses

Heading North

Cooper's Hawk Ignoring Me in Valley Forge Today

Western Tanager in Valley Forge in January!!

I was walking in the woods across from the Chapel in Valley Forge yesterday when I saw a flash of yellow.  I set up my tripod and waited and the little flash came back and posed for a few shots.  I thought it might be a wayward yellow warbler, but after checking with my flicker friends it turns out this is a very rare sighting of a Western Tanager in January.  She should be somewhere in Central America by now.  And who said Al Gore was just an inconvenient truth.