Summer of the Hummingbird
“Birds are poems I haven’t caught yet.” Jim Harrison.
Fortunate to catch this photo of a #hummingbird at rest yesterday. This has been the summer (and now early autumn) of the hummingbird bird around our home. They have been feasting on the nectar of the zinnias Susan planted from seed this spring. Each a small hovering, magical joy.
This little, precious one at rest. Mike Barzacchini photo.
How I Shoot the Moon
How I shoot the moon.
The moon through my Nikon viewfinder.
A version of this post was originally published on my Facebook page on September 23, 2020.
Out with the crickets shooting the #moon tonight. I’ve been asked how I take my moon photos. It’s very low-tech and unscientific. About six years ago Art and Julie, my inlaws, gave me a #nikoncoolpixl820. After I’d had it for a few months I went out on a clear night and just pointed it at the moon. I learned that if I pushed the focus into the yellow and held very still (I typically don’t use a tripod), I could get a fairly crisp image if I snapped fast. I upgraded a couple of years back to a #nikoncoolpixb500, again thanks to a generous Christmas gift from Art and Julie. The technique and results are similar. There are much better cameras, some even have a “moon” setting. And there are many better photographers. But I enjoy getting what I get the way I get it. It’s also fun to capture things in front of the moon, like trees or power lines. Tonight I just missed capturing a bird flying in front of the moon.
Here are the dates of the upcoming full moons for 2021:
Oct 20 Hunter's Moon
Nov 19 Beaver Moon
Dec 18 Cold Moon
Grab your camera and point it at the moon. I’d love to see your photos.
The moon over East Dundee, Illinois, September 23, 2020.
Sunday Morning Walk and the Smell of Pancakes and Syrup
Sunday Morning Walk with Trusty Dino and the Smell of Pancakes and Syrup
Sunday morning, walking the streets of our neighborhood with trusty Dino, the runaround dog, by my side. Suddenly, we're overtaken by the smell of maple syrup and pancakes, or maybe waffles. Someone's Sunday feast. Should we knock on doors until we find the source and invite ourselves in? Dino convinces me that this would be rude. So, let's go home and make our own. Let's fill our corner of the neighborhood with the sweet smells of our own Sunday morning feast. Here's hoping your Sunday is abundant and sweet.
There's Still Time to Start Your September Challenge
Join me in the pancake-a-day monthly challenge this September.
Photo by Clint Bustrillos on Unsplash
It’s just the second day of the month. Plenty of time to start your monthly challenge. Are you still searching for ideas? How about:
Walk one mile a day? Could also be a run, jog, swim, or hike daily challenge.
Watch one Criterion Channel movie a day?
Walk the dog once a day (we have four dogs in our pack currently, so I could take this challenge x4)?
Make a mixtape (or CD or digital playlist) a day?
Eat a pancake a day? Now you’re talking, though if I took this challenge, I may be advised to combine it with the walk-a-mile (or two or three) challenge a day.
Sometimes, getting up and moving forward each day is enough of a challenge to accomplish, especially lately.
September Challenges?
What challenges are you looking forward to in September?
Photo by Martin Sanchez on Unsplash
Are you ready for a challenging September?
Poem a day?
Haiku a day?
900 words a day?
Letter a day?
Photo a day?
Photo of a dog a day?
#MakeTea video of the day?
Record and post an inspirational message a day?
Essay a day?
20 push ups a day?
New recipe a day?
What’s your challenge chioce?
Or does September promise to be challenging enough on its own?
Hello, August
Welcome to August. Remember to turn your calendars ahead one month. What are your goals and aspirations for these dog days?
Photo by Laura Chouette on Unsplash
Being Jon B's Dad: A Father's Day Story
Find what your children are interested in. Spark and support that interest. And watch them go.
Posing with my two heroes, Jonathan, and Al.
People I talk to who follow my son Jonathan’s YouTube channel (or Jon B. as you may know him) often say something to me like, “Wow, you must have taken him fishing all the time when he was young.”
That’s true, but there’s more to the story.
I thought and sometimes worried, about how to be a good dad. I still do. When Jonathan was not quite two years old, I asked my friend Kevin for advice on being a dad. I’ve always admired Kevin as a parent. In my opinion, he’s an all-star dad.
I think I asked him something like, how do I know what my child will be interested in and how do I encourage that interest? To paraphrase, he said, let him try a lot of things. He’ll let you know what he’s interested in. And once he does, support that.
So, from a young age, Jonathan’s mom, Susan, and I enrolled him in theatre and basketball camps and art classes. Susan cooked with him. I tossed footballs with him. And yes, we took him fishing.
And that’s another part of the story. When we thought about all the things we wanted to let Jonathan try, fishing was on the list. Not because I’m a master angler. I’m barely adequate. But my dad, Albert John Barzacchini, loved to fish. He’s the first person to take me fishing.
Unfortunately, as a child, I lacked patience and focus when it came to fishing. I’d rather run up and down the riverbank, skipping stones or climbing trees. As I got a little older, I had many friends who fished, including Kevin. Still, I was the districted angler. I’m sure I drove them crazy. I loved being outdoors. I loved being by the water, but I just couldn’t stick it out long enough to learn the fine art of fishing.
My dad, Albert John Barzacchini, the man who took me fishing and taught me patience and so much more.
I can still hear my dad asking, “When are you going to learn patience?” Thankfully, I did. And as I grew up, I was able to enjoy fishing adventures with my dad, catching grouper in the Gulf of Mexico, fishing the Keys, chasing king mackerel off of Miami Beach, and surfcasting and pier fishing in North Topsail Beach, North Carolina. These memories I’ll hold for my lifetime.
This fishing heritage didn’t just come from Dad. His brothers, my uncles, all fished. In fact, two operated the Idle Hour bait and tackle store in Marion, Ohio, in the 1960s. That’s where they’d dare me to hold my hand up to my elbow in the minnow tank when I was four years old. And that’s where they convinced me that the postcard of the jackalope that hung over the cash register was a photo of a real animal. I believed that for years. My brother is also an avid angler and my mom and sisters fished.
Back to young Jonathan. Even though I had to grow into my appreciation of fishing, I knew how much it mattered to me and how it created a close bond with my father. So, I thought, let’s take Jonathan fishing.
Maybe he didn’t catch any fish the first time out, but Jonathan was still hooked. And he did get a balloon and got to have his photo taken next to a giant cardboard dog.
The first experience could have been called a failure, a local tournament on a hot June day, with no fish caught. But Jonathan, just four years old, hung in there the entire time. He never complained about the heat or lack of bites. That should have been my first clue.
Because I wanted him to enjoy fishing, I made sure he’d catch at least one fish the next time we went out. I found a trout farm near our home where the rainbow bit on anything shiny. We had a blast. If he liked the derby experience with no fish caught, the trout farm put him over the edge.
Those early fishing experiences sparked a passion that continues through this day. And while I had trouble as a boy focusing while fishing, it seemed to be the one thing Jonathan would laser in on. Put this kid on a body of water with a rod in his hand and nothing else is going to get his attention.
Jonathan catching fish BYT (Before YouTube).
From then on, any spare time we had, we fished, until he was old enough to fish with friends or on his own. I can’t take all the credit for putting him on the fishing path. His grandpa Art and grandma Julie lived on two different lakes over the years and many of our family trips revolved around visits to their home. Grandpa Art and Grandpa Jimmie also fished with Jonathan as he grew up. And Susan went so far as to find a place for us to live in close proximity to a number of neighborhood lakes when Jonathan was in middle school. It was on these lakes where he filmed some of his first videos.
Speaking of filming, along with those early fishing experiences, we always had creative tools around our home when Jonathan was young, including video cameras. He started making mini-movies of his adventures around the house, and soon he combined his love of storytelling with his love of fishing.
Find what your children are interested in. Spark and support that interest. And watch them go.
Thank you, Kevin, for your timeless parenting advice. Thank you, Dad, for taking me fishing and teaching me patience. Thank you, Susan, for being on this amazing journey with me. And thank you Jonathan for pursuing your passion, staying true to yourself, and making your mom and me proud beyond words. Keep Fishing. Keep Shining. And Never, Ever, Stop.
Wishing you a successful and fulfilling week.
New week. Wishing you much success.
Mike Barzacchini photo, April 29, 2104, San Francisco, California.
Dog Stories: Happy Roy Day
Today is not only #mayday, it’s Roy Day.
Today is not only #mayday, it’s Roy Day. It’s the day Roy came into our lives just a few days after having his leg amputated and then being flown in from Tennessee. We thought we’d just be fostering Roy, but he decided he’d keep us. It’s been a year full of learning and love. You can read more about the continuing adventures of Roy at the link below in the comments. Thanks to #tiptoncountyanimalshelter @hoofwoofmeow and #4pawsactivitycenter for being a part of this amazing year with Roy. And thank you most to Susan for being my foster and rescue partner.
Poem-a-Day Challenge, Day 18: Write an Ekphrastic Poem
Today’s challenge, write an Ekphrastic Poem, a poem about another work of art. I chose to write about Hokusai Katsushika’s The Great Wave.
Poem-a-Day Challenge, Day 12: Write a six-word poem
Today’s challenge involved writing a poem that used at least three of the following six words: Convict, play, race, voice, season, and great.
Poem-a-Day Challenge, Day 9: Write a Persona Poem
I feel like these could be the alternative lyrics for “Every breathe you take,” if Sting chewed gum.
Poem-a-Day Challenge, Day 9. Write a persona poem. I feel like these could be the alternative lyrics for “Every breathe you take,” if Sting chewed gum.
Poem-a-Day Challenge, Day 8: Write a Metaphor Poem
Partly inspired by true events or inspired by partly true events. Take your pick.
Partly inspired by true events or inspired by partly true events. Take your pick.
