S23 Ultra May and June 2024 Photos

OK, so, technically, that’s not an S23 Ultra Photo . . . and also, technically, it is since I used the WOMBO Dream AI app on the phone to generate it.

I have that up here because I’m still not seeing many hummingbirds. I would worry if it weren’t for the fact I remember feeling the same way around this time last year and then having the hummingbird population explode in July and August. I’m hoping for a repeat this year.

On the other hand, I’m still waiting to see more lighthouses here in the middle of Illinois . . . and I keep being disappointed. Still, hope jumps for a long time . . . er . . . springs eternal.

Notice I’ve not done any AI Art updates lately. I still play with the tools, but only in a half-assed way. For instance, I used a few of the ’57 Bel Air images from a few posts ago (HERE) to generate compasses and spacecraft (or, at least, that’s what I asked for).

Can you tell which is which?

Right! . . . so what have I been photographing?

Well, bagel faces, of course. Happy bagel faces, at that.

And flowers . . . our flowers, to be precise, the few that we have.

Those are some of our clematis flowers from three shrubs we planted. As always, we have some geraniums . . .

I like the geraniums, but the clematis are a bit more interesting, especially after the petals drop off and you’re left with the seed ball.

The various stages of the flower are all interesting . . .

Here’s a fly feeding on the tip of one of the stamen . . .

I also photograph these leaves whenever they are wet . . . which lately they haven’t been.

I also pick up interesting river rocks and sometimes photograph them . . .

. . . and then use them as seed images when I play around with the AI art generators.

So, what makes rocks interesting? Really, it depends on my mood. If I’m bored, pretty much any rock can be interesting for its shape, color, or texture.

On the other hand, if I’m being chased by a rabid dog, Mormon missionaries, or Jehovah’s Witnesses, I hardly notice the rocks, let alone have any interest in phone photography.

Not great images, but since I play with them, they don’t have to be.

So, what else?

That’s a quilt Melisa is working on for some friends. She is not happy with the color combination because the fabric reflects light differently depending on the angle from which you’re looking at it (probably something with the grain of the fabric), making it look like the colors are mismatched. So, she’ll be redoing it.

This is another quilt she had been working on and finally got quilted. She still has to bind it, but she does that by hand.

I should probably do an update on her other efforts, as well as my mother’s cross-stitch projects.

I just published a post about flowers, but I had a few other images I could share . . . and I will. I won’t show them all here, but you can see them if you play the slideshow at the end or visit the SmugMug gallery.

All of those were snapped yesterday at the Carbondale Farmer’s Market. Also, some vegetables I thought looked photographically interesting despite my dislike for them.

Sometimes, I’m out doing something and spot something interesting (to me), so out comes the phone.

Also yesterday, I swung by Sam’s Club to pick up a few things, and this was in the Parking lot. I was immediately envious . . . before I thought about the difficulties of driving it around town and the low clearance of the vehicle, especially given the distance between the wheels. Still, it’s a nice-looking machine.

Lastly, sometimes I snap a picture because I am reminded of the piece of toast that had an image of Jesus Christ (supposedly) imprinted on it . . . it listed for something like $25K. The grilled cheese sandwich with an image of the Virgin Mary on sod for $28K.

So, when I saw this in the frying pan, I immediately grabbed the phone and snapped a picture.

YES! It’s an image of an ex-president and felon extraordinaire rendered in eggs, bacon, and cheese!

The problem is this . . . I wasn’t thinking about the financial windfall, so I ate the specimen with the rest of my breakfast.

That means I’ve got nothing to sell to the well-heeled MAGA billionaire who might have been interested in it.

All I have is the picture . . . I probably can’t get much more than $3,257 dollars for it.

BUT! I’m willing to let it go for an even $2,500.

Any takers?

What do you mean, “It doesn’t look like the felon?”

The hard look, swoopy yellow hair, shifty eyes, and pouty lips . . . it’s a spitting image, I tell you what!

Ah, forget it!

Anyway, I’m calling this one done.

You can visit the SmugMug Gallery HERE (52 images) and click the link below for the slideshow.

Slideshow

That’s it. This post has ended . . . except for the stuff below.

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