Puddle with tree reflections, and leaves from a nearby hedge that had just been trimmed - to illustrate that the heat wave and drought seems to have ended for now. Rain showers and temperatures around 18°C (64°F) expected for the next week or so... (So far it just feels refreshing. Remains to be seen how long that feeling lasts...!)
In an earlier post on The Importance of Water I mentioned how staff at the cemetery often leave water dripping here and there for the birds during the drought. Below is another photo to illustrate that. They also often leave a watering can below the tap to collect some of that water. Then the next person who needs a full can of water can take that one, and put an empty one under the tap instead.
This photo also proved a good one for experimenting with that automatic 'clipping' feature that I accidentally discovered yesterday on my phone:
Today I experimented a bit further and learned that with the Paint program on my laptop, I can make the background black (or some other colour) instead of transparent/white.
And below is yet another such photo experiment:
That looks like fun. The photo editing I mean.
ReplyDeleteJC, it's always satisfying to learn something new :)
DeleteJC, I see you changed your blog. I don't know where to send a request, so if you'd like me to follow, email me at the e-address in my profile?
DeleteLooks like you have mastered this editing feature right away!! You did good!
ReplyDeleteThanks Ginny. There's probably more to it if one has the motivation and energy to explore further. I like simple editing tools though - when it gets too complicated I find it hard to remember from one time to the next how I did it!
DeleteO.K. has been using the clipping feature to create birthday cards with photos of the birthday boy or girl. It is certainly a "toy" one can spend some time on :-D
ReplyDeleteI'm sure it is, Meike! I actually printed out a couple of my experimental "creations" yesterday too, to use for cards.
ReplyDeleteIt's very effective - do you use photographic paper? I found it makes the results much more professional..
ReplyDeleteI'm leaving water out for the birds and the garden cats. The other morning Amber was barking madly by the side of the pool to draw my attention to something in the water. Sure enough there was what looked like a small rat paddling in panic in the corner, and trying to keep it's head above water. I rescued it and as I released it from the net, I realised it was a baby hedgehog - it had obviously leant over the side to sip and fallen in. Now I'm feeding and watering it, but much to Amber's disgust, it's food and water is put the other side of the gate, by my car, where she can't get to it! It's years since I've seen a hedgehog here, the poor creatures have been driven out by development. We shall do our best to keep it fed and sheltered.
Carol, for printing out photos I do use photo paper, yes. My current printer seems to have a struggle with small formats though so I've not been doing it much lately. Tried a few yesterday but they tend to get stuck which always makes me nervous that I won't be able to get them out... I might collect a few favourites and order printed copies online to be sent to me instead.
DeleteHaven't seen a hedgehog in decades I think but we used to have them in our garden back in my childhood/youth. (Living in a house with a garden in a small village then). Good luck with yours!
we are leaving water out for the critters also, our drought is now 4 years long. i am so glad you showed the bucket under the drip. we have a drip from the hose faucet and Now i will put a bucket under it and use it for watering and the critters can drink from i.t it is a slow drip that needs a plummber to repair and bob will not let me call someone. I am headed now to put a bucket under it. thanks for the idea. what is the program you are using on your phone? i can do it on my phone because I have picmonkey on the phone but wondering what it is in.
ReplyDeleteGlad you found the tip useful about collecting the water from your dripping faucet, Sandra. The 'clipping' thing on my phone (Samsung Galaxy A33) is included in the photo gallery, I had no idea until I happened to be pressing my finger on a photo for a while and it just happened. It doesn't happen with every photo, only when the phone thinks there's something there to cut out. I can then save that as a separate photo which gets saved as png rather than jpg. The background change I did on my computer in Paint that comes with Windows. I have no separate photo editing app on my phone (but can do some basic things directly in the gallery app). For blogging I transfer photos via Google Photo to my computer, where I still do most of my editing in Picasa 3 that I've been using as long as Blogger. However, png do not show up in Picasa so that's why I tried Paint. There I could fill in the blank background with black - and then save as jpg (or jpeg?)... (I have little clue what any of it stands for, I mostly learn on trial and error basis...)
DeleteThe workers who leave dripping water from faucets for the birds and other critters are so kind and that is a genius idea, plus with the watering can no water will be wasted. I had not heard of that clipping thing with my phone.
ReplyDeleteTerra, I had not heard of it either but accidentally discovered it...
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