East Africa Scavenger Hunt

Posted on August 28, 2016 by Kristen Page

The Girl usually gives me a list of things she hopes I see while I travel. I love this because I think of her (and maybe a little like her) each day I am gone. I am especially fond of this list – the spelling might just say something about my accent since she spells phonetically? I’ll translate each item before I show the corresponding photo(s). Here is her list:

Monkey

We went to Arusha National Park for a short “day safari”. We enjoyed watching 3 different primate species in the old growth tropical forest that is growing around the Ngurdoto crater.

This gorgeous monkey is a Black and White Colubus (Colobus guereza). Interesting fact – these monkeys do not have thumbs! (more info: http://www.awf.org/wildlife-conservation/colobus-monkey)

We also saw Sykes’ Monkey (Cercopithecus albogularis)

2. Rainbow

Considering there was no rain – it was pretty impossible to find a rainbow. I think the girl was expecting rainbows like the ones we saw in South Dakota (do you see it? It was pretty far away):

Since I didn’t see an actual rainbow, I thought I would show you the rainbow of flowers I saw. These colors don’t necessarily follow the ROYGBIV rule of prismatic colors…

This is a Calliandra

?

sunflower
a legume of some sort..

Hibiscus

3. Sheet Music

I wasn’t sure how this would happen, but thanks to a musical friend who posted a picture of sheet music on Instagram while I was in Tanzania – I found it! Here is the screenshot from my phone.
4. Giraffe

5. Elephant

I loved seeing this group of Elephants, so I couldn’t pick one photo!
6. Snake – sorry, I didn’t see one…and I can’t think of a photo I took that would be a good replacement.

7. Bird

There were so many amazing birds! Here are some of my favorites:

Hartlaub’s Turaco

Scarlet-chested sunbird

Klaas’s Cuckoo

Little Bee Eater

African Fish Eagle

Lesser Flamingos

8. Lizard

I was pretty excited to see my first Chameleon!! I’m not sure of the species.

This tiny Gecko was too cute to not include! I can’t id this one either.

9. Lion –

I didn’t see any actual lions on this trip, but these looked pretty life-like!

10. Hippo

There aren’t any Hippos at Arusha National Park, but these rocks sure tricked me!

11. Cheetah

I would have loved to have seen a Cheetah – but we didn’t see any big cats. I did; however, see this very cool beetle. It has spots – Cheetahs have spots too!

(the weird thing next to the beetle is its egg case – this tree was covered with beetles and egg cases and pupae)

12. Maasai

This shepherd is Maasai. We stopped to talk to him about an invasive weed that his animals were grazing near. The weed can hurt his animals, so I think that he was happy to know about it.

I got the girl a Shuka – the Maasai wear these colorful blankets (actually a lot of people – Maasai or not- wear shukas – it’s how they stay warm).

13. Gazelle

I didn’t see a gazelle, but I saw this gorgeous animal – and it was a first for me. I think this is a reedbuck (that’s what I was told, but I’m not positive).

14. Baboon

15. Sunset

16. Fabric

17. “pooinatolit”

I promise I didn’t see this one until I arrived… I thought a warthog pooping would have to do for this!

18. Bed

These birds are asleep – so are they in a bed?

Vix (the family watchdog) always slept in this spot – again, is this his bed?

I actually saw a bed at the agricultural fair that I visited. We went to a stall where there was a lot of metal furniture. I thought I took a picture of the bed, but I guess I decided to take a picture of this desk – I wanted the girl to see the school desks other kids have to use.

19. The scribble…

I just decided that I would add something that was really beautiful and unexpected – this moth was just too cool not to share!

Ethiopia Scavenger Hunt

Posted on March 19, 2016 by Kristen Page

The girl likes to give me a list of photographs to take while I’m on a trip. We spent time with library books before she made the list. This was my first trip to Ethiopia, and I had a lot to learn!

Here is the list:

1. Rhino

There was a zero % chance I would see a rhino. I asked her if a hippo would do…the answer was no! The only rhino seen on this trip was Ron the Rhino– a gift I gave the girl- full of my hugs to last her my trip!

2. Food

I really enjoyed the food in Ethiopia! We had a lot of Injera, and all of the spices made me very happy!

We had some time one morning to explore the market. The spices were amazing!

3. Lake

We were close to the biggest lake in Ethiopia, Lake Tana.

Bahir Dar sits on Lake Tana, and we flew in over the lake.

Papyrus grows on the banks and people make boats with it.

4. Coffee

It’s definitely as good as they say. I would even say it’s infinitely better. When you have a cup of coffee in Ethiopia, the person serving the coffee has done everything – from roasting beans, to grinding and steeping!

Green coffee at the market:

Roasted Beans

Making coffee:

Salt is added to the first (of 3) cup. It’s definitely different, but tasty.

5. Castle

There are castles, but not near where I stayed. The home I stayed in was a castle! They treated me like royalty!

6. Shepherd
Most people are shepherds, so I have a lot of photos of shepherds.. Not so many of shepherds in action, though.

My favorite little shepherd:

Action shot:

7. Tree

So many beautiful trees!!! I loved this tree, a sycamore fig…Zacchaeus?

This is a Koso:

I loved being at the tree nursery! The fruit trees were gorgeous:

8. Mountains

We were in the highlands above 2500m (>8000ft), so technically any photo is of mountains. However, you wouldn’t think of mountains to see this place…

An aerial view of the region:

9. Waterfall

It was the dry season…no waterfalls seen, but check out the stars!

10. Garden

We visited many gardens.

The most common things growing were cabbage, kale, and carrots.

11. Rock

Check out this amazing rock:

12. Forest

There isn’t much forest left. The farmers need the land cleared and they also use the wood for charcoal. Most “forests” are acacia for charcoal or eucalyptus for building resources.

13. Donkey

14. Bird

There were a lot of beautiful birds!

15. Amhara Region

This is the region I visited, so all of my photos would fit this category. I would love for you to see some of my new friends who live in this region.

8/52

Posted on February 22, 2016 by Kristen Page

I love her imagination!!!

It’s an elephant!!! She added it’s trunk after I took the picture.
My family is good to let me practice photography ideas…Today we were having fun with light and windows. Amos was more than happy to help!

Let Your Imagination Fly

Posted on January 28, 2016 by Kristen Page

This was the theme of the PTA Reflections competition this year. The girl entered this photo:

We were so proud to learn that she was honored by the Wheaton Warrenville CUSD200 PTA and advanced to state!

The Amazing Yellowstone Adventure!

Posted on December 26, 2015 by Kristen Page

My dream of visiting Yellowstone in the winter came true and it was beyond expectations!!! It was so beautiful AND I got to share it with my family!!!

We arrived in Bozeman the day after finals were over. Ready for rest and family time!!

We waited at the airport for Nonnie and Poppie…

It was awesome to be together!

On Saturday we headed into Yellowstone.

We stayed at Mammoth Hot Springs in a hotel built in the early 1900s

Here is a photo tour of our adventures. The pictures correspond to this map:

1. Around the hotel:

A magpie

Fort Yellowstone

The Elk love to stay near Mammoth Hot Springs. It’s easier to find grass at this lower elevation.

The sunrise was always amazing!

2. The Terraces of Mammoth Hot Springs

On Sunday, we took a snow coach to Old Faithful!

The roads are all closed for winter, and We were the first to travel in and out this season. Our guide, Wim, was awesome and of course the girl charmed the socks off of him!

I enjoyed my photography the whole day!

(Photo credit: the girl)

We followed the blue route with the snowcoach:

3. Swan Lake Flats

I thought this was one of the most beautiful places we saw. Photos do not do it justice.

This is the “road”, and I don’t need to explain why snowcoach is the only way in.

Mule Deer
4. Near Norris

Bison are perfectly adapted for this weather. Their shovel-shaped heads help them dig under the snow for grass. They are so well-insulated that the snow doesn’t even melt…no body heat escapes that thick fur.

We saw 3 eagles in one place!

Trumpeter swans are rare in Yellowstone!

This coyote was “mousing”
5. Gibbon Falls

6. Firehole Canyon

7. Fountain Paint Pots

This was a terrific stop! We saw all 4 types of thermal features: Geysers, Hot Springs, Fumeroles, and Mud Pots. We arrived just in time to see Fountain and Jet Geysers going off simultaneously.

8. Old Faithful

On Monday morning, we got up really early and went on a Lamar Valley Wildlife tour. Our guide was Kirk, and we had an incredible day of wildlife viewing!

(Photo credit: the girl)

We followed the red route into the Lamar Valley:

9. Hellroaring Mountain Overlook

10. Yellowstone River (heading towards the Lamar Valley)

(Photo credit: the girl)

This is a “nursery boulder”. The fir grows up in the microclimate of the boulder!

Supposedly, the pronghorn had left the valley for winter. We were really glad that these two did not get that message!
11. Lamar Valley

Barrow’s Goldeneye

Coyote in Soda Butte Creek

We saw these two dots far off… hoping for wolves…and upon further inspection….

….definitely WOLVES!!! Three!!! Two gray and one black!!

12. Near Barronette Peak

13. Northeast Entrance

It was an amazing trip! We made lots of friends:

This is Connie, a local photographer. She saw the girl with her camera and gave her a signed copy of her book! We enjoyed sharing the girl’s photos with her after our tours.

The Girl decided that she would like to be a ranger one day!

This is Andrea, the girl’s “favorite water pourer”. We enjoyed visiting with her and her encouraging smile!

Ms Jerene was the Volunteer host who encouraged our little “junior ranger”.

Nonnie enjoyed playing the piano in the famous Map room! All of the guests enjoyed that Nonnie played the piano for them!

This was the most amazing trip ever. THANKS MOM AND DAD!!

When it was time to leave, we were escorted by this beautiful animal…

…and we enjoyed the scenery all the way home…

Through her eyes

Posted on October 6, 2015 by Kristen Page

The girl is an aspiring photographer, and we used a scavenger hunt as a way to work on her skills. I love seeing how she composes and interprets her shots. Here is her list:

1. Dog

The girl’s:

Mine:

2. Acorn

The girl’s:

Mine:

3. Footprints

The girl’s:

Mine:

4. Reflecting water

Hers:
Mine:

5. Map

Hers:

Mine:

6. Statue

Hers:

Mine:

7. Leaf

Hers:

Mine:

8. Grasshopper (we had a hard time finding one, so we substituted a bee)

Hers:

Mine:

9. Squirrel

Hers:

Mine:

10. Tree

Hers:

Mine:

India- Scavenger Hunt

Posted on August 25, 2015 by Kristen Page

The girl prepared another photography scavenger hunt for my recent trip to India. It was quite challenging! Here is what I found.

1. Jaguar – I told the girl that I would love to see a Jaguar, but that it wasn’t likely. I did learn that Jaguars frequent the city where I was, but not during monsoon. I did not find a Jaguar, but this substitute is pretty awesome because it looks like an Asiatic wildcat

Perhaps it’s a hybrid? This is the only cat I saw on my trip, and it was in a very remote area.

2. Monkey – normally I like monkeys, but the monkeys in Landour are kind of terrifying!! They chase you for food!

3. Bike – in Landour, the hills are so steep bicycles aren’t common. I was in Delhi for a while, however, and bicycles are everywhere.

4. Traditional clothes – in the mountains, the women wear beautiful scarves to tie back their hair.

5. Airplane. Arriving in Landour, there was an airplane over my head..I never saw the whole thing, and I’m not sure what kind of monument this was.

6. Silly Face – this friend of mine loves to make silly faces! He’s a dinosaur in this photo.

7. Something camouflage – a backpack at the airport?

8. Dog – there were a lot to choose from, but most are feral and not cared for.

9. A very cool marble – I could not find a marble, but I was surprised to find an acorn. Acorns are sort of the same shape as a marble, and very cool. I hope it counts.

10. Cow – they are everywhere!

11. An adorable baby – I didn’t meet very many babies, but I do have a friend who counts as adorable, and she’s pretty young.

12. A little boy

13. Sitar – this was challenging, and I thought I was going to have to go with a “guitar” (they rhyme)

However, I listened to these artists at the airport.

I love these scavenger hunts. They give me an opportunity to look at the world from my girl’s perspective. I would never have taken some of these pictures without her inspiration!

Scavenger Hunt

Posted on July 29, 2015 by Kristen Page

I asked the girl to make a list of things I should photograph while I was on the “Western Trip” with the ecology class. I enjoyed trying to find each of these things. I was really close to finding all 20 animals/items, and I only needed to ask for 2 substitutions (which the girl granted). Here are the resulting photos:

1. “8” made out of sticks

(S. Tongue River)

2. Moose

(Tetons)

3. Ketchup

(Yellowstone general store)

4. Mountain Goat

(Beartooth Mountains)

5. Snow

(Line Lake Plateau Montana)

6. Uncle Rob eating ice cream

(Tetons)

7. Uncle Ken looking at a blue and white bird

(Bighorn Mountains)

(You have to take my word for it…when I took the picture he was saying “I’m looking at a blue and white bird”. It was a Lazuli Bunting.

8. A beautiful tree

(Hunters Peak Wyoming)

9. Orange flower

(Yellowstone)

10. Frog. (I didn’t find one, but I was allowed a substitution- I saw a snake- a Northern Rubber Boa)

(Tetons)

11. A cool rock

(Bighorn Mountains)

12. Bunny

(Yellowstone- mountain cottontail)

13. Ground Squirrel

(Golden Mantled Ground Squirrel)

14. Cool pine cone

(Lodgepole pine)

15. Caterpillar

(Tetons – buck moth)

16. Dragonfly larvae (a second substitution – a mayfly larvae)

(S. Tongue River)

17. Red Squirrel

(We saw them everywhere)

18. Bison

(Yellowstone)

19. Sunrise

(Yellowstone)

20. Sunset

(Bighorn Mountains)

The Apprentice

Posted on September 14, 2014 by Kristen Page

This weekend, I passed along my old camera to the girl.

She’s always loved taking pictures, so I thought why not let her see what she can do? When I suggested going on a photo adventure, she was very excited! In fact, she made a list.

1 pine cone, 2 acorns, 3 interesting leaves, 4 buckeyes, and 5 red flowers
We went out to one of our favorite places to walk and explore. Here is what we came up with. The girl was using an 18-70mm lens. I was using my 30-30mm lens, so I could get closer.