by Jim Bellomo | Aug 17, 2025 | 365
Another week, another set of photos. Some landscapes, some food, a dog and a close-up. My favorite (after what we went through last night) has to be my weekly Keeley. Read the caption to get the complete story.
Trying some “flat food photography” today. And this particular dish I made for dinner is one of the most colorful things I make. It’s called Taverna Salad and it is delicious. It might be the best dinner salad I have ever had. And because there is no lettuce, it stays great in the refrigerator as leftovers. If you would like the recipe, send me a note.
Got up early this morning for a walk to beat the heat (we’re supposed to hit 90 today), and that gave me a chance to shoot this while I was out. It’s a drainage pond on the far side of Redmond Ridge. I like this particular walk because it is mostly flat and just straight out and straight back. The photo was taken with my iPhone 16 in Apple’s version of Camera RAW, which I wish would just open in Adobe’s Camera RAW and not as a TIFF in Photoshop. Who still uses TIFFs?
Out for a walk today and crossing a wooden walkway about two miles from our place. This walkway goes over a bog/swamp. I have taken photos from this walkway many times but this might be the first time I shot the entry way.
Most of today was kind of gray, so I felt the need for some color. I got out my macro lens and took a shot of my mug filled with Sharpies. I used to use these for business, but now that I am retired, I only use them for birthday cards. I have a label format I use for analog birthday cards that prints the name, address, and a set of four balloons. I print the address and return address labels and then color all eight balloons each a different color.
Really rainy day today. Not pouring, but constant drizzle. I had an appointment in Bellevue, so I thought I would take a photo of Seattle from Medina City Hall. Medina is a tiny town surrounded by the much larger city of Bellevue. But Medina is kind of special. It has one of the highest per capita income populations in the USA. I was about 10 houses away from Bill Gates’s mansion when I took this photo. I promise to go back and show you what it looks like when it is sunny.
One of the great things about the Pacific Northwest is that after a day of rain and clouds, you get a day like today. Big white, fluffy clouds and the bluest skies. Everything just feels clean. I went out for my walk today on a new trail that has just opened. I parked at the Redmond Saturday Market and then set out to walk three miles up the trail and three miles back. When I reached the turnaround point, I took this shot. A truly beautiful day.
This is the weekly Keeley, but it might be the week we’re most happy about. Our usually rambunctious dog stopped doing anything last night and just lay on the floor. When she moved, she would moan or whine as if she were hurt. Then she vomited her bedtime snack, and that was it. We headed to the emergency vet, but we’re happy now because everything seems to be back to normal. The vet checked her out thoroughly and couldn’t find anything wrong. Of course, when we got to the vet hospital, she suddenly came alive with all the other dogs and cats there. I told Kathleen it was kind of like taking your car to a mechanic because it’s making a weird noise, and then once you arrive, it doesn’t make the noise anymore. But she appears to be back to her usual self this afternoon. This picture, by the way, shows what greets me every time I go somewhere, no matter how long I stay. She’s inside the door to the laundry room that leads to the garage, whining until I come in.
If your pictures aren’t good enough, you’re not close enough.  — Robert Capa
by Jim Bellomo | Aug 10, 2025 | Photography
It was an okay week, featuring photos from Olympia with our grandkids and some nice moments at home. I really struggle to decide what I like best. I’d love to hear what you prefer in the comments. If I had to choose, I’d go with the blue heron in flight. I enjoy wildlife photos, especially action shots because they challenge me.
Don’t forget; if you click the first shot, you can scroll through with your arrow keys or by swiping.
I was out looking for something to photograph today, and lo and behold, a 1941 International Harvester panel van appeared. Who would have ever expected this to be parked in the lot at our Trilogy clubhouse? It’s gorgeous. I had to work to get some reflections off of it and shot it with a very low f/stop to make the background fade out and highlight the car in all its glory.
It’s Saturday, so that means I head to Saturday Market in Redmond for blueberries, tomatoes, and beets. This is our first week with beets, but the blueberries and tomatoes have been fantastic all summer. Besides fruits and vegetables, there are always plenty of people selling flowers. They were so colorful today, I couldn’t resist taking these photos. Enjoy.
I went into downtown Redmond today to pick up groceries and two picture frames for prints we had brought back from Africa. When I stopped in front of the craft store where I bought the frames, I saw a little boy mesmerized by the pinwheels outside. I wish I could find that kind of wonder in everyday life. Ah, to be young again.
On my way home from our August Travel Club meeting, I noticed a beautiful sunset. Since I am seldom out at sunset, I snapped a few shots. This one, where the houses and trees are silhouetted, is my favorite of the bunch. I do wish there had been a few more clouds to catch the colors.
Another day of waiting too long to take a photo. So I grabbed this metal model of a DC-3 we have in our living room. It’s small, but I made it appear larger with my macro lens. This plane is special to us because Kathleen used to fly in one of these when she was with the FAA back in the day.
If you asked us what the best part of our life is, we would say this photo. Our two grandkids and our Keeley. They make us happier than we have a right to be. Spending the last three days with them has been incredible. I will miss my camera-shooting buddies. But we handed them over to their Nanna this morning, and she will carry the torch until their parents are back from Costa Rica.
The kids took Keeley on a walk in downtown Olympia. Saw some really nice herons and the Rainbow Rails bridge. Made me happy to shoot with both of them. My favorite photographers.
I love photography. I love the imagery. I love what I do.  —Don McCullin
by Jim Bellomo | Aug 3, 2025 | Photography
Now that we are back, I am resuming my photo a day for the rest of the year. I didn’t post any weekly summaries while we were in Africa, because I figured you had seen all the pictures in my daily posts.
Sometimes, abstract photography can convey the feelings you have. Right now, I feel fed up with this 365 project. It is very hard to go back to shooting at home after three weeks in Africa. So, today, I feel disconnected.
I am still in an abstract, disconnected mood. Can’t say I want to go back to Africa, but I can say I need something better to shoot. Until I figure out what it is and why I am so melancholy and tired, this might be the kind of thing you get.
Two weeks ago, I was shooting the real thing. But this is as close as I can get today. At least we know it was hand-carved and hand-painted in a small village in Namibia that we visited while there. But I still think my actual giraffe photos are better.
A little owl activity tonight. We spotted a couple in our front yard. We think they’re cute. Again, nothing worth writing home to your Mom about.
Kathleen asked me to pick up books for her at the library today. When I got home, I told her I had taken pictures of the library as my photo of the day. She tried to act like it might be interesting, but then I showed her it wasn’t the library where her books came from; it was a tiny library about half a mile from our house. If you’re not familiar with the tiny library concept, it’s a small wooden structure where you can leave a book, take a book, or do both. We have a few around here, but this is the only one I know on Redmond Ridge.
Took the grandkids to the Thurston County Fair today. We are staying with them through Tuesday while their mom and dad head to Costa Rica to celebrate their 20th anniversary. Saw this rabbit and thought it would make a great subject.
Went to a car show with the grandkids today. Got some nice photos of a classic Chevy as well as the hula dancer dashboard ornament, an engine manifold??? and a car painted pink and black that my granddaughter loved.
My favorite this week is probably the plug from Monday. It was all about how disconnected I was from photography after the three weeks and 8,000 photos in Africa.
Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving. What you have caught on film is captured forever… it remembers little things, long after you have forgotten everything. —Aaron Siskind
by Jim Bellomo | Jul 26, 2025 | Uncategorized
I knew this day was coming. Our last full day in Africa. We had two more game drives today, followed by two days of flying, and then we would be home. This was it. If we were going to get any more of the Big Five or the Magnificent Seven, it had to be today. So again, we were up and out before dawn looking for rhinos, leopards and African wild dogs.
The morning drive started with a beautiful sunrise…
…reflecting off a local watering hole.
Where a hippo was bathing.
Then we heard from another truck that they had found…
African wild dogs.
One of the Magnificent Seven.
We rushed to the spot and found this mated pair just taking it easy.
After we had shot them for a while, we saw this giraffe…and then…
RHINOS!
A mother and baby black rhino.
The little guy was kind of skittish….
And anytime we came close to it, he took off.
But we stayed with mom and kid.
He was adorable.
Wildebeests
Zebras…and friends
More Wildebeests
Google identifies this bird as a brown-snake eagle.
We finally see Punba (a warthog). They weren’t singing Hakuna Matata.
They were just running.
Got two of the three we needed, so we headed back to the big lodge for lunch.
Editor’s Note: I had this post all done and ready to go last night and then I remembered that I could show you on a map what a game drive looked like. I have an app on my phone that tracks where I walk by GPS. It’s called Map My Walk. When you are done it gives you a map that shows you how far you walked and where you hit every mile and your stats. On our morning drive on the last day, I just happened to think as we were driving away, that I should turn it on. This was the result. You can see how absolutely crazy the drive is. The total miles on this drive was almost 17. We were out there for three hours and 28 minutes. Just thought it might be a fun thing for you to see.
After lunch, we did it all over again. I wish I could say that we found the elusive leopard, but we didn’t. I guess I will have to go back—NOT! And to be honest, it was our worst game drive of the entire trip. We pretty much saw nothing. Here are the pictures to prove it.
A zebra.
Last Dinner
Two photos. Just two usable photos. It was a somewhat sad way to leave, but it had been a great trip. Tomorrow, I will sum things up and give you an actual review. Stick with me—only one more post. I guess it’s only fitting that this was the end of the day. I should add that some of the others went on a game drive the next morning, on the day we were supposed to fly, but my cold had worsened, so I skipped it. I would have been really disappointed if they had found a leopard, but they didn’t. They did spot a male lion, and I missed that, but with over 40 hours of flying and airports ahead, I’m glad I made that call. I’ll be back tomorrow with a final round up and review.
Africa changes you forever, like nowhere on Earth. Once you have been there, you will never be the same. – Brian Jackman
by Jim Bellomo | Jul 25, 2025 | Uncategorized
As I explained yesterday, our two full days at Tintswalo were identical. Up early (5:30 wake-up call), meet in the main lodge for coffee and snacks, jump in the bush cruisers and drive around looking for game for a while.
Then breakfast, a break, and back out to do the same thing from 3:30 to 7:00 or so, and then dinner and sleep. Sounds pretty easy.
But there are a couple of things to mention that you might not have realized. First, the temperature. When we arrived at Tintswalo from the airport on our first day around lunchtime, it was a balmy 78 degrees. During the days, the temps were in the high 70s to the low 80s. Since it was the dry season, we never saw a single drop of rain, which was a good thing since there were no tops on the vehicles. We asked the guides what they did in the rainy season, and they said…ponchos. No, thank you. Driving around, soaking wet for three hours? Not me. I was glad we were there in the dry season.
But the 70s and 80s in the sun do not translate to the 60s and 70s in the dark. Unlike a city, the bush has no concrete or blacktop to soak up the sun. And it gets cold quick, just about as fast as it gets dark. You know all those pretty African sunsets I have been showing you? Did you notice there were very few mountains (none at all) or hills? That means when the sun goes down, it goes from light to dark very quickly. The same thing happens every morning. The sky would get a little light and then BANG! Full sunshine.
But the coldest ride of the day was always the first one in the morning. With no sun for eight hours, we were already cold when we got out of bed, but leave it to the wonderful folks at Tintswalo. When we arrived at the trucks, every seat not only had a blanket but also one of the biggest hot water bottles I have ever seen. And it was HOT! In fact, it stayed hot/warm until we came back three or four hours later.
I tell you all this just to let you know that when you go on safari, you need to layer up. I would start with a sun-protection long-sleeved shirt, a sweater/sweatshirt over that and my windbreaker on top of that (and yes, shorts on the bottom—my legs never get cold). Then you shed those as the sun gets higher. Worked pretty much that way every day. And a hat and LOTS of sunscreen.
I also need to mention how lucky we were to be there in their winter. Not only does it not get as hot during the day, but the days themselves are shorter. We didn’t have sunrise until almost 6:45. If we had gone in December, it might have been raining, but we would have definitely had to get up more than an hour earlier for the game drive because the sun rises before 5:00 am in their summer.
So, enough of the weather stuff, how about some photos? Here’s the morning game drive on our second day in Tintswalo. Don’t forget; if you click the first shot, you can scroll through with your arrow keys or by swiping. If you can’t read the caption while watching the slide show, click the little i in a circle below the photo, and you will be able to see it. Â And PLEASE…don’t look at my photography on a phone. Please…
We meet in the living room, pre-dawn for our safari briefing.
The sun hits the sky about half an hour later. We area already out in the file looking for animals.
Our tracker/guide Reply goes into the brush following tracks. The other man was from a different game lodge.
They found us a waterbuck. Hunters like these as they have a target on their backside. ?
And then we found lions.
Lots of lions.
Must have been a pride of about 14 or 15.
Mamas and cubs.
Mama
Playful cubs.
Coming close
Really close.
You can see the rear view mirror of the truck.
Our other car showed up.
We were surrounded.
It’s hard not to just keep taking photos when lions are…
Cavorting all around you.
Pretty much I could go from side to side on the back of the jeep and have a great photo everywhere I looked.
The cubs were so cute.
Just goofing around
As lion clubs do…oh, how jaded I have become.
Seriously.
But Kathleen (sitting in the front where it was less bumpy) loved it.
After lions…zebras!
The first we had seen
The patterns are very cool.
Time to stop for breakfast. The group from the other car posed for me.
The guides got us coffee and more snacks.
Lots of snacks/Lots of drinks.
We ran into Meryl Streep who was filming Out of Africa. Nope, just our friend Vicky pretending.
Erick explains the tracks we are seeing.
A couple of impala stop to stare at us.
And one last giraffe before we head back to breakfast.
After the drive, it was back to the lodge for breakfast, a nap for most (AJ worked out, and I worked on photos), and then a late lunch that Tintswalo called “Substantial High Tea” at about 2:30 (which looked like lunch to me). Then, it was off on the afternoon game drive by 3:30. And here are the photos from that one. It was not our finest hour so I had to embellish with some deck shots taken during tea.
There’s a new bird in town (on the rail at the lodge)—a Burchell’s Starling.
During lunch on the deck, the elephants put on quite a show.
Eating..
There was some drama when someone spotted this turtle right below the hose that the elephants were drinking from. No worries, no animals were hurt in the taking of this photo.
Playing around.
And here comes the heard of Cape buffalo.
Wandering in from down by our lodge.
The whole herd dropped by.
Big ugly guy in the lead.
A giraffe
Same giraffe. This time with a bird.
Zebras grazing.
A male bush buck
Hippos in the distance.
The other truck chasing us around.
The most dangerous animals we saw.
I should have taken a nap.
Sunset
As you can see, the afternoon/evening game drive was a little bit of a bust that day. It seemed to me that there was one animal that stood out during each game drive (except this one). The day before we saw the cheetah, we had lions and our first zebras this morning, although there were fewer animals in the afternoon. You will have to come back tomorrow to see what we got on those two runs. I can tell you the best ones by the number of photos I took. For most, it was around seven to eight hundred. For this one, I barely got 100. You can’t win them all.
One more thing. I wanted to show you how many animals we could see just lying in bed. Seriously. But for some reason, when I was in bed, I never seemed to have my camera with me ?. So here’s one I shot out our window while sitting on the edge of the bed. Take a look at what our view was like most days. Always something out there hanging around. Mostly tiny monkeys, elephants, Cape buffalo moving by or baboons. I think the baboons bother me the most. You never know what a baboon is going to do, and they seem to be the least phased by humans.
I never knew of a morning in Africa when I woke up that I was not happy. – Ernest Hemingway
