Shave and a haircut

I took the stray cat which has been hanging around our house to the Sutherlin Veterinary Hospital for a rabies shot yesterday. She ended up with a shave and haircut. 

She looks pissed off, but I know she'll be much happier without her matted flea-ridden coat.

We've named her Tansy and it looks like she'll be joining the pack.

My photo on Today.com

Hop on over and check out my frog photo on Today.com. Laying on my belly in the middle of the road at night paid off!

Amazing silhouettes

I spotted this today on a website featuring amazing photos of silhouettes. I shot it about 14 years ago while I worked at the Daily Inter Lake newspaper in Kalispell, Montana. Its still one of my favorite silhouette photos.

Some don't make it

A dead rough-skinned newt displays it's bright orange underbelly after being hit by a vehicle on a country road near Roseburg, Ore., on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2013. According to the National Park Service, one rough-skinned newt, divided up and eaten, could kill 17 people. Rough-skinned newts are highly toxic and their bright underbellies serve as a warning to possible predators. It doesn't work on cars.

Night of the living frogs

A wild Pacific tree frog crosses a rain soaked road in rural Douglas County, Ore., on Friday, Feb. 22, 2013. Tree frogs are on the move in western Oregon as they prepare for the early spring mating season.

Nature photography class

My nature photography class at Umpqua Communiy College is filling up fast. We're thinking about adding another session if we get enough interest. Check the spring catalogue for details. I'm also working on a class to be offered in the summer.

The roots

Davis Creek runs past mossy exposed roots at Amacher County Park near Roseburg, Ore., on Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013. February normally brings rain and cool weather to western Oregon.

Who's a pretty bird?

A great blue heron preens in the morning sun on a rock in the Umpqua River near Roseburg, Ore., on Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2013.

Pictures of the Year 2nd Round

My pollen photo made it into the second round in the Science and Natural History category of the POYi contest. It was bumped out in the third round of voting.  

Favorite deer photos

I've been sifting my archive of deer photos today. A client is looking for a possible book cover, so I'm seeing if they have anything they like. I think they want something a bit more scenic, but here are a few of my favorite blackmail deer photos.

These are all blacktailed, or black-tailed, deer from western Oregon. 

Emu closeup

A large emu displays on a road at the Wildlife Safari drive-through zoological park in Winston, Ore. Emus are large flightless birds native to Australia. I had to clean emu spittle off my lens when the encounter ended.

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Mossy creek

A small creek flows out of the Umpqua National Forest into the scenic North Umpqua River near Idleyld Park, on Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2013.. The Umpqua River is one of the main drainage systems of the Oregon coast and flows from the Cascade Mountains in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west.

Do you like the wide or tighter shot better? I can't decide.

Twin lambs

A pair of twin newborn lambs soak up the morning sun in a farmer's field near Elkton, Ore., on Friday, Feb. 8, 2013. I know I've recently shot a couple of lamb photos, but they're just so darn cute.

The early bird gets the territory

A male red-winged blackbird belts out his territorial song from a perch on a cattail in a marsh near an abandoned timber mill in Dixonville, Ore., on Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2013. In the early spring, male red-winged blackbirds defend a territory and wait for the arrival of their female counterparts.

Open wide

Open wide and check out my cheetah photo in this week's Animal Tracks gallery on nbcnews.com.

Cheetah yawn

A young cheetah yawns while soaking up the morning sun in an enclosure at the Wildlife Safari zoological park in Winston, Ore., on Saturday, Feb. 2, 2013. The park, which features a drive-through zoo design, has one of the western hemisphere's most successful cheetah breeding programs. 

Since the park began breeding cheetahs in the 1970's 171 cheetahs have been born at the park. Native to Africa, cheetahs are an endangered species with only about 10,000 living in the wild.

The cat and his shadow

I've been sick with a nasty flu-like bug for the last few days.  This afternoon I managed to get out of the house and snapped a photo of Scooter and his shadow.