I had a choice this year. I could spend Thanksgiving with my camera at the soggy bog.

Or I could force my way into the ubiquitous family dinner, which would, of course, require an additional wardrobe purchase.

(Is this a trick question?)

The choice was a no-brainer.

Armed with my camera, lenses, and a lunch consisting of a Pink Lady apple, a piece of homemade cheesecake, and a bottle of Ice carbonated beverage, I headed towards the soggy bog.

And look what I found on the way!

Upon arriving at the bog, I found that *someone* had just had their dinner. . .

. . .and by now were probably lounging at home, watching the Eagles game

This furry friend was still at the table.

Others were resting after a long search for their slippery, wiggly holiday dinner:

There were LOTS of gulls here today.

There were also lots of Canada geese — what would western NY be without flocks of Canada geese?

Some of the residents were just hanging around, keeping an eye on things (there are actually two of these great blue herons who chose to remain here rather than migrate south.

Today I decided to travel down a nearby wooded dirt road leading to some soybean fields. Glad I did, because look what I found!

A hungry downy woodpecker tapping the tree for insects

A few onlookers. . .

The ducks, however, had had enough. and decided to get a head start on the incoming snowstorm:

Photographers generally avoid “bird on a stick” photos, considering them dull and uninteresting. They would never win a prize at a contest.

There is absolutely no hope for me. None of these photos would win a prize because none of them exhibit the technical quality and artistic talent required by a contest winner — well, the beavers had some talent, but they’re not photographers so they don’t count. In any event, the mundanity I managed to capture with my camera is more valuable to me than an honorable mention in some contest. It serves as a pleasant reminder of a Thanksgiving holiday spent in solitude and quiet reflection without the self-doubt, anxiety, and stress of spending it with a bunch of squabbling, hypercritical family members.

I hope their holiday went as well as mine.

(published November 30, 2025)