and saying goodbye to a feature many of us will miss.
This morning I thought the best way to get all of my readers on the “same page” regarding adjustments we’ve made to my new blog theme was to dedicate part of a post to them. Many blog followers won’t go back to read late comments on yesterday’s post so this seemed like the most effective method to bring loyal readers up to speed.
- The most common request from readers was to make the gray background lighter so at 2 pm yesterday afternoon that’s what we did. That change should provide more contrast between text and backround making it a little easier to read. I don’t like white as a background for either my images or my text and neutral gray seems to be the best compromise. The only reason some readers were seeing a white background with my old theme was because that theme was no longer functioning properly. It was always set to gray, it just didn’t always show up that way.
- There’s been significant concern that my older posts will no longer work with the theme change. Not to worry – the new theme was applied to all of my older posts the instant Mia clicked the “magic button” that initiated the transition. Older posts can be accessed using either the search box or the Archives drop-down menu on the right sidebar of my blog.
- The emails sent to my subscribers containing the links to each new post used to be from “Feathered Photography” but now they’re from “WordPress”. Yesterday some folks were leery of opening their subscription email for fear it was malicious or some kind of spam. Fear not, they’re safe – all they contain is the link to my new post each morning.
- When my new theme was first activated the “pinch and zoom” feature available on touch screens like smart phones and tablets no longer worked. Many of my readers like to use that feature to zoom in on photo details or make text larger so that feature has now been activated with my new theme.
- I’ve now done some “housekeeping” that I’ve put off for much too long. I’ve updated the “About Me” and “About This Blog” pages accessed on my top menu bar and I’ve cleaned up the “Blogs I Follow” list on my right sidebar. I’ve added to that list and removed links to blogs or web pages what were no longer active.
But here’s the bad news.
We tried but with my new theme there’s no practical way to have the rotating banner of photos at the top of each individual post, although that banner is still there on my home page. Even though I’ve neglected that banner for some time (I’d actually been working on some new banner photos when I was forced to change my theme) I’m going to miss it. It feels like an old friend and many of those photos were nostalgic for me. Since it disappeared some of my readers have told me that they miss it too.
So here’s a last look at three of my favorite banner photos that I’ve used over the years. I’ve made them larger than was possible in the banner so they can (hopefully) be better appreciated but they’re still in panorama format with a wide field of view.
One of the most stunning sights I’ve seen in nature was this elk herd in Montana’s Centennial Valley. The herd was particularly impressive for three reasons: they were wild elk that I knew were in the area but they were rarely seen, they were strung out neatly in a line so each individual animal could be clearly seen and many of them were young calves. While the calves are young the herd nearly always stays well hidden high up in the mountains so this was a rare sight indeed.
As you can probably tell most of the cows were wary and on high alert even though I was far away.
Perhaps my favorite camping site over the years has been this spot on the edge of Lower Red Rock Lake in the Centennial Valley. It’s wild and secluded and birds and wildlife are abundant. Skies, shadows and light are ever-changing and often spectacular. I’ve ridden out intense storms of every variety near this lake and the morning lake-fog is eerie and often beautiful as it clears.
This lake and the Upper Lake were largely responsible for the eventual recovery of the Trumpeter Swan that was literally on the brink of extinction by the early 1930’s. While camping here I often see Trumpeters swimming by very close to my camping trailer while I’m enjoying my morning coffee or evening cocktail.
And then there’s that rustic and dilapidated old wooden fence that seemed to be a songbird magnet.
Among other species I photographed more Savannah Sparrows on that fence than I can count. This one had a beakfull of “bugs” for its chicks somewhere in a nest in the grass below the fence.
This is one of my favorite banner photos of all time. Summer sunrises and sunsets on our Montana family farm are often spectacular but this sunrise was one of the best. I had been sitting at the kitchen counter in the farmhouse enjoying my morning coffee and waiting for enough light to attempt to photograph the Great Horned Owls resident in the old granaries behind the house when I noticed the sun coming up over the grain bins and old granaries on the hill east of the house.
I just HAD to take a photo.
Minutes later I went looking for owls behind the house and…
this is what I found – a youngster warming up in the morning sun in one of the auger cutouts of what we call the “big granary”. That 100′ long granary was built by my Grandpa Dudley in about 1930 so for me to photograph one of my beloved owls in it in perfect morning light has special meaning for me.
Ok, enough nostalgia. Change is inevitable if not always welcome. I hope we can all get used to the changes on Feathered Photography but I suspect for some of us it might not be easy.
Ron
Beautiful photos. Nature at it’s best!
I think the tweaks and Adjustments are just something we put up with now days. I am sure it will work out great.
I hope you’re right, Trudy. I think I’m already starting to get used to some of the changes.
I think you got more comments on this post than some of the democratic candidates have supporters. Maybe you should consider…nah, you just converted to Nirvana and I’d hate to lose you to the Twitterverse.😱 Nice selection of photos and thanks for keeping us in the loop on the changes.
Ha, being a politician is at the very bottom of the barrel of my preferred list of professions, Lyle. I don’t have the stomach for it. Or the propensity for lying.
Love the Owl. Such a sleepy face.
Thanks, Jean. Yes, it was sleepy.
Thank you so much for unfurling some of the banner for us.
Glorious images each and every one of them.
Thank you, EC.
Thought I’d start with a positive about the change: my name and email are saved so I don’t have to type them for each comment. 😀
I really enjoyed the trip down banner lane. I’ve looked at those banner shots often over the years (and yesterday — went to your home page) and have often wondered about the stories behind the shots. Today I got some delightful answers.
And as for change, I’d love your blog if it were written in crayon on an old paper bag because YOU wrote it! 😎
Marty, not having to type that contact info is a good thing. I hate having to do it too. Thanks very much for the kind words!
Unfortunately it doesn’t seem to stick. Any time I clear the cache I have to re-enter the information.
It makes sense that clearing the cache would also clear your contact info. So, I have to ask – why are you clearing the cache… ?
I clear it to reduce the number of tracking cookies.
You have to be like me and be too forgetful (or is it lazy?) to clear the cache very often. 😉
Still my favorite book dealing with change: https://amzn.to/2u908Gy
Loved the banner reminiscing!
Thanks, Arwen.
Worrying and wondering…love the farm against a flaming sky, theBurrowing Owls and the wonderful GHO shots, reminders of the guy I raised so msny, many years ago…
Thank you, Patty.
I guess because I had your home page as one of my favorites I still get the rotating banner when I enter your site. I also like that I can read today’s post or if I missed a day I can catch up. Nice work, Mia.
Jonelle, I’m still going to try to find the time to update the banner on my homepage with new photos, even though we’ll no longer see it on individual posts.
Change is good. Awesome photos!
Thanks, Lynnette.
Ron, like you & so many of your followers I miss things from your old web page. I’m kinda in the same boat since our old Desktop computer was seriously threatening to give up the ghost. We’ve been using Microsoft 7 since we got it 10 years ago. Now with the new computer I have to learn Microsoft 10!! Thank God we have Carbonite so I got all my photos (phew!!) & all our documents. I’m also lucky that my roommate is very organized and much more computer savvy than me! forgive me going on & on – I’m afraid it’s a weakness of mine. Anyway, the changes won’t keep me away from your blog & you stunning photography!! See you tomorrow!!
I’m glad you’re sticking with me, Jo Ann .Thank you.
I could enjoy looking at the last 2 photos ( family farm at sunrise and juvenile
owl in the granary window ) every day of the year—I’m glad that you revisited
them. That young owl looks like I FEEL whenever I know that I’ll have to learn
a new digital skill . Good on you for making the adjustments…..I know that
I’ll appreciate your offerings every day that you make them—thanks !
Kris, that sunrise on the farm photo gives me the warm fuzzies every time I see it, which is part of the reason I already miss the rotating banner.
Ron, it’s all been said by others and I agree. You keep getting better, as does your blog!!!
Do you know the number- letter combination of the tags for the Trumpeters in your area? We had a very successful program here that brought them back from almost extinction in Ontario. I would like to be on the lookout for any that might have been tagged down you way.
Judy, I’m afraid I don’t know those numbers/letters. Wish I did for the reason you mention as we see Trumpeters here in northern Utah too.
I returned to the home page on mobile. I like being able to scroll through recent posts there, and I enjoyed seeing the rotating banner. I did notice that copyright is 2018. I wonder, is it right to say copyright 2008 – 2020 (covering all photo/blog years)? Or just 2020 (most recent year)? I dunno.
You’re right, Mary. That copyright date needs to be updated. Thanks for the reminder.
I WILL miss the scroll – I’ve always loved the sunrise over the farm. The other panoramic are wonderful and I also am nostalgic and change resistant! 😉 It will work out even if I/we grumble a bit! 🙂
I ALWAYS reserve the right to grumble! 🙂
Give us this day our daily whinge is one of my mantras.
Works for me…
Me too! 😉
I like the new look of the blog Ron, but I will miss regularly seeing the rotating banner a et beautiful panos of your part of the world. Nice to read the stories behind them too, thank you!
Thank you, D. I’ll miss it too. I wish I’d updated it more often when I had it.
When I began my second blog, I finally changed themes so that I could use the same format for both and cross-link them. It took me a couple of weeks to work out the technical details, and a little longer to get used to the changes myself. But I did, and I’m sure you will too –probably sooner, rather than later.The loss of the banner photos is a shame, but in truth your daily photos are so compelling they more than make up for it.
I must say, that photo of the farm at sunrise is breathtakingly beautiful: not only because of the sunrise itself, but also for the warmthe and security the various buildings represent. I guess you can take the girl out of the midwest, but my love of farming culture never will be erased.
You’re right, Shoreacres – I’m sure I’ll eventually get used to them but it might take me a while.
I finally found your blog recently and I’ve been enjoying it, which is why I added it to my blogroll on my right sidebar. I encourage others to visit too.
Oh, gracious. I came back to have another look and read the others’ comments and found your note. I’m honored that you’d include me in your blogroll. That’s a new and delightful reason to keep trying to improve my photography!
I appreciate your writing skills and since I learned an interesting and potentially useful new word, “lagniappe” on my first visit to your blog, I was hooked.
Lovely tour of reminiscences! Always great to see those panorama pictures of ‘your country’…as it brings fond memories of my drives out west. I find this format more than acceptable…change is inevitable so here we go…glad to be part of the journey. Your content is the most important part for me.
Thank you, Kathy. It’s nice to know that you appreciate what’s nostalgic for me. One person’s nostalgia doesn’t necessarily translate to others.
Love the nostalgic photos Ron and the stories that go with them. They will be missed, but life goes on and we have to adjust. As Heraclitus wrote, “The only thing that is constant is change.” I often welcome change, but then on the other hand as an almost 82 year old I often try to resist it. We will all just have to adjust to the new post and keep in mind that we come to Feathered Photography not for the rotating banner nor the graphics, but for the outstanding nature photography and the stories behind the photos.
Thanks for the encouragement, Everett. I’m trying to adjust…