Standing Into Danger

Friday, November 13, 2026

Down A Rabbit Hole

My week went down in flames, and I'm still putting out fires.

Hence my late post.

Nothing bad, just too many things to do in too little time.

All of my doctors are insisting I walk daily, and I have hit most days this week,

but not every day (including no walk today, although I'm at 6,504 steps in the house).

On Tuesday I had fun stalking our nearby black-tailed prairie dogs

(Cynomys ludovicianus).

There are many prairie dogs living in prairie dog towns in Red-Tailed Hawk Park.

One of the Prairie Dog Towns

Red-Tailed Hawk Park

Aurora, Colorado, USA

October 19, 2026

On Alert

Red-Tailed Hawk Park

Aurora, Colorado, USA

November 10, 2026

The park follows Piney Creek just north of the section I walk all the time,

not a mile from my home.

The prairie dogs are habituated to humans walking the trails,

but I don't stay on the concrete paths like most people do.

I walk right into their towns and up to their burrows to watch them.

These little critters are fascinating,

a keystone species that lives on the shortgrass prairies and eastern plains of Colorado.

Their burrows provide shelter for snakes, badgers, and burrowing owls.

Hawks, eagles, and coyotes hunt the prairie dog, an important food source for them.

Red-Tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) ~ My Spirit Animal

Wikimedia

Researchers have learned that prairie dogs have a sophisticated alarm call system

that communicates predator species and physical descriptions.

Other species have learned to listen to their warning calls.

Smithsonian

They know when someone like me steps off the concrete paths to intrude into their space,

and they quickly respond with chirps, yips, and barks.

Some quickly disappear into their burrows when they see me,

but others watch me carefully a little longer.

This next prairie dog is emitting a sharp, high-pitched bark as I approach.

Its vertical dark-tipped tail is a signal of danger as well,

alerting family members visually when it's noisy or windy.

The prairie dog is crouched inside its burrow rim allowing it to keep barking warnings,

but in position to instantly drop underground if necessary.

Barking "Danger!"

Red-Tailed Hawk Park

Aurora, Colorado, USA

November 10, 2026

This next prairie dog allowed me to get very close.

I walked slowly and at an angle while not making eye contact.

It is showing calculated tolerance and low-profile caution

which can be seen among prairie dogs who are used to people being in their area.

Its mouth is closed and its tail is relaxed, so it's not sending out a warning.

Its belly is right over the top of its burrow, so it can drop down immediately if it has to.

It is watching me carefully with its head angled up to the side.

I slipped away after getting my shot.

Keeping an Eye on Me

Red-Tailed Hawk Park

Aurora, Colorado, USA

November 10, 2026

This photo from last May is a favorite of mine.

Here five black-tailed prairie dog pups scramble to dive into the safety of their burrow

when they spot me moving too close.

Their raised tails are alarm signals to littermates as they race to their burrow.

Pups participate in mass scrambles like this when an adult barks an alarm

or when they are playing and one startled pup provokes a bolt for cover.

If I'm remembering correctly, the mother jumped down the hole before her pups.

Pups in a Mass Scramble

Red-Tailed Hawk Park

Aurora, Colorado, USA

May 11, 2026

The more I learn about these fascinating animals, the more I want to know.

I've been researching them online and having AI help me understand their actions.

Of course diving down a prairie dog hole like this

is just a variation on diving down a rabbit hole.

It doesn't help when I'm going down in flames. 😂

But it sure is fun!

This tunnel under Aurora Parkway links Red-Tailed Hawk Park with "my" Piney Creek Park.

All the vegetation to the right of the rail is clogging Piney Creek in this spot.

Red-Tailed Hawk Park

Aurora, Colorado, USA

November 10, 2026

A Lovely Cottonwood with Tattered Leaves

Red-Tailed Hawk Park

Aurora, Colorado, USA

November 10, 2026

I hope all is well with each of you, my friends!

I'm linking to Gillena's Lunch Break, Nicole's Friday Face Off, Tom's Aloha Friday, and Debra's She Who Seeks.

Have a great weekend!

Till next time ~

Fundy Blue

Standing Into Danger https://selkiegrey4.blogspot.com

My next post will be

Friday, November 20th, 2026 🤞

On the Bay of Fundy
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved

Tuesday, November 3, 2026

IWSG Day: Wednesday, November 4, 2026 ~ Bound to Place and Time

It's the first Wednesday of the month,
the day that members of the
Insecure Writer's Support Group
share their writing struggles
and writing successes
and offer their encouragement
and support to fellow writers.

To visit the IWSG website, click here.

To become a member of the IWSG, click here.

Our wonderful co-hosts who are volunteering today,
along with IWSG Founder Alex J. Cavanaugh are

Kalpana, Kim Lajevardi, Rebecca Douglass, Jennifer Lane, and Cathrina Constantine!

Stop by their posts and thank them for hosting.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Every month the IWSG announces a question that members can answer
with advice, insight, a personal experience, or a story in their IWSG posts.

Or, the question can inspire members
if they aren't sure what to write about on IWSG Day.

Remember the question is optional.

This month's optional question is:

As a writer, do you have favorite themes that you like to explore in your stories? If so, what are they?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Happy November, Everyone!

I hope all is going well for you.

Terry and I have been enjoying the mellow fall weather.

Our brilliant fall leaves have faded and many of them have fallen.

My world is resting before the arrival of winter.

Looking Down on the Path Leading into Our Nearby Park

Along Piney Creek

Aurora, Colorado, USA

October 31, 2026

Throughout my life I have felt deeply connected

to the natural world and its landscapes and seascapes,

and this fascination has impacted my writing from the time I wove my first stories.

I have been particularly interested in how different environments

shape the lives of the people who live in them.

Not just people, but all living things,

are bound to their place and time on our beautiful Earth.

A Mule Buck That Hangs Out in My Neighborhood

Heritage Eagle Bend

Aurora, Colorado, USA

November 1, 2026

This magnificent mule buck looks so comfortable on the lawn across the street from me.

Based on his physical characteristics and antler structure, he is about 4.5 to 5.5 years old.

Technically he is a 4x4 with eye guards (when counting antler points).

He was born nearby, somewhere along Piney Creek, likely in 2021.

He has never had to worry about being harassed or hunted by people,

so he lounges contentedly, unconcerned about me stalking him with my iPhone.

He may even remember me, because I've been watching him for years.

He is absolutely a product of his place and time.

The Mule Deer Lying in the Grass Is Likely Him (Note the Nose)

Along Piney Creek

Aurora, Colorado, USA

May 13, 2021

I am interested in the bones of the Earth, how they've shaped living things throughout time.

And I wonder about life beyond the Earth throughout our galaxy and beyond.

I think about the Fermi Paradox:

Why haven't we found evidence of extraterrestrial civilizations?

A trillion galaxies in our universe.

One hundred billion stars in each galaxy.

Trillions of potential worlds.

Intelligent life should be out there somewhere.

Why haven't we found it or made contact with it?

Our Deepest View of the Cosmos Via the Hubble Telescope

Hundreds of Galaxies in All Shapes and Sizes

Hubble Ultra Deep Field Photo ~ Wikipedia

I think about an amazing science fiction novel written by Kim Stanley Robinson,

published in 2015, Aurora.

It's one of the best books I've ever read.

I've never forgotten a phrase:

"... life is a planetary expression..."

Wikipedia

The full quotation is this:

"That's why you aren't hearing from anyone out there. That's why the great silence persists. There are many other living intelligences out there, no doubt, but they can't leave their home planets any more than we can, because life is a planetary expression, and can only survive on its home planet." (Robinson, Kim Stanley. Aurora. Orbit, 2015, p. 428)

Life is a Planetary Expression

Source

You may think I have wandered far afield from Piney Creek

to the far reaches of galaxies in space and time.

But the principle remains the same:

Living things are shaped by their environments,

by their landscapes and seascapes,

by their particular places and times.

I can't think of a story I've written, long or short, published or unpublished,

that isn't founded on a specific location and how it impacts the characters in my tale.

Setting has always inspired and driven my writing.

I keep thinking of life as a planetary expression.

We are an expression of our planet.

We need to take better care of our earthly home.

Our Blue Marble Photographed by the Crew of Apollo 17 in 1972

Image Credit: NASA’s Earth Observatory

I used to dream of living on the moon, on Mars, and beyond.

(Even wrote a few stories about it, thankfully lost in time. 😂)

But no more. I'm grateful and happy to hang out in my place and time,

along with my muley buck, Old Man Cottonwood, and ever-changing Piney Creek.

Old Man Cottonwood

Along Piney Creek

Aurora, Colorado, USA

October 20, 2026

Wispy Cirrus Clouds and a Bright Patch of Sun Dog

Along Piney Creek

Aurora, Colorado, USA

November 3, 2026

Happy creating in November!

May life be happy and safe for you!

Take care!

Till next time ~

Fundy Blue

Standing Into Danger https://selkiegrey4.blogspot.com

My next post will be Friday, November 13th. 🤞

Just so you know, I monitor my comments before publishing them. This means your comment won't appear immediately. I will not publish mean spirited or commercial comments.

Friday, October 30, 2026

Playing with CHAT GPT as Fall Lingers

Our fall has been lingering and lovely,

and I've been getting out and enjoying nature as much as I can.

Cottonwood Leaves in Autumn Sun

Along Piney Creek

October 27, 2026

Nature is a great antidote to the stress of an overloaded calendar

and too many pressing projects.

I love the fall colors, the plants and wildlife,

the bright rabbitbrush and migrating monarch butterflies.

Rabbitbrush and Monarch Butterfly

Along Piney Creek

October 6, 2026

Rabbitbrush and Monarch Butterfly

Along Piney Creek

Aurora, Colorado, USA

October 6, 2026

I'm always curious about what I'm seeing, and monarch butterflies have been struggling.

They passed through Aurora earlier this month

on their migration to their wintering grounds in Mexico.

Aurora city naturalist David Footle says larger numbers have been migrating this fall,

rebounding from a population decline in the past. Aurora TV

This is wonderful to learn.

Certainly we have lots of milkweed and rabbitbrush for them.

Yellow Rabbitbrush and White Milkweed

Along Piney Creek

Aurora, Colorado, USA

October 6, 2026

I have a friend Jon who is a prolific publisher of vlogs, and he uses AI extensively

in creating his videos, enhancing his photos, and providing music for the songs he writes.

And since Jon has been raving about what success he has had

using Chat GPT to enhance photos, I decided to check it out.

I experimented first with a photo of some mule deer I captured with my iPhone recently.

Here is the humdrum photo I took off my deck with my iPhone:

Mule Deer Grazing (Original)

Heritage Eagle Bend

Aurora, Colorado, USA

October 23, 2026

Like I often do, I played with my photo in Apple Photos and tried to improve it:

Mule Deer Grazing (After Editing with Photos)

Heritage Eagle Bend

Aurora, Colorado, USA

October 23, 2026

Hardly much of an improvement and not really a photo I would normally post on my blog.

So I learned how to upload it to CHAT GPT and see what it would do with the photo.

It even offered a title for its improved photo, Serene Deer Gathering on the Meadow:

Serene Deer Gathering on the Meadow (CHAT GPT Enhancement #1)

Heritage Eagle Bend

Aurora, Colorado, USA

October 23, 2026

Definitely an improvement, but the photo has changed almost indiscernibly.

The mule deer on the left has its face subtly shifted to enhance its second eye.

Then CHAT GPT offered:

"Would you like to take it a step further?

I can also help you create:

- A sharper, more detailed version that brings out the deer’s fur and facial features.

- A closer crop that makes the four deer larger in the frame.

- A professional wildlife photograph look with richer natural colors and balanced lighting.

I'd recommend the sharper, more detailed version to make these beautiful mule deer stand out."

Well why not, since I'm exploring and learning?

Deer Resting and Grazing on Green Turf (CHAT GPT Enhancement #2)

Heritage Eagle Bend

Aurora, Colorado, USA

October 23, 2026

Whoa! Definitely a much better photo than my original ~ lovely.

But do you see what has happened?

The left deer's face is now straight on, and it has been moved closer to the second deer,

and the right (fourth) deer has been moved closer to the third deer.

It's beautiful, but it's not real.

I want my photos to be real, to accurately capture what I see.

This really bothered and continues to bother me.

An Invitation to Play ~ I Still Love to Kick Through Leaves

Along Piney Creek

Aurora, Colorado, USA

October 27, 2026

After experimenting with the mule deer, I decided to enhance a flawed family photo.

I took it at my niece Natalie's wedding, and the lighting resulted in a disappointing photo:

Natalie with Her Parents and Grandfather

Smith's Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada

September 12, 2026

Wow! What a difference! Joyful Woodland Wedding Portrait.

CHAT GPT described this version as "Classic portrait version: Natural-looking colors and a traditional family-photograph feel."

Joyful Woodland Wedding Portrait (CHAT GPT Enhancement #4)

Smith's Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada

September 12, 2026

Chat GTP offered me several options, including one with the background muted.

It described this version as "Romantic version: Warmer, with a dreamy woodland background."

Joyful Wedding Family Portrait (CHAT GPT Enhancement #4)

Smith's Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada

September 12, 2026

What do you think, classic or romantic?

CHAT GPT also offered me some advice when it comes to family photos:

"Image generation can recreate a photograph rather than simply retouch it. Even when the result looks wonderful, small facial details, clothing features, or other elements may change. That's especially worth watching with treasured family photographs.

"Since this is a family keepsake, I’d recommend keeping your original photo alongside the enhanced versions. AI enhancement can occasionally subtly change small facial details, so the original is always worth preserving."

I'm thinking of the manipulated deer. 😂😂😂

Just for fun I thought I'd throw in a couple of photos from my childhood.

Natalie's parents, Bertie and Peter, now own my Grandmother MacDonald's property,

and Natalie and Jake's wedding took place in a very different space

from when I was a little girl.

The first photo is of me walking through the field behind Grammie's home

before it became the "woodland" it is today.

The apple trees in the background around Grammie's home are now gone,

and many tall trees have vanquished the flowers and grasses I walked through.

Me in My Ubiquitous Harness (I was a runner.)

Smith's Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada

Summer 1953

And, of course, I had to run it through CHAT GPT out of curiosity:

Vintage Toddler in a Wildflower Meadow.

Vintage Toddler in a Wildflower Meadow (CHAT GPT Enhancement #1)

Smith's Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada

Summer 1953

I like the nonvintage me. 😂 😂 😂

The last one I promise.

This photo shows my three sisters, Donnie holding Bertie (Natalie's mother) and Barb.

The apple tree behind them is only a memory,

but my grandfather's workshop still stands

reincarnated as Peter's workshop and Natalie and Sara's Hummingbird House.

Donnie (with Bertie) and Barbie

Smith's Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada

Summer 1960

CHAT GPT worked its magic.

Vintage Backyard Family Snapshot:

Donnie (with Bertie) and Barbie

Smith's Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada

Summer 1960

Pretty sad reconstruction.

Their faces are subtly altered; well, not Barbie's.

Barbie doesn't look like Barbie at all, and her characteristic skeptical scowl,

which made the original funny, has been changed into a smile.

This is why you should always preserve the original photo!

😱 😱 😱

In my writing group, the Insecure Writer's Support Group,

we have frequently discussed the use of AI in writing.

This new and rapidly changing technology poses all kinds of ethical questions.

Where do you draw the lines in its use?

How do we know what is real and what isn't?

In writing? In photography? In art?

In business? In science? In politics?

Will AI usher us into an amazing future and help us solve our serious problems,

or will it lead to our extinction?

An original photo? An improved photo? Or a distortion of reality?

A cupcake baked from scratch? From a cupcake mix?

Bought from the deli, piled high with buttercream frosting,

and made from questionable or fake ingredients?

I guess we each make our choices,

but we should be intentional and clearly indicate where we draw the lines.

What are your thoughts?

Fall Continues to Linger

Along Piney Creek

Aurora, Colorado, USA

October 27, 2026

Have a great weekend!

Till next time ~

Fundy Blue

Standing Into Danger https://selkiegrey4.blogspot.com

My next post will be

IWSG Day, Wednesday, November 4th, 2026 🤞

Confession: Actually I quite like deli cupcakes, especially if they're chocolate or red velvet topped with copious buttercream icing. 🧁🧁🧁

Books Read in 2026

"18 Days in Heaven" by Gale Poirot
"A Serial Killer's Daughter: My Story of Hope, Love, and Overcoming" by Kerrie Rawson
"Eat Your Ice Cream: Six Simple Rules for a Long and Healthy Life" by Ezekiel J. Emanuel, MD.
"Is Math Real? How Simple Questions Lead Us to Mathematics Deepest Truths" by Eugenia Cheng
"Project Hail Mary" by Andy Weir
"Tell Me Everything" by Elizabeth Strout
"The Covenant of Water" by Abraham Verghese
"The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity" by David Graeber and David Wengrow
"The Life Impossible" by Matthew Haig
"The Lord go the Rings" by JRR Tolkien
"The Match" by Harlan Corben
"The Night the Path Disappeared" by Terri Bergen
"The Notebook: A History of Thinking on Paper" by Roland Allen
"Theo of Golden" by Allen Levi
"Think Twice" by Harlan Corben
"Why Christianity Must Change Or Die" by John Shelby Spong

Standing Into Danger

Pages

Friday, November 13, 2026

Down A Rabbit Hole

Tuesday, November 3, 2026

IWSG Day: Wednesday, November 4, 2026 ~ Bound to Place and Time

Friday, October 30, 2026

Playing with CHAT GPT as Fall Lingers

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