Cap'n Bob & the Damsel

La Bella Luna

Not quite a full moon tonight, but La Bella Luna (Italian for “the beautiful moon”) was shining at 98 percent of full when I took this (clickable) photo. The official “Strawberry” full moon will be tomorrow afternoon at roughly 5 PM Arizona time. At sunset, if you are able, look to the east and the moonrise should put on a pretty good show.

I took this image using my Canon R10 and a recently acquired 100-400mm zoom lens. I cropped the image a bit to allow the moon to fill the frame. The resolution is good enough to see the craters shadows on the left side while all the remaining albedo appears closely to what the naked eye sees. The lens is only a telephoto and not a telescope, so the image needs a little cropping help to get the moon properly centered and prominently sized in the frame. Again, click to view enlarged.

Image details:

  • Camera: Canon EOS R10
  • Artist: Cap’n Bob [C] All rights reserved
  • Shutter: 1/4000sec
  • Aperture: F8.0
  • Program: Manual Control
  • ISO: 6400
  • Focal Length: 400mm
  • Lens: Canon RF 100-400mm F5.6-8 IS USM
28 Jun 2026 by Astronomy Notions Photography Technobabble 0

R10 Panoramic Mode

Panoramic images have always been an interest of mine. Early on, I used to take a series of adjacent , overlapping images and would “stitch” them together using an old application that did the job. Now, the function has been integrated right into some cameras.

My Kodak PixPro FZ152 has a panoramic function, but it can be kind of picky in the stitching process, and frequently will overlap in the wrong places. Maybe that is due to the way I used it, but regardless, it seemed clumsy to me.

I took the panorama above with my Canon EOS R10 in its panoramic mode. It works much better; all I have to do is press the shutter button and hold while I smoothly pan from left to right (optionally the other way too) to get what my eye perceives as a smooth and seamless image. Click on the image and pan using the image viewer scroll bar at the bottom.

I took the image from our courtyard looking west; the image spans the west leg of the RV drive sweeping from the road across the west cactus and rock garden, mesquite and paloverde trees, the lemon tree to the back gate of the courtyard.

I will try and get some more interesting panoramas as the opportunities arise.

22 Jun 2026 by Arizona Home & Garden Notions Panorama Photography Technobabble 0

Father’s Day and Summer Solstice

Wishing a happy Father’s Day to all the Dads out there. A special wish for our Dads who have passed into heaven.

Also, June 21, 2026 is the first day of summer in the northern hemisphere, so Happy Summer (or below the equator – Happy Winter)! The length of our daylight today (sunup to sundown) is 14hrs 27mins.

Clickable image enhanced by GROK AI.

21 Jun 2026 by Ancestors Environment Family Technobabble 0

Western Diamondback Rattlesnake

Western Diamondback Rattlesnake

Western Diamondback Rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox).

This is a very common and widespread species in our part of Arizona (Sonoran Desert around Wickenburg). Key visible features that support the ID:

  • Body pattern: Light tan/grayish-brown background with a series of dark diamond/hexagonal blotches along the back that often have lighter centers. These are classic for C. atrox.
  • Tail banding: Very distinct alternating black-and-white rings on the tail (visible toward the upper right in the photo). This is one of the most reliable field marks for Western Diamondbacks.
  • Overall build: Heavy-bodied with a relatively broad head and the characteristic rattle.

Safety note for your area
Western Diamondbacks are responsible for most rattlesnake bites in Arizona, though they’re generally not aggressive unless provoked or cornered. They’re common in rocky desert yards like ours, especially near structures, water sources or debris.

Recommendations:

  • Keep your distance and give it space — it will likely move on if left alone.
  • Be cautious around the garden/rocks at dawn/dusk when they’re more active.

I took this photo today when this evil-looking critter slithered into the yard. I kept my distance and used the camera’s 210mm focal length to get this (clickable) close-up.

Eventually, the snake kept on going as there wasn’t anything interesting for it in our yard.

19 Jun 2026 by Arizona Critters Photography 0

New Camera Toy

I’ve been playing around with the new(ish) Canon EOS R10 camera since getting it last February. This week, I ordered and received a Canon RF100-400mm F5.6-8 IS USM telephoto lens. I tried it out today and got a few shots around the yard including the one above of a Mourning Dove and Cactus Wren perched atop one of the birdseed feeders out back. I was easily 30 feet from the birds when I took the photo. I am intend to use the new lens for wildlife and possibly astronomical photos. More on those as time marches on.

For my older Canon SL3 Camera, I have a good collection of lenses for various purposes, not the least of which is the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L is II USM telephoto lens. Comparing the older telephoto to the new one, there are a couple of things worth noting:

  • Weight: The old lens weighs in at 3 lb 10 oz, while the new lens is only 1 lb 8 oz.
  • Length @ 400mm: old is 10.75 inches and new is 9.5 inches.

Using the old lens on the SL3 makes the camera very front-heavy and, while not absolutely necessary, could use a monopod or some other support for longer periods of use. The bigger lens has its own tripod mount. The new camera and lens aren’t noticeably as front-heavy and the weight doesn’t seem to be an issue when carrying it around.

So, I’ll report on any amazing things I encounter when using the new setup. Stay tuned.

As usual, you may click on the image above to view enlarged in a new tab or window.

Update 20260617 20:29 AZ time: Venus and the Moon in the western sky. Using the R10 and 400mm Lens . . .

17 Jun 2026 by Critters Notions Photography Retirement 0

Flag Day 2026

Damsel and I will be celebrating Flag Day with Filet Mignon Steaks and a Salad for Sunday Dinner. We’re also celebrating a couple of birthdays: U.S. Army’s 251st and President Donald Trump’s 80th. Go Army and Happy Birthday Mr. President!

UPDATE: Flag Day Steaks on the grill . . .

Hers (left) is butterflied because she likes it cooked for some reason. Mine (right) is on for only 10 minutes and uncooked to perfection.

14 Jun 2026 by Holidays Patriotism 0

Garage Door Opener Repair

After fifteen or sixteen years or so since we built the house, the original garage door opener (pictured, clickable) developed a quirk such that if the sun was shining in the door, the obstruction detector would “think” that there was an object blocking the door and would refuse to close the door. This condition progressively got worse and eventually wouldn’t close regardless of the amount of sunlight. We had to press and hold the indoor control to get the door to close. This was very inconvenient, especially if we were departing, since one of us would have to close the door manually and come out the side door to get into the truck.

Yesterday, enough being enough, I called a repair facility to come out and fix the problem. The technician offered to clean and align the sensors, or to replace them both at our option. We opted for the latter, assuming that zero-time sensors would last longer.

To make a long story short, the tech replaced the sensors in ten minutes or less, and the door worked fine. Same-day service call, reasonable rates and problem solved.

Click on the links below to see the new sensors:

Sensor Transmitter Unit

Sensor Receiver Unit

Bottom line (literally) — stuff is going to wear out in the desert. We already need new exterior paint after only nine years or so. More on that later.

09 Jun 2026 by Arizona Home & Garden Notions Technobabble 0

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