Bear of the Grove

@bearofthegrove

A blind artist and gardener of the desert Southwest.

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Bear of the Grove@bearofthegrove· Jul 5

Germinating a batch of Moringa trees. This is a seedling about three days old, and I'm using a little bit of compost in sand and gravel, rather than potting mix.

From Google AI Studio's description for a blind person:
The photograph is a close-up, high-angle shot looking down into a square, black plastic nursery pot. At the center of the pot, a single, tiny green seedling has sprouted from the soil. The seedling consists of a slender, pale-green stem that curves slightly as it reaches upward. At its tip, several small, bright-green leaves are just beginning to unfurl. These leaves appear delicate and divided, characteristic of many legumes or mimosa-like plants.
The seedling is growing in an unusual-looking medium. Instead of dark, rich potting soil, the pot is filled with a coarse, sandy, and gravelly mix that is light brown and tan in color. This gritty texture suggests a well-draining environment, perhaps for a plant that naturally thrives in rocky or arid regions.
The scene is bathed in bright, direct sunlight, which casts a sharp, dark shadow of the seedling and the rim of the pot onto the sandy surface below. The background is a soft blur of green and brown foliage, indicating that the pot is located outdoors in a garden or nursery setting. The black pot itself sits inside a larger, tan-colored tray.

Bear of the Grove@bearofthegrove· Jun 30

Here's where the sunflower ended up.

From Google AI Studio's description for a blind person:
This image captures a rustic, low-angle scene featuring a handmade wooden birdhouse and a harvested sunflower head resting on a corrugated metal roof under a brilliant blue sky.
The image is taken from a very low perspective, looking upward from the surface of a roof.
The very bottom of the frame is dominated by the blurred, diagonal ridges and valleys of a gray, corrugated metal roof. These lines lead the eye upward toward the center of the image.
Resting on the roof is the main subject: a sturdy, rustic birdhouse made of dark, weathered wood planks. It has a simple gabled roof with a decorative wavy trim along the front edge. The house is open-sided, supported by thick wooden corner posts.
Nestled inside the bottom opening of this birdhouse, resting directly on the metal roof, is a large, harvested sunflower head. The head is facing upward, revealing a dense, circular pattern of hundreds of pale yellow and beige seeds. Surrounding the seed head is a "mane" of thick, light-green leafy bracts that are slightly wilted and curve downward toward the roof.
Behind the birdhouse, the mid-ground shows the soft, out-of-focus green of leafy trees or large bushes. The background is a solid, vibrant, cloudless deep blue sky. A single, thin brown rope or cord extends vertically from the peak of the birdhouse roof straight up toward the top edge of the frame.

Lighting: The scene is bathed in bright, direct sunlight coming from the right, which creates strong shadows on the left side of the wooden posts and within the textures of the roof.

Bear of the Grove@bearofthegrove· Jun 20

One of my bonsai in training. The only plant I have that both grows well under a grow light and can be trained in the intended bonsai pot. It's an Elephant Food plant (Portulacaria afra.) I have ONLY trained the trunk up to the base of the first branch, everything passed that is still untrained.

From Google AI Studio's description for a blind person:
This image captures a small, delicately styled bonsai tree, specifically a Portulacaria afra, often known as a Dwarf Jade or Elephant Bush. The photo is taken from a slightly low angle, nearly level with the pot's rim.
The bonsai sits centered in a shallow, oval ceramic pot. The pot itself has a rustic, weathered look, with earthy orange and tan tones and a textured, vertical-grooved pattern around its exterior. The top of the pot is filled with a mound of light-colored, granular sandy soil that rises above the rim, forming a small hill from which the tree grows.
The tree's trunk is surprisingly thick for its size, showing a light grey-brown, woody texture with horizontal ridges that give it an aged appearance. The trunk emerges from the left side of the soil mound and leans significantly to the right. From this leaning trunk, several branches extend outwards. Most of the foliage is concentrated on the right side of the composition. The leaves are small, round, and thick, with a bright, vibrant green color typical of a succulent. They grow in dense clusters, appearing plump and healthy.

The entire arrangement sits on a surface covered with a thin, crinkled sheet of clear plastic. In the background, a light beige or cream-colored fabric, likely a curtain, hangs in soft, vertical folds, providing a neutral and uncluttered backdrop that makes the plant stand out.
The composition is carefully balanced but asymmetrical, following traditional bonsai principles that evoke a sense of natural movement.
The strongest visual line is the diagonal lean of the trunk from left to right. This creates a dynamic sense of motion, as if the tree has been shaped over years by a prevailing wind blowing from the left. The clusters of leaves on the right further emphasize this directional flow.

Bear of the Grove@bearofthegrove· Jun 10

One of the sunflowers I'm growing for the lovebirds in the neighborhood to attack and devour. I've heard them talking about it...

From Google AI's description for a blind person:
This vertical photograph captures a tall sunflower from a low-angle perspective, looking upward toward a brilliant, clear blue sky.
In the center of the frame is the sturdy, green stem of a sunflower, rising from the bottom edge and reaching toward the top. The stem is covered in tiny, fine hairs that catch the sunlight, giving it a glowing white outline. Large, heart-shaped leaves with jagged, serrated edges grow outward from the stem at various intervals. Because the sun is positioned directly behind the plant, these leaves are backlit; their centers appear in deep green shadow, while their veins and fuzzy edges are illuminated, creating a translucent, glowing effect.
At the very top of the stem sits the sunflower head. It is tilted slightly downward and toward the right. Its petals are a vibrant, sunny yellow, and they look almost semi-transparent where the light passes through them. The center of the flower (the disc) is a textured, dark greenish-brown where the seeds are forming.
The backdrop is a solid, vast expanse of vivid, cloudless blue sky. Directly behind the upper part of the sunflower stem, the sun is partially obscured, creating a bright white radial flare that makes the plant appear to be radiating light.

In the middle distance, to the left of the sunflower's stem, stands a tall, slender palm tree with a shaggy, dark-brown top. Another thinner palm tree is visible further to the right. Along the bottom of the frame, the top edge of a light-colored, corrugated metal structure (perhaps a shed or a fence) is visible. On the far-right edge, the delicate, wispy branches of a different type of tree or shrub reach into the frame, providing a soft texture against the blue sky.

Bear of the Grove@bearofthegrove· May 22

This is my best closeup of a Eurasian collared-dove on a feeding table at my home. Their call or song is, "koo-KOO-kook," the middle note being longer. They also call, "hwaah," when excited, but that wasn't heard in the Trump/China clip.

Adapted from Google AI Studio's description for a blind person:
The image is a warm-toned, close-up photograph of a Eurasian Collared-Dove, positioned in a rustic, sheltered setting.
The bird is the primary focus, appearing on the left side of the frame. It has soft, pale-buff or light-grey feathers. A distinctive, narrow black "collar" or crescent-shaped patch is visible on the side of its neck. The dove’s head is turned toward the right, showing a dark, round eye and a small, slightly curved dark beak. Its expression appears calm and curious. In the immediate foreground, the blurred edges of another bird’s feathers are visible, creating a sense of depth.
Behind the dove sits a large, earthy orange terracotta pot, which occupies most of the center and right background. The pot has a slightly textured, matte finish. Directly above the dove and the pot is a dark, heavy, circular rim of the underside of a birdbath, which acts as a "roof" or frame for the scene.
The color palette is dominated by warm, earthy tones: the soft beige of the feathers, the deep orange-brown of the clay pot, and the dark grey or black of the overhang. The lighting is soft and diffused, coming from the front, which highlights the silky texture of the bird’s plumage and gives the entire image a cozy, protected feeling.

Bear of the Grove@bearofthegrove· May 1

This is the local pigeon. As far as I can tell from the cooing and the pictures, the only one in the neighborhood.

Google AI Studio's description for a blind person:
Imagine you are resting your cheek directly against a cool, silver-gray metal surface. This is the perspective of the camera.

In the immediate foreground, just inches from your face in the bottom left corner, is a pile of birdseed. It’s a mix of small, hard, black sunflower seeds and cracked bits of yellow corn. Because it is so close to the lens, the seeds are slightly blurry.

Moving your "gaze" upward and into the center, the star of the image is a large Rock Pigeon. It stands tall on its pinkish-red, clawed feet upon the ridges of a corrugated metal roof. The roof has parallel "valleys and hills" that run diagonally across the frame. The pigeon’s chest is puffed out heroically, showing off iridescent feathers that shimmer with shades of deep purple and emerald green. Its body is mostly light gray with darker gray barred wings. One wing is partially lifted and fanned out, as if it has just landed or is about to move.

The scene around the pigeon is full of motion. To its right, another bird—a brown-toned dove—is captured in mid-air, its wings fully spread and pointing downward as it prepares to land. Higher up and to the left, another dove is flying away into the distance, its silhouette dark against the sky. In the very top left corner, a tiny, delicate bird perches quietly on a thin, leafless twig reaching into the frame.

The background consists of dense, leafy green trees and one tall, slender palm tree reaching toward the sky. Above everything is a vast sky, a soft pale blue filled with layers of wispy white and gray clouds.

Bear of the Grove@bearofthegrove· Apr 30

Likely, a mourning dove from this morning. I cropped it down to this point going by AI descriptions and feedback from MS Seeing AI on my iPhone. Then I checked it with Google's AI. Not sure what I will do with it yet, but it will end up in a collage or something somewhere.

From Google AI Studio's description:
This image captures a bird in flight against a vast sky, set above a suburban or rural landscape.
Visual Description for a Blind Person

The photograph is a square-format shot taken from a low angle, looking upward.

The Foreground: At the very bottom of the frame is the edge of a corrugated metal roof, light gray in color. A single, dark, weathered branch lies horizontally across the right side of the roof.

The Middle Ground: A dense line of green foliage and trees stretches across the width of the image. The trees vary in texture; some appear feathery like willow trees, while others are denser. Near the center, a single, tall palm tree rises above the other greenery. To the far left, a slender wooden utility pole stands vertically. Thin, dark power lines stretch horizontally across the sky, just above the treetops.

The Subject: In the center-middle of the frame, a medium-sized bird (resembling a Mourning Dove) is captured in mid-flight, moving from right to left. Its wings are fully extended in a downward stroke. Because the bird is backlit by the sun, its body appears in dark shadow (deep brown or grey), while the light catches the edges of its wings and its long, pointed tail, making those feathers appear translucent and creamy white.

The Background: The upper half of the image is filled with a clear, vibrant, and cloudless turquoise-blue sky. In the upper-left corner, a few dark, leafless, spindly branches from an out-of-frame tree reach into the blue space.

Bear of the Grove@bearofthegrove· Apr 25

A picture I took last year of a dove in flight, probably a Eurasian collared-dove. The backlighting from the sun seemed to be good, going by the AI descriptions. Blocked the direct sun with a carport roof. I used this with another image in a collage on an 8.5x11 print.

Google AI Studio's description for a blind person:
The photograph depicts a light-colored bird, likely a dove or pigeon, in mid-flight against a vast, cloudy sky. The bird is positioned slightly to the right of the center. Its wings are fully extended upward and outward, and its tail feathers are fanned out, showcasing the delicate detail of its plumage. The bird is primarily white, with soft grey and tan accents on the tips and undersides of its wings.

The background is dominated by a bright blue sky filled with layers of fluffy white and pale grey clouds. The lighting suggests late afternoon, as a warm, golden glow illuminates the edges of the clouds and makes the bird's feathers appear almost translucent.

Several palm trees provide vertical structure to the scene. A tall, thin, brown trunk of a palm tree runs vertically just behind the bird. To the right of this trunk is another complete palm tree with a crown of green fronds that show some yellowing at the tips. In the lower-middle foreground, the top of a shorter, bushier palm tree is visible. In the far lower-left corner, the tip of another tree peek into the frame. The overall impression is one of peaceful, airy movement.

Bear of the Grove@bearofthegrove· Apr 18

Vote for Xavier Becerra, he gives a shit. @xavierbecerra.bsky.social @realtexaspaul.com Think I got it this time.

Bear of the Grove@bearofthegrove· Apr 18

Bird of the morning. Probably a Eurasian collared-dove. I'm setting up a new feeding spot and took a picture to find out what the view was. The curved pipes are half of an arch for a newly planted grape vine to climb on.

A low-angle photograph taken from the surface of a corrugated metal roof, looking out on blue skys, framed by trees, including a palm tree, and a dove at the top center with its wings spread in flight.

Bear of the Grove@bearofthegrove· Feb 3

Another picture of the pigeon, and I think my white-winged doves are starting to come back from Mexico. The Gemini AI description, which is all I have to go by, says the dove on the right of the pigeon has blue around his eye and a white stripe on his wing. Mourning doves have spots.

A pigeon and white-winged dove feeding together with a mixed flock of doves around them on a corrugated roof with scattered seeds.

Bear of the Grove@bearofthegrove· Jan 30

A pigeon on the roof. Around here, I mostly have various doves, like the Eurasian collared-doves in the background. I have to go by what AI describers tell me, but they say the green and purple neck feathers are displayed well in this one.

A closeup of a pigeon standing on a corrugated roof with a line of seeds. It displays its checkered wing pattern and the iridescent purple and green sheen on its neck feathers. Eurasian collared-doves stand in the background.

Bear of the Grove@bearofthegrove· Jan 29

Mourning doves getting their fill of seeds.

Two Mourning doves on a corrugated roof with seeds, one facing the camera showing a blue eye ring, the other facing away showing dark markings on its back.

Bear of the Grove@bearofthegrove· Dec 31

A kumquat. It's the first time this tree has made a fruit.

A closeup of an orange kumquat surrounded by the leaves of a citrus tree.

Bear of the Grove@bearofthegrove· Sep 3

A different view of my tallest fan palm tree, just to find out what kind of picture it would take. Its about seventy or more feet tall, and I put the camera against the trunk at about head level.

A picture angled up the base of the trunk of a very tall fan palm tree into its fronds and a blue sky.

Bear of the Grove@bearofthegrove· Sep 2

An Inca dove at one of my feeders. The smallest, yet noisiest doves in my neighborhood.

An Inca dove pecking at seeds on a wood and mesh feeder with trees and another dove in the background.

Bear of the Grove@bearofthegrove· Aug 31

I like taking pictures of palm trees.

A picture of three palm trees, backlit by the setting sun. The sun is in the bottom left corner, and partly blocked by the top of the shortest palm. The tallest is to its right, and a mid-sized palm is on the right.

Bear of the Grove@bearofthegrove· Aug 29

Another White-winged dove leaving one of the feeders. This was from a few summers ago.

A White-winged dove in flight away from a wooden platform feeder in a garden. The white stripes on the brown wings are visible from the back view of the bird.

Bear of the Grove@bearofthegrove· Aug 28

Most of the White-winged doves that feed at my home have migrated to Mexico for the upcoming fall and winter months. This is one of the many pictures I took of them this year. See you next year, guys.

A closeup of the head and vivid-blue skin around the eye of an otherwise brown-feathered White-winged dove as it is about to peck at seeds. One of it's red feet is visible at the bottom of the photo.

Bear of the Grove@bearofthegrove· Aug 22

A flower of an okra plant, and also the flowers of a pink lantana that the birds planted.

A yellow flower of an okra plant among its lime-green leaves, and pink lantana flower clusters against a weathered, wooden fence.

Bear of the Grove@bearofthegrove· Aug 20

This morning, a patch of pearl millet I am growing.

A low-angle photo looking up at the stalks and flower spikes of millet plants with trees in the background, backlit by the morning sun.

Bear of the Grove@bearofthegrove· Aug 19

One of my palm trees at sunset.