Pretzel, our tortie cat, was chirping away at this guy from our front window. He was frozen in fear at her feline ferociousness. Now, I know that a lot of people are triggered by even pictures of snakes. This was true for even myself until many years ago I had the “opportunity” to actually see one up close and believe it or not even pet it. This event was at the Gainesville Oaks Mall and they were having animal encounters for the public.

Okay, so I’ll admit, I had to really dig deep to not freeze in fear myself, but I managed to pull myself together and figure out what the worst thing could be—could the snake slime me? Well, surprise, surprise, snakes aren’t slimy! I’ve always thought they were. The animal handlers were fantastic at calming my fears and debunking many snake myths. I even touched a snake, which I think was a Python, and discovered its skin felt like smooth plastic. That’s it! Of course, I’m not about to pick one up. My Big Girl Panties weren’t that big. I left that task to my lovely daughter, who loves just about any animal, including snakes. She actually worked with snakes for a while at Silver Springs in Florida before the attractions were permanently closed.

This photo was taken with my Pixel 10 Pro and enhanced using its AI capabilities. It’s incredible how powerful these features are. I was standing in my craft room, gazing out the window, trying to decipher what Miss Pretzel was fussing about. Initially, I dismissed it as a minor issue, like a bug, until I noticed the commotion. A black racer was perched on top of the bushes, fixated on something. It remained motionless for an extended period, which was advantageous for me. I wasn’t expecting to capture very good photos since I was indoors, peering through a somewhat dirty window. However, I discovered a photography trick that proved useful. I took approximately six photos by leaning close to the window pane. This technique, which I learned during photography school, works exceptionally well when you’re taking photos at the zoo and need to look through fencing. The closer you get, the more the fencing appears blurred.  

I decided to get super close to see what my Pixel could do. I was amazed at how close I could get! I’m so happy I can use this phone to capture those shots that would be lost if I had to unpack my Nikon. Life can surprise us with little things like this, and it’s great to have a backup.

Another great thing about the Pixel Pro 10 is its editing software. I’m really impressed! At first, the photos were a bit blurry because of the smudged window. But hey, I don’t clean that one because the bushes are so close. No need to judge! Sometimes, I’ll use the AI editor for photos taken on my phone. Again, please don’t judge. Sometimes it does a good job, sometimes not quite to my liking. This time, I think it really nailed it. Just look at his eyes and that frown. I don’t think he was happy that someone was watching him.