A multi-media account of my travels through life
Another aptly named mushroom. These are Little Helmets. Dozens of them poked their heads through the moss on Sunday, September 29th. By yesterday, October 2nd, there was nary a trace of them. But they are sweet. I was able to get several good shots and will post one or two more. To give you an idea of how little the Little Helmets are, here is a second image showing my setup of the shot. The Little Helmets are the white spots in front of the camera, about 2-3 cm in height. ☙
Mushrooms are making a comeback after a 3-4 week hiatus. New blooms are popping up everywhere. This aptly named Jack O’Lantern mushroom is quite spectacular and very seasonal. ☙
Lots of change in the air … autumn is settling in. ☙
There’s been a lot of talk recently about Miley Cyrus. I was fortunate enough to miss her performance but there’s been no missing the news coverage. In addition to her twerking it was also mentioned that she has an agile tongue. My cat, Rainbow, as you can see, would be happy to give Miley a run for her money.
Having seen “the twerk” in other video pieces I would have to say that it is not the most attractive dance move I’ve ever seen but I’m old enough to remember when The Twist was deemed offensive and threatened western culture as we know it. Of course seeing what has come after The Twist perhaps all the critics were correct. ☙
We’re back! Bigger and better than ever… Computer woes are (hopefully) behind us. The new iMac is a joy and the transfer of data was a breeze. When you’ve matured along with the computer industry you can REALLY appreciate advancement. Twenty years ago it was a nightmare to transfer data from an old computer to a new one. This time the delays were the operator’s fault, not the operating system. And there is the pesky element of serial numbers and product keys. Software programs are unrelenting about wanting that kind of stuff. Having recently moved it was a bit time consuming tracking down some really old, original boxes and discs. Programs are not happy with update product numbers. They are insistent on the original product number. To all my friends and followers I can highly recommend 1Password. Not only does it track all those online passwords but it also has a folder specifically for software data. It made this process much easier.
So, back to an image a day. Frequent readers will recall this was supposed to be the iconic photography project – 365. 365 images in 365 days. I’ve already cheated since I don’t make it a picture I took THAT day. Sometimes it works out that way but mostly I viewed this as a chance to share some of my pictures, expound a bit on life in a new community or other matters, and keep in touch with friends. I’m sure there are some very disciplined photographers who have done the true 365. My hat is off to them but now it is back to my version.
This tall fellow, by the way, with his small traveler on the back of his neck, is a giraffe from the Paraa Preserve in Uganda, Africa. I was on a medical mission and we had a day of R&R at the Preserve. A special time … ☙
Sundays at our house are very low key. Usually I watch “Sunday Morning” and the critters … Well, you can see they take it easy too. That’s Tango, on the couch and Rainbow cat above him. At one point they had touching paws but by the time I got the iPad to take this picture the touching paws was gone. Oh well, it is still a sweet image ☙
Yesterday’s blog, “Dead Butterfly,” may have been a bit dreary for some. Tonight I give you a very live butterfly, enjoying the bounty of summer.☙
Some time ago I posted a blog called “Dead Hummingbirds.” Over time it has been among the biggest draws to my blog. I can’t imagine who is Googling for “Dead Hummingbirds” but stats don’t lie…right?
Today I present a dead butterfly, most likely a swallowtail variety. Friends and frequent readers will know that I worked in hospice for six years and I can already hear a few of them — “Leave it to Alice to find a dead butterfly.” Maybe it is a cosmic, spiritual link that leads me to these things. I mean, how many people have found a dead hummingbird on their front yard? Dead butterflies are easier to find. I have numerous pictures of various wing parts, shattered on some roadway or forest floor. This particular butterfly was on a dirt road, somewhere near Franklin. I was sitting, almost laying on the road trying to get a shot of the “Broken Hearted Tree“. As I went to get up there was the remains of this butterfly. Such a small bit of a beautiful thing. How could I not take a moment to acknowledge and photograph it?
“All things must pass,” sang the great George Harrison. It is an important thing to remember.☙
The blades of grass and mossy ground cover give you a sense of scale for this beautiful mushroom. It has been a wonderful season for mushrooms. New ones continue to emerge even as the days grow shorter and the nights cooler. What other treasures does North Carolina hold as the seasons change? ☙
About a year ago I posted a blog entitled “Grass on the Mind“. I revisited it today and a portion of it really jumped out at me.
My passion these days is photography and I LOVE photographing grass. There are thousands of varieties of grass in the world and a lot of them live here in Florida. At this time of the year many are “going to seed” — a phrase we have come to regard as pejorative. But if you get close enough to these grasses you’ll see a world of color and wonder. They may be “going to seed” but they do it in style. Just look at the colors and textures of these two samples.
There are many beautiful grasses here in North Carolina, of course. I have only just begun to photograph the N.C. variety. You’ll see their pictures in future blogs. Life has been very full in recent months what with moving to N.C. and working on this old place. It seems there has been little time for photography but once again I have been blessed. Nature has presented a bounty of mushrooms to photograph this year — right in my own backyard — and I have posted many of those pictures. But the grasses are calling me — their rich colors and awesome translucence wave at me in the deepening autumn sunlight. ☙
Alice's WanderLand 