Image #86 — And tonight, under the big top …

Macro photography is a wonderful hobby. But it is also … well, it is hard work. Today I was doing some work in the backyard when my eye caught the most amazing bright orange color under brown, damp leaves. There were two small orange dots and I began to carefully clear away the detritus wondering what would emerge. To my utter amazement there were two, very small mushrooms. One was about two inches tall, the other about half that size. The color was stupendous. They were ORANGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They bordered on red. To say I was captivated is an understatement.

I dropped everything I was doing and headed to the house for the camera and attendant gear — tripod, remote shutter release, etc. But these small lovelies were on a steep slope…a slope I was trying to preserve by re-building a beautifully stacked stone wall. And they are so small. The one above in no more than an inch in height. A nearby cousin is about 1.5 inches. The equipment that I was bringing to capture these beings could easily crush either one and the slope made arranging the tripod VERY difficult.

I struggled with the situation for the better part of an hour, snapping about 50 or so images. There are, perhaps, two to three that I am happy with but I have learned that I am too harsh on myself. Many images that I deem “adequate” are viewed by others as “fabulous.” And I have begun to understand why. Even though my photos may not be up to National Geographic standards the simple truth is that I pause to capture moments that make others appreciate what is out there, around them, thriving on this globe that we call home … Earth.

And, from a purely selfish point-of-view, macro photography reveals wonders that none of us are aware of. This shot is a perfect example. My energy was focused on trying to capture a photo of this less-than-one-inch-high mushroom. The focus is less than satisfactory but look…to the right…dropping from the mushroom like a player in some Cirque de Soleil show at Las Vegas or Disney World. I did not see that creature until I off-loaded the pictures to my computer. It personifies what I love about macro…the absolute unknown, captured in a shutter’s heart beat. None of the other pictures had this creature. Macro, to my mind, is a WHOLE lot of preparation but also a WHOLE lot of luck. This is not a particularly good picture but it has captured a life energy that 99% of us are totally unaware of. How cool is that? How wonderful is it that we can capture these moments?

Macro rocks!☙

August 23, 2013 1

Image #85 – Coral Mushrooms

A week of rain has brought another round of mushrooms popping up in the Carolina woods. Many are familiar from last July but a newcomer (to me) is a good sized stand of Straight-branched Coral mushrooms near our tool shed. Larger than the Violet-branched Coral mushroom of a few weeks back, these mushrooms seem very robust. It will be interesting to see if they become food for some critter. The field guide states they are “sometimes bitter.” I accepted that and let them be. ☙

August 22, 2013 4

Image #84 – Shelter from the Storm, Part II

Hunkered down, riding out the storm, this gold finch barely moved for 10-15 minutes as yet another rain storm passed through. We have had LOTS of rain. The birds are fortunate that so many people feed them in this area.

Gold finches are truly spectacular birds, rather like wild canaries in their yellow-brilliance. This fellow would have preferred thistle seed over the sunflower and safflower mix I provide. But thistle is expensive. I recall a colleague from many years ago who could identify nearly every bird by its song. He was a terrific birder. He commented once that he didn’t worry too much about college tuition for his children but he worried about the costs of keeping the finches in thistle seed. Things haven’t changed. ☙

August 21, 2013 0

Image #83 – The North Carolina State Turtle … who knew?

As I do these blogs I try to make them interesting and informative. Not just to my readers but also to myself. And that is how I have learned that North Carolina has a state turtle. To be precise, the Eastern Box Turtle. I learned this because an Eastern Box Turtle, specifically the one pictured above, was walking across my yard on Sunday so, of course, I took pictures. And then I looked up turtles on the internet and learned about North Carolina’s official state turtle. On the N.C. Secretary of State’s website I found the following:

“The turtle is one of nature’s most useful creatures. Through its dietary habits it serves to assist in the control of harmful insects and as a clean-up crew, helping to preserve the purity and beauty of our waters. The turtle has adapted well to modern conditions and has existed virtually unchanged since prehistoric times. The turtle is really a culinary delight, providing the gourmet food enthusiast with numerous tasty dishes from soups to entrees.

The turtle watches undisturbed as countless generations of faster “hares” run by to quick oblivion, and is thus a model of patience for mankind, and a symbol of our State’s unrelenting pursuit of great and lofty goals.

The General Assembly of 1979 designated the Eastern Box Turtle as the official State Reptile for North Carolina. (Session Laws, 1979, c. 154).”

I guess the turtle only “watches undisturbed” if he/she is lucky enough to live in an area that doesn’t bask in its “culinary delights.”

Probing deeper I learned, once again thanks to the internet, that nineteen states have an official state turtle. Not to be out done, Florida has two–the gopher tortoise and the loggerhead tortoise–thus paying homage to inland and coastal residents.

Who knew all this turtle stuff was going on out there? It gives one hope, honestly. ☙

August 20, 2013 0

Image #80 – Carolina Crepe Myrtles

The Carolina Crepe Myrtles are in bloom. They dot the landscape, rising to heights of 13-15 feet. They are lean, quite different from the shorter, bushy-style crepe myrtles I’m accustomed to in Florida. The hot pink color of the Carolina myrtles is also very different from the soft pink and white flowers that you see in Florida. Either one is fine with me. They both have beautiful flowers that last a long time. ☙

August 17, 2013 0

Image #79 – Well, maybe not all briars ….

You know how it is. Just when you make a strong statement about … well, almost anything…life throws you the exception and there you are eating crow. So, that’s me today. In my blog yesterday I ranted and raved about how I hate briars. And I do. But then I was reviewing these pictures from yesterday and what do I spot? Briars! Tiny but, nevertheless, briars. It is, in fact, a Sensitive Briar or Littleleaf Sensitive-briar (Mimosa microphylla). The bee gives you a clue to its size. It grows down our hillside in an overgrown patch that needs some attention but I’m unsure what kind of attention it needs. For the moment it is a pleasant enough area for wildflowers to occupy. The bees are very happy with the arrangement. This particular bee was one of several varieties I saw. Not all the various kinds of bees would come to this particular flower. There were different varieties of flowers and the bees had their favorites. This bee returned again and again to this flower. And why not? It’s one briar I think I could love. Yin-yang, my friends.☙

August 16, 2013 0

Image #78 – I Hate Briars

I hate briars, brambles…thorny vines, whatever you care to call them, I hate them. This morning I spent some time working on the south 40. That’s the south 40 feet of my property not the south 40 acres. We have a bit over an acre here and there is a small peninsula of land at the south end that narrows down towards Potts Branch Road. It sits behind our tool shed and is a pleasant little spit of land. It will be even more pleasant after I get rid of the greenbrier. I attacked it heavily this a.m. because I just hate briars. I think it must stem (pardon the pun) from some bad experiences in childhood. I was always running around and prowling in the woods behind our house and I remember getting tangled up rather badly on a couple of occasions. Being a child there was that tendency to panic and try to get away from bad things quickly. Such tendencies have bad results in briar patches. I’m more cautious now, of course.

The strategy this a.m. was weaponry coupled with chemical warfare. I cut and pulled free the vines, traced them back to their origin, cut them at the root and applied a surgical squirt of weed killer. I cleared a good amount of vine, heaping it in a clearing with plans to move it to a burn pile later. There is still more to go but I feel I have made some young trees much happier. They had been pulled down by the accumulating vine and were bent nearly to the ground under the weight. Some vines climbed high into mature trees and when I was able to pull some down I was surprised to see berries. And then the guilt hit. Perhaps the vine has a purpose? My ego initially rejected such an idea but my pace slowed and I decided I would learn more before proceeding. I have cleared the area I foresee as the “path” so the brambles along the fence can be pruned more judiciously, I reasoned.

Returning to the house I went online and learned that greenbrier do indeed serve a purpose. The berries are loved by birds. They only form after the vine reaches the high trees so a lot of time and effort is spent growing that vine. I’m chagrined and a little chastened but I’m unchanged … I hate briars. I’ll find a way for all of us to live together. But the glory days are over for much of the greenbrier on the south 40. The tangled mass of intertwined brambles is gone. Sorry … well, not really. The birds are getting plenty to eat at my feeders and maybe they’ll miss the succulent greenbrier berry but I really won’t.☙

August 15, 2013 1

Image #76 – Shelter from the Storm

We have a good deal of rain here on Fawn Hill. I’ve been told that the Nantahala Forest, in which I reside, is actually a rain forest. Well, I don’t know about that but, as I said, we have a lot of rain and it is often tropical in nature. It pops up, comes down in buckets and then the Sun comes out. During the downpours the birds often take shelter on the feeders. Hey, on a rainy day what better to do then stay dry and eat good food? These finches and a male cardinal seem content with each other’s company … at least as long as it rains. ☙

August 13, 2013 0

Image #75 — Sub-adult Ruby-throat Hummingbird

Read enough bird identification guides and you come across some curious terms. Like “sub-adult”. Why not “young adult”? Why not “aged juvenile”? Oh well… He’s strong and well-fed. May he live long and prosper. ☙