Moving Water
The stream next to my office was flowing fast and furious today, with melting snow. I took a bunch of pictures of the stationary waves and this is my favorite of them.
Gill-Over-the-Ground Leaf
Gill-Over-the-Ground Leaf
I decided to try something a little different today so I went micro. This image is the underside of a leaf from a Gill-Over-the-Ground plant (Glechoma hederacea). The section of leaf shown is about 8 by 12 mm. It isn’t quite as sharp as I’d like. Still, the damp, soft ground isn’t the firmest base for a tripod and the wind kept moving the leaf.
Categories: Flowers and Plants
Tags: Gill-Over-the-Ground, Green, Leaf, Vascular Plants
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Are You Frond Of Ferns?
Are You Frond Of Ferns?
Or are you Pterrified of Pteridophytes? These are the sporangia of a sensitive fern Onoclea sensibilis. Aren’t they nice? It was much warmer today and I noticed the buds on a rose were already swelling. They won’t really start to grow for a while yet, but spring will be here sooner than you think.
Categories: Flowers and Plants
Tags: Fern, Pteridophytes, Sporangia
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Safiya, Sarah, Jenny, and Dorothy
Safiya, Sarah, Jenny, and Dorothy
I don’t think I need to explain why I picked this picture for today.
Categories: People
Tags: Friends, Informal Portraits
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Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year
I took quite a few pictures today but can only publish one here, so I went with all the kids at our Chinese New Year dinner.
Ice Crystals
Ice Crystals
It was chilly this morning and ice crystals had formed on my car windshield over night. I’m not sure about the color in this but wonder if it has to do with the polarizing effect of the crystals in combination with the safety glass.
Shopping Cart
Shopping Cart
Yesterday I decided to go into the older woods between my building and Key West Avenue. It’s much different to the empty lot I’ve been visiting. Older (but still not terribly old). It’s interesting what you’ll find in the woods. There seems to be the remains of an old road. I found a deer skin and this old shopping cart.
Melanie and Levi
Melanie and Levi
Levi, almost 12 weeks old and his mother, Melanie.
Categories: People
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Leaf In Snow
Leaf In Snow
I like the shape of this leaf silhouetted against the snow.
UPDATE: It was suggested that this could be named “Fire and Ice”.
Rubus Thorns
Rubus Thorns
There’s a lot of this growing in the lot next to my office. A couple times I’ve come back with scratches on my hand and arm and once a pretty wicked gash on my ankle. Still, they’re really beautiful, in a sinister way.
Loch Menk Monster
Loch Menk Monster
Our friends and neighbors built this creature in their front yard. I’m not exactly sure if it’s a centaur or what so we named it the Loch Menkis Monster. Very nice, guys.
Categories: Miscellaneous
Tags: Snow, Snow Man, Snow Sculpture, Winter
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Turkey Vulture
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)
A turkey vulture (Cathartes aura) soars overhead. These are pretty impressive birds although they are somewhat ugly close up.
Categories: Creatures
Tags: Cathartes, Cathartes aura, Turkey Vulture, Vulture
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Japanese Painting
Japanese Painting
This reminds me of a Japanese painting (which sort of explains the name I gave it). This is next to the stream near my office.
Dorothy and Some Snow
Dorothy and Some Snow
The top of our small holly tree was bent over until it was touching the ground by the weight of the heavy, wet snow that came down overnight.
Golden Weeds
Golden Weeds
It was a relatively exciting day in the empty lot today. I started by slipping and putting my foot in the creek as I crossed. Then I startled two deer, who bounded off into the woods. Two days ago I found and photographed a bone. Today I came across an entire (or nearly) deer skeleton. I decided not to post that picture here, though. I picked this picture for its rich color.
WackyTacky Day
WackyTacky Day
It’s spirit week at school and today is Wacky Tacky Day (“Students should come to school dressed as crazily as possible”). This is Dorothy, all ready to go. She didn’t actually take the ukulele with her.
Bone Fragment
Bone Fragment
This is the end of a short piece of bone, about six inches long. I think it’s probably the femur of some small mammal, but I don’t really know. I like the three-dimensional network of the bone structure.
Dinosaur and Friends
Dinosaur and Friends
Dorothy and some of her friends after getting back from a church youth group retreat. Sounds like they had a great time. From left to right: Anna, Amy, Dorothy, Ariana, Cat.
Yellow African
Yellow African
I was trying to take pictures of my fish today. It’s harder than it sounds. First, you have to make sure the flash doesn’t reflect off the glass. Then, you have to avoid dirty areas on the glass. Also, they move about a bit and getting them in focus is hit or miss, even with auto focus. This is the best “whole fish” shot and even this isn’t as good as I’d like. The eye should be the point most in focus and it isn’t. Labidochromis caeruleus, by the way.
Auction Dinner
Auction Dinner
At last year’s WCA auction we bought, along with our good friends Janis and Greg, Krystal and Mike, and Diana and Tom, a gourmet dinner cooked by Jeanette and Barbara. After our gourmet dinner and wonderful desserts fixed by Amy, we enjoyed a movie on the big screen. Sadly, Diana and Tom couldn’t make it.