Green Lynx Spider
In the Green Swamp, green lynx spiders (Peucetia viridans) live on pitcher plants, enjoying the insects that don’t quite make it into the death trap. Bwah-ha-ha!
Green Lynx Spider
Categories: Creatures
Tags: Arachnids, Green Lynx Spider, Lynx Spider, Peucetia, Peucetia viridans, Spider
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Beach Umbrella
Beach Umbrella
This is a beach umbrella reflected in a thin film of water on the sand. I like it as an abstract image.
Categories: Travel
Tags: Beach, Beach Umbrella, Colors, Ocean Isle, Ocean Isle Beach
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Ocean Isle Pier
Ocean Isle Pier
It’s been pretty hot but this is the beach. I like this nearly monochromatic image of the ocean and the pier to the east of our house.
Categories: Travel
Tags: Beach, Ocean, Ocean Isle, Ocean Isle Beach, Ocean Isle Pier, Water, Waves
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Dinosaur and Chicken
Dinosaur and Chicken
It was cool enough in the car that Dorothy wanted to wear her dinosaur suit today. Outside, where this chicken was, however, it was pushing 100°F. We stopped there for lunch and Dorothy asked if she could have her picture taken with him.
The Redhead
The Redhead
I came home today to find a girl at my house who looked a lot like Dorothy. But something was different… Actually, I quite like it.
Colored Chalk
Colored Chalk
I was up in Baltimore this evening with Iris, taking a few more pictures for her. While waiting I noticed these pieces of colored chalk and thought they looked nice. I’m glad to see it’s not all white boards yet. I guess I’m old fashioned but I like chalk better. If nothing else, it reminds me of playing in a chalk pit in England as a boy (but then perhaps this should be “coloured chalk”).
Be Glad
Be Glad
Gladiolus, that is.
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
This is a male eastern tiger swallowtail (Papilio glaucus). These and more of the silver-spotted skippers (see photo in yesterday’s Extra gallery) were out in force today feeding on the teasel (Dipsacus sp.) flowers in the lot next to my office.
Categories: Creatures
Tags: Butterfly, Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Insect, Insects, Lepidoptera, Papilio, Papilio glaucus, Swallowtail
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Turk’s Cap Lily
Turk’s Cap Lily
My dad had these growing in his garden and was spreading them by planting the bulbils that form in the axils of the leaves. After we moved in 2006 Cathy started collecting bulbils and planting them here, as well. They are doing nicely and add a nice splash of color this time of year.
Categories: Flowers and Plants
Tags: Bloom, Blooms, Flower, Flowers, Lily, Orange, Turk's Cap Lily
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Vulpes vulpes
Vulpes vulpes
This red fox was hunting on the church property as we were leaving this afternoon. He looked at me for a second or two, then went back to his (or her) hunting. Pretty scruffy looking but still cool.
Horseshoe Falls
Horseshoe Falls
On the way home from Toronto we stopped at Niagara Falls. It’s right on the way and we figured it would be worth the time. We paid to go on the “Journey Behind the Falls” tour (which is really just access, not a tour). For anyone interested, the actual “behind the falls” portion is fairly anti-climactic. The observation deck right beside the falls, however, may be worth the price by itself. Plan to be wet by the time you are done, though, unless there is no wind at all. I had my camera in a plastic bag and pulled it out for a couple shots, of which I think this is the best. There are similar viewing areas on the US side and it would be interesting to compare them to this.
Categories: Travel
Tags: Horseshoe Falls, Niagara Falls, River, Water, Waterfall
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Gooderham Building
Gooderham Building
Located between Wellington and Front Streets at Church Street in Toronto, the Gooderham Building, completed in 1892, is a good example of a flatiron building, similar to its more famous cousin, the Fuller Building in New York City. I had to edit this picture a bit to take out a half dozen pesky girls standing in the foreground, but I don’t think that’s too noticeable unless you look closely. I couldn’t just wait for them to move because I was sitting in the van at a traffic light and by the time they moved, I’d have been gone. I love buildings from this period. Classic.
Steph and Hannah
Steph and Hannah
It was hard to pick one picture for today so I decided to go with two beautiful smiles. After staying home because she was sick when we left for Toronto, Stephanie got better and her wonderful parents got her to us on Tuesday evening. She didn’t stop smiling all week. It made Hannah and the rest of the team pretty happy, as well.
This picture was taken in the CN Tower, which costs a bit to go up but is worth the price, I think. We were there for sunset, which was particularly nice and the wind felt good after being so hot.
Ben
Ben
During our week in Toronto we spent the mornings helping prepare and serve meals in a soup kitchen, Ben works there year round. So, if what we did is good, what adjective do you use for what he does. I guess it’s his job, but still, it’s pretty awesome. Also, he has to put up with a different group like ours each week, which must get old. So, here’s to Ben (Ben Hur, actually). Chef, stand-up comic, really nice guy. Thanks for all you do at St. Felix.
Toronto Team, Sandwich Run
Toronto Team, Sandwich Run
Earlier today we made about 120 bag lunches with sandwiches, fruit, and juice. In the early evening we joined a team from New Jersey to pass them out to people on the street. This was done along with Joe from an organization called Project 417. Joe has been working with homeless people in Toronto for about 30 years. We were also thrilled to have Stephanie join us this evening, making our team whole again.
Toronto Team at St. Felix
Toronto Team at St. Felix
On each day in Toronto, we were at the St. Felix Centre from about 8:30 to 12:45. We prepared and then served lunch to between 90 and 100 people. This is the team (although you can’t quite see Jessie). It was the best youth mission team I’ve ever been on a trip with.
Toronto at Night
Toronto at Night
I arrived in Toronto at about 5:00 PM today with ten youth and two other parents from church. We’ll be spending the week working in a soup kitchen for about four hours each day and then at various sites in the afternoons.
Rocklands Farm Produce
Rocklands Farm Produce
Purple and orange eggplant, potatoes, a cucumber, various peppers, zucchini and yellow squash, assorted tomatoes, green beans, lettuce, green and purple basil, and a leek — most of my vegetable share from Rocklands Farm this morning. Now, doesn’t that look good?
Categories: Flowers and Plants, Food/Drink
Tags: Produce, Rocklands, Rocklands Farm, Vegetables
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Mushroom
Mushroom
I came across this huge mushroom in Margaret’s yard this evening and thought it was cool. There were a half dozen of them but this one was a huge cup with the gills on the outside. The others looked more like portobellos.
Thistle Flower
Thistle Flower
Anyone good at identifying thistles? There are hundreds of them and many of them look much like this. Anyway, as much as I don’t like thistles in the garden, they sure have pretty flowers.