stories, photographs, adventures…the next chapter
Inspired by Sunshine’s Macro Monday #18
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During a walk in the woods a week or so ago, I remembered to look down.
Then I got a bit closer.
Let’s not forget what has fallen off those trees with the once gorgeous leaves and needles.
Before everything is crunched and flattened on the ground by wildlife or walkers such as myself.
Before it all eventually disappears…under the snow.
I believe there is always something eye catching in nature…even at the end of the life cycle.
Inspired by Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge: Starting with letters K or L
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During a visit to the National Zoo in Washington DC this past June, I noticed a lion hanging out in its zoo habitat. Seemingly lost in thought.
Perhaps wondering…
…am I still King of the Forest?
Inspired by Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Yellow
I had never seen yellow zucchini squash…until I noticed these for sale at a Farmers’ Market in Washington, DC this past summer.
They didn’t look anything like the traditional yellow summer squash I was familiar with – a totally different shape!
Inspired by Frank at Dutch goes the Photo: Slope
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A nearby pond with its perpetual fountain…recently framed (briefly!) in my favorite fall colors. Highlighting the gentle slope to the water.
Inspired by Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #71: Creepy
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I have one old example and one new example of creepy for this week’s challenge…
Inside Creepy
It was mid-morning on my day off.
I was sitting at the dining room table minding my own business. That is to say…finishing a mug of coffee and reading the local newspaper. A luxury I looked forward to.
Quiet. Peaceful. The sun shining outside…throwing a shaft of light through the window into the room.
I was all alone.
Or so I thought…
Until I noticed a soft buzzing sound that didn’t seem to make sense. I looked out the window. Nobody there. The street…empty.
I went back to reading. But I couldn’t concentrate. The buzzing grew louder…like the sound of blowing through paper folded over a comb. It seemed to be coming from above. I glanced at the ceiling and as my eyes shifted to the corner, I saw something moving.
Something dark with tiny skinny legs (?) and maybe a wing (?). Poking down from the corner of the ceiling. Trying to join me while I finished my coffee. Making its way through the wallboard between the dining room and the second floor.
Upon closer inspection, I noticed a dark discoloration extending from the corner out a few inches. And as I got nearer to the squiggling grossness, the buzzing increased.
I was…alarmed…to put it mildly.
I called the local exterminator, who arrived within the hour.
It turned out to be a wasp…
And, as we discovered later when we repaired the ceiling, a wasp with a large family in a very creepy nest.
Outside Creepy
Low tide at the ocean usually reveals all kinds of hidden treasures.
During a walk along the beach one day this summer, I discovered – amongst the seaweed and shells and stones – the remnants of lobster traps. Old lobster traps. Broken. Slimy. Icky.
Downright creepy in the afternoon light.
Inspired by Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge: Stones or Brick
A leaf lined walk through town…
…a sure sign of fall.
Inspired by Frank at Dutch goes the Photo: Steep
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Steep is relative….
To you and me this is a steep snowbank…snow piled so high it hides the mailbox at the end of the driveway.
As well as half the tree trunk in the front yard.
But to Mr. Bill, the five snow covered back steps are way too steep, no matter what…Oh No!
Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Blue
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Nothing beats the blue found in nature.
Whether it’s the sky meeting the ocean off the coast of Maine…or the sky meeting the ocean somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean during a cruise to Bermuda.
Inspiring one of those I’ll take a different kind of picture moments.
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #70: Monochrome
…we’re inviting you to explore the world of monochrome–which includes black and white and sepia, as well as different shades of one color.
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Autumn arrives in early morning, but spring at the close of a winter day.
Elizabeth Bowen
It’s November.
As I watch the brilliant reds and oranges of fall fade outside my window, a distinctive monochrome emerges.
Crunchy acorns under my feet during a chilly afternoon walk…signal we’re halfway through Autumn. A hint of what’s to come.
However…
There’s nothing quite like crackling river ice…to confirm the reality of winter.
As I try to wait patiently for the return of color next spring.
one letter UP ~ diary 2.0 