My sweet, friendly Morgan mare, Elle, stands at the fence. She would stand around to be stroked and scratched all day long and never get tired of it.
Blue Flag Elegance - Autumn 2010
When I walk out our door, or when I feed the chickens for Bridger – anytime Elle can see me – she whickers a greeting. It’s like having a dog who loves me, only better!
This is another flashback to warmer, sunnier days. Last spring I set out to photograph the wild plum blossoms – and revel in their heady scent.
Happily for me, it is more interested in nectar than in my blood - Spring 2011
As I moved around to find blossoms highlighted by sunlight, I was not the only one interested in the sunny, sweet smelling blooms. In fact, there were numerous visitors of many sizes and shapes, but the most astounding to me was this odd creature. I realize it sort of resembles a bumblebee, but I do not think it is a bee at all. What it most looks like to me is those cartoon mosquitoes with pointy proboscii (is that a plural for proboscis?). Only this one is dressed for cold weather, rather like an Eskimo, and his/her face is all whiskery like a Schnauzer. Of course, now I have exited the realms of science and, rather, entered cartoon-landia, but none-the-less, I wanted to share this marvelous little creature. 🙂 And I loved the light sparkling off the fur on his back!
Actually, this is one of Bridger’s black hens. He really likes his Black Giant hens; they are good layers, very friendly, and forage for themselves. Or, they are willing to follow him around hoping for handouts! Bridger is known to share muffins, sandwiches, apples, cantaloupe… pretty much anything he is eating he will share with a nearby hungry hen 🙂
She Lays Eggs for Gentlemen - 2011
Hawken, however, gets a little unnerved by those chickens following him around, especially one large Welsummer rooster who runs up behind him (sounding like a person, as he is two-legged and runs kind of heavily), then stops and pretends he is not really following if Hawken looks around at him. Yes, we are amused by the little things in our lives 🙂
I started out focusing on a patch of lavender-pink Bee Balm (I think that’s what the flowers are), seeking to capture the glow of sunlight through their translucent petals. Then I noticed perfectly camouflaged little insects, their green the color of the leaves, their pink matching the petals, and their graceful black-and-white striped antennae seeming extensions of the flowers’ own reaching stamens.
This secret world is why I like to leave large swathes of our 40 acres UN-mown.
I caught a focused shot of one, but I didn’t want to lose the whole image of the flower with the insect hidden in its petals, so I enlarged just the insect and super-imposed it over the image of itself on the flower. So you can see both the enlargement and the original image combined into one photoshopped image.
I hope you enjoy your glimpse into this tiny, hidden world as much as I enjoyed discovering and recording it!
Tiger stares at Zookie. Is he daring her to just try and chase him? Or is he measuring the distance between them, estimating her rate of speed, and calculating how long it will take him to get to a tree? Actually, they get along great, and Zookie only chases Tiger if he runs. And he rarely runs.
On the Left, Zookie. To the Right, Tiger. Autumn - 2010
Yes, this is the same flower as yesterday’s post. As I moved, my eye caught the flash of the sun flare through the frost crystals, so I took another image.
Just a little shift in camera position caught this sun flare - February 2012
It is also slightly darker, showing the detail a little more clearly in the white frost.
I am always of two minds when I have several photos I like of the same subject; should I show more than one? Or should I choose one and show only the one? What do you think?
This afternoon’s flashback was triggered by memories of taking photos of flowers like this morning’s frost-covered blossom nearly one year ago. This is a clearer view of the details, unobscured by the sugary-looking frost crystals of this morning’s shot.
Sweet Little Candy Striped Flowers - March 19, 2011
Are these flowers blooming earlier this year? Or did I simply not see them last year under the 16 inches of snow we had the first week of February?!
This tiny flower appeared to have been coated in sugar crystals.
Sweet Little Crystallized Flower - February 6, 2012
I loved the colorful spots of sunlight refracted through the ice crystals!
I also remembered why I usually go out before I am showered and dressed for work… I went back in the house with wet, muddy elbows and knees, having only just remembered not to flop down flat on my belly to get the best angle.
I love the light in early morning on a sunny day, especially filtered by a canopy of leaves and intercepted and reflected by my horses!
What is approaching up the driveway? If you keep half an eye on your horses, there’s not much you will miss.
Something moving this way comes - 2010
Horses keep an eye on everything that moves – in this case, Mike, Zookie, and Buttercup running.
How unseasonably warm has it been?
This little, brown, horned critter thinks it is still his season!
Back Forty 