Two more shots of Parasola plicatilis, the Japanese Parasol mushroom. The first one was accidental, I think, but I rather like it as an impressionistic image.
Aug 232014
Aug 232014
Knowing today was going to be the steamiest day of the summer so far, I set out mid-morning on my daily Piney Woods Church Road adventures. Beside the horse pasture fence, just along the edge of the roadway, I encountered a number of tiny parasol-like mushrooms, Parasola plicatilis, the Japanese Parasol or Pleated Inky Cap. A common mushroom of urban and suburban lawns, it has a charming elegance that I found captivating. My favorite photograph of the session was this one, in which I was able to use a fairly small aperture (f/6.3) yet, by turning my camera just so, bring both the mushroom cap and two tiny dew drops on a nearby grass blade into focus.
Aug 222014
I miss the American Southwest — the stark expanses of rock and sky, the bright red rock layers, the mesas and canyons. Today I was able to capture a fleeting taste of that along Piney Woods Church Road. As the sun sank low in the sky, I took this photograph of an old fire ant mound (I did not test it for current occupancy.) evocative of a western mesa. Not quite Utah, but not quite the Eastern Woodlands, either.
Aug 222014
The golden light of approaching sunset transforms even an everyday weed into a living being of beauty and grace. Or maybe the light just helps us to see it for what it already is.
Aug 212014
For some reason, I dragged my heels this morning as I set out for Piney Woods Church Road. Maybe the reluctance was a product of the time of day — a busy Thursday schedule compelled me to choose the late morning for my outing. Maybe it was the building heat, with temperatures rising into the low 90s. For whatever reason, my enthusiasm was dampened as I started off down the road. I found some new blossoms I had not photographed before, but mostly nondescript (even by my open-minded standards). Then I began noticing all the pollinators busily roaming from flower to flower — sweat bees and solitary wasps. The sweat bees seemed to be focused on pollen collection, while the wasps appeared to be gathering nectar. I suddenly realized that we all had our work to do — pollinating or photographing, it makes little difference — to keep the world going. They had their morning work, and I had mine.
Aug 212014
On my morning walk down Piney Woods Church Road today, I encountered this wasp with the most slender waist that I have ever seen, apparently gathering nectar from a Hoary Mountainmint. I mistook it for a Thin-Waisted Wasp at first, but an expert at BugGuide on Facebook set me to rights. It is actually a species of mason wasp, Zethus spinipes. Researching this species further, I was astonished to find that relatively little is known about it. Supposedly it nests in abandoned burrows of other insects, but this has not been confirmed. One source, a web page from the Extension Service of the University of Florida, even cited a source on the genus dating back to 1894, though noting that it was likely in error. If anyone is looking for a biology research project at the MS or PhD level, Zethus spinipes is certainly available.
Aug 202014
After today’s storm, I took this photograph of loblolly pine needles capped by water droplets along Piney Woods Church Road.
Aug 202014
I ventured out to Piney Woods Church Road this afternoon after an intense thunderstorm. The air was delightfully cool, and thunder still rumbled overhead. I found great delight, as I often do, in photographing droplets of water. I was delighted to discover this one water droplet with a tiny spider, a few millimeters across, just below it, clinging to a slender thread. I was reminded of an astronaut on a space walk above our blue-green sphere.
Aug 192014
Under gray skies and light drizzle, I made my way down Piney Woods Church Road this morning. I noticed quite a few leaves, and small pine branches, that had fallen overnight, including this stunning sassafras leaf. It reminds me that autumn is approaching, although a heat wave is due to strike us first, with temperatures in the mid-90s for the next week or so. I much prefer the crisp blue-sky days of mid-fall.
Aug 182014
After a busy day in Atlanta, I dashed off to Piney Woods Church Road in the early evening. Thunder was already rumbling in the distance, and the air was amazingly muggy — akin to my experiences walking through tropical greenhouses at botanical gardens. As I continued on my way, the sunlight was dampened by approaching dark clouds. I took a few photos, including this one, then high-tailed it home again. There has been thunder nearly continuously since my return, though we have yet to experience the brunt of a storm.
