The Blanket of Winter Approaches

Posted on by Rebecca C.

“All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.”

– J.R.R. Tolkien

The past week has been cooler which allows me to enjoy every bit of the outdoors. I am not much for hot humid days. I know I should not complain about the heat because winter will be here before I know it. I can already see the signs of the upcoming fall season.

  • Leaves are beginning to turn a fainter green as they prepare for their burst of colors.
  • The summer birds are becoming more scarce as they begin their long migration south to warmer areas. I rarely see Egrets or the Cranes at the old river. I miss the rattle voice of the Sandhill Crane on the river flats.
  • The birds that are still here are gathering in great numbers. I see them flying above the tree tops. They seem to be going back and forth in a harmonic formation as if to gain strength to prepare for their upcoming journey.
  • The days are slowly growing shorter as the frogs and crickets continue to sing their last praises of summer.
  • The squirrels and chipmunks scurry across the dirt paths in the woods where I walk. I see them clutching acorns and walnuts to hoard for the long winter.
  • The nights are cooler which provides a gentle breeze through open windows.

I love this time of year. I know warmer days are still in the forecast. But I am ready for September and October. The two months that seem to be speak to my heart as the blanket of winter approaches. Mother Nature always provides the settle hints that a new season will soon be issued in. Even though today is rainy, I plan to enjoy as much of the outdoors as I possible can during this transition of seasons.

Until next time….peace…

Dragonflies: Amazing Little Creatures

Posted on by Rebecca C.

I love dragonflies. I could watch and photograph these fascinating little insects for hours. I recently sat in the field and just observed their behavior. I was working on some writing; I needed inspiration for flying fairies. The dragonflies always help me with my creative needs. As I watched them hovering, flying backwards and forward, and swooping all around me, I wrote with great wonder. I decided to do a little research on these flying beauties.

Interesting Facts about Dragonflies

As I glanced through the different fact, I found these to be the most interesting.
• Incredible Eyes: The dragonflies’ eyes have around 30,000 individual lenses or ommatidia which give them a rather incredible panoramic view of their surroundings. Each of those lenses provides an image. The brain of the dragonfly will use all of those individual images to make one picture. The eye allows for the entire color spectrum, UV light, and light polarization to be viewed.

• Wings: The dragonfly has two sets of wings; each wing can work independently. The extra set allows the dragonfly to slow the movement of the wings down. On an average, the dragon fly will flaps the two sets of wings around 30 beats per second. The independent movement of the wings gives the dragonfly the ability to hover and fly in all directions. The dragonfly also has the ability to change directions instantly which helps if been sought by a predator. And, can reach speeds of up to 36 mph.

• Food: A dragonfly eats mosquitoes and flies. I couldn’t figure out why I have seen so many dragonflies this year. Well, the wet weather created an overly abundant breeding ground for mosquitoes. The dragonflies have been enjoying a grand feast.

• Species: Currently there are around 5,000 species of dragonflies. All the dragonflies are part of the order Odanata which roughly translates to “toothed one”. The dragonfly can be found almost anywhere in the world where the environment is habitable. A dragonfly cannot live in the Antarctica; the little insects love a more tropical feel. The hot and humid weather here in mid-Michigan right now must seem like paradise to them.

• Ancient Creature: The dragonfly has been around for around 250 million years. The largest fossil reports the ancestor relative had a wingspan of around 2 ½ feet. Can you imagine that flying around the back field? Just amazing to consider.

The next time, you view a dragonfly consider how incredible this insect is or picture a fairy and let you imagination run wild.

Stormy Michigan

Posted on by Rebecca C.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beginning
This was the very beginning of the storm. I really didn’t think much of it at this point.

 

 

 

After the Storm
After the storm was clearing, I looked up to see this bird flying by. The large bird was too far away for me to properly identify.
Dark Clouds Over Barn
The sky became almost black in the middle of the day. But the storm was not as bad as I originally thought it was going be.
Storm Clouds
My cloud fascination continues.
Storm
This part of the storm had me a little worried. But the storm just brought a lot of rain and wind.
Storm
Over the Trees
Storm
Love the Clouds
Storm
Moving across the back field

 

Michigan has been experiencing seasonal thunderstorms. I do not have the knowledge to state the proper terms. But basically, the weather is hot and very humid which when colder air pushes in creates the storms. I am lucky and grateful that none of these storms have caused any damage.

I have recently become fascinated with photographing clouds. Storm clouds are just another part of my new found curiosity. Believe it or not, the entire time I was out photographing the clouds, the rain held off. The clouds moved across the sky first. Then, the rain seem to follow behind. Absolutely fascinating.

And, yes….my mother called and left a message on my phone to “stop taking pictures and get in the house”. Some things will never change.

Until next time….peace always.

Flowers and More Flowers….

Posted on by Rebecca C.

You’re only here for a short visit. Don’t hurry, don’t worry.

And be sure to smell the flowers along the way.

Walter Hagen

This time of year, there are flowers blooming everywhere. The back fields are full of Queen’s Anne Lace. I love these flowers. But there over abundance appearance in the back fields signify summer is half over.

Queen's Anne