Natural Shapes & Patterns

Nature provides us with many shapes and patterns

to enjoy! Some...full of color and life.....

-enlarge Poppy for detail-

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...some are delicate and airy...

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like this Sassafras tree seen here in spring.....

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while nature made others...very bold and big...
.
this Burdock plant has grown about 4ft. across.




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See the rock on the right...I often wonder...
.
was it chiseled away by man for a purpose....
.
or just created by nature...
.
for me to find and ponder?





The shapes on the trunk of this Black Locust...
.
by the drive...
.
are dark and foreboding.....





...but turns lacy and friendly.....
.
as you look toward the sky.





This young tree has me perplexed...
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it grew back into itself; making a circle...
.
what would cause such growth?
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It will be interesting...
.
to keep going back...to check.






This Tree of Heaven
with it's long frond-like leaves.....
appeared on it's own only
3 years ago and it's over 25 ft. tall.






The pattern and shape of this Wild Cherry tree...
.
looks like an "uncomfortable" prom dress.....to me!






These beautiful patterns may have caused.....
the demise of this tree...

-photos enlarge-


...the radiating lines look like insects themselves...





...if you look closely you'll find ants here and there...

...on this dead...mahogany colored log.




This pattern of bright healthy green Moss...
.
makes this dead log...appear full of life.





This tree grows tall with just a small crown of leaves...




...while this tall tree seems.....
.
.....just to be dancing in the breeze.





While removing a leaning and broken...
.
...but not yet fallen tree.....
.
guess what we discovered in the center...

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at the very heart of the tree!
.

.

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Heart felt thanks to all who read!

Missed and Noticed

This photo will substitute for a glowing sunrise

...something that has been missed lately

...not because I don't get up before dawn...

but because of overcast skies....

but...it produces interesting photos...

.

such as raindrops on Poppies

.

.

and Iris that glisten....

and a yard without shadows...something I'm missing.

The cool damp temperatures seem to halt the blooming of

flowers...

but increased a noticeable growth of a green patina on and in

the birdbath!

Something I almost missed but didn't...when I noticed

just what I was listening to.....it wasn't a red Cardinal...

but a Scarlet Tanager

-photos enlarge-

They are usually a shy bird that stay near the top of trees...

This one was just above me and stayed for several photos.



Here "is" something I noticed near the top of a tree...

Can you guess what it is?



It
stayed
there
forever...
it's
a
small
Gray
Squirrel
being a lookout I guess...
.

or just watching Herhusband get the car ready
for grandson Nathan to borrow for the prom...

Meanwhile...
I took the path behind the house into the woods.

.

Did you notice this mushroom in the above photo...
at the base of the tree or did you miss it?
.


I later noticed this Box Turtle farther down the path...



he slowly disappeared...


into his shell


As I walked I became aware of the sweet lemony
smell of a Honeysuckle Bush.




At the base of this tree I noticed a small pool of dark water...
almost a heart shape...


Here again is something I would have missed...
but he was singing loudly and flying low...
deliberately trying to get my attention...
there is probably a nest nearby.


-all photos enlarge-

Can you see him?

It's a Wood Thrush...

Many consider his flute-like song the most beautiful.

Farther along...the fern is beginning to cover the hillside.

I started following a well worn deer path...
.

which eventually led back up the hill...at a spot where the

tree roots look like steps...and where I noticed...

.

a past it's prime...Morel Mushroom...

and a large tree stump with a tunnel running through it...

and the remainder of it lying on it's side slowly decaying

and covered in moss.

The deer certainly take the hard way...

just like all of my grandsons have done.

I worked my way home...which was just up and over

the hill.

Two Mourning Doves were waiting in the trees...

most likely for their turn at the bird feeder...

where they eat the fallen seeds on the ground.

Besides the Cardinals and Rose-breasted Grosbeaks...

notice in the photo above the Chickadee at the birdhouse entrance...

and the Downy Woodpecker on the tree.

The Grosbeaks are our newest residents...sometimes

they have small disagreements with the our Cardinals.

They are a little bossy and slow at the feeder.

Even this little Finch knows it's best to wait.

Hope he doesn't miss his turn.

Late one afternoon there was a rather big commotion...

almost like a small riot going on with the birds...

so I grabbed the camera to tape...

Watch for a Hawk chasing a Bluejay...it's easy to miss!

Peaceful and Vibrant

The Poppies are popping out and the Iris are rising up

.....on this early misty morning at sunrise...

which looked like this earlier...peaceful water colors...

and the reason I came out...

which led to taking photos of the more vibrant colors...

in the yard...like...the oranges and purples.

the glowing purple Iris...

and the fiery orange Poppy...


But...one can easily find things for...
.
calm...
.
serene...
.
peaceful photos...
.
like this Robin sitting on a nest...



a nest with 4 vibrant blue eggs to begin...



and 4 peaceful baby Robins in the end...




and here's 4 leaf clovers again...

Too easy - just 2


I had spotted a chipmunk going into his tunnel...
with the clover peacefully standing guard.


Here's more peaceful water color flowers

in the yard...

Fern and Great Waterleaf

The light lavender Waterleaf and peaceful blue Ajuga



Family of five pale peaceful Jack in the Pulpits




When I took my walk last week with Andrew...

we came upon this cool peaceful scene in the woods...





I also liked this tree...if you enlarge and look closely...
you can see that it abruptly ends.....a tree behind makes it
difficult to see...photographer's fault!
enlarges

Just a unique grape vine in the woods!
Do you see anything?
Andrew saw a go-cart...Dylan saw a "pac-man" face!

Photos of Andrew near a cliff...

Don't slip Andrew!

Oh no!

Just kidding Cindy(Mom)...it only looks dangerous.


After spending time with Andrew that day...

Granddaughter Amanda came by for a visit. She
just finished her 2nd year of college...this summer she is
editing a manuscript of a professor's book.

She's peaceful and vibrant!

Then a few hours later...
Grandson Dustin stopped by. While having dinner
at a restaurant with his parents and brother Grant...
Dustin...being a licensed EMT...was able to assist a
patron that was having a seizure or stroke.

He's peaceful and vibrant too!

I've had a fulfilling week with nature and grandchildren...

so I made Herhusband a few fulfilling meals!

Peppers Fettuccine with Salmon...



and Banana Coconut Pecan Bread with
Coconut Lime Glaze



Yesterday morning...I went out...with camera...
again very early...peacefully quiet...except for birds!



Took this photo on my way to back yard...
It's a Solomon's Seal plant that's not quite open yet...
which sprouted here on it's own last year.

It will open to this soon...

This is just proof that I do work sometimes...

and I do get distracted sometimes by birds...

like this Rose-breasted Grosbeak at the feeder...

they have a vibrant red neck!
We have two sets of them this year and I can't get a

decent photo...but if you look in the upper left corner

you can see the female...she really blends in!

click to enlarge

Female

Later while working in the herb garden...

something else caught my eye...well
I actually heard it first.

It's half way up the skinny tree...to the left of center...

enlarges

a Pileated Woodpecker

He eventually flew to a tree right above me...

I just barely managed a quick photo of his

...vibrant red head...
before he went even higher.

He stayed about 20 minutes...all the while...

calling to another in the distance.
I recorded his call...
..."warning"...

It's not peaceful!!!