There’s a lot of character in the building housing the GlobeHopper coffee shop: stained glass, murals, and even a little neon light.
Among The White Giants
On a bright, warm winter day I found myself in the company of white giants reaching for the deep blue sky. It was about 60 degrees fahrenheit but the naked sycamores and the hard light reminded me not to get used to the weather.
Junco In The Snow
A Junco rests on a snowy branch while out foraging in the snow. How such a small creature survives the winter never ceases to amaze me. Does it wake on such a morning wishing it could sleep a little longer, rationalizing that later the snow will melt and its burdens will be just a little lighter?
James River Beach Still Life
Natural objects on the shore the James River, near Richmond, VA.
Ripples And Pebbles
I wanted to capture contrasts in this image. The bright sunlight filling the upper right corner of the frame versus the dark shadows of the stones. There’s also the serene, softly moving ripples on the water contrasting with the smooth but fixed and solid stones.
Sometimes we can find our duality in the simplest places. Without hard there is no soft. Without bright there is no dark.
Weekly Photo Challenge: Shadowed
Several Anhingas rest on an old wooden structure in the middle of the James River, near Richmond, VA. The hard winter light created a silhouette effect.
Goldenrod Crab Spider on Stem
Sometimes when I’m hiking I like to stop, at seemingly random places, and look closely at my surroundings. I might spend 5 or 10 minutes just trying to discover the little things that most people walk right by completely unaware. If you’ve never done this before I highly recommend it. Almost anywhere you go you will be amazed at some of the small wonders that present themselves if you just slow down and take a little time to become acquainted with your surroundings.
This Goldenrod Crab Spider was one such secret, hiding right in front of my eyes. I stepped off the hiking trail into a small meadow just to see what might be there. I looked around a bit and was about to move along when I noticed this spider sitting motionless, the embodiment of patience and stillness. Goldenrod Crab Spiders will sit for long periods of time, waiting for an unsuspecting insect to come within reach. You can frequently find them inside blooms using the flower as natural bait.
Damselfly on Ivy
This damselfly was patrolling a small, sunny patch of ivy when I encountered it in late August, near Richmond, VA. It seems like a common species but I haven’t been able to identify it.
Aphid Nightmare
This family of aphids watches helplessly as one of their clan is ruthlessly devoured by their arch enemy, the ladybird beetle (aka ladybug). When you look at a ladybug it’s easy to forget they are savage predators.
Spider Wasp on Lance-Leaved Goldenrod
Here’s another wasp I’m not quite sure I correctly identified. I believe it is a Spider Wasp. Regardless, it was one of the pollinators that shared their meadow with me in early September. Like other wasps and bees I’ve photographed, this one didn’t seem to pay any attention to my presence. Perhaps because I was sitting still and it approached me rather than the other way around.
From what I’ve read Spider Wasps can be aggressive and have quite a painful sting. I guess it’s a good thing it didn’t mind me being there.