jeff, tennessee

This insect is of the Genus Condylostylus. A large Genus, it is not an easy feat to ID to the species level. They are quite common, and variable in color. I have photographed those exhibiting red, bronze, gold, and green coloration...all in my yard.

Peace and blessings

This has been posted as a response to Macro Monday...please visit

Lurking in the...

The photo above is my entry to Shadow Shot Sunday. The shadow created in the space 'behind the curve' of this spiral staircase to the top of the tower pictured below. It is called the Wilder Tower. It is a very tall monument/tower located within the Chickamauga/Chattanooga National Military Park. This was the first Civil War Battlefield preserved by the federal govt. Local legend has it that the tower is haunted. No telling what is lurking in the shadows of the tower steps...

Please visit Shadow Shot Sunday for some remarkable shadow photography...

The Journey

The sound of distant thunder knocked on the door of my subconscious... the globulous drops of monsoonal rain beat on my face. I slowly opened my eyes, seeing the cottonwood branches overhead, and the golden yellow surrounding my periphery...for a brief few moments wondering...you know...that sense one has as you pass the veil that separates dream from awakening.

I stood up, turned around, and headed for the car, parked so nonchalantly in the middle of this abandoned stretch of Rt. 66. Before I could reach the car the rain had ceased. I looked down this lonely stretch of 2-lane, with its deep, dark cracks and weeds thrusting upwards like fists from the underworld. I turned, gazing out to the western sky, pleased to see a rather large and vivid double rainbow...

"Somewhere, over the rainbow..." a sweet and hopeful song that held in its melody and lyrics the portent of possibilities...

I wiped the rain from my face and opened the car door, grabbing a cigarette from the dash. I put the cigarette between my wet lips, struck a match...its strangely sweet, sulfurous odor more pleasing than the cigarette. I quickly put it out and got in the car. I started the engine, pleased to hear the familiar, powerful sound of the V-8 beneath the hood of this perfectly restored '59 Plymouth Savoy...identical in every way, including the two-tone cream and coral finish, to the road chariot I had driven on these same highways some 3 decades ago. I pushed the "D" button and headed back to the main highway. Next stop, Gallup...and dinner.

This is another installment for the weekly, creative writing meme, Saturday Centus. Our assignment this week is to continue, in 100 words or less, a story from a past installment of Saturday Centus. I decided to continue with my story, "The Journey". The new installment is in italics.

For other great creative stories, please go to Saturday Centus...sponsored by Jenny Matlock...

Urban Monochrome

This photograph is posted in response to the weekly photo meme, The Weekend In Black and White. There are truly some great B&W photos posted to this meme. Check it out by going to

blackandwhiteweekend.blogspot.com

Peace

Sunset From a Bridge

This photograph is posted in response to the weekly meme, Weekend Reflections. Please visit this blog and check out the wonderful reflection photographs from around the world.

Peace

Intersection Red

This photograph is posted in response to Weekday Photo's, Urban Thursday. This week's challenge is "Intersections". I was fortunate that on this particular evening that there was a call for big red fire engines, and was able to capture one juxtaposed to this pedestrian with the red bag...intersection of 'big red' and little red at an intersection.

Please visit Weekday Photos and check out the wonderful work of such varied and talented photographers.

Peace

Blue-Eyed Mary

Welcome to another edition of Alphabe-Thursday, Rainbow Colors Summer School. This week Rainbow Color Challenge is the color Blue. I knew right away what I would post...the annual wildflower, the Blue-Eyed Mary. The Blue-Eyed Mary, Collinsia verna, is a member of the Figwort family. It is one of few truly blue wildflowers that you will ever see. It has a very short blooming period during Tennessee springtime, and I consider myself fortunate to have captured this photo last spring. It is currently listed as endangered in Tennessee. Please visit Alphabe-Thursday for other wonderful posts that will put you in a "Blue" mood.

When winter's chill has scarce left earth
And April winds blow "Hey down derry !"
Comes gaily dancing down my hill
Sweet, laughing, Blue-eyed-mary.

She wears a dress of bronzy green
Draped round her light and airy;
She lifts the loveliest face I've seen
Brave, tender, Blue-eyed-mary.

Her eyes shine like the azure sky,
Her step light as a fairy;
Her face, no crystal drift so white,
Dear, steadfast, Blue-eyed-wary.

My hat is off to Bouncing Bet,
Gill-over-the-ground runs quite contrary,
Black-eyed-Susan is my pet,
But I'm in love with Blue-eyed-mary.

- Gene Stratton Porter

The Sunflower and the Ant

This photograph is posted as a response to the weekly sepia photography meme, Sepia Scenes. You may check out all the wonderful sepia photographs by going to

sepiascenes.blogspot.com

Peace

Violet

This Crocus photograph is posted as a response to the daily meme, Weekday Photos. Monday's theme is Creative Colors. This week's challenge is "Violet". Please visit Weekdayphotos.com to see many extraordinary photographs, and perhaps you will participate.

Peace

On a Mountain Road

Mrs C and I often get in the car and take an evening drive south on the mountain on which we live...Lookout Mountain. We, of course, take pictures along the way. I suggested that we take some dinner food and head back to one of my favorite places to hang...the Crockford/Pigeon Wildlife Mgt. Area...part of which is a few hundred acres of open tall-grass pasture, dotted with a few small lakes. It is a fine place for bird watching, insects, taking in expansive views, and occasionally nice sunsets. As we began to ride south this past Friday evening, the clouds' coverage was increasing and we thought that the sunset view would be lost. The picture with the paint horse proves that was not the case. The photographs were taken at Crockford/Pigeon, Lookout Mtn. Hang Gliding Flight Park and other stops along the way. I hope you enjoy them.

Peace and blessings...

Have a great week...

My Summer...So Far

I, I, I, I, I...it's all about me this time around. It is Saturday Centus time again, and this week's assignment is to tell a bit about what I did this summer...in the first person. Well, summer is not quite finished yet...the temperatures are telling me that. I will give you a brief synopsis of what has transpired thusfar.

I started my summer by seeing Kathy to the finish line of recovery from her knee surgery. I took a lot of pictures this summer. I blogged...and blogged some more. I pondered the universe and dreamt of cooler weather. I read a lot of books, listened to some new and old music, and watched a wonderful foreign film, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. I went with MrsC twice to the Mennonite Farm for wonderful veggies. I maintained my prayer group responsibilities. I lost a neighbor to cancer. I reached out to my daughter. I, along with MrsC, joined the Photographic Society of Chattanooga, and attended my first meeting. I hung out a lot with MrsC, which I will miss doing. Last night I witnessed the night blooming Cereus...aka "Moon Flower" (See photos).

But summer is not yet over and I am certain I will do a few more things over the next month. I will update you on further summertime developments. In the meantime...I am here, living and loving, and anticipating reading and seeing what YOU did this summer.

Peace and blessings

Twists and Turns

This photograph is posted in response to a weekly black and white photography meme, The Weekend In Black and White. There are many wonderful black and white images to be found by going to

blackandwhiteweekend.blogspot.com

Namaste

Fire In the Sky

I shot this image last Sunday. I was blessed with a remarkable assemblage of clouds and sunset.

This photograph is posted in response to the weekly reflection photo meme, Weekend Reflections. There are many wonderful reflections to be found. Check it out!

Rain On the Pane

This photograph is posted as part of a weekly, photography meme, Weekday Photos. Each day has a different theme. Friday's theme is Nature, and this week's challenge is Rain. Please take the time to visit the other wonderful photographs at weekdayphotos.com.

Scraping the Sky

It's time for Weekday Photo Urban Thursday. This week's challenge is Skyscrapers. It would be a particularly tough assignment if you lived in a small town. I guess if the McDonald's Arch was the tallest thing going, then you would have to paint the sky yellow. I live in Chattanooga TN...not a large city as compared to NYC or Chicago or Atlanta...but a city rich with variety of new and old urban architecture. This photo captures this tallish structure scraping the sky two ways. BTW, know you can click on the photo to really crank up the fire...

Peace and blessings...

Green? But It's Not St. Paddy's Day!

It's been a long week, but now we have arrived at our next destination along the Rainbow Highway with Jenny Matlock. This week's stop is in "Green" ville. What better way for me to celebrate this much needed rest stop than to include my little, and I mean little, friends, the Long-legged Flies. Their legs do seem rather long as compared to the length of their bodies. They seem to come in a variety of colors. These here are truly green...no fancy digitized color enhancing with these guys. They are the perfect photography subjects. They are lively, and flit about, yet stay on the same leaf for a while. You can get mighty close and they remain fearless. Had I not gotten behind my macro lens I might never have noticed these miniscule, neon, little creatures. I have not yet been able to ascertain the science concerning the color variety. Different species? Age difference? Perhaps it's in the diet? Maybe they are the "Heinz 57" of the insect kingdom. I hope you enjoy them. I threw in some furred and feathered friends against green backdrops for those whose taste is not with insects. BTW, in case you did not know, you can click on the photos and really get "eye to eye" with these precious little flies.

If you have stopped here unaware of Alphabe-Thursday and Miss Jenny's Rainbow Color Summer School, please take the time to go check out the rest of the green.

Forgotten, But Not Gone

This sepia photograph is posted for the weekly meme, Sepia Scenes. To check out other sepia photographs go to sepiascenes.blogspot.com

Namaste

Fabric of a Different Sort

Not your normal fabric, woven polypropylene is often used for bagging material for bird seed, dog food, grains, etc. My wife decided to try and recycle these 'plastic' bags as something useful for her Pre-K classroom. She has fashioned the bag material into roll-up crayon holders for her kids. She manages to make two holders from each bag. A quite jazzy idea I think! And it keeps them from slowly rotting in the landfill.

This photo is posted for Weekday Photos, Macro Tuesday. This week's theme is "Fabric". Please check out the other wonderful posts, and maybe try one yourself, by going to weekdayphotos.com

Crow Black

One of my favorite subjects...Crows and Ravens. Due to their 'blackness', they are especially difficult to photograph with detail of feathers and so forth...but are great subjects in silhouette...

Peace

This photo is posted for Weekday Photo...Creative Colors Monday #12...Theme "Black"

Urban Shadows

This photograph is posted for Shadow Shot Sunday. Please check out the other wonderful photographs found there....Peace

Home Away

It is sort of funny, and I have to admit that many times I have a general idea of what I want to write about for Saturday Centus before Saturday arrives. In a strange way it enhances the creative process for me, and thusfar it has worked, albeit sometimes in abstract fashion. Yesterday it came to me that I wanted to write about children, and then, lo and behold, Cheryl provides a most appropriate, prompted segue to my writing intentions. So here goes...


I had just finished checking and straightening in their rooms. As I left Billy and Jo-jo's room, thinking about what I could fix the boys for breakfast, I could hear their infectious, playful laughter coming from the yard.


Mine was the only true home these three boys had ever really known. Tommy, eight, was the oldest of the three, and had a keen sense of looking after his younger 'brothers'. They fit so well together as if they really were brothers.


Part of me wants to see them adopted by loving families, yet I know because of their ages this is increasingly unlikely. Young couples typically want babies that they can raise as their own, eschewing the older ones as if they are tainted or  "beyond repair".


I paused for a moment absorbing the beauty of their laughter and as I listened to them from my perch on the top step, I didn't know whether to laugh or to cry...


So, there it is...another installment for Saturday Centus. I have to admit that at one point it made me cry. I am adopted and know all too well the emotions that inhabit that 'territory'. If you know of someone, any age, that is adopted, give them a call, write them a message, hug them if you can...I know they would like that. And please be sure to check for all the other promising posts at Saturday Centus...some great stuff will be there...Peace and blessings