cedars of lebanon: friends in flight

a new butterfly for my collection!  she looks like she's been around the block a few times, and this is actually the only snap i got of her before my son scared her off.  he hasn't developed his butterfly stalking skills yet.  yes, butterfly stalking is indeed a skill.  this set of photos were taken at cedars of lebanon state park, about 15 minutes from our house.  we enjoyed a quick hike and then went across the street for some tacos and quesadillas.  pretty awesome outing, yep.

i adore bees and think the little green ones are so elegant.

i'm not sure how i feel about this photo.  it's pretty and all, but it kinda reminds me of that four letter word that starts with an "f" that i really don't like all that much.  i hold onto summer as long as i can.

i was disappointed in my macro shots today.  i photographed 4 or 5 different teensy flowers and this is the only one that turned out.  they were all in the heavily shaded woods, so i think i probably should have turned my iso up a bit.  maybe next time i'll remember to try that.

i think this is what matthew was talking about when he mentions how god clothes "the grass of the field."

purple,

zoom in.

zoom out.

pretty in pink.

i forgave my son for scaring away the first butterfly when he found me this gem later on.  a monarch chrysalis!  so beautiful!  really, the yellow spots actually shone like gold in the sunlight.

sulpher butterflies are not easy to photograph.  trust me on this.  such flighty things.

this state park was purchased farmland during president roosevelt's square deal program.  it explains the barns.

so much light.

in flight!  and in focus!  oh happy day!!!

still buds around.  proves that summer isn't over yet.  heh.

gratuitous monarch.  i love saying that.

and a pair of buckeyes.  i think this is my first buckeye capture this year.  they weren't so much into having their picture taken either.  but they sure were beautiful.  :)

joining in with annie and "how does your garden grow?"

suggs creek: a few more butterflies

because there can never be too many butterflies . . .

suggs creek: monarch

so, now that i've photographed my first one, i am seeing tennessee monarchs all over the place.  it turns out that i just needed to learn where and when to look.  next year's goal, of course, will be to see them in my own yard.  that should get me busy gardening next spring!  and on a side note, aren't the colors in this photo amazing?!

also amazing is composing a shot of one friend and discovering another in the frame.  

isn't he the cutest?  he was surely a hungry little guy!

and then to zoom out a little and realize there are more little friends than you realized.

i think i counted seven in this one spot.  thrilling!!!

and you know this means summer isn't quite over.  :)

suggs creek: swallowtail

i need to do a little more research on these guys.  i saw a sign at a state park one time that listed them as just a color morph of the female tiger swallowtail.  i also seen separate listings for black swallowtails under different species names.  i think this will be a good research project for the winter months when they're not flying about outside begging to be photographed.  and actually, unlike the yellow tiger swallowtail, these are not that easy to photograph.  they're so flighty!

these were all taken with the 70-300 zoom lens.  not technically perfect, but very cool shots.

suggs creek: paradise in a ditch

i took these pictures down in a ditch on the side of the road.  actually, it was a little creek with a really, really big culvert.  actually, it was paradise except for the roadside trash.  i'll abstain from a rant, but only barely.  but seriously.  is noting sacred from our apparent apathy?  anyway.  i really need to wear rubber boots next time.  i kept hearing a really big frog, but wasn't about to wade through the muck in my chucks.  also, i probably should wear pants next time.  ouch!  i'll tell you about that later.  but now.  now let's get to the beautiful part.  oh my.  this is my happy place.  nature's canvas is incomparable.  and i wonder what these things are.  i saw them and knew i had missed something glorious and knew i had something to look forward to finding next year.

the butterflies . . .

the flowers . . .

there are four tiny beauties in this one.

stunning.  and look at that nose!

the bees drew me to these blossoms.  they were on vines growing up into these little trees.

"more than anything, i must have flowers always, always . . . " - claude monet

i was especially tickled to see this one.  i had seen one on a hike last fall, but it only had one striking red petal left on the whole stalk.  i knew it had to be something special, and it is.  the cardinal flower.

i also loved that i could see so many colors mixed together here.

hello, mr. grasshopper!

enjoy your bath!

you've picked a gorgeous place for it!

my first dragonfly capture in a good long while.  nice having a zoom lens to play with.

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh . . . !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

are you kidding me?!  a hummingbird.  i heard it buzz in.  i was giddy.  elated.  entranced.  so very happy.

more butterflies . . .

 more flowers . . .

 i was playing with the telephoto with these.  i think i need to try this again.  it's pretty, but i haven't quite mastered the shot.  i love photography.  there's always something new to learn, something new to see.

monarch!!!

 next year i will meet you in your youth!  :)

joining in with annie and "how does your garden grow?"