I was always happy to photograph any subject, especially in nature. From the rarest to the most common.

Gray Tree Squirrels are pretty common stuff although the dark phase is at least somewhat unusual. For several years I never made a worthwhile image of a dark phase Tree Squirrel. Of course, I only made pictures when one happened to be nearby while I was pursuing something else. Finally I drove to a park that I knew was inhabited by small population, dedicated thirty minutes to the endeavor, and had some pictures to share.

Well, anybody living in a large city, worldwide, has seen pigeons. Most farm dwellers have seen their share as well. Just the same, rarely does anybody photograph them. Well I did.

There is only a small population of macro photographers who make pictures of caterpillars. They can be hard to find, but they move slowww, so I never turned down an opportunity. I’m not sure what this colorful, juicy fellow’s name is, but he was a welcome addition to my files. Notice the yellow and green habitat, and the yellow and green caterpillar. Camouflage can be a life saver.

I have a passion for turtles and I have photographed my share. I enjoyed both turtles and frogs, every bit as much as I did our feathered friends, and all of our furry critters.

Below we have a Painted Turtle (top shot) and a Common Snapping Turtle. Like caterpillars, they also tend to move slow, but if you turn your back for a moment, you will be shocked just how fast they will disappear. Most of the time, they patiently allow you to make your images. I always repaid the favor by making my images quickly and moving on.

Lord I miss spending time with the animals!!

One of my favorite birds is the Cedar Waxwing. I was never fortunate to find a lot of these but when I did, it was often winter. Winter can make for great bird shots, especially with a species that spends equal amounts of time in trees, and on the ground.

Cool Shots

Erlend Haarberg made this incredible backlit image of two European Hares sparring. No matter how many images I view every day of my life, I see (at least) one that jumps off the screen at me. Photography is a wonderful past time, part time, or full time adventure.

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Inside First

I, like everyone who has ever lived, save Adam & Eve, have often learned from other people who I observe. That’s true of every aspect of life ranging from photography to politics and on to how I deal with the human condition. Hopefully, every added line in my face, accounts for another lesson learned, be it from observing others, self revelation, or just experience.  A little wisdom (too little) to help balance the natural foolishness that we all suffer from.

(Yes, I ended my last sentence with a preposition. Sometimes you’ve got to be a rule breaker.)

While I do learn from others, I am not the sort that is easily swayed by each new influence in my life. In the end, I and only I, am responsible for my decisions and my directions. I don’t count on others for that, nor do I blame them for it.

If you spend your life, jumping from one attempt to reach some sort of nirvana to another, you will spend your life doing just that, jumping.

The world at large may finally be at that crossroads which is a precursor to Armageddon, but the quality of our individual lives is still subject to how we process and react to what’s around us. We still have, with the Lord’s help, a say in how we live, in both quality and quantity.

So the next time you lament and comment (as I do) about the condition of the world, remember to look inside before you look outside.

God Bless,                                                                                                                                          Wayne