Monday, September 20, 2010

just an afternoon quickie...

home early(ish) from work.
massage therapist by day...
nature explorer, collector, picture-taker, artist, reader, writer, thinks-too-much...
the rest of the time!

we live on a few acres, outside the city...with woods and swampy areas behind us...
fields and woods directly across the road. so we have critters. lots of 'em...visiting all the time.

the fields & wooded areas around us, is where i do most of my bone collecting.
i've been asked about my camera...it's a canon 120sx. it's not a big expensive camera. (although i wish i could afford one of those)
this canon is under $200.

how do i get my pictures of the butterflies...lizards...bugs...
i wander around...stealthily...listening...watching...and then when i spot movement...
i wait and watch. if it's a picture i want...i sneak as close as i think i can get...set the camera...
and shoot!

ok...on to a few pictures and then i've gotta run...



have you ever seen such a bug? i've found a few of them lately...dead.
i had to google "beetle with big 'eyes' on back" in order to find out what this strange looking insect was!

they LOOK like eyes, but they're not...they're to scare away predators!

you can read more about the eyed click beetle here.






i'm always posting pictures of the Gulf Fritillary butterfly...which we have around the house every day. they love the yellow lantana out front!

THIS beauty-ful butterfly was on the lantana over the weekend!!

this made me look to see if we had a Hackberry Tree in the yard...i THINK we have 2 small ones so maybe we'll be seeing more of this guy!




yesterday sam noticed Milo...'playing' with something out back...he went to take a look and then hollered for me...AND the camera!



it's a baby black racer!  we carried it to the back woods and set it loose...away from milo's playful paws.

well...this was a good afternoon quickie...
i think!  :)

When one tugs at a single thing in nature, 
he finds it attached to the rest of the world.  ~John Muir

be safe...where ever you may wander... and stay cool!  laura :]

16 comments:

  1. Nice pics as always. So glad you saved the black racer!

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  2. Great shots and great picture taking skills!! ;-)

    You don't need a fancy camera to get awesome pictures!

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  3. You got skills girl! I ♥ the pictures. Yay for the snake and Milo, OMG so damn cute!

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  4. Interesting, your comments re: camera etc. Thank you :D
    Happy the little racer lives to see another day too!
    Amazing bug, like something out of Doctor Who!!

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  5. Ohhh, that's a pretty butterfly. Don't think I've seen that one before.

    And yeah, cannot even begin to say the amount of times I've had to rescue critters from the cats. Lizards (they REALLY like the skinks, sigh), snakes, squirrels,moles, rats, and of course birds, and I'm only successful PART of the time, they are very sneaky ... and VERY good hunters.

    Toys are nice, they make things easier (I LOVE my 18x optical zoom, I do) BUT it is the photographer that makes the picture ... not the camera. I still have a fancy point and shoot, someday I'd love to have a DSLR but it's not in the cards in the near future.

    And oh yeah, GREAT bug ID link there ... thank you!

    Peace,
    Sally

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  6. THANKS ALL...Kathy, Erica Jean, BeMistified, Susan, and Mustang Sally!!
    Thanks for wandering...and YEAH! saving that little black racer was a good thing...i have a feeling there are a number of them nearby...hanging around...i just hope we spot them before Milo does! :)

    Happy Fall! it can't come soon enough! laura

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  7. My problem is...I would mess up taking a picture of a concrete block...honestly. I do love viewing God's creation as captured through the camera of others and you have done that quite well.
    I came across your blog through another blog I follow and have signed up as a follower. When you’re free, please do visit me and let me know what you think of my blog and leave a comment. If you like, do follow as well. I am always open to great new people and interesting websites. Look forward to hearing from you.

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  8. thanks for stopping by covnitkepr1 and journeying through some of my pictures...and thankyou for your kind words as well! i appreciate it very much and will stop by...on the weekend...at your blog as well...wheh i have a a little more time to spend on the comp... :)

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  9. Are you sure that's a baby Black Racer? Our Black Racers are solid black. Never saw one with a pattern...be careful, Laura...:) JP

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  10. HomeInTheHollow!! :) definitely a baby black racer...they're patterned like that when young...at least the black racers in FL... plus he had round eyes...i'm hoping to see more around...!! THANKS...i try to be REALLY careful...esp when it comes to the snakes... :)

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  11. Love them Afternoon Quickies :>)
    i have been to your blog so many times I can type walk into my address bar and the link pops up :>}
    I played with those clicker bugs as a kid , they make a sound like the toy clickers . Old school toys
    peace

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  12. Terica and Havas! thanks for stopping by!! i remember those clicker toys!! addicting...once you start clicking...hard to quit!!

    Thanks for your thoughts...and always...your kind words!

    :)

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  13. what camera do you use? I got myself the nikon crossover (P80 or D80, I forget. It is a fixed lens digital SLR that you can do manual or automatic, and videos, with a 18X zoom! way cool, without so much hassle

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  14. who wouda thunk it! i use a canon powershot SX120. i mentioned it in a post ...oh, i guess a few posts ago...as i get asked that alot! it's certainly not the best camera i prob could have gotten for under $200. but i needed to get one right away as my previous one DIED when i fell in the water with it on my hip!!
    anyway, it turned out to be the BEST camera i've ever owned! :] laura

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  15. I saw my one and only eyed click beettle this spring. Pretty amazing bugs! Here is my photo--http://dandelionhaven.blogspot.com/2010/06/big-black-bug.html
    I rarely have success with getting photos of butterflies. Maybe I just need more patience! I think it is cool that you are able to get such wonderful photos with an inexpensive camera.

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thanks for stopping by! it's always nice to hear from fellow wanderers!