Ringneck Snake

Happened upon this little Ringneck Snake while

hiking a trail recently. I couldn't help but think of the 

 ole saying "Lower than a snake's belly in a wagon rut."

This ole saying was usually intended to describe someone

with low moral or ethical qualities. If you were as low as

 a snake's belly, you were pretty low, but to be lower than

a snake's belly in a wagon rut, was just about as low as one

could get. Of course this was as seen by the eyes of the two

persons who were doing the gossiping about someone else

whom may or may not have deserved the description. Another

use of the same phrase often referred to how one was feeling

from a health related or emotional standpoint. This little snake

was not in a wagon rut but it was in the lowest part a very worn

 hiking trail. Ringneck Snakes are non-poisonous.

Diadophis punctatus

"Always carry a flagon of whiskey in case of snake bite and further more always carry a small snake."

   W.C.Fields(1880-1946): American comedian, actor and writer



A Perfect Sunrise!

With fall here and the leaves changing color fast, I am

planning a few days off to visit the mountains of Virginia,

North Carolina and Tennessee to soak up some of the

beauty of God's Creation. In anticipation of the trip, I

was foraging through some of my photos and ran across

this one taken earlier this year from the Pisgah Inn located

at mile post 408.6 near Waynesville, N.C. on the

Blue Ridge Parkway. I love the sunset shots but

due to an insatiable desire to "be asleep" at the sunrise

hour I often overlook the beauty to be found with a

perfect sunrise. I'm not usually together enough at this

time of the morning to operate a camera but on this

occasion I managed to stumble out and take this sunrise

picture. Needless to say, it set the tone for the rest of the

day.

"What is the good of your stars and trees, your sunrise and the wind, if they do not enter into our daily lives."
      E.M.Forster(1879-1970): English novelist, essayist, short-story writer

Wild Thing! You Make My Heart Sing!

Had to take a trip to Nashville this week and while

driving on the Natchez Trace Parkway I was falling

into that trance you get when mile after mile of road

starts to look like the previous 100 miles, boring! All

of a sudden as I round a curve there is this beautiful

field of yellow daisies. Talk about a mood changer! It

was like I had just drank a V-8, Ha Ha! I had to stop and  

snap a picture or two and as I left I was surprised how

much better I felt after seeing the field of beautiful "Wild"

 flowers. A little further down the road as I pondered the

field of "Wild" daisies, I remembered a song from the

Troggs in 1966 that kinda spoke about "Wild Things" 

and put me in a whole lot better mood for the rest of

my trip. It is amazing how flowers just bring a smile

to your face and a little joy to the heart!

Narrowleaf Sunflower - Helianthus angustifolius

footnote: I know the song wasn't referring to flowers, but on

"this occasion", they kinda gave me the same feeling as the subject

in the song!  They did make my heart sing! Ha Ha!

Have a great week, everyone!

"Flowers seem intended for the solace of ordinary humanity."

John Ruskin(1819-1900): Art critic, social thinker & philanthropist

Life is Good!

This past Saturday morning as I looked out my window

I couldn't help but smile as one of our friendly squirrels

gorged itself on sunflower seeds at our bird feeders. After

eating its fill I guess it needed to rest abit and what better

place than the fence right near the feeders. After a brief

rest, it gorged a little more on sunflower seeds and rested

again in the same place. Life is good! Ha Ha!

Gray Squirrel  -  Sciurus carolinensis

Some time ago I found a cow skull on a walk in the

woods and brought it home. My daughter couldn't

believe it when I put it in the flower bed right next to

the bird feeders. Quite the tacky addition to the garden

she exclaimed with a bit of disgust in her voice, but

undaunted, I had other ideas in mind. She just happened

to be over when I caught ole lazy boy above rest abit from

sunflower seeds and then go to the skull and horns for a bit

of mineral in the form of calcium. Ahhh! The sweet taste

of educating the younguns about the ways of nature. She

didn't know that members of the rodent family which include

squirrels love to naw on skulls, horns and bones for the

calcium and other minerals that they lack in their diet.

After several more rounds of gnawing a bit of calcium,

rest awhile on the fence routine, ole bushy tail headed

for the trees and kicked back to watch the saturday

afternoon football games with his buddies. Ha Ha!

What a life! Plenty of food, free vitamens, nice safe

places to rest. Life is Good!

"You can't be friends with a squirrel! A squirrel is just a rat with a cuter outfit."

   Sarah Jessica Parker(1965-      ): An American film, television and theater actress and producer

Suprise Suprise Suprise!

What a nice suprise every fall when these beauties

stick their stalks through the grass and flower beds

to burst open this beautiful flower. Though short

lived, they are gorgeous while they are here.

Red Spider Lily -  Lycoris radiata

“So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these."
Bible New King James Version-Matthew 6:28-29

Predator!

A few years ago a movie named "Predator" came out
which was about an alien beast that came to the jungles
and preyed upon people for years without being discovered.
That was until Arnold Schwarzenegger and his band of army
misfits figured out what it was and how to stop it. Well I
wondered for years how people came up with the idea for
the creature that was almost invisible and the ultimate predator.
Little did I know they just went out to the local garden and
saw a mantis insect. What an incredible predator to find in my
garden the other day in the form of this Stick Mantis below.


Stick Mantis           Brunneria borealis


Perfectly camouflaged to be a part of the vegetation
it stalks a small leaf hopper on the leaf in the below
picture.                                                                

Makes for an erie feeling as it looks at me when I get

just a little too close and scare off his lunch.             

Back to the hunt after it decided I was too big for it to

carry off and eat. Ha Ha!                                         

Couldn't help but take a close up of the impressive

leg armour it uses to capture and hold it's prey as it

devours anything unlucky enough to get within it's

   reach.  Note the barbs on the back of the legs.        

Woe be unto the prey that lets this creature get too close!

"In all things of nature there is something marvelous."

   Aristotle(384BC-322BC): Greek philosopher and polymath

At a Snail's Pace?

"Time sometimes flies like a bird, sometimes crawls like a snail; but a man is happiest when he does not even notice whether is passes swiftly or slowly."

     Ivan Turgenev(1818-1883): Russian novelist, short story writer and playwright

  

A Butterfly in Motion!

Silver-Spotted Skipper      Epargyreus clarus      

Well I wish I could say that I planned this shot but I snapped the shutter just as the skipper decided I was a little too close. You might say that I did plan the shot, but this was not the outcome I intended. But hey, sometimes we get lucky and while it was an accident it is a very unique look at the wing motion of the butterfly taking off from it's perch.  At least I was standing in the right place! See quote below.

" A good photograph is knowing where to stand."

               Ansel Adams(1902-1984):American Photographer and environmentalist

On Heavens Breath!

The butterflies are out in force in the deep south and

while clicking the shutter on a few flutterbys last week

this little guy happened along. Although it has obviously

been through a tough time, it was still trying to carry out

its mission here on earth. I couldn't help but feel a little

sorry for it and wonder what happened to cause the wing

damage. Did it get caught out in the storm and wind? Did

it have a bad encounter with a predator? Or perhaps did

it have a run in with a motor vehicle on a highway? It is

really amazing if you notice the number of butterflies that

meet their demise on the highways and byways.

Pipevine Swallowtail     Battus philenor

Although its damage is pretty severe, it still carries on!

I wrote this poem and used on another post some time ago

but thought it was just too fitting for this little fellow.

On Heaven's Breath

On Heaven's Breath I flutterby
Pressed against her deep blue breast
Over lake and stream I tarry nigh
Through field and wood I rest

True course I hold through wind and storm
A journey far from start to end
Constant dangers are endless born
Waiting, lurking, round every bend

I cast my lot upon the breeze
And pray a gentle hand it give
By fate it carries me where it please
Through countless battles I must live

And when I cross your path one day
On Heaven's Breath I flutterby
Cast your eyes upon my way
And say a pray for butterfly

Randy Schultz August 24, 2010

A Fawn in Cades Cove

There is just not much that is more innocent than a

new born fawn. I caught this one on the side of the

road in Cades Cove in the Great Smoky Mountains.

They are very curious critters and are always alert

with eyes, ears and nose. When not alarmed, their

curiosity of things around them is really amazing 

to watch.

"Curiosity is lying in wait for every secret."

Ralph Waldo Emerson(1803-1882): American Essayist, Lecturer,  Poet

Indian Pipe

On a recent walk in the woods I ran across another plant that I can

add to my list of new plants or flowers this year called Indian Pipe.

This plant lives without chlorophyll, thus the white or clear color. It

grows in rich, shady areas of leaf litter much like mushrooms. It gets

its nutrients from a mutual relationship with a type of wood rotting

fungi that generate nutrients for the plant to use.

Indian Pipe  - Montropa uniflora

When fertilized, it turns a pinkish color and 

 when picked it turns black, thus the reason it is also

called Corpse Plant, Ice Plant and Ghost Flower

Native Americans used the juice from

the stem for an eye medicine.

     .

"Flowers have an expression of countenance as much as men or animals. Some seem to smile; some have a sad expression; some are pensive and diffident; others again are plain, honest and upright, like the broad-faced sunflower and the hollyhock."

   Henry Ward Beecher(1813-1887): Clergyman, Social Reformer, Abolitionist

To some of my blogger friends, I have been trying to leave you a message on your blogs but for some reason, blogger is not acknowledging my blog name and will not allow me to leave a message. I have tried to comment in the open ID also but no use either. Hopefully they will get the issue resolved soon. I am still able to comment on some blogs but not others. Go Figure! I am still enjoying your posts and will comment as soon as this issue is resolved.  Randy

Clear-Winged Sphinx Moth

Growing up on a farm in central Alabama I was taught at an

early age about wasps, bees and other not so friendly insects.

As young boys my brother and I were always exploring and playing

in the woods, fields and yes, mothers and grandmothers garden. One

of the most vivid memories I have as a young lad was being stung by

a bee for the first time. I remember learning that bumble bees could

really hurt. One day while playing I happened upon what I thought at 

the time was a bumble bee on steroids. It was the biggest bee I had

ever laid eyes on and I ran for cover every time I saw one around the

garden. To a bright eyed kid it looked like a bumble bee, just larger!

Much larger! I didn't learn until many years later in a entomology class in

college that what I thought was a bee was actually a moth. Well I have

overcome my fears of the creature and was delighted to find a couple 

going about their business in a nearby state park. The moths are very

hard to photograph because they just won't be still long enough for a 

shot. So if these seem a little blurry, I gave it my best. 

Clear-Winged Sphinx Moth - Hemaris thysbe

It is almost the size of a hummingbird.

Also called Hawk and Hummingbird Moth

I don't know if this color variation is a different specie

or just a color or age thing, but it sure is pretty.

"Between our birth and death we may touch understanding, as a moth brushes a

window with its wing."

         Christopher Fry(1907-2005): English Playwright

Say Cheese!

I happened upon this dragonfly in a local marsh I frequent and it allowed me to slip up rather close and set up my camera without moving. With somewhat harsh light, I began to snap a few shots and the wind was just enough to cause my subject to blurr just a bit from the movement. After a few shots, I noticed that the dragonfly would open and close it's eyes. This was just the coolest thing I had seen in a while so I set about to capture it closing it's eyes. This was harder than I thought as it was a very quick motion. But then as if it knew it was being photographed, it posed for me with what could be called a most inviting pose and grin and then held it's eyes closed long enough for me to snap the last shot before it decided the pay wasn't good enough for all the stress. Ha Ha!

          I believe this to be a male Blue Dasher.   Eyes open.

              Say Cheese, Please!    Isn't that the cutest grin!

           Thank you!     Eyes closed.

"Deep in the sun-searched growths the dragonfly

hangs like a blue thread loosened from the sky."

  Dante Gabriel Rossetti(1828-1882): English Poet, Illustrator, and Painter

Sunset from Mt. LeConte!

At 6600+ feet elevation, Cliff Top is the western point on the summit of Mt. LeConte in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. After eating a delicious meal prepared by the lodge crew, most guests elect to make the short .2 of a mile hike out to Cliff Top to watch the sun set. On this particular day the clouds tried to mask the sun but they could not prevent a beautiful sunset. The sun had it's due inspite of the cloud cover. It is really an awesome experience to set and watch the subtle changes that occur as the sun, clouds and mountains interact and dance their magic for the eyes to behold.

                           These shots were taken within a few minutes of each other looking across
                                the peaks and valleys of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.

                                As the day slowy gives way to the coming night, the last rays spread
                                          their beauty across the mountains in one last hoorah!

 
                                        And the bright white light softly filtered by the clouds

changes before our eyes to a warm yellow and gold

                                   before fading into that orange glow marking the end of another
                                                   beautiful day in God's wonderful creation.
                           

Oh, Great Spirit

Whose voice I hear in the winds,

And whose breath gives life to all the world,

hear me, I am small and weak,

I need your strength and wisdom.

Le me walk in beauty and make my eyes ever behold

the red and purple sunset.

Make my  hands respect the things you have

made and my ears sharp to hear your voice.

Make me wise so that I may understand the things

you have taught my people.

Let me learn the lessons you have

hidden in every leaf and rock.

I seek strength, not to be greater than my brother,

but to fight my greatest enemy - myself.

Make me always ready to come to you

with clean hands and straight eyes.

So when life fades, as the fading sunset,

my Spirit may come to you without shame.

Native American Prayer

And Comes The Light!

Morning is a special time. A time when light pushes away darkness and the world comes to life. A time of peace and tranquility for the soul. A time of beauty and inspiration. A cycle that continues its march to the beating drums of time.

And Comes The Light 

Gentle rays of morning sun

Slipping eerily through the trees

Causing darkness to make its run

And hide beneath the leaves

A hint of warmth spreading fair

Touching dew from night before

A wisp of steam upon the air

Giving way to mornings door

Pass on through my gentle light

Light the path for day to come

Chase away thy starry night

With wings upon thy beating drum

©  Randy J. Schultz     August 18, 2011

Green Thumb of Nature!

I know, I know, another bee on a flower picture! Hey, what can I say. I just love the relationship between the insects and the flowers. It is an amazing cycle of dependence, mutual benefits, and life, that I struggle to understand in more detail.



                                     Yellow Cone Flower - Rudbeckia laciniata

These beautiful flowers were adorning the summit of Mt. LeConte 

on a recent hike up to the Mt. LeConte Lodge for an overnight stay. 

Nature has the most awesome green thumb!  



"Tis my faith that every flower

Enjoys the air it breathes!"                                              

William Wordsworth(1770-1850): English Romantic Poet                                                                       

A Priestly Flower?

I got to go back to one of my favorite places this past week and that was LeConte Lodge on top of Mt. LeConte near Gatlinburg, TN. The lodge is at 6593' elevation and is a wilderness lodge and is only accessible by foot. The shortest trail to the lodge is 5 miles and the longest is just over 8 miles. The flowers were in full bloom around the lodge area and I added another beauty to my list of flowers I have never seen(or at least never noticed) before. These were growing right beside the dinning hall along with Bee Balm and Yellow Coneflowers. 

Monkshood  -  Aconitum uncinatum

The flower is shaped similar to a Monks hood.

 It has been used as an external pain reliever but is considered         

poisonous. Indians used this flower as a poison for their arrow tips.

"Nature is the art of God."

     Thomas Browne(1605-1682): English Author in various fields including medicine, religion and science.

A Bloom For A Day!

A beautiful, large flower that is related to Althaea officinalis which is a plant brought from Europe from which marshmallows were originally made. Each bloom may reach 8" across.  

                                Swamp Rose Mallow - Hibiscus moscheutos

Today, marshmallows are made from corn syrup and gelatin.

Each flower of the Mallow bloom for only one day and then they fade away. Most plants have many flowers that open sequentially, giving the apperance of the blooms lasting much longer.

“Every flower is a soul blossoming in nature.”

    Gerard de Nerval(1808-1855): French poet

Beauty With a Purpose! The Passionflower

For those flower loving friends out there, do you ever ask why some flowers are shaped the way they are? Well, I ask that question when I took this first photo of a Passionflower, Passion Vine or Maypops as some call them. Why all the elaborate setup of the pistil and stamens? 

Passiflora incarnata 

It all seems like a lot of overkill! Why not something simple like some of the other flowers? 

 Well I know there is a more technical anwser but the next picture I took a few days later gave me the anwser I was looking for.What we look at as beauty, the flower definitely has a purpose in mind for the elaborate display and setup.

Below a carpenter bee lands and is drawn by the pretty rose color of the corona for a possible treat of nectar and at the same time look at where the back of the bee is in relation to the anther of the stamen. Right in perfect position to transfer and receive the pollen from the accumulation on the bee's back. Is this not the perfect design? The anther is shaped perfectly to be touched by the bee when it lands on the flower seeking the nectar it loves. 

Fruit of the Passionflower or Maypop. I remember as a kid finding these along the field edges and jumping on them to hear the "pop" when the fruit busted.

And thus the web of life continues in one small part of the great creation!



Humankind has not woven the web of life.

We are but one thread within it.

Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves.

All things are bound together.

All things connect.

Chief Seattle, 1854