Harsh Hand of Winter

Grey Squirrel scratching in the snow for a few sunflower seeds. I wonder what critters think about snow when they see it for the first time? I know critters don't think like we do but you have to wonder what they experience when they encounter snow covering their world. Life suddenly gets alot harder just to keep warm and find food.

 "In the midst of winter, I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer."
       Albert Camus (1913-1960): French Algerian Author, Philosopher, Journalist

Winter's Embrace

"And finally Winter, with its bitin', whinin' wind, and all the land will be mantled with snow."

         Roy Bean (1825-1903): Saloon-Keeper, Justice of the Peace

White Christmas in Dixie!!!!!

A white Christmas in North Mississippi! Wow! How special a Christmas has this turned out to be?

Took a spin on the Natchez Trace just to take it all in and took this shot along the way.

Hope everyone has the best Christmas ever and may we all remember why we celebrate this day! 

"There is nothing in the world more beautiful than the forest clothed to its very hollows in snow. It is the still ecasty of nature, wherein every spray, every blade of grass, every spire of reed, every intricacy of twig, is clad with radiance."

        William Sharp (1856-1905): Scotish Poet and Biographer

Seasons of Change

A Sugar Maple leaf in the midst of its seasonal change from green to yellow, orange and red. How beautiful the transition from one season to another.

"Live in each season as it  passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influences of each. Let them be your only diet drink and botanical medicines."
     Henry David Thoreau(1817-1862): American Author, Poet, Naturalist, Philosopher

Elk of Great Smoky Mountains National Park

What a thrill to see a huge bull Elk in the Cataloochee Valley at the north end of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The last native elk was killed in North Carolina in the late 1700's and in Tennessee elk bulged no more after the mid 1800's. Thanks to the efforts of a lot of people and organizations, the elk are here once again.

"Once again the bugle of the bull elk is heard across the mountains. With every heave of his great lungs, his breath glistening in the early morning light of a crisp fall day. And all is as it should be, as it once was."
            Randy J. Schultz

Whats Wrong with this Picture?

Just happened to walk by as these two were getting ready to run off with their owners car! Ha Ha! They let me know not to get too close!



"I've seen a look in dogs' eyes, a quickly vanishing look of amazed comtempt, and I am convinced that basically dogs think humans are nuts."

   John Steinbeck (1902-1968): American Novelist and Writer

Contemplation!

Looking across the smokies from Newfound Gap. One of those places you just want to sit and take it all in for a while. 

It is a wholesome and necessary thing for us to turn again to the earth and in the contemplation of her beauties to know of wonder and humility.

Rachael Carson (1907-1964): American Nature Writer, Marine Biologist

Highlighted by the Sun

Fall colors highlighted with the soft light of an autumn afternoon.

Most of the time it doesn't work to take a picture into the sun light, but in this case the sun highlighted the colors of the trees and brought the ridges to life by giving them a gentle glow. 

"Those who dwell among the beauties and mysteries of the Earth are never alone or weary of life."

        Rachael Carson (1907-1964): American Nature Writer, Marine Biologist

Black Bear

Black Bear at Grandfather Mountain

"When a pine needle falls in the forest, the eagle sees it, the deer hears it and the bear smells it."

Old Indian Proverb

There's Gold in Them There Hills!

Gold in the Smokies.

While many may search for gold the in the mineral form, I go in search of another kind of gold in them there hills! 

It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see.

          Henry David Thoreau (1817- 1862):  American Author, Poet, Naturalist, Philosopher

Which Wolf Do You Feed?

What an amazing carving of an Indian overlooking Spring Creek near downtown
Tuscumbia, AL. Someone took the time to carve an Indian out of a dead tree standing on the bank near Spring Creek. It is amazing the talent and abilities God has given each of us. Do you know and use your talent?

How often do we look at things or someone and only see the outer shell? As in the case of the ole dead, weathered gray body of a tree with no limbs and leaves in the picture above, how many of us would have seen the beauty within as did the person who sculpted out the Indian. Do you look at life and only see the outer shell or do you see  into the heart?

"A Native American Grandfather talking to his young grandson tells the boy he has two wolves inside of him struggling with each other. The first is the wolf of peace, love and kindness. The other wolf is fear, greed and hatred. "Which wolf will win, grandfather?" ask the young boy. "Which ever one I feed," is the reply."
            Native American Proverb

A Smell of Fresh Air!

 

Nothing quite like the smell of cool, fresh air after a rain. A shot of two turkeys(lower right) in the field after a late summer rain in Cades Cove. Don't you just want to reach up and touch the clouds?

 "Life is full of beauty. Notice it. Notice the bumble bee, the small child, and the smiling faces. Smell the rain, and feel the wind. Live your life to the fullest potential and fight for your dreams."
      Ashley Smith (1978-    ): Author and speaker

Pink Bows and Rosie Cheeks!

Calliana enjoying a beautiful fall day in the cotton fields. Little girls just have a way with your heart! Especially their Grandpas!

" Only those who look with the eyes of children can lose themselves in the object of their wonder."
Eberhand Arnold (1883 - 1935): German Christian Writer, Philosopher, Ttheologian   

Goose'n Around!

Some times words are better left unspoken!

"You don't drown by falling in the water, you drown by staying there."
     Edwin Louis Cole (1922-2002): Founder of Christian Men's Network

Look Into My Eyes!

Mallard Duck (Anas platyrhynchos)

Hunters of all kinds work tirelessly at creating and finding the perfect camouflage to better conceal themsleves in the woods. Well I hate to tell  you guys but God designed the best camouflage ever made. The colors and patterns of this female Mallard Duck help it to blend in perfectly with the grass in which it usually nest. Amid the tones of browns blending together, this shot just pulls you to look into the eyes! The eyes are the only spot that stand out a little bit from the rest of the body.

"Few are those who see with their own eyes and feel with their own hearts"
            Albert Einstein (1879-1955): German born American Physicist

More Swallowtails!

Black Swallowtail  (Papilio polyxenes)

"Everything has its beauty but not everyone sees it."
                   Confucius ( 551BC - 479BC): Chinese thinker and social philosopher.

Raining Snakes!!! Huh???

Grey Rat Snake-Chicken Snake 

Well you just never know what might fall out of the sky when visiting the woods as I learned some time ago! While traveling through a mature stand of hardwood trees

near an open field I was amazed when this snake landed on the windshield of my pickup truck. Now how many folks out there can say this has happened to them? Ha Ha! Well as it turns out this young speciman of a Chicken Snake had obviously climbed up one of the big hardwood trees and out on a limb. I assume he must have gotten a little excited when I passed under him and lost his grip on the limb he was laying on causing him to fall and land on my windshield. Chicken Snakes are non-poisonous and actually help by eating small rodents and other pests.
        
"A journey into the wilderness is the freest, cheapest, most nonprivileged of pleasures, anyone with two legs and the price of a pair of army surplus boots may enter."
                      Edward Abbey (1927-1989): American author and essayist

Leipers Fork, Tennessee

Leipers Fork, Tennessee is a place I happened upon by accident on a trip to Nashville up the Natchez Trace. It is one of the oldest towns in Tennessee and has a rich history and a real quaint atmosphere, the kind of place you want to spend a little or maybe a lot of time. The day I came thru town they were having a Chili Cook off (this years cookoff is Oct 16, 2010) and the town was a buzz with people and music and food and stuff. It is a very neat and interesting place to say the least and I will have to visit some of the other events they have there on a regular basis. Check out the events page on the link if you want to do something different one weekend. I snapped this photo of  a full size bronze statue of Benjamin Franklin sitting on a bench in the front yard of a local house.

"Speak ill of no man, but speak all the good you know of everybody"
Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790):  American Statesman, Scientist, Philosopher, Inventor, Writer

Who Called the Meeting?

Orange Sulphur (Colias eurytheme)

     Caught these bunched up on an ole rotten, punky, piece of driftwood along the bank of the Tennessee River in northern Alabama. Seems they like each others company or they all like something on the piece of wood. Maybe just resting before they take flight again. Notice the very orange top side of the wing but the bottom side is all yellow. These are all the same specie in this picture.
          
"The difference between what the most and the least learned people know is inexpressibly trivial in relation to what is unknown."
                      Albert Einstein (1879-1955): German born American Physicist

What is Beauty?

Gulf Fritillary (Agraulis vanillae)

Thought I would throw a little orange at you. How awesome are the colors on this beauty? The picture to the right is a little out of focus but I wanted you to see the contrasting patterns and color of the bottom side of the wing verses the orange and black topside.

"Beauty as we feel it is something indescribable; what it is or what it means can never be said"
                 George Santayana (1863-1952): American Philosopher, Poet

A Sign of Summers End

Cloudless Sulphur(Phoebis sennae)

I wait with anticipation for August every year when the first little yellow sulphurs begin their migration. It starts slowly with only a few noticed every now and then, but gradually toward the middle of the month, the numbers increase and they seem to be everywhere. Can fall be far behind when these little beauties begin appearing along field and road as you travel most anywhere in the south. 
                               
"There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it's going to be a butterfly."
               R. Buckminster Fuller(1895-1983):American Inventor, Poet, Philosopher

Would you have noticed the little lavender flowers had a butterfly not graced them with it's presence?

"I Was Looking Back To See"

Praying Mantis

I was looking back to see
If you were looking back to see
If I was looking back to see
If you were looking back at me.

Photo above reminded me of an ole song from several years ago by Jim Ed Brown ( I Was Looking Back To See)

I found this carnivorous insect hanging
onto a dead tomato vine in my garden. We humans like to watch other creatures, but how cool when they turn their attention on us. That is what happened here when I got a little too close to this Praying Mantis. They get their name due to the way they hold their front legs together as if praying. Praying Mantis are predatory insects and they eat almost any insect that gets within reach of their claws. There are accounts of a Praying Mantis catching a hummingbird. 

"On every stem, on every leaf,... and at the root of everything that grew, was a professional specialist in the shape of a grub, caterpillar, aphis, or other expert, whose business it was to devour that particular part."
          Oliver Wendell Holmes (1809-1894): Physician, professor, lecturer, author.

Do You See the Beauty?

Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia)

Everyone is quickly drawn to the beauty of this colorful butterfly of the brushfoot group, but did you notice it had suffered some damage to it's left wing? Did you notice the beautiful round shapes on the wings? Did you notice the orange bars outlined in black on the fore wings? Did you notice the fuzzy, hairy appearance of the caterpillars body? Did you notice the beauty of the flower it rests on? Did you notice that more flowers are getting ready to burst open?

"Beauty in things exists in the mind which comtemplates them."
                   David Hume (1711-1776): Scottish philosopher and historian.

Awesome Transition

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus)

The eastern tiger swallowtail belongs to a genus that contains around 200 species around the world. Different patterns of blacks and yellows dominate the color pattern of swallowtails but many other colors are present also.

"We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty."
                 Maya Angelou (April 4, 1927-present): American biographer and poet

Butterfly or Flutterby?

Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor)

If you are like me, you probably never give much thought to butterflies as you go about your daily chores. I haven't either until I bought a book and started trying to capture a picture of the little creatures. I thought there were only 5 or 6 different kinds but there are literally hundreds of different butterfly species and they are some of the most beautiful of God's creatures. I never dreamed of so many colors and patterns. And just think, all this beauty came from a little ole worm or grub looking critter. The fall migration is on and I am going to try to capture as many different species as I can in the coming weeks.  I will share them as I can. Notice the orange spots on the

underside of the hind wings but are not visible on the top side.

"Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience"
             Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882): Philosopher, Poet, Author, Essayist

Late Summer Beauty

American Lotus (Nelumbo lutea)

"God has sown his name on the heavens in glittering stars; but on earth he planteth his name by tender flowers."
 Jean Paul Richter (1763-1825): German Novelist


Often overlooked because of where it grows, this lotus abides in ponds and lakes. The flower is large, about the size of a dinner plate. Beauty is everywhere if we just train our eyes to see. After maturing, the yellow cone shaped part of the flower(first picture) turns into the black head that holds the seeds on the stalk in the second picture.

Setting Evening Sun

Snapped this shot near Red Bay, AL just before sun set. I was using a point and shoot with no lense or filter, just natural light and composition. Is God not the most awesome artist you have ever seen? One day several years ago, I was in a favorite spot and trying to do some writing but my mind would not focus and I was having trouble generating anything worthwhile to put to paper. Frustrated, I looked down at my paper and noticed it had a golden glow as the setting sun cast it evening rays on me. In a matter of minutes I had wrote the  poem below. Thank you Father, you always show us a way when we seem to have trouble finding our own.

Writers Block
As I take pen in hand
The words won't seem to flow
But as I stare at this paper
It has a warm and gentle glow

For what is the reason
There can only be but one
There's nothing quite as splendid
As the setting evening sun

I have sat all day long
And nothing has gone well
I scratched and I scribbled
And there is nothing I can tell

And as I sit here and struggle
To find the words to write
I am constantly reminded
By this precious golden light

My mind may draw a blank
And I'm the weary one
But there's nothing quite a splendid
As the setting evening sun.

               Randy J. Schultz:  November 22, 2003

On Heaven's Breath

Tawny Emperor (Astercampa clyton)

A member of the Hackberry Butterfly group decided to lite upon my truck bed so I was obliged to grab a quick shot of this beautiful member of God's creation. Thanks for stopping by and sharing a moment with me long enough to admire your beautiful coloration. Butterflies go through an extradinary migration every year and they are at the mercy of everything they come in contact with, thus the poem below.

Happiness is like a butterfly which, when persued, is always beyond our grasp, but, if you sit down quitely, may alight upon you.

Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864): American Novelist

On Heaven's Breath

On Heaven's Breath I flutterby
Framed 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 J. Schultz    August 24, 2010

Posing for a Handout

Red Squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) also known as Pine Squirrel, North American Red Squirrel and Chickarees. They are very territorial and prefer a diet of seed from conifer cones but eat a variety of things.
On a recent hike up the Rainbow Falls Trail to Mt. LeConte Lodge, I happened upon this Red Squirrel who posed long enough for a few shots. It was obvious he was hoping for a handout of some morsel of food but by the plumpness of his body, I think he is getting well fed by all the hikers that come by his home in the woods.

"One touch of nature makes the whole world kin."
William Shakespheare (1564-1616):  English Playwright and Poet

Mayapple

Mayapple ( Podophyllum peltatum)

is the name of a low growing plant that pops up in colonies in the spring. Mayapple usually grows in a well shaded, rich, deciduous woodland soil in a mountain or hill area . It has a single flower that can be edible and has been used to make jelly and jam. Small amounts of the root were used by Native Americans and early settlers to treat jaundice, hepatitus, fever and syphilis, constipation and as a worm expellant. "Any part of this plant used incorrectly could be dangerous. All parts of the plant are considered poisonous" Some other common names for this plant are "Duck Foot, Devil's Apple, Indian Apple, Hog Apple, Ground Lemon, Mandrake, Racoonberry, Umbrella Plant, Wild Jalap, Wild Lemon, Wild Mandrake and Yellowberry among a few others.

If from a woodlot near we find
A flower of beauty there
And later thought brings to mind
Many uses it has to share

Should we not pause and thank the Lord
Whose creation we behold
And lift our arms to heaven toward
All praise to God be told
                            Randy J. Schultz:  August 7th, 2010

The Weatherman

While driving down a woods road near Michie Tennessee I

happened to notice a Hornets Nest about 8 feet from the

ground in a young oak sapling. I didn't see any evidence that the owners were home nor did I knock on the door to confirm their presence. But it was evident they had not been long gone from the condition of the paper nest. Hornet nests are made from the worker hornets chewing up woody fiber from plants and trees and making a pulpy material and then forming it into layers which make up the nest.

It is possible for up to 700 hornets to occupy a single nest. Some say

you can judge the severity of the coming winter by how high the nest is above the ground. Normally hornets nest are built close to eye level. The ole saying is that the higher up the hornets nest the colder and deeper the snow will be. With this one at about 8 feet above the ground we should have a close to normal winter.

"The trouble with weather forecasting is that it is right too often for us to ignore it and wrong too often for us to rely on it."

Patrick Young

Seeking Shelter From the Rain

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)

It was during a very nasty lightening storm last week that I heard a noise on the outside of a window in our house. When I opened the blinds to see what it was, to my suprise, this bird was perched on the window clinging on with breast pressed against the glass. It was lightening terribly and raining pretty hard also and I guess this little female House Sparrow was seeking shelter under the eave of our house. It sat there long enough for me to grab this quick shot and then it flew off into the storm.

"I once had a sparrow alight upon my shoulder for a moment, while I was hoeing in a village garden, and I felt I was more distinguished by that circumstance than I should have been by any epaulet I could have worn."
Henry David Thoreau (1817- 1862):  American Author, Poet, Naturalist, Philosopher

(by the way a epaulet is "a shoulder ornament for certain uniforms, usally military uniforms used to denote importance or some special honor or significance)

Natural Beauty

Virginia Bluebells - Virginia Cowslip ( Mertensia virginica)

Happened upon these while traveling on the Natchez Trace in

NW Alabama during late spring. I pulled into a side loop road along

Bear Creek while traveling to Florence, AL. These beautiful flowers

were along a mowed area next to the creek and caught my eye quickly with their pink and blue trumpet/bell shaped flowers.

"There are always flowers for those who want to see them"
Henri Matisse  (1869-1954): French Artist, Painter