Thursday, September 03, 2009

Star Wars


An old logging track becomes a flower bed when the logging trucks leave. Now seeds that would perish in shade only a few feet to either side of the track, count their blessings while popping their buds.


On a cloudy afternoon after work, I took the slow way home through the woods, knowing the light was bad, the wind was too windy, and rain was imminent.
I went anyway.
If I had not ... something amazing would have happened and I would have missed it.
So I went.

Halfway through the woods, with a missed otter shot and a missed deer shot in my ... , actually NOT in my pocket, I found this. A bed of blazing star growing in a swampy old logging road. You could just see the tops of the purple flowers swaying behind a line of shrub that grew between the abandoned track and the dirt road I was on.

I waded in.
It wasn't the best day for still photography of flowers or insects due to a gentle but steady breeze moving everything around, plus the light was low ... a perfect recipe for fuzzy macro shots.
So ...

... I shot you this little video of two blazing star warriors.

13 comments:

amarkonmywall said...

GREAT stick guy! Very cool mantis. The thing I always wonder about butterflies and their ilk: if they just calmed down a bit they might not have to work so hard to feed that metabolism.

Glad you slowed down!

Carol said...

Nice Mantis! I remember mowing hay one year in NY and the field was covered with them..One of my favorite insects.

www.wildlifearoundus.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

Ya know, it's not right to use that title and get people all excited that their father is writing about one of his favorite things only to be crushed by plants and butterflies...

Deb said...

Ah, Liatris. One of the joys of late summer around here. And, as I can see, there too.

Dani said...

Very cool!

lisa said...

Wow, awesome video! Nature at its finest!

Shelby said...

This is fantastic. glad you shared it.. cheers!

robin andrea said...

Really nice video, fc. I like your editing transitions. Well done.

Thunder said...

Alas, for some reason I'm not able to see the videos anymore due to either a change in Blooger or hightened security measures on my computer system!

Scott & Liz said...

Great blog,just found it. The mantis has the Yoda head thing goin on.
Stop by my blog if you want some Fl. Keys nature, it's new but ya gotta start somewhere.
Scott

Kimberlee said...

Wow! That mantis really gave you a look! Very Star Wars-ish head action. :)

S N B said...

I love liatris (blazing star) and I have been looking for it but it is not blooming here yet that I have seen. It cuts well to use in arrangements.

Doug Taron said...

Nice stuff. I meant to comment on this earlier. The butterfly is a Palamedes Swallowtail, one of my favorite SE US specialties.