Day 304: Autumn Splendor

 Backyard Nature, Geometry and Nature, Piney Woods Church Road 365 Project, Sense of Place  1 Response »
Oct 312014
 

Today was overcast and breezy, not quite cold but suggesting a change in the air.  It was late afternoon when I set out, and perhaps sixty degrees; tomorrow, the forecast calls for winds up to 35 mph and a high barely exceeding fifty.  The tree leaves’ changing colors stood out magnificently against the gray sky.  Here are two images of autumn splendor from the walk:  the first is an impressionistic shot of the foliage of a sassafras tree along the road; the second, an image of three oak leaves and the spaces between (and within).

 

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Day 301: Enveloped by Autumn

 Backyard Nature, Piney Woods Church Road 365 Project, Sense of Place  No Responses »
Oct 282014
 

Autumn is such a magnificent season. Here, a red curtain formed by a single changing leaf (possibly Sourwood) hangs above a backdrop of golden yellow, green, and brown against a blue and white sky.  I am enveloped by Fall on this mild mid-afternoon, somewhere along Piney Woods Church Road.

 

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Day 300: The Web and the Road

 Backyard Nature, Geometry and Nature, Piney Woods Church Road 365 Project, Sense of Place  No Responses »
Oct 272014
 

I celebrate my 300th day of the Piney Woods Church Road Project with this image of a shriveled leaf connected to a twig with a network of spider threads, against the backdrop of the open road.  I thought of the title for this image just after taking the photo, but only after arriving home did I appreciate the pun involved.  My project this year has taken place in two locations:  the physical landscape of a dirt road near my home, and the virtual landscape of the Web — in particular, here on my blog and on Facebook as well.  Today, I celebrate the web and the road, and my pilgrimage which weaves them together.

 

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Return of an Old Friend

 Backyard Nature, Insects  No Responses »
Oct 252014
 

As I made my way along the new wooden horse fence bordering Piney Woods Church Road this afternoon, who did I see by an old friend from months earlier, the Rough Stink Bug (Brochymena quadripustulata).  I didn’t recognize him (her?) at first; the edges of his abdomen had largely lost their brilliant red fringing from earlier in the season, but I could still discern those telltale red bumps on his back (the pustulata part of his name).  He lingered long enough for an extended photo session, the fruit of which was the portrait below.

 

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The Grasshopper at His Post

 Backyard Nature, Insects  No Responses »
Oct 242014
 

I encountered this mellow grasshopper while strolling along the new wooden horse fence on Piney Woods Church Road earlier today.  He (who certainly might be a she instead) may be another Differential Grasshopper like the one I photographed a couple of weeks back, but I am not certain.  He was not at all camera-shy, as you may note.

 

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Day 297: Will-o-the-Wasp

 Backyard Nature, Insects, Piney Woods Church Road 365 Project, Sense of Place  No Responses »
Oct 242014
 

As autumn proceeds, insect life gets more scarce along Piney Woods Church Road.  Lately, I have been craving an encounter with some sort of creature making its rounds along the road.  This afternoon, I encountered two:  a wasp and a grasshopper (the latter the topic of another post).

I found this bright yellow wasp buzzing along near the ground, moving into and out of the leaf litter. It rested for a moment on a a leaf, but took off quickly when I pointed the camera its way.  I waited again for it to make landfall, only for the same thing to happen again.  On maybe the fourth try, she perched on a Hoary Mountainmint leaf and stayed put, occupied with grooming her antennae.  I took quite a few photographs, most of which ended up a bit blurry.  This one did not.  According to the BugGuide experts, she is most likely the Ichneumon wasp, Neotheronia septentrionalis.

 

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