Photo-a-Day Challenge
Rainbows Lie
My week in photos
On Sunday, as I drove to work, I was caught in a sunshine shower (rain while the sun shines) that created the rainbow above. Rainbows traditionally symbolize hope, good luck, and new beginnings. If I choose to think the rainbow was specifically for me (how selfish), then the rainbow lied. So, I choose to believe it was for someone else who might have a better chance of fulfilling its promise.
This delicate flower is a Skyflower, aka Golden Dewdrop (golden??), aka Duranta erecta. This flowering shrub from Mexico is in the verbena family and is used as a landscaping plant in tropical and semi-tropical gardens. Although the flowers are tiny, the plant grows as high and as wide as 18 feet and is a favorite of butterflies. No, this isn’t in my garden, though I wish it were!
Sébastien knows he looks good on blue!
Woodpeckers, Pileated and Downy, were everywhere from early spring through mid-June. Then, like the wading birds, they disappeared. I was taking out the trash on Tuesday when I heard hammering and found this Pileated Woodpecker in a tree in our parking lot.
One of Ben’s daughters visited for a few days, allowing me the opportunity to go birding with my friend Gina. I think my last outing was in May. We stayed in town, visiting Sweetwater Wetlands, where we sweated profusely in 103F (39.5C) heat with no tree cover and only the occasional boardwalk pavilion to provide a little shade. But it was worth every drop of perspiration!
My favorite photo of the day is above. This Little Blue Heron with his spikey hair-do was so comical. He had a serious itch on his neck and spent at least two minutes scratching it.
I have a new zoom lens that proved to be a challenge because of its weight. My carpal-tunneled hands struggled to keep the camera steady, and by the time we left Sweetwater, they ached. I had to trash at least 50% of my photos due to blurring from hand movement, but I took plenty that did come out. I’m sure I’ll get used to the extra weight with some practice.
I’ve been reading several bird books written by British authors and learned that “twitching” is the pursuit of serious birders to spot rare birds. Typically, they have a list of the birds and check them off as each bird is sighted. I don’t have a written list, but I do have a mental one of birds I’d like to see someday. Wednesday, I was able to put an imaginary check mark next to Green Heron on my imaginary list. Isn’t this guy gorgeous?
Our birding excursion only lasted a few hours, followed by ice cream to cool us down, but it was a relief to be somewhere other than home, medical offices, the hospital, and work. Yes, walking miles along the Sweetwater trails and boardwalks was tiring, but it was a different type of fatigue than I experience every day, and I was grateful for the diversion.
This Phaon Crescent is one of the smallest butterflies I’ve seen, with a wing span of maybe an inch. Phaon Crescents are throughout North America but are seen mostly in the South, particularly here in Florida. However, since they are so small and tend to fly close to the ground, they are easily overlooked.
The temperature was 67F (19.5C) when Syau and I walked at 7:30 am on Friday. Many mornings this summer started out at 80+F (26.7C), so 67 felt like autumn to us. Heavy rains fell the last three evenings/nights and last night’s deluge left a light fog that hung over the walking trail.
The doe that frequents our lake appeared Friday morning. Again I used my new lens, and out of six photos, this was the only one that wasn’t a total blur, and even this isn’t good. I tried to go around the neighborhood last night and experiment with the new lens to get used to its heftiness, but a heat index of 103 and fast-approaching storm clouds shortened my time outdoors.
I was getting in my car to go to work Saturday afternoon when a neighbor called my attention to the end of our sidewalk where the doe was grazing. That was the first time I’ve seen her someplace other than near the lake and the first time I’ve seen her in the middle of the day.
Saturday evening, the doe returned to our backyard, but this time with her fawn. She’s eating from my bird feeder. I was afraid they would run off if I opened the porch door, so I took photos through the screen.
My week began with a rainbow and ended with this sunset.
© Dennett 2022
In July 2020, I started the Photo-a-Day Challenge on Snapshots to help combat the virus blues. I take photos every day and choose one (maybe, two or three) to represent the day. Then add a one-or-two-word descriptor and some narrative. A simple way to observe and preserve.
However, the Snapshot Editors have decided to replace the Photo-a-Day Challenge with a monthly one, so Weeds & Wildflowers is now the official home of this challenge. If you want to participate and are not a writer for W&W, leave a response below, and I’ll add you.
Please note that Weeds & Wildflowers does not have the same word and photo limits as Snapshots.
Want to join the fun? It’s all about noticing and appreciating your environment and sharing it with us, as these photographers and story-tellers have:
Erika Burkhalter / Eileen Vorbach Collins / Anne Bonfert / Sasha Meyer / Tracy Aston/ Lisa Bolin / Juan O. Aguilera / David Wade Chambers / June Nguyen / Mia Verita / Susan Alison / LensAfield / Barbara Radisavljevic / Diana Lotti / Barbara Dalton / Kim Zuch / K. Barrett / Sandra Barrett / Shruthi Sundaram / Gustavo Mendez / Olive Wilson / Jane Frost (Jane Grows Garden Rooms) / Jillian Amatt / Scott Younkin / Penny Grubb / Shell Parsons /Ivy Shepherd
(If you participated in the Photo-A-Day Challenge and your name isn’t listed above, please let me know.)
Thanks!
