Tag: reflections

Photographic Journal: Just Be

alligatorNo pretty berries, little flowers, floating blossoms, or ripples in the water today! Instead I saw this handsome alligator.

Even alligators don’t like to be in the water all the time.  After three consecutive days of uninterrupted rain, this big fellow took a rest on a log in the swamp and dried himself off.

Sometimes we need to remove ourselves from the turmoil of life’s events, ‘crawl out of the water onto a log’, and just be.

Tree Project: Winter Follow-Up

The day before New Year’s Eve I visited my trees again to check on them.  There was a short line at the entrance to Middleton Plantation, where the trees are located.  The day was gorgeous, though freezing cold, and I was ready to get started.  I got restless while waiting in line and took a quick look through my camera at the tree canopy above us.

Tree Project 004_1Before getting to the staple yard, I had to walk past a pond with a surface as clear as a mirror.

Tree Project 016_2_1This pond has one lone resident swan. The swan used to have a friend, but I have not seen it in a long time. I wonder if swans get lonely at times, like humans?

Tree Project 028_2_1Once I made it to the trees, to my surprise, I found the Chinaberry tree still full of berries.  Chinaberry trees attract berry-eating birds, such as mockingbirds, robins, and catbirds.  The ones I discovered in the tree that I am following this year are mocking birds.

Tree Project 066_2_1Ingesting as few as six berries or less can be fatal to humans.

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Birds only get intoxicated of the berries.  However, if they eat too many, it can cause paralysis.  Maybe that’s why this little friend was dwelling under the tree, hoping some birds would drop to the ground?

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The Ginkgo tree is completely bare; its fallen leaves are brown and wilted.  Though, the tree’s buds are in ready position, awaiting the ‘go signal’ from the sun.

                           Tree Project 055_2_1    Tree Project 057_2_1

I had to keep my time around the trees short, because of a territorial, sentinel swan goose.  It charged at me a few times until I finally gave up and retreated.

Tree Project 059_2_1On the other side of the fence was a water buffalo looking on, probably amused by my defeat.  Meanwhile, its friend was sunning itself, casting an interesting shadow of its enormous body.

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A mother duck and her ducklings were being kept safe in a cage.  (What happened to baby ducks being born in spring?)  The wire mesh of the cage was rather large and an f-stop of 5.6 would not eliminate it from showing up on my photo of this little duckling.

Tree Project 043_2_1I was lucky enough to chance upon the resident carpenter who sported off hand-woven tassels made by Mrs. Carpenter.

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On my way back to the car, I could not resist taking another photo of a gumball.  These fruits of the gumball tree are always attractive looking amid a tangle of twigs and branches.

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I think for now I let the birds finish off the China berries.  Once the days have grown longer and the sun warmer, I will check on the Chinaberry and Ginkgo trees again.

Meanwhile, I have registered with Middleton Plantation for a volunteer orientation session this month.  I may have the opportunity to soon give spinning demonstrations in the staple yard.  It is my secret hope, that they will also let me care for the sheep.