The Alchemy of Autumn
Alchemy is the ancient "science" of turning mundane elements into gold. For a long time many people (including Sir Isaac Newton) believed it was just a matter of time before they had success. As far as I know, it has never worked. Except maybe it has.
Strangest Thing
The immortal last words of McManus (The Usual Suspects) perfectly describe what's happening with this picture on flickr - I put it up a few hours ago and it's had a hundred views coming from an unknown source. The Unknown source gag is something that frustrates the crap out of me with flickr. I've put... Continue Reading →
It’s the little differences
Ah that famous scene in Pulp Fiction where Vincent enumerates the little differences between the US and Amsterdam. I had a similar experience recently and no, it didn't involve Burger King either. As you've probably gathered by now, I practically live in the woods. It started when I was a kid. No amount of fairy... Continue Reading →
The Power of Scouting
Up until recently, I've been a catch-as-catch-can type of photographer. If I was going somewhere, I took my camera and tried for photos as I went. Rarely did I return to a location to do better or capture a different aspect of the place. Now though, I understand what scouting a location can do. Remember... Continue Reading →
Cedar Swamp and Rhododendron Preserve
Late last year I visited a nearby Nature Conservancy property called The Cedar Swamp Preserve. Yeah, real romantic sounding place, right? Well it's got two great things going for it - Atlantic White Cedars and Great Laurel or Giant Rhododendron as it's sometimes called. This is a small preserve jammed between huge condo developments, some... Continue Reading →
Not your typical wildflower
Let the microscapes begin! Not the most beautiful or delicate of wildflowers, but one of the first to appear. I went wandering in one of the many nature preserves in Andover, Massachusetts the other day and one section of the swamp was covered with skunk cabbage. I read that they can come up so early... Continue Reading →
Spring has Sprung
Remember that scene in The Jerk when Martin ran all over yelling "The new phonebook's here! The new phonebook's here" ? Well I felt like doing that about spring today. This is what tells me it's arrived - It's whitlow grass and there's a big patch of it in my backyard. They're the very first... Continue Reading →
