grass – The (Urban-Wildlife) Interface

September 12, 2016September 12, 2016 suburbanferndaleark Cement mixer

At the edge

This spider, its tiny body almost doubled over as it clings to the slenderest grass seed head, certainly seems on the edge.

9-3-2016 Seed Spike Spider.jpg

June 20, 2016June 29, 2016 suburbanferndaleark Cement mixer

This mushroom’s glorious red was striking against the green grassy background. Thought I’d go ’round the back to see how the reverse angle might be. Looks like a squirrel got there first!
6-14-16-Red-Mushroom-Whole 6-14-16-Red-Mushroom-Bite

January 12, 2015 suburbanferndaleark Cement mixer

On pins and needles

The probability of pine needles landing more or less vertically seems to me to have the about same probability of a tossed coin landing on its edge. Which is why this sight grabbed my eye. A green swath with pine needles landed heads down, sticking up from the grass like a little forest of lawn darts. Alas, the lawnmower man came by the next day and the needle forest was gone.

Pine needles sticking up from the grass. — Needles sticking up from the grass.

August 10, 2014August 17, 2014 suburbanferndaleark Cement mixer

WordPress Photo Challenge: Texture

Texture would seem to be such a simple thing. Wandered around among the trees and weeds looking for anything new that would really fit the challenge. (Our previous post, “Coral Fungus,” would’ve been perfect). So here’s what we found today:

8-9 AlumMountain — Crumpled aluminum foil in the kitchen.

Intertwined white stone and black algae. — Black algae meets flowstone in front of the house.

Soft white feather in grass. — A shed feather stands upright, caught in blades of grass.

Extra textures we loved:

A grand variety – http://lucidgypsy.wordpress.com/2014/08/08/nature-and-coast/
Elephantine – http://scottseyephotos.wordpress.com/2014/08/08/weekly-photo-challenge-texture-2/
Fantastically fungal – http://insellos.wordpress.com/2014/08/09/weekly-photo-challenge-texture/
Flamingo feathers and more – http://salmonfishingqueen.wordpress.com/2014/08/08/textures-a-wordpress-photo-challenge/
Boathouse – http://snapsandstories.com/2014/08/08/weekly-photo-challenge-texture/

June 29, 2014 suburbanferndaleark Cement mixer

Minehaha dragonfly

A true sign of summer.

Dragonfly in tall grass — PERCHED — Dragonfly in the tall grass near Minehaha falls in Minnesota.

May 11, 2014May 11, 2014 suburbanferndaleark Cement mixer

The itsy bitsy spider

This little tiny yellow spider was about 3/16ths of an inch long and had strung its web between the empty seed-bearing arms of some wild grass.

August 25, 2013August 25, 2013 suburbanferndaleark Cement mixer

Silhouette of a grumpy robin

Was looking through the files (read: images that somehow never seem to get deleted from the camera disk) and came across this one shot from my office window.

It was a very hot June day, and this robin, like everyone else on very hot days, seemed rather irritable. He walked to and fro, ranting as he went. He finally ran out of steam and sat in the grass, panting and with his feathers fluffed to vent heat. In the top shot, he sat at the edge of the building’s shadow; the other shot is what he looks like in all his glorious grouchy color.

Robin in shadow. — Robin is a little edgy on a hot June day.

December 10, 2012 suburbanferndaleark Cement mixer

Weekly photo challenge: Changing seasons

Fall and winter are trying to gain a foothold here in Arkansas. These shots came from one of the few frostly mornings we’ve had here in Central Arkansas — cold snaps sandwiched between days with highs in the 70s, a few thunderstorms and the occasional tornado watch.