These Tule elk were browsing with their friends one October morning close enough to Highway 101 in Mendocino County, California for me to capture with my limited camera equipment. I enjoyed my photo shoot. They seemed to be enjoying their brunch. Funny how the word “browse” can mean both looking around and eating.
This spider web almost looks like a cartoon. It is covered with tiny beads of moisture in the early morning.
There is something otherworldly and a little creepy about this photo of a jellyfish, at a northern California beach, with human shadows. They belong to my son and me, but don’t we look like paranormal characters? OK, maybe not. Must be the jellyfish.
This California Towhee isn’t the flashiest of birds, but I thought it had panache. It may look plain and brown from a distance, but on closer inspection its subtle color is distinctive.
This image reminds me of the expression, “cute as a bug.” But although this creature is referred to as a ladybug or ladybird, it is of course not a bug or bird, but an insect. This nice, fresh-looking lettuce is making me hungry…for salad, not insects!
This makes me think of summer, which is a nice feeling in January. I like thistles, because they are prickly and uninviting and at the same time fascinating and beautiful. You just have to be careful approaching them. Kind of like some people. Hmm.
This almost looks like the aurora borealis-in orange! But it is actually raining clouds at sunset. I took this from in front of my house, looking east. It was taken at the same time as the photo in a previous post https://jmnaszady.wordpress.com/2011/04/11/changes/.
Precipitation that evaporates before it reaches the ground is called virga. It could be rain or snow. So now you have my picture for the day, and a word for the day. Remember to use the word “virga” in a sentence, and the word will be yours!
It’s hard to believe that this elegant, historic home is hidden in a remote community in the northern California mountains. It was probably built by a timber baron. I like the mystery of its hidden past though, because it’s more fun to make something up. (History was never my favorite subject, anyway!)
This house could be located anywhere that you decide to put it. Who lives here? An eccentric octogenarian? A librarian who won the lottery? How about a bizarre religious sect?
What kind of history does this estate have? How many people have lived here? How many were born, or died, or both, under this roof? How many people does it take to keep it looking this fabulous? Was anyone home when this picture was taken? What were they doing?
This game could go on forever, but I’m certain there must be something else I should be doing right now. Have fun with your imagination. Dream big!
Imagine that you are standing next to this rose. Can you smell its sun-warmed perfume? How about the redwood chips on the ground behind it? Does their pungent odor tickle your nostrils?
Listen. Do you hear the buzzing of the insect as it hovers and lands on the edge of a petal? Does it hum past your ear as it leaves the scene?
Reach out and touch the smooth, dusty leaves. Watch out for those thorns! Gently brush your cheek against a petal.
Now get back to whatever it was you were doing before I distracted you. Repeat as often as you need to keep your life in perspective!
I think this cloud over Humboldt Bay in northern California looks an awful lot like the Starship Enterprise. And I’m not even a Trekkie. What else can I say?
When You're Bored 