Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Crawling around on the ground

As I sit writing this, it’s raining sideways, and I’m covered with a throw blanket. The warmer temps we had this past weekend are nothing but a memory as the damp chill permeates the house.

Over the weekend, though, I spent some time photographing things I found on the ground after a walk I’d taken. Now, if you’re new and visiting this blog for the first time, this is about as exciting as it gets around here and I’d like to warn you about that.

But I like it that way.

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I took all of the photos you see here with my trusty Nikkor AF 60mm macro lens. I wore my old sweatpants and an even older thermal top that I confiscated from one of my sons and headed out to crawl along the ground some.

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These little white buds are growing along the edge of the property.

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Maybe this is from a woodpecker of some sort.

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I have a thing about mushrooms, too.

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And color.

Everywhere I looked, I saw color. For some really different color, visit my Virginia creeper vine on the Picture A Day blog.

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I would like to have a chair upholstered in this material, please.

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The property is squirrel heaven. Hickory, walnut, and oak trees drop an abundance of nuts in the fall and we always see squirrels happily cavorting about and partying underneath the trees. Oh, they run when they see George, but they always come back for more.

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Here’s the remnants under the hickory tree. Everything you see here are remainders of nut shells (with a few twigs thrown in).

I just love fall.

Thanks for stopping by, all.


Until tomorrow, my friends . . .

38 comments:

Gail said...

Beautiful pictures.

I have always wanted the trees to talk...oh, the stories they could share!

Ashley Sisk said...

Crawling around the ground was sooo worth it...these shots are incredible. Nicely done!

Mary said...

I'm smiling from ear to ear here -- I can just picture you crawling around on the ground. :) Love all your shots, especially the leaf. I'd like a chair covered in that material, too. :) And I thought the feather may have been from a blue jay... so lovely!

Corny said...
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Low Tide High Style said...

It was worth all of your efforts, I love that leaf picture too, and it would make a wonderful fabric!

Congrats on your PW photo too!

Kat :)

Low Tide High Style said...
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Hilary said...

So those nuts on the ground.. is that the photo subject or the crawling photographer? ;) Great shots as always Kate. Now git up!

Lili said...

You cracked me up with your mushroom stories on the link to your other blog. The blatent lying tag was so funny! Now you've got me dreaming about finding fabric that emulates that gorgeous fall leaf! ~Lili

Eileen said...

So, do the squirrels come back for more nuts or more George? :0)

Very pretty pictures. It amazing what we can find when we get down on our knees!

Driftwood and Pumpkin said...

I too love the fall. As I read this I am sitting with a soft rain outside and a throw blanket on my lap. *sigh*

Mental P Mama said...

I think I need to go crawling around....

Deb said...

great photos...

Andi said...

You really really make me covet a macro lens. :) Love to see the world through your lens. Thanks for sharing again!

Dawn said...

I sure wish I had that lens;)
Beautiful fall colors....love the buds!!!!

JacksDad said...

Oh, I haven't seen hickory nuts in a long time. They used to grow all over my uncle's farm!

Anonymous said...

I haven't been to your blog in a long time and I have to say it's better than I remember. You are truly talented. I love the pictures and the albums put with music. I even caught your eyes in one of them. I loved it.

Your favorite Seester

Jeanne Walker said...

I'll jump right in and agree with everyone that the leaf pattern would make an awesome design and color for a fabric! How cool is that!

Love the mushroom and all the mushy pics on the link. Did a fast wiki look and sure 'nuf, you are right there close to the Mushroom Capital of the World! Can you really eat any of these fungi that you photographed?

Again, thanks for the awesome pics!
And thanks for being a ground crawler so that we can enjoy them too!

Jeanne

Caroline said...

Gorgeous photos Kate!!! It was raining like crazy here to...but I like a day like this every now and then.

Sweetpea said...

Heh CG, I think that might be a Flicker feather (and pretty sure they are in the woodpecker family). Another blog I follow, Spirit Cloth, had a post about said feather recently (she's based in upstate NY):

http://spiritcloth.typepad.com/spirit_cloth/2010/09/just-considering.html

I thoroughly enjoyed being a ground-hugging munchkin with ya today! YAY for forest rot!!!

Anonymous said...

I'm not one for crawling around on the ground but you have taken some amazing shots here, so perhaps I need to don some old clothes and get out there - you're inspiring.

CJ xx

Jayne said...

Love how your eye catches such wonderful gems. :c)

Anonymous said...

I love fall too and find the colors much more soothing to my soul than those of summer.

I get down on the ground when photographing at times too and I just know the neighbors must think I'm nutso. LOL
Oh, well.

Di

abb said...

I've never seen the trees so covered with nut casings! I'd say that means we're going to have a cold winter, but with the amount of shedding Stella-dog continues to do, it sure looks like it might be rather balmy this year.

abb said...

That should be the GROUND covered with nut casings...duh!

Anonymous said...

Exciting can sometimes be over rated. I enjoy your blog very much just the way you write it. Thanks for sharing. Love your photos too.
Lynda in Michigan.

SouthernSass said...

Beautiful pics! I crawl around the ground too. My neighbor's probably think I'm nuts - lucky you to live in the country! ")

sharon said...

I love the walnut shell. tells a story of it's own. beautiful shot of the house. Have a safe, dry day!

Daryl said...

I love fall too .. I am thisclose to getting a little gorillapod thingie so I can crawl around on the ground too ..

Bonnie said...

I discovered your blog a few weeks ago and I am completely intrigued with the house. I live in Florida and we are currently looking at purchasing 22 wooded acres and building our own home. I have a few questions if you wouldn't mind answering them. How much land does the house sit on and how much time does it take to mow it in the summer? I am thinking of clearing only 2-3 acres of our land and letting the rest stay wooded. Still, 2-3 acres is a lot to mow! The next question involves the house itself? It is actually 3 stories or only 2? It looks like 3from the photos but it is hard to tell. I wish you would do a photo tour of the inside! Thank you so much for reading this. When our house is done, we might just have to get a dog like yours, too. My husband has always wanted one and my son, too.

GailO said...

Reading thru the comments I see that we are pretty much in agreement that that leaf would make a gorgeous fabric...so many things in nature make me think of fabric...but this one would not show up much dog and cat hair:)

Love the image I get of you crawling around the ground taking these shots:)

The JR said...

All the photos are good.

Those squirrels have been busy!

Wendy said...

It's so easy to miss the most magickal and simple gifts that nature has to offer us. Each one of your pictures was like a mandala of beauty and wonder. Thank you :)

The Weaver of Grass said...

What a brilliant idea, seeing Autumn at ground level - loved it.

Shelley Jaffe said...

That half-shell reminds me of a picture that I came across recently while studying the cranium for Anatomy & Physiology. Although - and I'm just guessing here - the squirrel's choice of 'meat' is much tastier than the usual zombie fare!

Thank you so much for crawling around on the ground. Your dedication to flora big and small is admirable.

mrs mediocrity said...

great shots, i feel like i just took a little nature walk...thanks, needed that.

Anonymous said...

I added myself to follow your blog. You are more than welcome to visit mine and become a follower if you want to.

God Bless You ~Ron

Maria said...

Weird. Everything you photographed is what's happening here in Kansas/Missouri. Exact same plants and mushroom. Btw, I try not to crawl on the ground when I'm taking pictures because my borrowed dogs jump all over me. :-) Not that I don't try to photograph things at ground level now and then with several dogs as my tripod....

Unknown said...

Love love crawling around with my camera, you find so many interesting things just stopping to take time to look.