Nikki's Photography

Garlic Chives seed-head

While tidying the garden today I picked this up, and for a split second I wondered how a dead leaf could be so soft and powdery…and fluttering! If my camera would cooperate I could have taken a great macro because the moth let me get as close as I wanted. So pretty!

My old Canon AE1 would snap pictures no matter how close I got to something, but even on ‘manual’ the Canon EOS 20D will only allow me to get about 4 inches away before the shutter refuses to close. I miss my old fashioned (1980) Canon sometimes, and even the new Canon AE1s cannot compare to it. I don’t miss developing though, and the other restrictions.

This is the most glorious tree in our neighborhood. It’s across our back alley and has been a favorite subject for many years because the silhouette is so beautiful against any sky during any season or time of day. The photo was taken nine days ago during the almost full moon on September 12th.

We were away for two weeks and forgot to turn the sprinkler system on before leaving, so I thought the Green Anoles might have moved to greener pastures. Fortunately they are still thriving; here one is staying cool and safe inside a large Canna Lily leaf, a leaf that I nearly cut off while clearing out dead and dying plants.

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Survivor: sand crab with a transparent shell and two legs missing. Nag’s Head beach, Outer Banks, NC. This little crab measuring about 2 inches across had two legs missing but was still managing across the hills and valleys of footsteps in the sand. My guess is that a bird must have snatched it up then dropped it, retaining two of the legs for lunch. Shortly after this encounter it finally started digging a hole, offering much more protection than a footprint..

Kudzu, an invasive vine species covers trees in Southern USA, here in Tennessee, creating miles of sculptural shapes.

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Feeding bread to about 50 turtles, Kitty Hawk, Outer Banks, NC

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Beetles and wasps on Yukka seed pods

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Praying Mantis, Kitty Hawk, Outer Banks, NC

Boogie-boarding at Kitty Hawk beach, Outer Banks, NC

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Pelican, Charleston, South Carolina during impending Hurricane Gustav

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Awesome Sunflower seed-head, 12 inch diameter, and healthy Cantaloupe, Lewisville TX

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