Doctor HP Flowers: Animals

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("Call me Spike...")

“Woo-haa, little baby snapping turtle.”
    (“They call me Spike…”)

“Want your mama, Chelydra serpentina?”
    (“They call me SPIKE!!”)

“What a cute little pointy tail.”
    (“It’s not for my tail they CALL ME SPIKE.”)

© d090527-030 Snapping Turtle
East Carsonville Road
Grayson County, Virginia
Wednesday 27 May 2009

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Posted on 25 November 2009 in 5. Virginia, Animals | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

Silver Anniversary Express

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     The Silver Anniversary Express covered 2319.7 miles in 13 days, 12 hrs, and 20 minutes. The truck consumed 145.2 gallons of gas costing $2.458 per gallon delivering 16 mpg at 15.4 cents/mile. Out of pocket expenses were $68.64 per day, gas costing $25.50.
     The temperature never rose above the low 70s and stayed mostly in the 50s and 60s (except at night). However, it rained 10 days of 14 and nearly all day for six. This affected wildlife sightings and photo opportunities, but ticks and bug bites were zero.
     Woodthrush soundings were very low this year heard infrequently in only 10 days. Usually their crystalline songs would be heard at every stop on all days. Nonetheless, Doc sighted 5 wild turkeys one hen with chicks, 4 ground hogs, 23 deer (2 does with spindly drinking straw wobbly leg fawns only a few hours old.), 15 chipmunks, 6 rabbits, a red-headed woodpecker, 6 box turtles, an alligator snapping turtle, 2 goldfinch groups, 2 bluebirds, 2 hawks, a black snake, a grouse hen with chicks, 7 shoulder dogs, and 24 dead possums.
     Two new wildflowers were keyed out: wild monkshood, and a saxifrage called mountain lettuce. The monkshood was cream colored instead of blue; the Tennessee wildflower book mentioned this one as 'rare', but who the hell knows.
     There were 117 picture stops harvesting 490 shots, about 2-5 percent rising to the status of 'photograph' which is normal for film and digital backroads photography. Motifs collected include: 5 triple crosses, no race cars, no barber shops, no fire trucks, 9 old stores, 28 country churches, 1 court house, 1 post office, 1 train, 4 bridges (3 covered), 1 motel, 1 grist mill, 2 diners, 1 log truck, 1 authentic pure sign, and a cat in the upstairs window.

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© d090604-004 Cat in Window
Glenville, West Virginia
Gilmer County
Thursday 4 June 2009

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Posted on 10 June 2009 in Animals, Maps | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

I'll be watching you

"Every breath you take
Every move you make
Every step you take
I'll be watching you

"I'll be watching you
I'll be watching you
I'll be watching you
I'll be watching you..."

-The Police, 1983

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Posted on 05 April 2009 in Animals, Monochromes, Stone Mountain Park | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

Under Lite Fog

After many weeks and months of sustained drought, with relentless bright sun and cloudless skies, yesterday's rain and today's morning fog seemed otherworldly. An evanescent blessing for an unrequited crank with camera.

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© d081114-005 Lake Under Fog
Stone Mountain Park
DeKalb County, Georgia
Monday 14 November 2008

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Posted on 14 November 2008 in Animals, Patterns in Nature, Stone Mountain Park, Water Scenes | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

A Keepsake for the Minimalist

It was so foggy quiet I could hear each blade of grass being ripped and torn by the munching livestock apparently unconcerned about chronic denture wear. While off to my right a sprig of perplexed buttercups tilted toward the fence wire curious about my curious presence.