09.20.13 something fishy

I’m not going to lie: the 365 project has kind of fallen apart over the past few weeks. No excuses, no regrets, just life. I’ve still been taking pictures, but not every day. So, what I plan to do with the blog is get this baby caught up so at least I’ve shared a photo 365 days of the year AND I’m rededicating myself to finishing out 2013 with a photo a day.

And now, apropos of nothing, here’s a cool pic of a lionfish I snapped at the Great Lakes Aquarium in Duluth recently. Happy Friday!

263/365: lion fish

09.15.13 belly-up

This one makes me smile. Why? Because I actually took a picture of a plastic frog. Because it’s a bit unexpected. And because it’s really a perfect portrait of our backyard.

258/365: plastic frog, belly-up

09.02.13 some spider!

As you might have guessed, I’ve never been afraid of spiders. I credit kind-hearted Charlotte with my affection for these fascinating creatures. The funnel web spider is particularly cool, building large nets across the ground that include a little tunnel – like a hunting blind – where the spider can hide in wait. (This one just emerged on top of the web for a look around.) In the morning dew, the webs are not only easy to find, but totally spectacular creations.

245/265: funnel web spider

08.25.13 live action

Tough to choose a picture from the 8+ hour Minnesota State Fair EXTRAVAGANZA but this shot captures one of my favorite, most exhilarating moments of the day. We attended the Birds of Prey show  at the DNR building with John A. Karger from Last Chance Forever. The kids and I are sitting on the ground at John’s feet; this vulture flew so close over our heads that we felt the wind from his wings. It was a little scary and totally thrilling.

237/365: john a. karger with volunteer and vulture

08.12.13 bees do it

There’s a lot of focus on pollinators these days so it seemed fitting to portray this one in full living color.  It’s always good to see the bees doing their thing. On this visit, the sandpit was buzzing with pollinators of every stripe digging into the wild thistle blossoms with singular, ecstatic focus.

224/365: bee on thistle

08.03.13 a day in the country

This photo doesn’t really do justice to how gorgeous or how gigantic these horses really are. But it may convey a bit of the thrill of being right up close to such gentle, magnificent creatures. Thanks to our friends on the Topp Farm for a beautiful day!

215/365: Lee’s horses

07.23.13 crabby

I was looking for something a little different to photograph the other day but I didn’t have time to leave our yard. So, I decided to take Sawyer’s hermit crab – Hermie – out for a little portrait shoot on the sidewalk. Aside from trying to pinch my fingers off, and occasionally disappearing altogether, he was a pretty cooperative subject. Don’t you just love those beady little eyes?

204/365: hermie the hermit crab

07.18.13 the rabbit days of summer

We’ve been having a heat wave over the past several days in Minneapolis – heat advisories, tropical humidity, temps in the nineties. It’s been pretty oppressive. I’m pretty sure that’s what our resident cottontail was thinking when he decided to plop down in the middle of the path near the garden. He looked utterly spent and was clearly too hot to care about me approaching with a camera in hand. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a languid bunny in all my life.

199/365: reclined rabbit

07.13.13 catching a buzz

The butterfly weed is in full bloom. It is almost impossibly orange and attracting all sorts of attention in the prairie garden. Always happy to see a bee doing it’s thing…

194/365: butterfly weed with bee

07.09.13 ode to bambi

Pure whimsy, compliments of my gig with Urban Cottage, a local vintage shop with a knack for creating readymade still lifes in their shop displays.

190/365: bambi/narcissus