Jack’s Wallk

©voyager, all rights reserved

The sunshine has returned and it’s a lovely autumn day. Jack and I decided that it was a perfect kind of day to go for a walk in the woods and instead of our usual little forest path, Trillium Woods, we went to a place called Vansittart Woods. It’s just out of town to the west and it belongs to our local school board who use it to educate kids about nature and camping. There’s an easy trail that winds through mixed hardwood and fir trees and eventually it connects to another trail that goes through open meadowland. Doing both trails is a bit much for Bubba (Jack’s nickname) and me so we stick to the short manageable forest path. Today the ground was covered with a blanket of newly fallen leaves and I found myself swishing my feet and kicking them up to make the leaves dance and to hear that wonderful crinkling, crackling, whooshing sound.

 

An Invitation to Walk and Dance

Nightjar was recently responsible for taking the photographs of a play put on by a local theatre group. The pictures are a departure from Nightjar’s usual style of photography and I think they’re fabulous. They’re storytelling photos that give a real sense of the mood and setting for the play. We’ll be sharing them over the next 3 days and I know you’ll enjoy them, too. I’ll let Nightjar take it from here:

As you may know I was recently responsible for the photography of a theatre play created by the local amateur theatre group. I will not be sharing photos of the actors, but I’ve selected 12 other photos to give you all a taste of what it was like! I divided them in three parts and added some context. I hope you enjoy!

 

Part 1 – An Invite to Walk and to Dance

The play starts in the village’s fountain with a short scene where the public is invited to walk along streets they walk along everyday. The actress is barefoot through most of the scene and walks the shoes you see here with her hands. She introduces five guides and tells the audience which one to follow. Each group will walk down a different path, but they will all see the same scenes (just in a different order). Before leaving the public is left with a question… can this familiar place still surprise or move us?

(photo 1)  ©Nightjar, all rights reserved

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Jack’s Walk

©voyager, all rights reserved

Well, the sun did try to shine earlier this morning, but by the time Jack and I got ourselves outdoors it had clouded over. We went to the woods anyway and had a pleasant autumn walk in the autumn air. It wasn’t the bright colours that caught my eye today, though. It was a bit of fluffy white fungus that looked just like wet teddy bear fur. Hmmm…maybe it was wet teddy bear fur. Maybe today was the day the teddy bears had their picnic.

Friday Feathers

I think we’ve had these images before, but since naturalcynic expressed dismay at the lack of close ups of the condor, here’s the next smaller bird I have to offer: Norbert, a European griffin vulture. According to one of the falconers he takes a much more direct approach to food than “waiting until you drop dead”.

Griffin vulture

©Giliell, all rights reserved

Griffin vulture

©Giliell, all rights reserved

griffin vulture

©Giliell, all rights reserved
I personally think his feather collar is just so posh.

Jack’s Walk

More fun than fungus, ©voyager, all rights reserved

Jack and I haven’t really wandered too far from home this week because fibromyalgia and damp weather don’t get along, but that just gives us a chance to check out the changes in our own neighbourhood.  These mushrooms for example weren’t here earlier this week. Must be all the rain we’ve had. I’m not familiar with this variety of fungus, but they look to me like more fun than fungus.

Glorious Shoes

Opus has sent us another colourful treat. This time it’s shoes and they are wonderful. It’s no secret that I love shoes, but I could never hope to have shoes quite this wonderful. They’re bright, bold and such interesting designs. Opus says,

More pictures, this time from Reykjavik.  Shooting through glass is tough, but I think they worked out well.  More of the sights that one sees when traveling with fabric artists.  I might never have noticed if not for them.

Well, Opus, I think traveling with fabric artists is definitely a good thing, but your camera skills are what makes it all come alive in photos. Thanks so much for sharing.

©Opus, all rights reserved

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Jack’s Walk

 

The last rose of October, ©voyager, all rights reserved

October roses are always a welcome sight, but this bright pink beauty is the last one left in my garden. There are no new buds left and the plant is getting ready to go to sleep for the winter. Sometimes I think it would be nice if I could sleep through winter. I have enough of a fat pad to survive hibernation for a few months and it might be nice to avoid the days upon days of darkness and cold. On the other hand, I would also miss Jack pouncing like a cat into snowbanks and making happy faces full of frost. Winter is Jack’s favourite season. He loves the cold and would stay outside for hours if only someone stayed with him. He has been known to crawl into the creek when it’s full of floating ice and drift downstream with a look close to ecstasy on his face. Jack’s fur is very seal-like. Only the outside hairs get wet and even when he’s been in the water for an hour the downy hairs below stay dry. He also has a bit of a fat pad and a big buoyant chest and, like all labs, his feet are webbed. The boy is built for swimming in the cold and he loves it.

Ah…that’s better. See what I did there? I just gave myself a reason to look forward to winter. I promise I’ll share pictures so you can have a reason to look forward to winter too.

Tree Tuesday

A while back I recall a conversation in comments where rq mentioned that the trees dance when no-one is looking. Well, for this Tree Tuesday Lofty has found a tree that’s dancing when everyone is looking. Lofty says,

Another Eucalypt from my favourite bicycle riding area, it’s “doing the twist”!

That it is, Lofty. What a marvelous tree. Thanks for sharing.

Twistree ©Lofty, all rights reserved

Monday Mercurial

Oversized kittens

White tiger cub about to jump

Ready?
©Giliell, all rights reserved

cub climbing

Look, look, I’m climbing a tree!
©Giliell, all rights reserved

cub in tree

Fuck, I actually climbed a tree.
©Giliell, all rights reserved

cub jumping

Thank goodness. Mum said if they have to call the firefighters again I’m grounded. Literally.
©Giliell, all rights reserved

 

A Stunning Little Dragon

These incredible photos were sent to us by Avalus. The first time I saw them I just sat there scrolling back and forth taking in more and more detail.  The first shot is all about camouflage, but after that it’s all about standing out. It’s a wonder filled study of a beautiful creature. Avalus says,

this encounter I found the most impressing. It was a really large dragonfly, just sitting on a mossy patch of sidewalk in the botanical garden of my University. She did not mind me in the slightest and I could take pictures from a few centimetres away. 

She did stick her abdomen in the moss repeatedly, so maybe she layed eggs? There was a pond-flowerbed maybe 20 cm away.

The finger is for size, I did not touch her.

As you can see in picture 11, it is a beauty and a beast (if you happen the be a insect)!

Avalus, thank you so much for sharing.

 

libelle 1, ©Avalus, all rights reserved

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The White Kangaroos of Bordertown

This dose of extreme animal cuteness comes from David in Oz who says,

And now for something completely different, I give you the white kangaroos of Bordertown. (http://www.abc.net.au/local/videos/2015/08/19/4296371.htm) 

Shot these pics a week ago, just in time to catch a joey with mum. Enjoy

Well, they certainly are something completely different and I can’t stop smiling at the photos. In the second to last picture it looks to me as if mama has heard a rude word and is gently covering her joey’s ears. Thanks for sharing, David.

©David Brindley, all rights reserved

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