The other day I was experimenting again, and dug out the old Sigma 105mm 2.8 macro lens, my main macro provider until it quit unexpectedly about 16 years ago (!), in two ways. The first was that autofocus got very balky, likely due to a stripped focus gear, though I have no idea how that happened. I did indeed do this on my own with another lens, by inadvertently leaning the focus ring against a
Tag: rosemary
Let’s see, I think… frogs
Working my way through the folder of images that I need to do something with, and figured that it’s now time for a few more frogs, si? I mean, oui?
The first three to be featured all came on November 9th, when the weather became unseasonably warm and the frogs were out thinking, Damn, that was a short winter! This one, at least, should have known better given its perch.
A green
S’rainin’
Or at least, it had been, for about three days solid I believe. While I wasn’t a fan of how often it rained in central New York, this weird North Carolina pattern of weeks of drought and then days of rain is unbalanced and not the best for the plants, but at least we have the rain barrels to try and even things out.
But while it was wet, I took a little time to use the conditions.
There
More vernal indicators
This is the 30th post beginning with “More” – just so you can keep track. You never should have lost count in the first place.
But as I said in the previous post, there are more signs that spring has arrived, and I present a few. Plus some extras – that’s called a “loss leader,” to rope you in.
We must start off with the first open blossom
The duel goes on
I’m still playing with the Chinese mantids (Tenodera sinensis,) and you’re tired of hearing about my attempts to obtain certain photos of them (aren’t you?,) specifically laying eggs, or producing the ootheca/egg sac – I’m honestly not sure these can be differentiated, because I only have one set of photos of it and they’re not that clear, plus I was
Creeping ever closer
I think it really would be spring already, if the big weather systems would stop hurtling across the country and scaring it away. I’m going to berate everyone in states west of here for letting these hooligans get past them.
Yesterday the weather cleared and warmed again, and I did a small patrol of Walkabout Estates to see what was going on. I already knew the blue hyacinth
Pining away
I was asked if I was going to do a post regarding the pine pollen this year, and I considered this kind of redundant and basically said, Only if I get something remarkable. And now, I’ll let you decide, because damn, it’s been a heavy year. North Carolina is virtually
Spring and equinox and all that jazz
Shocked as I am to report it, the calendar event of the vernal equinox and the weather coincided quite well – the skies cleared and the temperature got into the twenties (or the seventies, if you prefer,) so I did indeed get out to chase a few spring subjects. It was exceedingly few – it’s still a little early for spring in North Carolina, and more so with the temperature fluctuations
More Darwin (less cowbell)
Nice day out there, so it’s time to go see if there’s anything to be captured in mid-February, with the added incentive that it’s Charles Darwin’s birthday and I should illustrate natural selection. Hmmmm.
Okay, let’s start with the tiny winter flowers that can be found here in North Carolina, in corners and areas that see little traffic. With some poking around, I managed