by northoftheridge | Aug 18, 2012 | Uncategorized
One hates to dispute with the Bard. He is dead, after all, and cannot defend himself, but I’m not sure he’s right about names. In my experience our words often bias our senses. If it were known as the Tudor Stinkthorn, I suspect that a Rose might not smell as sweet....
by northoftheridge | Jul 29, 2012 | Uncategorized
It was a sultry hot summer’s day in late July. The air was redolent of the spicy cool odor of spearmint that filled the wet corner of the garden. Cicadas played their shrill instruments in the surrounding trees, and a light breeze stirred the purple spires of the mint...
by northoftheridge | Jul 6, 2012 | Uncategorized
In general, I have a sort of a “fair-chase” ethos about my photography. No posed subjects, no half-frozen insects (a great way to get them to sit still), etc. Sometimes, however, I have to ask myself, “what’s the task at hand: do I want a photo, or do I want a...
by northoftheridge | Jun 30, 2012 | Uncategorized
We have seriously entered dragonfly season north of the ridge, and the last two days have produced two of my favorites, the Pennants. There are four species of Pennants recorded from Pennsylvania. Of these, two are found in our mountains: the Halloween Pennant...
by northoftheridge | Jun 23, 2012 | Uncategorized
The body of knowledge, in my humble opinion, is morbidly obese. That said, I think I may have found something to add. I will gladly share the blame with an artistic mentor who frowns most sternly on taking shots of natural subjects with unnatural (flash) light. She is...
by northoftheridge | Jun 19, 2012 | Uncategorized
I have been watching a small local colony of butterflies for the last five years. In 2007 and 2008, they thrived, but in 2009 there came a flood. I had but little hope that the colony would survive. Still, as Alexander Pope said, “Hope springs eternal in the human...
