lloydslensphotographyllc

Forage Friday #72 Water

Hello Friends! Tonight’s feature image is titled “Living Waters 82520” and is available for purchase by the instructions at the bottom of the article.

Water, water, every where.

Nor any drop to drink.

– Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Rime Of The Ancient Mariner

A warm breeze rustled the turning leaves as Little Elk Creek rippled it’s way towards the Gauley River. Over pebble and over stone it winds its way from the top of the mountain. A historical marker sign on the Nicholas County and Fayette County border says this is the path that Pocahontas traveled to reach John Rolfe in Virginia. In my imagination I see her treading softly along the creek bank in my yard on her way to meet her lover. In her bundle is a small birch bark container. She steps down into ditch near one of the deeper pools and dips her cup into the water to enjoy a moment of harmony in nature and have a drink. Hollywood has done a fantastic job of creating in our minds the image of a pristine forest where people have no fear of things like cryptosporidium and brain eating amoebas. Unfortunately it wasn’t always possible to find a clean source of water.

The Native Americans knew full well that a person could get sick from drinking wild water. The records indicate that they had a large number of botanical treatments to heal people who became sick from waterborne illnesses. We also have records of some of the ways that they would have purified water. When a fire was practical they boiled it. If they were at base camp then it’s likely that a clay pot would be used. But that would awkward to transport on the trail and so a pan made from birch bark would fit the bill. As long as the bark container is full of water it will not burn.

Most people today drink water that has been chemically treated and filtered. The use of sand to filter water goes back to ancient times and some people still use this method today. Adding a little charcoal to a couple of layers of the sand will also help to filter water.

Some trees like Sycamore are natural water filters. The method of collecting fresh water from a tree is the same for collecting sap for maple syrup. Simply tap the tree and as long as the sap is flowing you can fill a bucket. But not all trees would be suitable because the sap just isn’t pleasantly flavored. Tree of heaven for example is absolutely terrible smelling. Maple, Sycamore and birch would be my choices.

Drinking water from a vine is one that we see on T.V. and movies. But there’s a right way and a wrong way to do this too. I’m only comfortable with drinking from grape vines. To best of my knowledge all of the other woody vines in West Virginia are toxic. But don’t cut the root end of the. Find the roots and trace the vine up the tree until you find where it comes back down the tree. Cut off the tip and place a thumb on the end. Shake the vine a few times and when you take your thumb off of the end water will flow out.

Driving It The Rain 82220 — Image Titled “Driving In The Rain 82220”.

Rain is a great resource for fresh water. I remember my grandfather Dempsey drinking rainwater that collected in a woiden barrel.

There’s also wells an cisterns and ice in winter.

I focused on the sources of wild water and really only touched on the purifying processes. Filtering and boiling is always a good idea and the simplest way to to make wild water potable.

Hey Friends! Just a quick reminder that Lloyds Lens Photography is available for portraits!

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On Destiny vs Fate

black and white photography

Hello Friends! Tonight’s feature image is titled “Transition 92319” and is available for purchase by the instructions at the bottom of the article.

Bridges are more than simply a structure. They have spirit. Some bridges even sing if the wind is right. If you’re walking on a bridge you might even feel it dance as the traffic passes over. A good bridge is functional art with graceful lines and imposing strengths. But above all, a bridge is a symbol of transition.

When we think of concepts like destiny we’re tempted to envision a road that starts at birth and delivers us to our ultimate fate. But life isn’t simply a line from birth to death and beyond. It’s a network of decisions that change our course and in doing so change our destiny. I can’t begin to even ponder the number of times when I looked down only to see that my fuel was low. I stop at the station and get delayed by a line of cars at the pump. Then a few miles down the road I come up on a wreck and realize that the delay at pump prevented my involvement in the wreck. It was my choices that expended the fuel that caused me to stop and be delayed. It wasn’t my foreknowledge of a wreck that made me stop but my circumstances that effectively changed my destiny for the day. Other choices are more consciously made. Suppose for a moment that I struck up a conversation with the person at the pump across from me and they had just come from the direction where I was heading and told me of a diesel fuel spill on the road. And that the fuel spill made the road so slick that they had almost wrecked themselves. Now I have a reason to choose an alternate path and change my destiny. So I need a bridge. A bridge that delivers me from one destiny to a better one. I need a point of transition.

Sometimes we are fortunate enough to be warned of hazardous conditions ahead. But if we think that there’s no way to avoid it or we fear that transitional bridge because it shakes then we have created our own fate.

The concept of destiny and the concept of fate might seem the same on the surface but they are in fact two very different things. Fate is uncontrollable. Mankind is mortal. Our fate is to one day leave our body behind and enter into eternity. Destiny is malleable. How we spend that eternity is up to us and our willingness to use the bridge that changes our destiny.

Hey Friends! Just a quick reminder that Lloyds Lens Photography is available for portraits!

To book me simply reach out using the Contact Page and we’ll set a date. If you’re within a 50 mile radius of Summersville West Virginia all travel fees are waived.

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The Crab Spider

Color Photography, West Virginia

Hello Friends! Tonight’s feature image is titled “Hidden Dangers 82520” and is available for purchase by the instructions at the bottom of the article.

The tiny hunter waits patiently holding her body as tense as a loaded spring. She tunes her body to match the alabaster tone of the hibiscus flower and waits for unsuspecting visitor. I almost missed her myself as I moved forward a bit to photograph the flower. The wilderness is a place of wonderment and beauty but it’s also as treacherous as it is pleasing to the eye. As I shifted my weight from my right leg to my left an orb weaver dropped from her web and scurried for cover but the crab spider remained as still as a statue confident in her ability to remain unseen. It was only recently that science discovered the crab spider’s chameleon like talents. The changes are so subtle that the scientific community was only able to document the change with the aid of Photoshop’s color detection software. The change can take several hours and it it seems harder for her to go back to the white. Generally speaking, the crab spider in not dangerous to humans. The one in tonight’s feature image is actually quite large as far as crab spiders go. Typically the ones I see are much smaller and would be unable to break the skin in order to deliver their venom but this one might be able to make a person uncomfortable for a while. However, she’s more afraid of us than we are of her. Not to mention that venom is hard to make I elected to leave her alone not because she might bite me but because she’s actually a beneficial predator on many pests that attack out gardens.

Hey Friends! Just a quick reminder that Lloyds Lens Photography is available for portraits!

To book me simply reach out using the Contact Page and we’ll set a date. If you’re within a 50 mile radius of Summersville West Virginia all travel fees are waived.

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https://lloydslensphotographyllc.com/

https://youtu.be/FDcrY6w8oY8

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I’m now using Zazzle to fulfil orders. What this means for you is a secure way to place an order, discount codes & a broader product selection! Simplymessage me on Facebookoruse the contact form on my websiteand tell me which image you want and I’ll reply with a direct link to where you can place the order.

Thank you again for your support of my page! ❤

On The Edge Of Changes

Color Photography, wildlife

Hello Friends! Tonight’s feature image is titled “Golden Days 63020” and is available for purchase by the instructions at the bottom of the article.

A little goldfinch carefully explores the trees near the creek. He most likely saw me coming ling before I knew he was there. Unwilling to abandon the hunt completely he continues to search for seeds and insects but he meticulously keeps as much vegetation between us as possible. The breeze carries the scent of mints growing in the creek and in the distance I hear a woodpecker laughing. The sunlight has taken on a yellow tone that’s mirrored by the colors of the wildflowers. Soon sprays of goldenrod will dot the landscape in some places and create a yellow sea of bloom in others. A longhorn beetle floated past my peripheral vision and disappeared into flowers and I know that somewhere on my mountain a large buck is cruising the forest preparing to scrape his mark into the landscape. In spite of the humidity I’m seeing a few leaves falling into the still lush forest floor. By the track of the sun it’s less than a month until Fall but I’ve already seen Asters starting to open their eyes. Change is a progression of little seldom noticed events. Sometimes it happens so subtly that we don’t really know we’re in the middle of it. But if we can just look up from all the distractions of the artificial world that lives in the box on our desk or the box on the wall or even the little box in our hands we can gain a better appreciation of the time we have and what it means to be a part of the natural world.

Hey Friends! Just a quick reminder that Lloyds Lens Photography is available for portraits!

To book me simply reach out using the Contact Page and we’ll set a date. If you’re within a 50 mile radius of Summersville West Virginia all travel fees are waived.

If you would like to Follow me on Facebook the web address is

https://www.facebook.com/aviewfromthelens/

If you’re enjoying my blog and don’t want to miss a post then you can sign up for email alerts on my website.

https://lloydslensphotographyllc.com/

https://youtu.be/FDcrY6w8oY8

Have you checked out the Zazzle Store?

I’m now using Zazzle to fulfil orders. What this means for you is a secure way to place an order, discount codes & a broader product selection! Simplymessage me on Facebookoruse the contact form on my websiteand tell me which image you want and I’ll reply with a direct link to where you can place the order.

Thank you again for your support of my page! ❤

The Tiny Guardian

Color Photography, wildlife

Hello Friends! Tonight’s feature image is titled “Tiny Guardian 61520” and is available for purchase by the instructions at the bottom of the article.

The little skipper butterflies would seem to be the most benevolent creatures in the Appalachian Mountains. They have no claws, no stinger and their mouths are nothing more than tubes to sip nectar through. But over the past few days I’ve noticed that one has taken up residence on my porch. He’s claimed everything within a few feet to be his and his alone. And he defends his claim fearlessly! It started when I noticed him perched on one of the posts and that he seemed to continue to return to the same spot several times per day. Then I noticed a large Tiger Swallowtail interested in the primrose growing up near my carport. The little skipper sprung into action and few a sortie around the primrose battering the Swallowtail with its wings. The Swallowtail is much larger but the agile little skipper kept up his relentless pursuit into forest and soon returned victorious. Then another skipper made its approach to the treasured flower and was also quickly vanquished. The little guy even executed successful counterattacks on paper wasps and mud daubers throughout the day. He’s quite the warrior! And the I spotted another skipper leisurely feeding on the primrose. The first skipper didn’t seem to mind and actually joined the second on the flowers. It was at that point I realized what was going on. He was guarding that food source for her. This was his mate. For the rest of the day they shared the nectar and occasionally the post that functioned as his command center. I’m certain that she’s going to lay her eggs on the hog peanut vine that I discovered a while back and ensure that I have a plentiful supply of tiny little skipper butterflies in the future. They say that it’s not the size of the dog in the fight but the size of the fight in the dog. The little skipper butterfly reminded me of that today when he took on two nests of wasps and won even though he’s seemingly unarmed.

Hey Friends! Just a quick reminder that Lloyds Lens Photography is available for portraits!

https://youtu.be/UPXlC0uaXW4

To book me simply reach out using the Contact Page and we’ll set a date. If you’re within a 50 mile radius of Summersville West Virginia all travel fees are waived.

If you would like to Follow me on Facebook the web address is

https://www.facebook.com/aviewfromthelens/

If you’re enjoying my blog and don’t want to miss a post then you can sign up for email alerts on my website.

https://lloydslensphotographyllc.com/

https://youtu.be/FDcrY6w8oY8

Have you checked out the Zazzle Store?

Thank you again for your support of my page!❤