wildlife – Page 26 – LLOYD'S LENS PHOTOGRAPHY LLC

Forage Friday #107 Stonecrop

Hello Friends! Tonight’s Feature Image is titled “Stonecrop 50321a” and is available for purchase by clicking the thumbnail and reaching out to me on the contact page.

Please remember that Forage Friday is presented as trivia and not to be mistaken for medical advice.

The Light flows easily through the thin canopy and is caught by the gem-like leaves and petals of the stonecrop. For years I’ve been aware of stonecrop and appreciated it’s beauty but not given it much thought until I started the Forage Friday posts. So when I saw it there resting on a bed of moss like a crown for the rock I decided to look into it a little deeper.

Image Titled “Stonecrop 50321b” and is available for purchase by clicking the thumbnail and reaching out to me on the contact page.

The plant is a succulent and prefers well drained areas. I presume that the moss gives it just the right amount moisture to thrive on top of the rock. I’ve also learned that it flowers the best in dappled light and this spot has that as well. If one wants to grow stonecrop then I think it helps to start with establishing a colony of moss on native stone.

I believe that what I have found is Woodland Stonecrop. The genus Sedum contains about 600 species and with that many cousins it gets difficult to tell everyone apart. It’s said to have a peppery flavor and can be eaten raw or cooked. Large quantities can cause an upset stomach and yellow varieties are thought to be mildly toxic but that the toxins can be neutralized by cooking So this is probably another one that’s best mixed with something that needs a bit of additional flavor.

Medicinal uses include reducing high blood pressure and as a cough remedy. Stonecrop is in the same family as Hens and Chicks but a different genre. However, it does have similar uses topically for burns and rashes, minor wounds, eczema mouth ulcers and to remove warts. I suspect that the wart removal is the result of a compound that is antiviral but I haven’t been able to confirm that at this time.

Image Titled “Stonecrop 50321c” and is available for purchase by clicking the thumbnail and reaching out to me on the contact page.

Finally, stonecrop is said to be good bee food. And I consider that a secondary edible/medicinal benefit. I don’t really claim to know a lot about what’s in honey or propolis but as I understand it bees are able to accumulate and concentrate beneficial compounds from the flowers they visit. And that raw, unfiltered honey is a way that we can gain some of the beneficial compounds without disturbing the plants themselves. Buying local honey from a local bee keeper is a great way to help the plants, bees and beekeepers and yourself all at the same time!

Well Friends, that’s all I’ve got for tonight. Good night and be blessed throughout your days.

Announcement 2.0

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Larkspur & Hummingbirds

Color Photography, wildlife

Hello Friends! Tonight’s Feature Image is titled “Dwarf Larkspur 51321” and is available for purchase by clicking the thumbnail and reaching out to me on the contact page.

The shadey hillside is full of purple dots growing among the new leaves. As large bumblebees float effortlessly between all the leaves and thorns of the other plants I scan the landscape for another pollinator that may be hovering among the oddly shaped flowers.

I’ve always thought of larkspur as the American Wolvrsbane. The two species are cousins in the buttercup family and both are extremely toxic. In fact the larkspur is so toxic that just touching the plants can give some people a rash. But for some reason the bumblebees and hummingbirds are immune to the poison. Because of the odd shape of the flower larkspur can only be pollinated by queen bees and hummingbirds. And again we have a native species that is designed to work in conjunction with our native hummingbirds. This is also a native wildflower that has to compete with invaders that hold nothing for the hummingbirds such Garlic Mustard and Japanese Knotweed. Because of the toxicity livestock owners will attempt to eradicate it. And it likes to grow on the edges of the forest so utility companies will spray it with chemical herbicides making it harder for the hummingbirds to find a suitable meal when they arrive. So if you’re not trying to protect livestock or children and have a shady space to raise them why not include larkspur in your native landscaping?

Good night friends and be blessed throughout your days.

Announcement 2.0

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The Phoenix Awakens

Color Photography, wildlife

Hello Friends! Tonight’s Feature Image is titled “Fire On The Mountain 51021a” and is available for purchase by clicking the thumbnail and reaching out to me on the contact page.

Each morning since I first noticed the scales on the buds of my Flame Azalea beginning to swell and flex I’ve peeked out of my front window with anticipation. The small dark buds made think of embers smoldering beneath the ashes of last year’s flame. I knew then that very small changes were taking place.

Image Titled “Flame Azalea bud 41921” and is available for purchase by clicking the thumbnail and reaching out to me on the contact page.

For a couple of months I watched as the buds slowly changed colors. The scales on the bottom of the buds would open slightly and then close back up again.

Image Titled “Flame Azalea Bud 42921” and is available for purchase by clicking the thumbnail and reaching out to me on the contact page.

I began to think of the buds as tiny Phoenix eggs that would rock and sway as the gift inside continued to mature.

Image Titled “From Embers to Flames 42921” and is available for purchase by clicking the thumbnail and reaching out to me on the contact page.

And then as if kindled by the light and the breezes the Phoenix hatches. Born in a shroud of flames!

Image Titled “The Phoenix Spreads Her Wings 50221” and is available for purchase by clicking the thumbnail and reaching out to me on the contact page.

In a moment of burning glory the Phoenix spreads her wings takes flight with the rest of her brood.

Image Titled “Full Burn 51021” and is available for purchase by clicking the thumbnail and reaching out to me on the contact page.

The opening of my Flame Azalea is one of my favorite spring events. I’ve never actually named a flower like I would a pet before but I have named this little bush “The Phoenix”. Each spring she fills my property with the most wonderful scent and draws in all the bees and butterflies as well as the hummingbirds. More than once I’ve been outside and hear rapid high pitched noises coming from Phoenix and looked to see the hummingbirds competing for her nectar. Like the Fire Pink the bright colored Azaleas are a natural and native food source for hummingbirds and butterflies. And truthfully they’re probably healthier for them than sugar water. Even if you discount the red food dye that harms hummingbird kidneys it stands to reason that sugar water has no Flavonoids or Vitamins for them. All of God’s creatures need vital minerals as well. Certainly put out your hummingbird feeders and use the best ingredients you can purchase to fill them with. ( Exclude the artificial dyes please!) But also plant the native species that were designed by God to feed hummingbirds. It’s really what they crave.

Good night friends and be blessed throughout your days.

Announcement 2.0

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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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White Azaleas & Waiting

Color Photography, wildlife

Hello Friends! Tonight’s Feature Image is titled “Azaleas 50221” and is available for purchase by clicking the thumbnail and reaching out to me on the contact page.

Cool air washes down the mountain and spills into the landscape around my home. Amid the gently rocking boughs my white azaleas sway in the breeze as if dancing to a tune that only nature can hear. This particular bush has been a fine companion in spring. It blooms early and holds its bloom until the rest of the forest has completely awoken. It’s not really uncommon for me to spot numerous types of bees lovingly gathering pollen and nectar from the pure white flowers. A few years ago I found a very small nest deep in its branches with a few jellybean sized eggs and it wasn’t long before my yard was full of hummingbirds. They like it along with my snowball bush and the winter honeysuckle to nest in. I’ve not spotted a hummingbird yet this year but I have noticed the level of liquid dropping in my hummingbird feeders. They’re around but they’re being sneaky. I continue to keep a sharp eye out for the living darts that zip across the window. I was once advised that 90% of wildlife photography was waiting and that has certainly proven to be true. Perhaps when the wind settles a bit they’ll show themselves.

Capturing the right wildlife photos is a bit like hunting. Sometimes you get out and scout for signs in areas where you have plenty of the things wildlife likes and needs hoping that you’ll bump into each other. Other times you sit down and wait while your quarry passes stealthily behind you. But there’s always a good story. It’s either how you got the shot or how you missed it. But our lives are a series of experiences and the the stories that come from them. The value of a good story is not only the teller but the listener and I thank you for being a part of mine.

Good night friends and be blessed throughout your days.

Announcement 2.0

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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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Mother’s Day Thoughts 2021

Color Photography, wildlife

Hello Friends! Tonight’s Feature Image is titled “The Love Of Giving 42821” and is available for purchase by clicking the thumbnail and reaching out to me on the contact page.

Tiny feet make their way carefully along the forest path and bright eyes search diligently for just the right flowers. One by one the little fingers pluck the blooms and judge each specimen for smell and color. There will be wild geraniums, Daisy Fleabane, violets and of course Dandelions. A young voice hums “You Are My Sunshine” as each flower is carefully placed in a soda bottle full of creek water. The whole thing is carried back along the trail with great caution so as not to spill a single drop of water from the nearly overflowing bottle. The arrangement is placed on the kitchen table as droplets roll from the sides of bottle to form small puddles on the polished wood. A simple crayon drawing on a sheet of notebook paper portrays green grass, a tree with a songbird with both eyes on the same side of it’s head. A rainbow graces the top of the page and hovering in special place near center of the page is a stick figure with long hair and a triangle dress. Asymmetric letters on the page spell out the words “I Love You Mommy” and is surrounded by red hearts for emphasis. There’s no floral shops anywhere in America that could duplicate the specialness of the bouquet and not a card shop in the world can touch the heart in the way that a child can. The gift is pure desire and love. The flowers and simple drawings are only symbols of it.

Mother’s Day was actually born right here in West Virginia. But what most people don’t remember is that it was born out of the tragedy of the Civil War. West Virginia was politically allied with the North but families and friendships were divided between the Union and the Confederacy. As in any war the biggest loses were in the hearts of the people. Everything else is statistics. Bridges and buildings are easier to rebuild than relationships. After the war there was a lot of anger and distrust that was still smoldering even into my own childhood. It was amid all that division that Anna Marie Reeves Jarvis and her daughter Anna Jarvis conceived the “Mother’s Friendship Clubs”. The story goes that the clubs would meet for a picnic and prayer and that Auld Lang Syne was sung. The legend says that it was after the singing that the politically divided people began to tearfully reconnect and put their differences aside. In those days even the bitter grudges couldn’t withstand the unity of faith in God. And although I’m sure that some of those emotional wounds took longer to heal than others the process worked. It worked so well that even into the early 20th century veterans of both North and South would come together for reunions and reenact charges that this time ended in handshakes and Christian brotherhood. The life of Anna Marie Reeves Jarvis is worth reading. During the Civil War she refused to take a side and provided medical care for all.

It was after her death that her daughter Anna Jarvis worked to make Mothers Day a national holiday. On Mother’s Day it’s right to honor our mothers but while doing so maybe it’s a good idea to consider how it started as a movement to bring peace after the treaty was signed by politicians.

Good night friends and be blessed throughout your days.

Announcement 2.0

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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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