Hello Friends! Tonight’s Feature Image is titled “Pink Edged Sulphur Butterfly On Butterfly Weed 82321a” and is available for purchase by clicking the thumbnail and reaching out to me on the contact page.
The midday sun pours through the open sky and into the landscape near the highway. People in town refer to it as a vacant lot however it’s anything but vacant. I’ve watched this place over the decades as it was transformed from wooded wilderness to a business park. There may have been livestock there at one point but memories become faded and the face of the landscape changes under the steel treads of heavy equipment. But as sure as sunlight brings the dawn life will make a place there. What was once only a field of bare mineral soil and scattered stones soon began to heal and today is home to a variety of life like the bright orange Butterfly Weed. Of course where there’s Butterfly Weed there’s butterflies. As I approached it thinking it would be a great subject for a future post a tiny Pink Edged Sulphur Butterfly came along with sunlight dancing in its wings. At the far edge of the field the large trucks roll by at top speed without a clue as to what miracles hide within the unkept field. Likewise the Butterfly and other insects are unaware of the concrete ribbon and its high speed travelers. The two worlds are only separated by a guardrail. The sweet aroma of the Butterfly Weed has drawn the little guy from quite a way off because it was born on blueberries and there are none here. But it is often found in association with land that has been cleared by logging and forest fires. It feeds on wide variety of nectar but because it likes land that’s cleared that means it’s pollinating the plants that reclaim and heal broken forest. And that’s an important job for a little butterfly with punk rock colors.
Image Titled “Pink Edged Sulphur Butterfly On Butterfly Weed 82321b” and is available for purchase by clicking the thumbnail and reaching out to me on the contact page.
Good night friends and be blessed throughout your days.
Announcement 2.0
For those who have been following me on Facebook and know of the struggle content providers have to get circulation from big tech I’ve been recommending for people to adopt MeWe as a social media platform. One of the problems I’ve run into on MeWe is that people don’t know how to navigate the platform. So to help with that I’ve created a permanent page on my website as a basic Basic Beginner’s Guide To MeWe I’ve tried to anticipate all basic questions there and You can bookmark the page to have as a reference and if you have any questions or suggestions don’t hesitate to contact me. I do still have a day job and I help admin several pages on both platforms so replies might be a little slow but I will answer you.
We also have the Lloyd’s Lens Photography Discussion Group on MeWe that is set up as a fully functional community. There you’ll not only be able to see and connect with me but you can also make your own posts and interact with each other.
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’re enjoying my blog and don’t want to miss a post then you can sign up for email alerts on my website.
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! Simplyuse 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.
Clicking on the photo takes you tohttps://www.zazzle.com/lloydslensphotos?rf=238248269630914251Lastly, all of the photos and writings are my original work unless otherwise specified and are not to be copied or reproduced without expressed written permission from the photographerThank you again for your support of my page!♥️
Hello Friends! Tonight’s Feature Image is titled “Visitor In Blue 81921” and is available for purchase by clicking the thumbnail and reaching out to me on the contact page.
The tall ragged looking flowers are covered in thriving life as the sun floods through the mountains. In the wane of August it seems that the taller flowers rule the landscape until the crisping of Autumn. This one is wild lettuce. Also known as prickly lettuce and it’s blue flowers seem to draw a wide variety of insects to my Appalachian home. The slow roll of thunder in the distance doesn’t really alarm them as they enjoy the sweet blooms. I’m a little disappointed in the lower numbers of butterflies that have come to visit after such a promising Spring but I also know that nature always brings things into balance. Still, one comes along just when it’s supposed to. It’s fed by blooms that only open at just the right time and remain open only for that one day.
The universe runs as a fine tuned instrument. Everyone’s needs are met at the moment of need. The pollinators are there at the precise moment and location that they needed.
Another thing that I noticed while observing life surrounding a so called weed was that there was no fighting among the pollinators. Honeybees, bumblebees, sweat bees, wasps of every type along with flies and butterflies all working on the same cluster of flowers and all were civil to each other. But that may not be coincidence. A quick search of the internet found that some studies have indicated that the scents made by the flowers have a calming effect on the various insects that visit them. Even in my own work I’ve noticed that aggressive insects like hornets will tolerate the lens well inside what is normally their discomfort zone. And when I get a little too close they simply leave rather than charge. Perhaps the next time one manages to get in the house I’ll reach for the lavender oil before swatting and attempt a live catch and release well away from the door.
Good night friends and be blessed throughout your days.
Announcement 2.0
For those who have been following me on Facebook and know of the struggle content providers have to get circulation from big tech I’ve been recommending for people to adopt MeWe as a social media platform. One of the problems I’ve run into on MeWe is that people don’t know how to navigate the platform. So to help with that I’ve created a permanent page on my website as a basic Basic Beginner’s Guide To MeWe I’ve tried to anticipate all basic questions there and You can bookmark the page to have as a reference and if you have any questions or suggestions don’t hesitate to contact me. I do still have a day job and I help admin several pages on both platforms so replies might be a little slow but I will answer you.
We also have the Lloyd’s Lens Photography Discussion Group on MeWe that is set up as a fully functional community. There you’ll not only be able to see and connect with me but you can also make your own posts and interact with each other.
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’re enjoying my blog and don’t want to miss a post then you can sign up for email alerts on my website.
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! Simplyuse 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.
Clicking on the photo takes you tohttps://www.zazzle.com/lloydslensphotos?rf=238248269630914251Lastly, all of the photos and writings are my original work unless otherwise specified and are not to be copied or reproduced without expressed written permission from the photographerThank you again for your support of my page!♥️
Hello Friends! Tonight’s Feature Image is titled “Viceroy Butterfly 81421” and is available for purchase by clicking the thumbnail and reaching out to me on the contact page.
On a warm breeze that flows from the mountains comes the wings of stained glass. He soars with ease and lands ever so lightly on his mark. The royal markings of his wings always make me think that a little piece of sunset has broken off and sprung to life. Though smaller in size the Viceroy Butterfly is no less regal than the Monarch. If it wasn’t for the little black horizontal bar on his hind wings it would be very difficult to tell him apart from a Monarch. He’s drawn in by the sweet scent of the Joe-Pye-Weed. Even though the blooms have not fully opened they fill the air with a call that rivals that of the pied piper. Delicate legs nimbly explore each bud before descending to a lower leaf. The Viceroy rambles about his newfound treasure searching for any signs that the sweet nectar is ready for harvest before launching himself back into the currents to sail the winds of August to his next conquest. As I watch from the big blue truck I wish him good winds and God’s Speed.
Good night friends and be blessed throughout your days.
Announcement 2.0
For those who have been following me on Facebook and know of the struggle content providers have to get circulation from big tech I’ve been recommending for people to adopt MeWe as a social media platform. One of the problems I’ve run into on MeWe is that people don’t know how to navigate the platform. So to help with that I’ve created a permanent page on my website as a basic Basic Beginner’s Guide To MeWe I’ve tried to anticipate all basic questions there and You can bookmark the page to have as a reference and if you have any questions or suggestions don’t hesitate to contact me. I do still have a day job and I help admin several pages on both platforms so replies might be a little slow but I will answer you.
We also have the Lloyd’s Lens Photography Discussion Group on MeWe that is set up as a fully functional community. There you’ll not only be able to see and connect with me but you can also make your own posts and interact with each other.
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’re enjoying my blog and don’t want to miss a post then you can sign up for email alerts on my website.
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! Simplyuse 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.
Clicking on the photo takes you tohttps://www.zazzle.com/lloydslensphotos?rf=238248269630914251Lastly, all of the photos and writings are my original work unless otherwise specified and are not to be copied or reproduced without expressed written permission from the photographerThank you again for your support of my page!♥️
Hello Friends! Tonight’s Feature Image is titled “A Taste Of Clover 73122” and is available for purchase by clicking the thumbnail and reaching out to me on the contact page.
Dust rises up from the road on Panther Mountain as the big blue truck finds a spot to halt the climb. Mottled sunlight filters down to illuminate small treasures tucked away here and there throughout the forest. Each sunbeam holds a tiny world of its own fully of fairyflies, ferns and the odd forest flowers. The road offers enough of a break in the canopy to allow the red clover to claim its stand at the foot of a knoll. There beneath the maples and oaks the pale ones dance and play in the warm breeze that flows up from the canyon below. In North America we call them Cabbage White Butterflies because when they find a garden they can be a pest but here on the edge of a mountain pass they take on the persona of a playful spirit following the track of the sun as it’s beams bath the clover in life giving radiance. All that they need is given to them by the hand of God and their peace is fulfilled.
Good night friends and be blessed throughout your days.
Announcement 2.0
For those who have been following me on Facebook and know of the struggle content providers have to get circulation from big tech I’ve been recommending for people to adopt MeWe as a social media platform. One of the problems I’ve run into on MeWe is that people don’t know how to navigate the platform. So to help with that I’ve created a permanent page on my website as a basic Basic Beginner’s Guide To MeWe I’ve tried to anticipate all basic questions there and You can bookmark the page to have as a reference and if you have any questions or suggestions don’t hesitate to contact me. I do still have a day job and I help admin several pages on both platforms so replies might be a little slow but I will answer you.
We also have the Lloyd’s Lens Photography Discussion Group on MeWe that is set up as a fully functional community. There you’ll not only be able to see and connect with me but you can also make your own posts and interact with each other.
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’re enjoying my blog and don’t want to miss a post then you can sign up for email alerts on my website.
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! Simplyuse 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.
Clicking on the photo takes you tohttps://www.zazzle.com/lloydslensphotos?rf=238248269630914251Lastly, all of the photos and writings are my original work unless otherwise specified and are not to be copied or reproduced without expressed written permission from the photographerThank you again for your support of my page!♥️
Hello Friends! Tonight’s Feature Image was taken specifically for Forage Friday. All photos found on my website are my original work unless otherwise specified and are 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.
A warm golden glow filters through the budding forest as I carefully positioned myself on the thin berm of the road. I’m trying to find the best angle for photographing the Honeybees as they lovingly work the wild geraniums when I become slightly unbalanced. When I widen my stance for stability I accidentally crush a plant beneath my foot and the strong oder of garlic fills the àir. Then I noticed that I’m standing in a mixed blessing. I’m surrounded by garlic mustard.
I choose the phrase “mixed blessing” carefully. Garlic Mustard is one of a number plants brought to the New Word on purpose by colonists. We have to remember that in those days there really wasn’t a concept of invasive species. They only saw this plant as a strong herb with great value as food and medicine. It’s native to Europe and a faithful garden companion. It hardly ever fails to grow and therefore was worthy of being counted on. All parts of the plant are edible and studies have shown that it’s got a very high nutritional density. One of the presenters I listened to while researching this article commented that it’s the most nutritional wild plant they’ve ever studied. It can be eaten raw or cooked. The flavor is of course garlicky and depending on soil quality can be slightly bitter. My instincts are that when it’s bitter it’s probably got more medicinal values that we’ll look at later.
Garlic mustard outperforms garden greens like spinach and Swiss chard in fiber, vitamin A, B-carotene, vitamin E, vitamin C, calcium, iron, zinc, Manganese, copper, and omega 3 fatty acids.
Genetic studies indicate that the garlic mustard found in my part of the Appalachian Mountains is descendant from varieties found in the British Islands.
You’ll find a myriad of dishes online that have garlic mustard as a basic ingredient. The most popular seems to be pesto. The basic pesto calls for finely chopped garlic mustard leaves, pine nuts ( sometimes English Walnut) one garlic clove, lemon juice, olive oil and sugar. Because there’s so many recipes out there I recommend pulling a few up and getting the specific proportions and variations to find one that suits you.
Other foods that are suggested for including wildcrafted garlic mustard are mashed potatoes, carrots, stews, quinoa, salad and vinaigrette salad dressing.
The traditional medical uses include, anti asthma, antiseptic, expelling worms, used to promote healthy sweating, treat bronchitis, as a poultice for ulcers and to alleviate bites and stings of insects.
But if all the benefits of garlic mustard aren’t enough for you go out and pull a few garlic mustard plants from your favorite trail let me take a moment to explain why garlic mustard is a bad thing.
In previous articles I’ve mentioned the relationship between symbiotic soil fungi and the health of the forest. Sadly, garlic mustard actively kills not only the symbiotic fungus but the herbs that it’s bonded to and even the trees. It’s one of those plants that exudes a suppressive chemical through its roots and native North American species have no defense against it. One of the herbs that are killed by this is our native trilliums. But the loss of the symbiotic fungus is what concerns me the most. The fungus is the communication network between all plants in the forest. It’s literally like the internet just like was portrayed in the movie Avatar. Very old trees act as data nodes storing environmental information in the form of chemicals stored in the wood. Even old stumps that seem to have been long dead are tapped by the fungus to extract the chemical sequence and teach the younger trees and herbs how to deal with changes in the environment. For a basic explanation here’s a quick video that gives a concise overview.
When garlic mustard breaks this connection it actually harms the forest in the whole surrounding area. And a garlic mustard infestation can last for thirty years before the cycle ends naturally. The recovery of the fungus and connection to old growth forest is bound to take at least as long after the garlic mustard is gone.
Image Titled “West Virginia White 42820”. Clicking the image takes you to the original article I published on April 28th 2020.
Pictured above is West Virginia’s own rare butterfly, the West Virginia White. This little butterfly has had a rough time since industrialization. Heavy logging in the early 20th century had nearly destroyed all of its habit and was once predicted to be the first Eastern species to go extinct. It’s natural native host plant is the native mustards such as Collards. The butterfly will lay its eggs and when they hatch the Caterpillar feeds on the collards. Until garlic mustard came along. Whatever chemical signal that the West Virginia White Butterfly uses to find collards is stronger in the garlic mustard. But it’s a trap. Garlic mustard also produces a substance that’s toxic to the West Virginia White Butterfly and is 100% fatal to the caterpillars. Removal of garlic mustard from your property is essential for the survival of the West Virginia White.
So to sum it all up, foraging on garlic mustard provides you with a plant that’s still grown in some Asian and European gardens, has a higher nutritional value than a lot of domestic greens, helps fight deforestation and increases the health of the environment and helps preserve the West Virginia White Butterfly.
One last thought. Garlic Mustard is a biannual and most removal programs recommended allowing the first year plants to grow and harvesting in the second year after the flowers bloom but before the seeds mature. This should prevent the next generation and in just a few short years the cycle is broken.
A closer look at the cross shaped garlic mustard flowers and the deeply veined leaves.
That’s it for this week’s Forage Friday. Good night friends and be blessed throughout your days.
Announcement 2.0
For those who have been following me on Facebook and know of the struggle content providers have to get circulation from big tech I’ve been recommending for people to adopt MeWe as a social media platform. One of the problems I’ve run into on MeWe is that people don’t know how to navigate the platform. So to help with that I’ve created a permanent page on my website as a basic Basic Beginner’s Guide To MeWe I’ve tried to anticipate all basic questions there and You can bookmark the page to have as a reference and if you have any questions or suggestions don’t hesitate to contact me. I do still have a day job and I help admin several pages on both platforms so replies might be a little slow but I will answer you.
We also have the Lloyd’s Lens Photography Discussion Group on MeWe that is set up as a fully functional community. There you’ll not only be able to see and connect with me but you can also make your own posts and interact with each other.
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’re enjoying my blog and don’t want to miss a post then you can sign up for email alerts on my website.
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! Simplyuse 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.
Clicking on the photo takes you tohttps://www.zazzle.com/lloydslensphotos?rf=238248269630914251Lastly, all of the photos and writings are my original work unless otherwise specified and are not to be copied or reproduced without expressed written permission from the photographerThank you again for your support of my page!♥️
LLOYD'S LENS PHOTOGRAPHY LLC 