Was lucky to observe for a few minutes

"I can see the glowing lights

I can see them every night

Really not that far away

I could be there in a day

Hard to find"

The National - Hard To Find

I blame skip & Decepti for this insanity!

These modern little figs ARE a kick to play w/!

So easy to mix and match.

Kinglets are wee birds

Always on the move, so quick

Hard to get a pic

Note: I promise there is a Kinglet in each of the pictures

"I can see the glowing lights

I can see them every night

Really not that far away

I could be there in a day

Hard to find "

The National _ Hard To Find

Mt Wellington (by Hobart), Tasmania, Australia

San-x, out of production goods.

Macro Mondays Theme is Smell.

My absolute favourite fragrance was discontinued about 20 years ago. It was love at first sniff. Saved for the utmost special occasions. Very hard to find.

Kawaii eraser like a pen.

Shot Using An Adapttal 2 Tamron SP90 Lens Plus 01F 2x Converter.

Hazel tree the female flower, having had these once pointed out to me now I can't stop looking for them and trying to photograph them I like this one with the tiny rain drop or dew drop on the flower.

Typically found deep within the branches of Pocillipora corals. During our 900 hours of diving and surveying Honaunau Bay, we found only four of these approximately 1 1/2" fish living in one Antler Coral located at approximately 10-15 ft. (3-4.5 m.) of sea water. This area experienced frequent surge, making photography challenging, not to mention the reclusive nature of this species. This particular coral has now died, so the creatures living within, either had to find another coral head or perished with the loss of their micro-habitat.

ABC's and 123's V is for Velvetfish

Tombstones in rings

extremely rare squirrel that only lives in a few spots in the Mojave desert of California. Been trying to see one for many years now.

One-flowered Wintergreen, growing under Pine Trees in only a few places in Scotland, so different from the Scottish Primrose in colour but just as small and hard to find.

These small clusters of hidden, venomous sea anemones were discovered in a deep, dark hole (puka) in a lava rock formation by me during reef surveys that my husband & I were conducting in Honaunau Bay, Hawaii. This species had not previously been reported on the Big Island. During our 900 hours of diving in this location, we only located this unique animal in one other spot, but due to unfavorable ocean conditions were unable to return to that location again to photograph them. Sea anemones are predatory, marine animals of the order Actiniaria.

*After discovering these hidden anemones, it took several consecutive years of scuba diving to photograph them under mostly turbid or dim light conditions. The day finally came to do our poster presentation at Western Illinois University, Annual Meetings of the Illinois State Academy of Science.

*Poster presentation can be viewed below.

I FOUND ONE!!!!

The rare and coveted junonia is sought after by people who come to the

Island of Sanibel. In fact if you find one you get your picture in the paper!

Yesterday we were at Beach #4, it was a lovely morning, low tide, so I was meandering through the tide pool. There were lots of shells. Rachel and the kids were with us and I was basically taking pictures and finding shells for her.

I bent down thinking I was picking up a tulip shell and when I saw it was a junonia I screamed!! It is one of those shells that even islanders long to find.

So here you have it!! :-)

And yes I went and got my picture taken at the local newspaper.

Even the people we are staying with who have been on the island for many years haven't ever found one. It is rare.

I feel rather blessed.

:-)

Here is a photo of a junonia that I posted for my 365 back in May. It was one we bought for our collection. It is perfect but not as precious as mine....

When the sky is on fire, which was the case this evening, it can be harder to stay focused in search of the small scenes. I did point the camera briefly at the wide-open sky yet time was mainly spent in search of treasures in the sand like these.

I was thrilled when about 4 years back when my good friend David Cobb tossed out the idea to me of an abstract-focused workshop. I thought it sounded great as someone that really enjoys searching out those scenes. I was happy to co-lead it with him which we did for a couple of years up before 2020 slowed things down.

These are the kind of scenes I was pointing out to others as we either starred straight down like a beachcomber or were panning the camera to the open sea in hopes of capturing something different. The purpose was to go to a beach that offered nothing in the way of dramatic scenery. It was simply a sandy cliff down to an endless beach of sand in both directions with no objects like sea stacks, rocks, or logs. All of that and being off-season, we pretty much had the place to ourselves to explore and create.

"Actually I think Art lies in both directions - the broad strokes, big picture but on the other hand the minute examination of the apparently mundane. Seeing the whole world in a grain of sand, that kind of thing." - Peter Hammill

Without meaning to, I've acquired quite a collection of stuffed moose over the years....I'll have to take a group pic of them all sometime. ^^

I'm a bit proud of myself for having found a Chocolate - she's not an easy BB to come by.

I need to get rid of this crap!

Most will be deleted if it's not gone within a few days. Even rares.

Some is old, some is new.

Fair prices on newer stuff.

25 & under on older

Im me with what you want!

Some is even free.

Saint Peters Lighthouse was always on my list to go and find, not an obvious lighthouse to seek out as it is pretty dirty, weather beaten and not in use, but it is one of my favourites for gorgeous location alone. It's hard to believe that this light was a harbour lighthouse as it sits amongst the dunes. As they formed, the harbour that once was, is now a lake of sorts with the left overs of the breakwater still standing in the water. Other remnants of this are still evident on the beautiful beach that lies beyond the dunes. Will post a closer version of this lighthouse at some point. This image is a 6 image stitched pano. It does look better larger (and a little better on black)

Size : 3.2cm or 1 1/4" tall.

Trans clear and black parts are original Lego part, but never produced, they are test part.

This is one of the hardest owls to find, it's called the Long-eared Owl. This owl is wild and I can't believe that a small group of us were able to photograph this beauty! Along with the earlier Snowy owl that I photographed these are by far my favorites

Finally found another stash. Only took 2 years. But Finally have 2+ of each

1. V1 Shame Enthusiast

2.Leisure Enthusiast

3. V1 Ink Enthusist

4.Action Abe

This species has always attracted attention when shown but no other orchid in my collection has received so many accolades. Here is the complete list (forgive my bragging):

Oct 2009:

Fordyce 'Red' Marsh Memorial Trophy

Best Species Orchid of Show

Pleurothallid Alliance Ron Griesbeck Trophy

Most unusual Pleurothallid of Show

CCM

(Certificate of Cultural Merit)The beginning orchid grower may hope to attain this award because it recognizes the grower, rather than flower quality. The CCM/AOS may be given more than once if the plant continues to thrive and increase in both the size and number of flowers.

CBR

(Certificate of Botanical Recognition)

Awarded to rare and unusual species with educational interest that has received no previous awards. The entire plant must be exhibited. This award is granted provisionally and filed with the judging center Chair pending taxonomic verification supplied by the exhibitor.

August 2011:

CCE

(Certificate of Cultural Excellence)

Awarded to the exhibitor of a well-flowered specimen plant of robust health. Plants receiving this award represent the highest level of orchid culture.

September 2011:

And much to my surprise it was featured in a two page spread in Orchids magazine, the monthly periodical of the American Orchid Society!

Blooming in my greenhouse.

Remote, abandoned farmhouse in the Yorkshire Dales. The elderly owner died several years ago, having lived here without mains electricity or water for many years. There is a stream nearby and I believe she had a generator for power, plus coal and wood for fires.

The farmhouse was essentially a smallholding with very poor access up steep and rough tracks - basically you can't get anything but a serious offroad vehicle up there, like a quadbike or tractor. It had a small orchard and some land for grazing, but sold that off later when the last owner was living there (she worked as a nurse in a 'local' care home (several miles walk over very rough terrain).

In later years, when she became less able to fend for herself, the local farmer would sometimes go up there on a quad to check on her and bring a meal or two.

Best to: View Large and On Black

Love starts with a smile,

grows with a kiss, and

ends with a tear.

Good friends are hard to find,

harder to leave, and

impossible to forget.

Life Is short.

look around once in a while, or

you might miss it.

A best friend is like a four leaf clover:

hard to find and

lucky to have.

When it hurts to look back, and

you're scared to look ahead,

you can look beside you and

your best friend will be there

What do you do when the only person

who can help you stop crying

is the person who made you cry?

Everything is okay in the end.

If things are less than okay,

then the end is yet to come.

from Forward to a Better Day