View allAll Photos Tagged juniper
Callophrys gryneus, nectaring on agarita flowers. "Agarita" btw is an anglicized version of Spanish "agrito" which refers to something small and sour, in this case presumably the small, tart berries.
The Juniper Queen
For the past six consecutive years, I have been blessed to travel with friends to Central Florida to fish, tell lies, unwind and most importantly, to photograph. For half of those visits, hurricanes have played both major and minor roles on when or even if we could go. A lady named Irma, toppled ancient trees and raising the water level for months to follow, hit this area hard a year ago last month. Our yearly October 2017 trip was canceled and rescheduled for April 2018.
Arriving seven months after Irma’s wrath, her impact remained evident both above and below the waters surface. It was during our first trip to the mouth of the Juniper River that I noticed her once again sitting high above her domain, the Juniper Queen. I had reached a point in our relationship that I almost expected her to be there for my arrival. On each of my previous visits I would photograph her as we passed under her to get to our favorite fishing holes, but on this April day, something was noticeably different. After taking a few shots, I cropped into the shot on the back of my camera to better see what was catching my eye.
Sadness quickly became the mood of the moment as I viewed her portrait; it was evident that this old girl had been battered about severely. Feathers from the top of her head were missing and her normally brilliant white majestic head was several shades of gray. She had several wing and chest feathers protruding at all available angles, she just looked sick. The only good news was that she was still with us, holding firmly to her spot.
Wondering what could have torn her up like that, my mind turned quickly to Irma and the battle for survival that must have taken place with all of God’s creatures in a hurricane. I pictured her riding out Irma right there; in her spot with the same attitude and gusto of Lt. Dan riding out the hurricane in Forest Gump, asking along the way “is this all you got?” Her photos from last April were so sad, I’m pretty sure that I simply deleted them. No lady wants her picture taken looking so poorly.
Earlier this month, as we cut across Lake George heading for the Juniper River, I could see from a distance that she was still there, holding her own…a blessing for us both. With the dark skies of one of Hurricane Michaels last bands behind her I took this shot. Looking so much better, so much stronger and as they say “Large and in charge” the queen was in fact back and in charge of her domain, with her newly developed head feathers protruding like a much deserved crown.
The shrub life form of Juniper communis has been developped due to death of the apex of the main axis
I think this is a Juniper Hairstreak. It's missing a bit of itself though. It was enjoying the bluebonnets before they start going to seed!
Juniper is an evergreen shrub or tree - the only representative of the cypress family in the North. The Russian name comes from the word "mezh - spruce forest". True, there are other interpretations: from the words "mozg", and such Old Slavonic "mozhzha" - a knot. This shrub is also called heather, juniper, bruzhzhevelnik, grouse berries. It also has another name - orderly No. 1, it received it because it really cleans the air from toxic gaseous substances and microorganisms like a pump. Among the Slavs, juniper branches became a symbol of overcoming death, eternal life. Juniper branches were burned at funerals, or covered the last path of the deceased, as if protecting him. Juniper was smoked after an enemy - so that he would not return, during epidemics houses and roads were fumigated with juniper - so that "black impurity" would not fall on a person. From evil spirits, unclean forces they protected themselves and their farms with juniper branches, consecrated in the church. In the old days, a Russian peasant drove his cattle out to pasture in the spring with a juniper branch: it, they say, will protect the animals from diseases and all sorts of misfortunes. There was a lot of rationality in these rituals, if you take into account the disinfecting properties of the plant. In warehouses with furs fumigated with juniper, moths did not live. Meat, fish: smoked on juniper needles, were preserved longer. Dairy dishes, barrels, tubs for pickles, steamed with juniper, became almost sterile. Traps and pitfalls rubbed with juniper needles did not smell like humans.
For medicinal purposes, ripe cones - berries - are usually collected - fleshy, spherical, blue-violet, almost black in color, with a gray waxy coating. They taste sweet and spicy with a pleasant smell. The berries contain a lot of sugar (glucose), essential oils, resins, organic acids, mineral salts, wax, phytoncides, vitamins C, B (thiamine), riboflavin, etc., many microelements.
The greek name for juniper is arkeuthos, which comes from the verb Arkéo meaning "keep away, reject a danger", this name was given to the plant because it was believed it could drive away the evil spirits with the thorns of its branches, thus keeping away any hypothetical ailment.
The juniper plant is considered suitable for Christmas, so we welcome these holidays hanging at the doors of our homes juniper branches, a symbol of good luck, while the custom to burn a few sprigs will bring serenity and keep away all evil, by purifying the air with its fragrant scent.
Big Juniper Creek is one of numerous creeks in the Blackwater River State Forest. While many of them feature popular paddling trails, Juniper also features the Juniper Creek Trail, stretching from Blackwater River State Park towards the bluffs along Red Rock Road, tracing the path of the creek for miles.
A stand of juniper trees near the trail head of the Old Juniper Trail in Logan Canyon. View large to really see the character of these trees. When I was young it was not uncommon for us to use a juniper tree as a Christmas tree. I love the smell of them.
A jewel of the Ocala National Forest, Juniper Creek can be viewed at its point of origin in Juniper Springs Recreation Area, where a boardwalk traces its path for a distance, or by an adventurous 7 mile paddle.
The Juniper Hairstreak (Callophrys gryneus) catepillar is adapted to look nearly ideantical to a juniper leaf. This one was living on a Utah Juniper (Juniperus osteosperma).
Hey! I'm still alive!
Seems like I've always got some kind of excuse for why I haven't been posting, but things really have been sort of crazy. I haven't taken any new pictures of my dolls (for non PS purposes) since September! O.O I did receive two new lovelies for Christmas, who just need a little more TLC before they're ready to be properly welcomed. Nevertheless, I'd like to take more photos of my babies again soon :3