He just lay there - dreaming of rain or the frosty nights of October.
He tried to channel the xylem coolness into his fervid belly.
Then the rains came. The world upended. The following is a reflection on rain and puddles and the creatures who emerge to celebrate the gift of water.
I walk here, rain or shine - goose droppings or snow, sleet or ice or puddles.
After the rain, the breeze stirred the oak leaves overhead and they let fall the pond drops. (Please click on the pond)
The Monarch caterpillar just kept munching while he enjoyed the cool-packs on his back.
Fungus lives for rain. Really. A good rain makes a good fruiting.
The leaf drops played with the puddles. They got tired . . .
. . . . and the sky tree settled back in.
the Puddle Duck puddled around in the . . . .puddles.
This male Blue Dasher is sparkley-new and ready for love.
This bumble bee tried to discern his fortune in a crystal ball drop.
(Please click on him)
Ah, well - I think I've said all I want to say about rain - for now :0)
So I'll just float serenely away. (For those of you who know I wouldn't be caught dead climbing into a pond. Shush! - I'm trying to be poetic here!)
So, when was the last time you took off your shoes and splashed through a puddle?
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35 comments:
These are spectacular shots!
Gotta love the bee and his drop.
FC -
Gee, thanks :0) I'm happily blushing. I'm so glad you dropped by.
My goodness Cathy--those are lovely shots.
I really like the water lily pond one, but the bumble bee with water drop is PRIZE winning quality.
Ohhh Donna! Thank you! I'm just learning to use the macro feature on my camera and loving it.
This is such a funny post and love seeing your squirrel laying like that! Keep up the great work!
mon@rch -
Oh Tom, I'm so glad you got the humor. Aren't those basking squirrels a hoot? Thank you.
I got a nice chuckle out of your post Cathy-It's been about 30 years since I've gone barefoot in puddles-Such a soothing post ahh..
Larry!
Alright! Isn't it time we kick off our cruel shoes and release our toes in the holy water of youth?
We have nothing to lose but our inhibitions!
Beautiful photo essay. Your macros are worthy of framing. IF we had rain, I would walk in the puddles (with flip flops) Ponds are best viewed from the edge.
I don't think I've ever splashed barefoot in a puddle. Maybe I'm overdue...
Ruth -
Thank you! This has been fun.
We'd be flip-flopping together through those puddles ;0) Yep, I'm afraid I'm beyond the barefoot stage.
Rhea -
Well? Time to get crackin'! Honestly, I think it's been decades since I last puddled around in rain.
Lovely pictures Cathy. I love the bumble bee and the mushroom with a touch of green reflected in the drop.
Hi Cathy,
I love squirrels! Those pictures were great.
May I have permission to use your pond picture as my desktop wallpaper? That was such a beautiful picture with all the raindrops.
P.S. I wasn't barefoot, but splashed through lots of puddles on the way to the grocery store last Saturday.
Tim,
Thank you!
I'm so glad you noticed that drop! I was afraid it was too subtle to be spotted.
Ruthie!
I'd be so delighted to think my picture was gracing your desktop.
Thank you!
OK - I guess splashing with shoes on counts :0)
Fabulous photos! You never fail to amaze me!
Cathy, Cathy! You outdid yourself with these wonderful, wonderful photos. I read this post twice and agree - your photos are prize winning and your captions are so well done...
I'm fond of the pond shot, too, but right now, all of them took me away from the hot and dry. Thank you, dear Cathy, for such a refreshing post.
I don't have puddles to splash in but I take off my shoes, sit on the side of the pond in the evenings and let the Koi nibble on my feet. Tee-hee.
Incredible photos, I love them all, and the commentary. The puddle duck made me giggle and the bee with his globe is an amazing shot. Especially if you click on it.
Pam -
You liked my puddle duck! Yea! I thought he was so dear. And, yes - that bee shot still has me grinning with pleasure.
Thanks so much, sweetie.
Three Collie -
Hey! I've seen some pretty cool things over there at North view, too!
Thanks so much :0)
Mary - sweetie -
Thank you, my fairy queen of ponds and pups and feathered things.
I wish I could send some of this rain your way. Remember, though - come winter and I start posting ice bergs - it ain't going to look so lovely up here :0D
Are you kidding? Do Koi 'really' nibble on toes? OK. I've gotta know - pleasssseee.
I love this post Cathy! Isn't it nice to have the rain, and to have it cooler? Let's see, since it didn't rain much this summer, I guess the last time I walked barefoot through a puddle would be last summer.
Pam!
That's right! You don't like to wear shoes, right? So you may get the prize for most recent barefoot puddle player. Excellent. And thanks:0)
Oh how I love that bumble bee, enlarged, with the blue drops on his belly! The crystal ball has reflections in it! Just spectacular photos, as usual...
Thanks, Bonita. I have to admit to a little concern for him as he seemed so wet. As I walked away I thought to give a little 'tap', but thought better of disturbing his torpor or for that matter - Nature.
Raindrops make it all so colorful! And looking at crystal droplets, a welcome refreshment from our heat--today 100+ again. Hope you're not floating away?
Nina!
So glad you dropped by :0)
It's rained all night. I've got my boots in the car - just in case.
But, as I tell my heat-daunted southern friends - we'll soon be looking at ice crystals - beautiful - but cold. They'll be basking in breezes while we're shivering inside - with fond memories of mugginess :0)
Cathy, each photo is a poem, a story. Beautiful.
Lynne -
Thank you, sweetie. It's not too difficult to wax poetic over all nature's beauty this time of year:0)
Your photos are terrific! A big wow for all of the insect macros! I loved the photo of the waterlilies - just beautiful -- and the lovely words that tied it all together. Bravo!
Oh Bev -
Thank you! Thank you! You are my 'macro' inspiration :0)
RAvishing!
What's your camera rig?--sorry if you've answered this before but I'm just finding you in the blogosphere.
I know there must be macro capability on my Canon Rebel XTi but I've yet to exploit it, and am too lazy to dig out the manual. Your bee and mushroom shots kill me, and I love the reflected trees after the drops stilled. Captions are poetic-perfect, too. Nice blue dasher!!
Julie -
Oh,thank you :0) I cracked up with your comment about being too lazy to dig out the manual. That's exactly what I said to Bev, at Burning Silo. She's my macro inspiration. That dear woman found the manual on-line and emailed me the instructions.
I've just purchased a Sony H9 - I'm not sure where the manual is, but dang! I've learned to use the macro and make movies and am in hog heaven. It was very well reviewed in camera blogs - and I'm VERY happy with it.
15X Optical Zoom and 8.1 Mega Pixels Woohoo!
Puddles? What are those?
*looking back at posts from Spring...oh, yeah! When water falls from the sky, of all places, and settles in big circles.
Huh. You got puddles?
LOVE this post, BTW. And thanks for thinking I am a hoot.
:)
Susan!
Thank you - yoooou Hoot :0)
And, honey! We've got more and BIGGER puddles this morning.
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