A Purpose

Macro photography has given me a profound appreciation for the beauty and wonder of nature. Insects are a huge fascination as I learn about their purpose, marveling over colors, markings, and body appendages. I'm like a mad scientist observing the world through my "microscope." Many times I'm left shaking my head, thinking God MUST have a sense of humor. Right?

Each insect in our world plays a role in the balance of our environment. Whether they're located somewhere on the food chain or ridding the garden of pests, we should respect them and learn of their impact on our ecology before employing chemicals to rid them. Some bugs may already be performing that duty for you, like the assassin bugs below. These little orange dynamos stalk gardens and fields looking for insects to devour—often insects that cause harm to plant life.

A new generation of assassins ready for battle.

Candy-striped leafhopper - cute and colorful, but not good for plants!
Their distinctness and colors are not visible unless magnified. Only 3/8" long, this insect is considered harmful to plants.
With piercing, sucking mouth parts they feed on plant juices, violently shooting the excess out of their rear ends. Pierce's
Disease is a bacteria that is often transferred from the leafhopper into the plant. Grapevines and other woody plants are mostly
affected. This bug is ready to jump at a moment's notice and does it so quickly that if you blink, you'll miss it, not seeing
where he went! I thought this was a pretty bug until I learned how harmful they are.

Sweat bees and cuckoo wasps are so similar in appearance that it's difficult to tell them apart. For the sake of argument, I'll say
this is a sweat bee, in the family Halictidae, since they are a little more common for our area. It's the first time I've ever seen one
and I think it's beautiful.  These insects are attracted to human sweat in order to lick the salt. They will give a mild sting if
disturbed. These efficient pollinators visit four to eight flowers per minute, carrying significant pollen loads on their hind legs.
Many plants benefit from sweat bees, including watermelon, blueberries, and alfalfa.

Eastern tiger swallowtail butterfly.
A beautiful specimen - I'll just leave it at that.

Fascinating are the workings of nature and the important role of even seemingly insignificant creatures. Transferring this same logic to humans, if you meet someone that is crude or rude, that person is teaching you something. One of my favorite quotes is, "If you can't be a good example, then you'll just have to be a horrible warning" by Catherine Aird. How true! By the same token, I have met people that have a rough or gruff exterior, but inside there is a heart of gold. With these types it takes time to peel off the layers to get to the good parts, and when you do, you may discover a loyal friend or learn valuable lessons.

In conclusion, I'm thankful for those around me that model what I strive to be and also what I do not want to become. And I'm thankful for all the little bugs that keep my garden healthy. Amen!

Family

Since I moved back to my hometown last year, it's been rather nice seeing my cousins and getting to know their families. It's still not as often as I'd like, but the possibility of seeing them is now a reality instead of a wish. I have no brothers or sisters and my first husband was an only child as well, so my life is absent of nieces and nephews, and my kids do not have aunts and uncles. :(

I've posted about my own children here before, and they know how much I adore them, but today I thought I'd devote this post to some extended family.

This is my second cousin, Chloe. Trying to photograph her was like trying to corral a bunch of cats. She's at that cute phase, discovering her world, always on the go. This constant state of movement is not conducive to sharp photography, but at the same time it produced some unique and pleasing shots. She's such a sweet little girl. My heart was truly full this day in April.

I was asked to bring dessert so I brought this ladybug cake with her in mind.
It came from Ambrosia Bakery in Baton Rouge. Enter the store at your own risk.
The smell alone made me want to buy one of everything.

Checking out my yard. I love that she has her hand on my Trust in the Lord rock.

Weeds are still flowers for this girly-girl. :)
Chloe has a big brother, Drew, but I have not meet him yet. Hope to see him this week!!

These are my other second cousins, Brody, Eric, and Tyler. It was nearing dusk and I did not bring my tripod, so the images are not as crisp as I'd like. Apparently, my knee makes for a poor tripod substitute. I was supposed to go back and re-shoot, but never made it back. Still, I think the camera revealed their sweet personalities. These shots were taken at the end of August.

They instinctively hammed it up with hardly any direction from me.

Precious! I always leave in a happier state of mind after visiting this trio.
I gave this more of a washed out look and I rather like it.

Brody makes me all gooey; he's so dang sweet and cute!

This is another precious second cousin, Tristan. The boy is as smart and handsome as they come. I might be a little intimidated being around such intelligence; shut up, I know he's only 5! Put a gadget in front of this kid and he will have it figured out in record time. Tristan, you're going to be a success at whatever you do, I can tell already. One piece of advice: don't let the girls get you off track.

Fun dying Easter eggs.

He's finding his share. You can see his mind racing to the next logical hiding place.

He looks so thoughtful here. 

There are other second cousins, but sadly, I don't know them. I wish I did; however, I am so grateful for the ones I am getting to know, and the ones that want to know me!

Families are like fudge—mostly sweet with a few nuts.

You don't choose your family. They are God's gift to you, as you are to them. ~ Desmond Tutu

Thankful

In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out.
It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being.
We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.
~Albert Schweitzer

From time to time I go through periods of melancholy, which I experienced this past week. Then last night Double D went to the mailbox and handed me a small box. "What's this all about?" he asked.

"Oh, my sweet bloggy friend! I wonder what it is?!"

I knew the package was coming, but wasn't expecting it for a few more days. Delighted, I tore open the package and inside found the most beautiful, sterling silver hummingbird earrings. My sweet friend (who asked to remain anonymous), knows me well. What's strange is I received notice that it was coming before I published The Impossible post. How did she know ahead of time that I could use a lift?

I tried my best to photograph the earrings; unfortunately, indoor photography is not my strong suit. It has been raining most of the day, so I could not take them outside for my favorite natural light shots. Here they are anyway--aren't they beautiful?

Playing with the Solarize feature in Lightroom

My purple LSU shirt kept reflecting onto the silver, so I just left it. 

I adore these earrings, but I also appreciate the thought and care and time that went into this gesture. "Appreciate" isn't really the right term—maybe "deep gratitude" is the closest phrase to what I'm feeling. So, thank you, thank you for your generosity and friendship. I am humbly blessed knowing that God is still working through His people on earth.

Now, I've got to lighten this up with a silly joke. You've probably seen it, but here it is anyway:

Big Ed seemed to always fall asleep during the Sunday sermon. His wife was fed up and decided to deal with the embarrassing situation.

The next Sunday when he fell asleep, she quietly removed some pungent Limburger cheese from a ziplock bag in her purse and passed it under his nose.

Groggily startled, Big Ed blurted out, "No, Helen, no—don't kiss me now!"

Snort! Have a great weekend everybody!

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