Hike along the Eramosa
Sep. 21st, 2003 06:30 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
vaneramos
I realize this looks similar to the last picture of Danny, but it's how I'm getting used to seeing him, a camera to his eye whenever I let him out of my reach.
Yesterday morning we walked downtown and visited the farmers market, unexpectedly meeting several friends from my choir. Last night Les drove us to the Robin's Nest, a wonderfully peculiar gay and lesbian bar in Cambridge, where we saw more people I know. Jon brought someone he met several weeks aog, Robert, who coincidentally lives in the same Toronto neighbourhood as Danny.
Today we hiked out of town for two hours, pausing to hold one another in a quiet, grassy place under a willow beside the Eramosa River. These fine September days are numbered, and I was pleased to share one of the last of them with Danny.
I was delighted when he spotted a smooth green snake after I practically stepped on it. I had never seen one before. It started to slither away. Then, reluctant to move off the warm, sunny trail, it stopped for some portraits. Danny's will undoubtedly turn out better, but I couldn't resist posting one below the cut. Apologies to anyone who is ophidiophobic, but I think snakes are fascinating, beautiful creatures, and Opheodrus vernalis is particularly elegant. I get thrills from spotting new plant and animals species, so indulge me.
Next we spotted a flying bug, which I might have ignored if Danny hadn't asked whether it was a dragonfly. It had an ungainly flutter, its long wings shining in the sunglight. It turned out to be a preying mantis.
I appreciated the company of someone so observant in territory familiar to me but not to him. The long walk tired him out. After a late lunch, Danny zonked out for a couple hours.
Opheodrys vernalis
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
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shrug stretch rub eyes, OH! PRETTIES!
Date: 2003-09-21 03:50 pm (UTC)You always make me look so good in your pictures.
It was a great walk with you today - lots of amazing things to look at. It was beautiful sitting with you quietly by the river, near that bridge.
And if I hadn't of been looking at the ground, I wouldn't have seen that snake either! It was a beautiful creature. I've never seen one of those before - I think Bill has described ones like that before, calling them 'Grass Snakes'. The praying mantis was another piece of luck. I left you alone to take pics, because I didn't want to frighten it by having too many people around. That's an amazing shot you took of it!
Hugs! Time to go help you with dinner.
Hugs to the group at home! I hope Sunday dinner will go / is going well!
Danny (now you know why I'm called Sleepy Cub!)
Re: shrug stretch rub eyes, OH! PRETTIES!
Date: 2003-09-21 10:34 pm (UTC)Re: shrug stretch rub eyes, OH! PRETTIES!
Date: 2003-09-22 05:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-09-21 05:53 pm (UTC)Oh, yes, they're lovely creatures. I haven't seen one wince I was a kid at summer camp in western Massachusetts, where we used to come across them quite often. They didn't seem to particularly mind being picked up -- they would wrap themselves gently around your wrist. Used to see a lot of praying mantises, too. Maybe I don't see them any more because my vision is so much worse than it was then.
Nice shots. You'd think we'd have New England asters here of all places, but as far as I can tell we do not, although we have a lot of asters of one kind or another (mostly Stiff and Heart-leaved).
Oh, and that's a very handsome man you've got there with you.
no subject
Date: 2003-09-22 05:26 pm (UTC)As for Danny, yes, and these images don't even capture what beautiful brown eyes he has.
no subject
Date: 2003-09-21 10:33 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-09-22 05:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-09-21 10:46 pm (UTC)Totally cool. I was taking pictures of those asters yesterday. I never thought about it but people who take pictures of plants are of necessity participating in a sort of a day in the life of project, but coordinated by the seasons, the movement of the planet. This feels really cool.
no subject
Date: 2003-09-22 05:48 pm (UTC)I kept passing these asters on my walks all last week without finding one that presented itself for a photograph until yesterday. The specimen was paler and pinker than most. It is interesting to see the comparison with the images you took.
One thing that strikes me about my aster image is how lovely it is despite any lack of artistry on the part of the photographer. These plants are stunning.
no subject
Date: 2003-09-22 04:39 am (UTC)Very nice :-)
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Date: 2003-09-22 05:51 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-09-22 06:13 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-09-22 09:53 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-09-22 06:20 pm (UTC)