"A Cold Divide" – river water and ice

Water and ice are endlessly fascinating and challenging to photograph.

"Smooth and Crisp" – Yellow Birch bark

I just love Yellow birch trees' bark and the way they shine in bright sunlight.

"Moonscape"

Maple tree bark up close and personal.

"Baby Barnacles on a Bolt"

Once "glued" in place, that's it for life. They need to find colonies of other barnacles so they can reproduce. How, you may ask, can they reproduce if they are glued down? Look for the answer in an upcoming article. The baby barnacles in the photo are smaller than a sesame seed!

"Floatation Device"

Bladderwrack seaweed anchored on rocks at low-tide. The puffed "bladders" aid the plant in capturing sunlight while submerged. Bladders hold the leaves upright in the water and closer to the surface where a greater amount of sunlight penetrates, permitting greater photosynthesis.

"Feather Bed"

These Canada Goose eggs are nestled in a bed of mother goose down, within a circular pile of sticks on the ground. Six eggs, soon to hatch!

"Time Passages"

This scene caught my eye as representative of the passage of time. The stones – created millions of years ago, will turn slowly to dust over the course of millions of years. The leaves, by contrast, grow in spring and fall to earth a few months later, decaying in just a few years.

"On the March"

British Soldier lichen shown here is a wonderful micro-landscape to explore. Their red spore-containing caps are not always present. Have a look at an old rock wall or the roof of an old shed and you may find them growing there. Lichens take many years to grow, so walk gently!

"Luxurious"

I can't resist touching the soft, springy feel of this moisture absorbing plant. Sphagnum was once used as a battlefield dressing for wounds due to its absorptive and antiseptic properties. Curiously, Sphagnum moss can also potentially harbour a fungal disease sporotrichosis. Personally, I refuse to be afraid of moss!

"Simple, but Deep"

Taken at long Beach Island, New Jersey. Just one of many the moods that the sun, ocean, and atmosphere create. Simple, but deep!

"Giving up the Ghost"

I am entertained by the antics and abilities of Ghost Crabs when I visit the beaches they inhabit. They are constantly excavating burrows in the sand, defending their territory against competitors, and hunting down with impressive accuracy the insects that gather on the sand and seaweed. No creature on earth can out run the sands of time, however, and this crab shell appears as if it was in mid-reach when his time came. This image captures the gritty struggle for life in the intertidal zone.

"Still Life"

Dragonflies are noted for their agility in the air. They can be seen flying ceaselessly over fields in the hazy heat of summer afternoons catching and devouring insects on the fly. Resting on a rough cement wall, this Harlequin Darner is as intense in its stillness as it is in flight.

"Cute as a Button"

What can I say? I like moss. Can moss be considered "cute"? If so, I think this one qualifies.

"Jelly and Sand"

This Moon Jelly is the most common and recognizable of all Sea Jellies. I liked the contrast in texture of granular sand and shell bits trapped temporarily beneath the smooth and fragile remains of the jelly.

"Steely Traveler"

A Winter Thicket

Standing amidst this thicket of 8 ft. tall Highbush Blueberry shrubs crusted with layers of various lichens, I couldn't help but feel they were sentient, ancient, and were aware of my presence. I half expected to hear them speak! There is a reason that folklore and literature have numerous examples of tree's becoming animated. From the crabby apple trees in "The Wizard of Oz" to Tolkien's character Treebeard the Ent, there is a fascination with the power of such wild, wooden, and silent sentinels.

"The Start of Something Really Big"

Acorns carry a lot of appropriate symbology for people. The incredible mystery of how this tiny seed turns water, sunlight and soil nutrients into a giant oak tree always captures my imagination.

"Wild Carrot Seeds"

Also known as Queen Anne's Lace flowers. I like these curled-up clusters of burred seeds awaiting dispersal – they are in apparent contrast to the delicate and lacy white flowers of summer. 

"As Evening Falls"

Perhaps the time of day I've always resonated with the most. Twilight is a magical time for me where primal stirrings meet with spiritual potency. No matter what else is going on in our busy day, nearly everyone takes a moment to acknowledge this daily transition into night.

"Flight Deck"

This day-flying moth was walking around on the wooden deck, managing to not get stepped on by the dozen people hanging around who did not notice the creature below them. I was amazed how lucky it was as hiking boots and sneakers landed all around it. I moved it to safety after this image was made. Species: False Crocus Geometer (Xanthotype urticaria)

"Elegant"

This is the first live Moon Snail I've encountered. That doesn't mean a whole lot, as they are not particularly rare or anything. It was caught on the beach too far above the receding tide line to be taken back out to sea. It found a small tide pool on the sand and began to undulate its fleshy "foot" in a circular manner, pulling itself under the sand to stay moist until the next high-tide. Just beautiful in its textures, colors, and exquisite movement.

Ladybug on a thistle head

So much life is going on all around us in every nook and cranny. No inch of this planet is unoccupied or unimportant. I was returning from a hike and on the way to my car I happened to catch this moment. Actually, it took a few minutes to get this photo because the ladybug kept moving around the flower head and I had to wait for it to come back around again to get the lighting right.

"Moss Islands in Winter"

Shipwrecked acorn-top boats rest along the shoreline of these moss islands caught in a frozen sea. What was the fate of their passengers?

"Forest within a Tree"

This is the spring growth activity among the evergreen boughs of the Red Spruce tree. The dense growth and prickly texture of these branches reminded me of the thick growth of the spruce forests of the Adirondack Mountains.

"Persistence"

An ancient rock island rises just above the surface of a salt water lake. Cracked by blistering sun, wind, waves, brine, and time, this rock – and the sun-bleached silver grey tree root gripping tightly to it – seemed to define the essence of what it means to endure.

"Blue Eyes in the Grass"

Blue-eyed Grasses are among my favorite spring flowers. When I first happen upon them bathed in the warm sunlight of May, I instantly feel my spirit refreshed. These small flowers are simply the embodiment of joy, winking up at me from amidst the Sweet Vernal grasses swaying in gentle breezes of fields and meadows. Blue-eyed Grasses actually belong to the Lily family, and are not grasses. I placed this particular photo here (instead of in the "Celebration of Color" collection) because of the sensual texture and bright mood of the flower.

"Van Gogh Spirit"

Beneath the skin of a beloved 500-year old White Oak that fell to earth one fateful day in 2007, this exquisite pattern reminded me of Van Gogh's "Starry Night", his post-Impressionist masterpiece. It is intriguing to contemplate that this tree stood tall, working on its own masterwork while Vincent simultaneously painted his.

"Enteromorpha with Tellin Shell"

Enteromorpha is a type of green algae commonly found on beaches, in tide pools, and clinging to piers, and boat bottoms. It is often referred to as "sea grass". The teeny tiny shell nestled within the ribbons of algae is in the family of bivalves (clams, mussels, oysters, etc.) know as "Tellins". This photo was taken along the sandy beaches of New Jersey.

"Mussel Beach"

This is the smallest Blue Mussel I think I have ever seen. It rests on the sand amidst a constellation of holes created by escaping air from passageways made by animals living beneath the sand. As ocean waves wash the shoreline, the familiar bubbling seen in the retreating water is eventually exposed during lowering tide lines, resulting in fixed "bubble holes".

Golden Spires of Spores

Moss spore cases stand at attention in the golden sunlight. Soon these cases will pop open, casting fate to the wind in a puff of magic!

Nature, Math, and Art

A variety of "Hens and Chickens", a succulent plant. I love the mezmerizing effect of the rings and spirals created here. I'm sure there's a mathematical equation that underlies such artistry, but don't ask me what it is. Math is not my strong suit, but two out of three isn't bad.

"Creepy Hands Rising"

Like cold, dead hands rising from the grave to ensnare the foot of a luckless traveller. This ghostly green British Soldier Moss always catches my attention when I walk amongst woodland spirits both seen and unseen.

"Out on a Limb"

Conehead Katydid on a blade of grass. I love the gentle lines created here in this composition against the blue sky.

"Spiraling Onward"

Who among us is not captivated by the designs found in nature? The battle scars on this fantastic spiral shell of a woodland snail tell the tale of life on the forest floor. Moving at the speed of. . . well, at a snail's pace, the only protection this gastropod has from predators and physical insults is the hard shell with it's aged patina.

"Future Butterflies"

Don't know what species laid these eggs on the underside of this leaf, but they sure are pretty little things. Life always starts off with such fragility. Despite the enormous losses in life, overwhelmingly, life succeeds brilliantly and we are blessed by tremendous diversity and beauty. 

"In an Ancient Tongue"

Beetle larva living underneath tree bark chew various chambers and pathways. There are Engraver Beetles who make such intricate patterns as these, but I am not sure if thes heiroglyphics were made by that species or another. To me they look like writings of an ancient civilization, and we are in need of a Rosetta Stone to decode what wisdom or warnings they contain.

"Webs at Dawn"

Liverwort on Tree Bark

Many peple never notice the abundance of these liverworts on the trees they walk past. Understandable, because they're so very small and don't look like much unless you get close. Liverworts are an ancient species of bryophytes dating back to about 472 million years ago in the fossil record. You'll need a magnifying glass to see them properly – my camera could not focus any closer than this.

Massed Lesser Inky Cap

Precious and unassuming little mushrooms I encountered one morning in the woods.

"Exquisite"

Autumn light on oak leaves. I liked the textural quality of the leaves where you can see the veins and leaf structure. Capturing photons of light and carbon dioxide and making food from it. I'd say that plants seem more advanced and civilized than they get credit for.

"Presence"

I chose to meditated in this place one morning, surrendering deeply to the silence within. In that silence, that stillness, I became aware of a presence. I felt the wholeness or perhaps the completeness of this sacred place, the consciousness of it whispering in my heart. I felt the presence, a unique collective consciousness of the incalculable number of individual organisms all interrelated and working together, though perhaps unaware of most of what was occurring outside their species-centric worlds. After all, what do moths know about the existence and ecology of mice? How much of our own existence is like this? What realms and possibilities exist right next to us and within us that we don't even have concepts for yet? Let us be explorers of the unseen and eternal realms.

"Green Water"

The colors and reflections of light that water transmits under different conditions always interests me. Here, the water is actually quite clean and clear, yet appears bright green as it flows through the forest, reflecting the green leafy canopy overhead.

"Ice trapped in Ice"

I don't kow exactly how this small ice feature was formed, but it looked to me that a small bit of ice floated gently down stream until it became trapped by the new, overnight layer of thin ice on the surface. Another beautiful mystery.

"Lost World"