April 2021 Favourite Uploads

[Michael Ventura]

My daughter did a science report on cicadas while in the 4th grade and I learned a lot.  One of the things I learned is that the vast amount of the cicadas do not make it reproduction.  But the ones that do, lay dozens of eggs in the tree branches and they will soon drop and burrow into the ground and start the cycle over again.  So many get squished by humans and eaten by birds and a assortment of mammals and some just die in the process of molting.  But enough survive to ensure another swarm in 17th years.

[Alan Beastall]

 

Up close this Spring with the Q.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[gvallee]

3 hours ago, Betty LaRue said:

That one is only molting his old shell.

 

It appears to be moulting but this one just couldn't free itself from the exoskeleton and died.

Edited April 6, 2021 by gvallee

[Betty LaRue]

3 hours ago, gvallee said:

 

It appears to be moulting but this one just couldn't free itself from the exoskeleton and died.

I thought, “poor thing”, then thought, oh, yeah, it’s a pest!

[gvallee]

8 minutes ago, Betty LaRue said:

I thought, “poor thing”, then thought, oh, yeah, it’s a pest!

 

They also end up like this. I think it's a cicada.

[Michael Ventura]

15 minutes ago, Betty LaRue said:

I thought, “poor thing”, then thought, oh, yeah, it’s a pest!

They are a nuisance for sure but fortunately they don’t bite, sting or are toxic to other living things.  They do very minor damage to trees but nothing that will kill a tree.  I’ve heard that many dogs love cicadas to eat but can give them an upset stomach if they eat too many.  I’ve heard people have published recipes for meals made with cicadas.....no thank you!

[Michael Ventura]

14 minutes ago, gvallee said:

 

They also end up like this. I think it's a cicada.

Looks like one.

[Cecile Marion]

I stayed in Houston a good bit back in the 1980s and it was the first time I’d ever noticed cicadas. I still remember how surprised I was over the loud noise they made. 

[Matt Ashmore]

A walk a couple of days ago took me past WIlder's Folly in Reading, UK.

 

 

 

 

[Betty LaRue]

12 hours ago, Michael Ventura said:

They are a nuisance for sure but fortunately they don’t bite, sting or are toxic to other living things.  They do very minor damage to trees but nothing that will kill a tree.  I’ve heard that many dogs love cicadas to eat but can give them an upset stomach if they eat too many.  I’ve heard people have published recipes for meals made with cicadas.....no thank you!

Chocolate covered insects, or fried...me either. If I were starving, who knows. I think whatever you are fed as a child is just normal food and you don’t think it’s repugnant. You could never get me to eat brains or mountain oysters, but others do. I grew up eating fried chicken livers and gizzards. Some would never let a gizzard cross their lips, including my kids!  I used to see them offered at the store delis, but no longer.

I nearly burned down my kitchen once because I was out of oil. I put shortening in the pan to heat up and melt to fry chicken livers, then went to get the mail. I got caught up in a sales catalog and forgot the pan. I heard a small explosion which was the shortening igniting. When I rushed in, the flames were licking the cabinets like a blowtorch.

I tried to use the fire extinguisher, but couldn’t break the strap.   I carried two parrots out to their patio cages while calling 911. Then I backed my new car out of the garage.

My husband arrived home about then and broke the strap, and after 3 tries (it kept reigniting), the fire was out by the time the fire truck arrived.

I got new kitchen cabinets out of that, and absolutely shot nerves.

[Michael Ventura]

2 minutes ago, Betty LaRue said:

Chocolate covered insects, or fried...me either. If I were starving, who knows. I think whatever you are fed as a child is just normal food and you don’t think it’s repugnant. You could never get me to eat brains or mountain oysters, but others do. I grew up eating fried chicken livers and gizzards. Some would never let a gizzard cross their lips, including my kids!  I used to see them offered at the store delis, but no longer.

I nearly burned down my kitchen once because I was out of oil. I put shortening in the pan to heat up and melt to fry chicken livers, then went to get the mail. I got caught up in a sales catalog and forgot the pan. I heard a small explosion which was the shortening igniting. When I rushed in, the flames were licking the cabinets like a blowtorch.

I tried to use the fire extinguisher, but couldn’t break the strap.   I carried two parrots out to their patio cages while calling 911. Then I backed my new car out of the garage.

My husband arrived home about then and broke the strap, and after 3 tries (it kept reigniting), the fire was out by the time the fire truck arrived.

I got new kitchen cabinets out of that, and absolutely shot nerves.

 

That is some story Betty.  Glad it was just the kitchen cabinets that had to be replaced.  I pretty sure the oddest thing I ever ate were whole fried scorpions while in China.  I was younger and more adventurous than I would be now.  I have to admit, they were not so bad, sort of like soft shell crabs, if you have had those.  

[Colblimp]

Taken this morning, used this morning here, albeit directly, not via Alamy. 2F7F6GT

[Betty LaRue]

6 hours ago, Michael Ventura said:

 

That is some story Betty.  Glad it was just the kitchen cabinets that had to be replaced.  I pretty sure the oddest thing I ever ate were whole fried scorpions while in China.  I was younger and more adventurous than I would be now.  I have to admit, they were not so bad, sort of like soft shell crabs, if you have had those.  

😁 no thanks on scorpions. The crabs. Never did, although I desired to when we were on the east coast. I couldn’t get my husband to stop at any of the crab shacks we saw. He wouldn’t eat shrimp cocktail until his 40s, or ever eat lobster tail unless it was in lobster bisque. You should have seen me in Bar Harbor with ever my first and only whole lobster. I had how-to instructions from the waiter, and of course, my bib. My mother couldn’t look at it without shuddering, and did her best not to look my way.
I have eaten oysters on the half shell, though. Just go to a very dim restaurant and don’t look at them longer than a lightning glance to find where to stab the little fork.

[Betty LaRue]

Still processing older images I passed over before. This was on Mt. Desert Island, Acadia National park in autumn. There really wasn’t much of an interesting thing to see, but it was an observation point of the coastline. I found the people more interesting. The two young guys had my number.
 

[Betty LaRue]

This is a horse farm in Maine, USA. 2009.

[Michael Ventura]

I re-worked this older shot I did in Portofino, Italy, during a trip with my kids to meet their Italian cousins.

 

[Colblimp]

Worked a night shift last night and got some rather dramtic pics.  It was well worth it as I got a hit.  Here's some of my faves.

2F7J86P

 

 

2F7J84P

 

 

2F7J86K

[Colblimp]

1 minute ago, Sally R said:

 

Wow, fantastic images Andy! With night shifts and early sunrise photography you must be running low on sleep!

Thanks, Sally.  I'm absolutely wasted.  I'm just doing office work today, will be back out taking pics tomorrow.

[Colblimp]

3 minutes ago, Sally R said:

Good on you Andy. So great to have that flexibility working for yourself to have a quieter day when you need it, recharge and then get back out there.

Absolutely!  I love working for myself, can come and go as I please.

[Betty LaRue]

46 minutes ago, Colblimp said:

Absolutely!  I love working for myself, can come and go as I please.

I once had a poodle grooming business in my home so I know what you mean. I just scheduled around when I wanted free days. Love that flexibility.

Those are cracking fire images.

[Colblimp]

3 minutes ago, Betty LaRue said:

I once had a poodle grooming business in my home so I know what you mean. I just scheduled around when I wanted free days. Love that flexibility.

Those are cracking fire images.

Self-employment is just the best!  Thanks for your kind words, Betty. 😇 

 

Got another hit - chuffed to bits.  The trip and lack of sleep was worthwhile!

Edited April 8, 2021 by Colblimp

[spacecadet]

4 minutes ago, Colblimp said:

Self-employment is just the best!  Thanks for your kind words, Betty. 😇 

 

Got another hit - chuffed to bits.  The trip and lack of sleep was worthwhile!

You mean photojournalism in Ireland isn't done by school leavers with mobile phones? That's all we get in the local paper here. Have you been scaring them off or something?

[Colblimp]

1 minute ago, spacecadet said:

You mean photojournalism in Ireland isn't done by school leavers with mobile phones? That's all we get in the local paper here. Have you been scaring them off or something?

I'm lucky in that some of my local papers pay for images, and pay well, but there's a ton more who expect to take one's images for 'exposure'.  There are certainly some mobile phone pics which are used in various rags, but the quality difference is massive.

[Bryan]

Not my favourite subject, but, sadly an increasing problem here. Litter dumped within a hollow, but living,  tree trunk,  and somebody had lit a fire at the base of the tree for good measure. Who are these people ?

 

Edited April 9, 2021 by Bryan

[Phil Crean]

22 minutes ago, Bryan said:

Not my favourite subject, but, sadly an increasing problem here. Litter dumped within a hollow, but living,  tree trunk,  and somebody had lit a fire at the base of the tree for good measure. Who are these people ?

 

They are gobsh!tes of the worst kind.

Phil