Camouflage Grasshopper

I'm impressed by the coloration of this grasshopper which was sitting on a drive composed of crushed stone. Is the grasshopper attracted to the stone because of its coloration? Perhaps its coloration is because of the local stone? It seems too good of a camouflage fit to be coincidental.

Poppy

Jumping Spider

These spiders (jumping spiders) are the only ones I know of that are acutely aware of your presence. They seem to want to interact and look you in the eye which makes them ideal models. This one is lifting his head to look right into the lens which is often the case.

Tulip

In the 17th century, "Tulip mania" struck the Netherlands driving the price of tulip bulbs to extraordinary levels. Some believe as much as 10 times the anual wage of a skilled craftsman. On one account, 12 acres of land was offered for a single bulb. Fortunes were made overnight until Febuary of 1637 when the bubble popped causing fortunes to be lost overnight. Tulip Mania is generally recognized as the first recorded speculative bubble and is still referenced at the onset of other speculative bubbles.

Boletus Among Moss

The boletus genus of fungi have pores rather than gills. There are many varieties of edible boletes with the most widely known likely to be the porcini. Most boletus are symbiotic with trees making them difficult to cultivate. This particular mushroom is believed to be boletus smithii and edibility is unknown.

Cross Spider

Araneus diadematus

Self Support

Be careful of the past you hold onto. Embrace the future.

Sweetgum Seed Pod

Liquidambar styraciflua

Western Columbine

Aquilegia formosa. Bud stage, Washington USA

Western Columbine

Aquilegia formosa. Lower view, Washington USA

Western Columbine

Aquilegia formosa. Side view, Washington USA

Crab Spider on Dahlia

This crab spider hasn't likely been on this flower for too long. The crab spider has the ability to change from white to yellow but it takes a few days. You can see a bit of yellow on the abdomen but the rest is still white.

Spotted Coralroot

This orchid makes up for its lack of chlorophyll by becoming a parasite of fungi. I find these parasitic plants both fascinating and beautiful. I consider myself lucky when I stumble upon them. This one was found on a trail leading to a waterfall and was in pristine enough condition to warrant a return hike to retrieve the camera.

Bald Faced Hornet with Paper Ball

Bald faced hornet balling wood fibers for use as nesting material.

A Fitting Flower

A bumblebee collecting nectar and pollen from a thimbleberry in the Pacific Northwest.

Indian Paintbrush

Macro of an indian Paintbrush (castilleja). These wildflowers stand out amongst the greenery along sunny roadsides in many places I've traveled in the west.

Cradle of Life

A western larch cradles a rain drop

Daddy Long Legs

I didn't notice this spider was missing a leg when I photographed it. Not to worry, the leg will grow back as the spider molts.

Surface Tension

The simple beauty of water's interaction with a blade of grass

All Grain

Some killer all grain bread.

The Eye of a Daisy

Closeup of the birth of a flower.

St. John's-wort

Hypericum perforatum

Northern Red-legged Frog Eye

Rana aurora, Washington USA