A hungry spider, a WIP, and other things…

I don’t know about you, but I can’t seem to keep ahead of the spiders in my house.  I must admit that they don’t bother me all that much, but I do get tired of their webs and their messes.  However, I do love that they do their best to keep the population of flies and stinkbugs in check:

This one was doing his thing between the wall unit and the hearth when I noticed him.  I watched him for a few minutes then I ran for the camera and tripod.  I tried a bunch of shots from the fully extended tripod and then lowered it, tried some more, lowered it some more and finally realized that I would have to change to my smaller lens and get really close.  I was able to make the tripod really short and hang the camera upside down.  I can’t get on the floor to check focus and settings, so I put it on autofocus and hoped for the best.  Well!  I am happy with my shot.  I took dozens and got a few good ones.  The spider was very accommodating and held his pose for quite a while.

Below is my current work in progress photo.  This particular building is taking a while, because I am having to paint things over and over.  White is like that…  If I need to cover anything with white, it takes a few coats.  Plus, I keep straightening things.  I even did another layer on the sky.  LOL!  I think it is coming along, though.

I mentioned in another post about having set up a photo trap for birds on my back porch.  Well, they finally noticed.  I was feeling so unappreciated.  LOL!  However, my tripod was not set up.  I was holding the camera while looking out the back door and suddenly two cardinals, a bluejay, a junco, and some sparrows invaded.  I started shooting away!  So, I didn’t really get any sharp photos, but I think these few are kinda nice.

This last one is my favorite.  It looks like it needs to be made into a painting to me…

Toby and I took a several walks on the trails around here, lately.  The following were taken at the Kokosing Gap Trail in Howard.

I don’t know what tree or bush these seeds are from, but I loved them and they were everywhere!

I thought I would try to get some smooth water.  I love that look.  I also thought the above log looked like a pig eating.  LOL!  Am I the only one that sees that?  Or maybe some piggy-looking dragon with that long neck.

The river was flowing quite well and I used a very long shutter speed to get the water to smooth out.  That piece of wood, above, looks like a lion stretching and looking at the sky.

Well, I will be honest with you.  I am not looking forward to walking when it is snowy and icy, but I am prepared to give it a try.  There have been a few bald eagles around here, lately.  There is a dead deer across the road and I’m sure that is what attracted them.  I tried to catch them, but it seems that my tripod sends out signals to all the birds to steer clear.  Anyway, I thought they were all gone, but this morning, as Toby and I were walking in our neighborhood, one flew across the field, crossed the road in front of us, and continued on East.  I was wishing I had my camera, but then I remembered to just enjoy the moment and not constantly want to be productive.  It was beautiful…

Beauty! what can be said of it? what is it? I look around, to see some object specially beautiful, on which to expend my panegyrics. There is the deep fathomless azure above me; there is the sea, the wild, open, careering ocean; there is that bright clear eye which ever lights my solitude; there is a fair girl, a beautiful boy; there are the stars looking down from heaven; there is beauty in the human countenance, beauty in looks, beauty in thoughts, beauty in actions. What shall I say! I am bewildered; beauty overwhelms me. I am dumb, who would emulate the oratory of an archangel. I am lost in the magnitude of my theme…

–T.C. Henley, “Beauty,” 1851

One thing I have asked from the LORD, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD And to meditate in His temple.

— Psalm 27:4