vanda orchids growing in Hawaii rain-forest

a picture-perfect passage between cliffs in southern Illinois

early morning at the top of Bryce Canyon

extremely well manicured shrubbery in Japanese garden

looking straight down toward the tops of foliage and a simple dirt (mud) road.

well, not actually a mountain, nor made of anything hard like crystal – this is actually a very closeup shot at the edge from where a flower petal was torn. the tear left little shards of protruding flesh that when brightly lit, the whole thing glowed like an ice sculpture. this particular shard measures 0.046 inches tall (less than the thickness of a DVD) and you can see the elongated cells of white and purple that made up the flower petal.

tall Saguaro cactus towering over others in southern Arizona

There is a large park and garden area that I enjoy spending time at and often browse the area with camera gear hanging at my sides. I'm there often and known by all the groundskeepers and gardeners. On my way out one day, a gardener friend was excitedly waving me over to come see something. I run to where she was working and am shown the tiniest of frogs that nestled itself between the petals of a rose. The little guy seemed rather comfortable and ready for an evenings rest in his new secure home. It was early evening and less than ideal light but moments like this don't occur everyday. I bracketed several exposures, got a successful print, and donated it to my gardener friend. If it wasn't for her, the unique moment would have only been preserved in her memory and not seen by others.