Nature's Metallica - Green Longhorn Beetle

One of the good things about having kids is that when your eyes start wearing out, 

your kids can spot things you never would have noticed. 

Like this Green Longhorn Beetle.

It was zipping all over a little tree near our front door on Father's Day weekend, 

but I never would have known it if it weren't for my kids.

Even after they pointed it out to me

...again and again and again...

it took a long time for my eyes to find it.

I was determined to take its picture, but... yeesh! 

It was twisting and scurrying so fast along the limbs that it's a wonder I captured any images that were remotely in focus.

And then, uh-oh...it spotted me.

Or maybe it had just had enough of me and my camera. 

I recognized that look.

 Very similar to the one my kids often give me when I point a camera at them.

Just one more, I promise! Hold still!

Great! Thanks! All done. 

(I haven't seen him since. But then, that doesn't mean he's not there!)

"Oh, no, Katy-Did-'nt!"

"Oh, yes, Katy-Did!"

I've been wanting to say that ever since the katydids descended upon Long Hollow a few weeks ago!

Their season seems to have passed... or at least they're not hanging out on our porch like they were when I snapped these photos last week. 

Most of them were leaf green, but this golden one liked me and followed me around, begging me to take his portrait. 

He was a great model, even for close-ups!

I love the design of his wings 

(despite being a little cockroach-ish) 

...and aren't his eyes amazing? 

They really are that neon green.

You wouldn't catch me holding one, but I didn't mind them chilling on my porch.

 I hope they come back next summer!

New Love

Would you believe

my friends and family pitched in and bought me

a big, beautiful Mac computer?

I'm still in shock.

You can read about it here.

Mac and I are still in the 'getting acquainted' phase of our relationship... the past week has been crazy busy... but it was love at first sight.  I can't wait to play with some photos I took of a friend and her family last week, and get back to work on my book.

I hope you forgive me for neglecting you.

In the meantime, here are a few shots from a recent afternoon walk...

I loved the contrast of this yellow flower against the dead wood.

Tiny flowers.

Tossed by the wind.

Sunlight's touch, instant art.

Sunlight illuminating the petals.

The bugs are back!

Framed by purple.

Finally staying still long enough to say hello.

Which way did it go?


I hunt flowers and dragonflies.

They hunt lizards.

To each our own.

In the Eye of the Beholder...

Insects, bugs, creepy crawlers... they live in a different world, annoyed by us as much as we're annoyed by them, but still, they belong, they benefit, they play a part in our world. Such fascinating creatures... from a safe distance, anyway. Several have posed for me here in Long Hollow...

A grasshopper...

...a spider Daniel and I spotted this past weekend... 

...a walking stick I caught peeking in our front door...

...Daddy-Long-Legs (so much personality!)

... I have no idea what this is!

...a horsefly (I'd rather not have seen this, either!)

... an orbweaver spinning her web...

...several of this one because it posed so sweetly for me...

...a delicate little moth on my favorite purple flowers (prairie verbena)

...another pretty winged creature...

...not from Long Hollow (I had to go to Kansas to get it!) but it was a trophy photo for me...

But my photos can't compare to those of Dr. John Abbott, Curator of Entomology at the Texas Natural Science Center at the University of Texas and nature photographer. Using high-speed photography, he reveals surprising beauty-in-motion that we can't see with our naked eye.
John sells his images, so I can't post any here, but check out this short slideshow by Lee Clippard (click here) or go to John's website here: Abbott Nature Photography to see them. Truly art in nature.