Ants Scavenge a Dandelion in Late Winter

Before Winter's heavy curtain falls revealing the promise of Spring, the storehouses deep within the labyrinth grow thin and the pangs of hunger set it. The laborers are sent out to scavenge for whatever can be found in this dreary hour. Dandelions and other winter flowers are combed for any treasure they might contain. Finding little, the ant invaders move on tirelessly attempting to meet the needs of the tribe.

Life Cycle of the Knockout Rose, a Composite

Knockout roses are pretty popular in this part of the country, and for any number of reasons. They require virtually no maintenance and are disease resistant. They grow well either potted or planted. Knockout roses resist drought well, particularly important in the dry Southern summer months. They produce many flowers and will continue to do so until the first hard frost. And besides, they're real pretty.

When I last posted a photograph of the knockout roses we have growing at our house, someone commented to me that he was surprised I hadn't put together a time lapse yet. I had already been thinking about it, and have even attempted it, but wasn't getting the results I wanted. So I carried it out a different way. So here's the knockout rose from bud to blossom to withering.

Flowers from the White Trail, Moss Rock Preserve

For my third visit to Moss Rock Preserve in Hoover, Alabama, I set out on an out-and-back along the White Trail from the trailhead across from The Preserve. With Darby along for the hike, we planned to get in a mild three-to-four mile hike. Our turnaround point was to be the Frog Pound, which as it turned out was little more than a muddy bog due to seasonably dry conditions. After passing Boulder Field, our next major landmark was Tunnel Falls, more aptly found to be Tunnel Trickle on this occasion. But despite, the arid conditions, there were a good number of flowers about.

These are a couple that I photographed using the "Macro" (1:2 Reproduction) functionality of the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L lens I have recently acquired. These were taken handheld, made possible only because of the Image Stabilization on the lens; even still I would have been better off with a tripod or monopod, because with macro it's easy to miss that critical focus point with the slightest movement of man or plant. And had I not missed focus on several other photos, I would be able to offer more photographs exhibiting the colorful, though not exotic, flowers hikers can look forward to.

Hiking at Ruffner Mountain Nature Center

Nicely tucked away over in Birmingham's East Lake is the Ruffner Mountain Nature Center. It had been about ten months since I last visited, when I went trail running last May. This trip was to be a little less intensive; I was going with two friends and Darby.

Matt attempting to scale part of Sandstone Ridge

While us human folk hiked a couple of miles, Darby easily doubled and maybe tripled our mileage with all of her advanced scouting of the trail.

Darby impatiently awaiting our catching up to her

It was a really nice outing, though we ended up on a different trail than we had intended. I had hoped to go down to one of the quarries but somehow ended up on the same trail as last time, and headed to the wetlands, then to Sandstone Ridge. 

Cattails of the Wetlands

The Wetlands

In addition to some incredible weather, we also had the please of the early blooms of the wildflowers. If you haven't yet been to Ruffner Mountain, you should certainly add it to your list; it's smaller than Oak Mountain but also less populous, meanwhile offering well manicured trails and quiet commune with nature.

Wildflowers near the Wetlands

One of many Trillium flowers along the Trails

Technorati Tags: alabama, birmingham, ruffner mountain nature center, trillium, sandstone ridge, panasonic lx3.

Valentine's Day Flowers...Doing My Part

I have no idea how much money is spent annually on flowers for Valentine's Day, but I don't think it's a stretch it say it's well north of a billion dollars. Here's how I figure that: There are 300 million-ish people in the US; maybe 100 million or so are adult males; at least 50% of those buy flowers, at an average price of $20/bundle; and that gets you to $1 billion. And I think I was being conservative on some of those numbers.

Regardless, I try to do my part to support the flower industry every year. Last year was Tulips, this year Chrysanthemums.

Canon Rebel T2i, Tokina AT-X 35mm f/2.8 Macro

Canon Rebel T2i, Tokina AT-X 35mm f/2.8 Macro