Darby at Full Speed, Ears Flailing at the Rails to Trails

Even when running at full speed, ears flapping furiously, the apparent smile on Darby's face gives evidence to the notion that this creature knows how to soak in life's simple pleasures. On this day that included swimming in Black Creek, hiking in the woods, hopping through piles of leaves, and running the Rails to Trails at Black Creek Park, all of which gave rise to the need for a bath (in which Darby found no pleasure).

The Carolina Wren, an Unsympathetic Victim

For a couple of days in early May, our yard was inundated with Carolina Wrens. The perched on the fence, the side of the house, the window screens, and with all this perching, they tortured Darby, our golden retriever.

She stared out the glass door, pointing with all earnestness, and with murder in her heart. In my naivete, I thought that when I opened the back door and let Darby out, the wrens, like all other birds that land in our yard, would scatter to the safety of the woods behind our house.

They did not. Rather they just fluttered further away...and not quickly enough. Twice Darby got one between her jaws, but between their fluttering and my scolding and rescue attempts, we were able to get it them to safety. And by this time, I had begun to lose patience and sympathy with these dimwits, who were not smart enough to take flight. "Survival of the fittest" was a phrase that began to rattle around my brain as Darby continued to see red. And finally she batted one down with her substantial paws, picked it up, and began to "play", but her playmate was not up to the task. Eventually, I got him away, but he had been mortally wounded...and I had no sympathy for it.

Encompassed by Fog in a Fultondale Wood

Encompassed by Fog in a Fultondale Wood, Fultondale, Alabama

Misty Morning in a Fultondale Wood

On a misty, rainy morning in June, a neighbor allowed me access to the woods behind his home for the purpose of photographing this scene. On most days, it's a nice enough scene, but on this day, the climactic conditions come together to make it particularly appreciable. My favorite part of this photograph is its low-key nature that perfectly reflects the mood of the morning.

When I walked out my front door to walk up the street to the neighbor's house, there was a light drizzle, but little more. But as soon as I set up my tripod and got everything ready, the bottom seemed to fall out of the clouds. I wasn't worried about the lens as much, because the EF 24-105mm f/4 L is largely weather-sealed, but the camera, a mere Rebel T2i, is not. Nor is most of the other equipment that was in the bag (also not weather-proof). But I kept shooting nonetheless, because the lighting was just right, and in the end, everything turned out alright - particularly the photograph.