Welcome to the second offering of my new series, “What I Love About Nature.” If this is the first you have heard about this series, please see my introduction in the series debut. I hope you enjoy the pictures and thoughts.
I love that I can always find a mockingbird to soothe my soul. I love that mockingbirds can be full of attitude, quietly stoic, or busy-bodies. Reminds me of myself at times.

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I love that I see a stag with mighty antlers when I look at this tree. It reminds me that so much of life is all about perspective and imagination.

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I love that the fruit of the Sweetgum tree looks like a giant gumball. Or a dog toy designed to brush the dog’s teeth as they chew. Either way, aptly named.

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I love that fungus growing on a tree can look for all the world like a seashell. And that a seashell was once a vital part of a living mollusk…I can imagine that a mollusk who believes in reincarnation may want to “come back” as a tree fungus one day. Maybe they do.

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Though it pains me to see garbage incorporated into this bird’s nest (I’ve seen this quite often), I love that birds have shown an ability to adapt to the ways that the human species has degraded the purity of our shared planet.

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I love that this spider(?) egg sac(?) appears to have been successful in bringing forth life, so that the spiders can fill their dual roles in the forest, as both predator and prey.

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I love that a woodpecker can manage a straight line better than I can.

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I love the view from ground level – it makes the getting dirty well worth it.

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I love dusk in the woods, when the sights and sounds of day yield to the exhilarating sights and sounds of night.

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I love the bark of the sycamore tree, in its many colors and patch-like flakes. Only such a combination of textures and colors could equal the beauty that lies beneath, unveiled only after the tree has stood the test of time.

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I love that this bug (a True Bug, I believe) looked like a leaf on the ground, blending so perfectly with its environment. I feel lucky to have been looking at the right place at the right time to see the “leaf” moving very deliberately, if away from me.

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I love that Nature’s waste management system has such a vigilant overseer.

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I love this evidence that raccoons are living off the land as Nature intended. And their prints are so darn cute!

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I love the bounty of Coralberry, the vibrant color of their berries that persist through the winter, and the fact that it provides natural food for birds and squirrels – right in my own back yard.

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I love those happy accidents when I capture a picture of a bird, “coming in for a landing.”

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I love the unexpected find, as in this case when I bent to pick up one acorn cap amongst hundreds, and found this caterpillar. (larvae?) Very cool eyes, by the way.

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I love inquisitive looks from birds.

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I love wintry scenes from the warmth of my home. Or in this case, from my car in the far left lane, just past the traffic light, blinkers on…because I was so struck by the apparent wholesomeness of this nearby farm.

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I hope you’ve enjoyed this ramble through my photos and my thoughts. Look for another post in this series next month!

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