Hello Nature-Led friends, I hope you are ready for May because May is ready for you!
I politely stole the above image from Mary’s Facebook page. I say polite because I said, “Hey, can I steal this?” And she said, “Yes, but does it follow the rules?” And I said, “Yes, because I make the rules!” Hahaha. What I see is an adorable angelic kola bear. According to Mary it’s actually an adorable angelic rabbit. Well, I hope you’ll agree it’s an adorable chunk of concrete at any rate. Concrete is technically made up of two types of aggregate: fine (typically sand) and coarse (usually gravel, crushed stone, or recycled concrete. There is currently a race going to reinvent concrete as we know it to make it more sustainable either by making it porous enough to anchor plant life or by sequestering carbon. (See links below)
Our rockstar for sending pictures so quickly and nicely labeled is Kerfe of New York City, USA. Please enjoy the rocks of New York’s famous Central Park:
Rocks of Central Park New York NY USA By Kerfe April 2023. https://methodtwomadness.wordpress.com/ & https://kblog.blog/
Thanks to Kerfe!, These rocks look like a nice spot to sit and read a book. I heartily approve!
Dinah shares with us some rocks from here and over there.
Near her home in Australia:
A prehistoric pet rock.
Then there was that time Dinah went to Spain…
What a nice little beach protected by rocks.
I love rock walls and this one is particularly interesting with the variety of shapes and sizes of rocks. They must have used mortar to keep it all together. The purple flowers are nice too.
If you’re going to travel, one must do so fashionably. I’ve never been accused of being fashionable, so fortunately we have Marika Stone to show us what a rocktastic accessory looks like.
She may or may not have been wearing this fabulous accessory when she spied a rock owl talisman…
As many of you are likely aware, the owl represents wisdom in many cultures, but additional attributes vary beyond that. Some cultures view the owl with positive attributes such as protection, while other consider the sight of an owl an omen of death.
What about finding this on the beach?
I’m a big fan of circles, I think it’s quite possibly my favorite shape. I love the beautiful transitions of size and shapes of these rocks. IDV has a good eye for design. The links in both captions will take you to additional photos from his posts.
Chalk fossil Overstrand, North Norfolk, England Feb 2021 By Inexplicable Device: Misty Mysteries
These nice protective rocks below help keep the jetty in place. The Reynolds family is very fond of this jetty and adjacent inlet.
Today Ms Scarlet closes our rocks and fossil photo submissions with a stacked duck and rock fudge. It seems only fitting that we should start with whimsy and finish with whimsy.
A rock duck at Duckpool in Cornwall, England along with some other balance rocks By Ms Scarlet https://wonky-words.com/blog/
I think the duck is riding a unicycle. I love the color and composition of the other picture.
May the blessings of the Angelic Kola Bunny and Unicycle Rock Duck hail the start of a wonderful week and month! May you also have the wisdom and protection of the Owl.
Photo Submissions for May?
We’re about to round out our first full year of photo submissions! Yippee! We’ve got three blank months that still need a subject matter: May, June and July. Lets hear more of your great ideas!
Maybe grasses? Bamboo is a grass and there’s lots of ornamental grasses and grass-like perennials to choose from. Pictures taken for the month of the subject are great, but it’s okay if you want to use a picture you already have. We do this for fun and the enjoyment of nature.
How about water? Lakes, rivers, ponds and oceans. This should be a fairly common subject to photograph, yes?
Let me know in the comments.
Photos Submissions Monthly List:
January: Moss & Lichen
February: Ferns & Unexpected Blooms
March: Skies & Moon
April: Rocks & Fossils
May:
June:
July:
August: Unknown Paths
September: A Tree
October: Leaves
November: Mushrooms & Fungi
December: Nature At Rest
Links:
Bioreceptive concrete – Respyre – https://www.living-lab.nl/experiments/respyre
Carbon Sequestering Concrete – Greenbiz – https://www.greenbiz.com/article/carbon-sucking-concrete-capturing-attention-and-funding
The Nature-led Life 
Pretty “weeds” might turn up some goodies. Take wild poppies, dandelions, pimpernel just for starters. And yes, water is always a winner.
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Thanks Dinah! I’ve got a field full of dandelions that currently looks pretty, until they all turn into puff heads that is.
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Those were some very nice submissions. I figured you suspected I had no pictures with a fossil or rocks. I think I may have some actual photos, but heavens knows where they are. I will await the next topic for now….
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Of course, dear! Participation is always voluntary and some subjects are more interesting or easier to share than others.
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Fabulous post, Melanie!
I like the idea of grasses/weeds for a post as I have those in abundance. I would have to travel to get some water shots, but maybe that would be a good thing too! Unless rain is acceptable?!
Sx
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Thanks Ms Scarlet, Even a puddle can be cool sometimes, like when it reflects the sky or if you take a picture of it from an interesting angel (without hurting yourself, of course!). I don’t know about the “pretty weeds” idea. I’m holding grudges against some people who let pretty weeds get out of control that I now have to deal with endlessly.
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I love all of these! I can’t pick a favorite.
The grass pickings are slim around here, but the parks always have some. I have lots of water photos in the archive from trips to the beach. So either is good with me. (K)
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Great! Thanks, Kerfe. We’ll see how it goes. I won’t wait too long to designate one for May.
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