Don’t forget your rocks…and fossils!

Greetings Nature-led friends!

I’m constantly writing posts for you in my head, but when its time to sit down and write them something more pressing always needs to be done. I could really use a WordPress mind reader app. You wouldn’t want people reading your mind all the time, but imagine if you could think the words, *Begin post* and then write with your mind and add images. Think of all the millions of images we see in our lifetime, being able to recall and image and plug it into a post or book manuscript would be amazing! It would save so much time too!

I’m a visual thinker and experiential learner. I can do something once and then teach it to others. I see words in complete sentences and paragraphs with appropriate white space and font size. I visualize music and numbers in colors. Zero is white with a halo back shadow, one is white outlined in black, two is blue, three is red,…12 is purple.

In one of my early jobs, I worked as a long-distance telephone operator. At the end of the night my mind would purge all the credit card numbers as they scrolled before my closed eyelids like movie credits. I accidentally spooked a regular caller once when he dropped his card while reading off the numbers and I cheerfully said, “It’s okay. I know them.” Oops. I’m well aware that complete strangers don’t want to know I have their credit card number accidentally memorized. A missed opportunity for a life of crime I know.

Wait! That’s not what this post is about. I got distracted. Thoughts like butterflies and all that…

Send me your rock and fossil pictures!

The deadline is this Sunday, April 30th.

I’ve only received pictures from two people, Kerfe and Mary Reynolds. Thank you both!

Here’s some inspiration. A couple of pictures of the petrified wood that I inherited from one of my grandfathers back in the 1980s.

Assorted Petrified Wood Samples By Melanie Reynolds

and this one that usually ends up as a door stop in the summers:

Large Petrified Wood

It’s as big as my hands and I have big hands for a woman! It’s also appropriately heavy for something that’s been turned to stone.

About Petrified wood: https://geology.com/stories/13/petrified-wood/

If you want more pictures of rocks and fossils, including a cool Cave Bear Skeleton visit/revisit my road trip to Montana last summer.

Have a lovely week! Don’t forget to play outside.


Updated 4/25/2023 @ 7:58pm (PST) to include the Photo submission Guidelines

The Fine Print:  Photo Submissions Guidelines

Email to: natureledlife@gmail.com, Subject line: Photo Submission for [month] (Multiple months of photos in one email is fine.) Image: Attached as a .JPEG or .PNG file preferred. Captions each picture: Subject in the photo (if known), State/Providence & Country, Date (optional). Your name as you want it to appear, Your blog link (if you have one.) 

Feel free to add any interesting notes about a picture. I love interesting stories behind things! Let me know if it’s just for ‘my eyes only’ or if I can share any part of it with your photo. Pictures must be your own or you have permission from the Photographer to share it. All copyrights belong to their respective owners. This is a free, fun, community site about nature. Non-commercial and ad free.

Last Call for January: Moss & Lichen Pictures

Raindrops on Moss By Melanie Reynolds Washington State, USA.

Do I need more pictures of moss and lichen? Well, maybe not, but then again does a book lover ever really have enough books? I can’t imagine having too many books or pictures of nature! So, if you were planning on submitting moss and/or lichen pictures for this January’s photo submission request here is your last chance!

January: Moss and Lichen

Due: Tomorrow, January 31st

Photos will be posted sometime during the day of Feb 1st Pacific Standard Time (PST)

I’m in the last time zone on the planet so this works to your advantage. For Example: The Eastern side of North America is 3 hours ahead of me, most of Europe is 8 hours ahead of me and Asia is 16-17 hours ahead of me. You could in theory send me a picture on the morning of Feb 1st your time and I would still receive it early enough on Jan 31st my time to include it, because time is relative.

Next Photo Submission:

February: Unexpected Blooms and/or Ferns

Due: February 28

Photos will be posted sometime during the day of March 1st PST

The Fine Print:  Photo Submissions Guidelines

Email to: natureledlife@gmail.com Subject line: Photo Submission for [month] (Multiple months of photos in one email is fine.) Image: Attached as a .JPEG or .PNG file preferred. Captions each picture: Subject in the photo (if known), State/Providence & Country, Date (optional). Your name as you want it to appear, Your blog link (if you have one.) 

Feel free to add any interesting notes about a picture. I love interesting stories behind things! Let me know if it’s just for ‘my eyes only’ or if I can share any part of it with your photo. Pictures must be your own or you have permission from the Photographer to share it. All copyrights belong to their respective owners. This is a free, fun, community site about nature. Non-commercial and ad free.


Thank you!

Thank you very much to our Nature-Led friends Lisa Troute, IDV, Dinah, and Cathy Litchfield who have already submitted their Moss and Lichen for the month! If you sent in multiple photos rest assured that at least one or two of your photos will be shared! I may not share them all though.

Fungi/Mushroom Photo Submissions – Extended

Hello Nature-led friends!

Let’s see if I can get this posted before I lose power! We are currently under a winter storm advisory with wind and snow.

My family (including myself) currently have the flu but are slowly recovering. Therefore, I’m extending the deadline for the Fungi/Mushroom Photo submissions.

New due date: Sunday December 4th!

Pictures to be posted the following day on Monday December 5th.

Thank you!

Photo Submissions

Email to: natureledlife@gmail.com

Subject line: Photo Submission for [month] (Multiple months of photos in one email is fine.)

Image: Attached as a .JPEG or .PNG file

Captions each picture: Subject in the photo (if known), State/Providence & Country, Date (optional). Your name as you want it to appear, Your blog link (if you have one)

Feel free to add any interesting notes about a picture. I love interesting stories behind things! Let me know if it’s just for ‘my eyes only’ or if I can share any part of it with the photo.