Photo Submissions: The Sky & the Moon

March 31, 2023April 2, 2023 ~ melaniereynolds ~ 21 Comments

^{A modern dinosaur flies above the Salish Sea between Vancouver Island and Vancouver By Dinah https://moreidlethoughts.wordpress.com/}

When I look at the sky or moon, the word transition comes to mind. I think about the many transitions that take place within our world and our individual lives. Death is a shadow to our light. We are of both matter (body) and anti-matter (spirit.)

The sky changes throughout our planetary cycles in a unit of measurement we call days. Yet measures of time, gravity and composition can change vastly on planets different from our own. The movie Interstellar is one of my favorites and a great example of what other worlds could look like. The movie was based on our current understanding of black holes, worm holes and relativity. Dr Kip Thorne Nobel Laurate of Physics in 2017 provided equations and insight as a subject matter expert to bring authenticity to such a brilliant movie.

Real science is not boring. It expands the universes within our minds. In my heart, Pluto will always be a (dwarf) planet and the Apatosaurus will always be a Brontosaurus. The scientific community might change the name of things, but I still know what my favorite dinosaur is.

^{The night before a super moon in New York, USA By Dinah https://moreidlethoughts.wordpress.com/}

As the moon dances with the earth, I feel a kinship to all living things. It reminds me that we are not alone and its phases, while often predictable, remind us that change is constant. The presence of the moon can be felt throughout the world in king tides, migrations and the hours of sun in a day. Without it the earth would spin faster, and the days would be shorter. I fear I really wouldn’t get anything done if the days became any shorter!

^{One hour later – The night before a super moon in New York, USA By Dinah https://moreidlethoughts.wordpress.com/}

The Moon –

^{Moon at Summer Solstice, Overstrand, North Norfolk, England – 21 June 2022. IDV, Inexplicable Device: I get up at four in the morning so you don’t have to!}

^{Moon peering through the trees. Routt National Forest, Colorado, U.S. By Tracy Abell Another Day on the Planet}

^{Moon through the branches Manhattan NY USA By Kerfe https://methodtwomadness.wordpress.com/ & https://kblog.blog/}

^{Moon above a building Manhattan NY USA By Kerfe https://methodtwomadness.wordpress.com/ & https://kblog.blog/}

^{Moon and clouds Manhattan NY USA By Kerfe https://methodtwomadness.wordpress.com/ & https://kblog.blog/}

Sunrise –

^{Obscured sunrise over the North Sea, North Norfolk, England – 28 Oct 2020. IDV, Inexplicable Device: Crack of Dawn.}

^{Sunrise over Brooklyn NY USA By Dinah https://moreidlethoughts.wordpress.com/}

The Day –

^{Mist over the fields} ^{Devon England By Ms Scarlet https://wonky-words.com/blog/}

^{Clouds over a field} ^{Devon England By Ms Scarlet https://wonky-words.com/blog/}

^{Clouds that resemble a snowy avalanche rumbling ever closer Routt National Forest, Colorado, U.S. By Tracy Abell Another Day on the Planet}

^{A ship sails the Salish Sea between Vancouver Island and Vancouver By Dinah https://moreidlethoughts.wordpress.com/}

Sunset –

Special Capture –

^{An early morning rocket launch from Cape Canaveral FL USA captured by Lisa Troute in her driveway several miles away.}

Thank you!

My many thanks to everyone who submitted photos and those who strongly thought about submitting photos but weren’t able to for one reason or another.

You expand my horizons!

May Submissions – Rocks and Fossils

This nature site is severely lacking in sediment appreciation. Let’s remedy that! Show me your pictures of cool rocks and/or fossils.

Due: April 30th

To be posted on May 1st.

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.

Additional Links:

How does the Moon affect life on Earth – Natural History Museum of London

Types of Clouds – Sciencefacts.net

What is a Moorland? – World Atlas

NASA has a launch for a new instrument to detect air pollution this month, April 2023. For more information: https://www.nasa.gov/feature/langley/new-instrument-to-track-air-pollution-hourly-shed-light-on-disparities

January Submissions: Moss & Lichen

February 1, 2023 ~ melaniereynolds ~ 20 Comments

How did we get to the January already?!?! I feel as though the days evaporated into the time-space continuum and here we are now on February 1st. Thank you to everyone who was able to make the time to offer us their pictures of moss and/or lichen!

Lichen Village on a Fence By Mary King Woodinville WA USA Jan 2023

I love Mary’s creativity in referring to this as a “Lichen Village”, it really inspires the imagination and remind us that all things are part of a community.

Lichen on a moss-covered rock By Lisa Troute South Florida USA Jan2023

Yellow and White Lichen By Dinah Vancouver BC Canada https://moreidlethoughts.wordpress.com/

Shrieking Pit Lichen By IDV Norfolk England UK Jan 2023 https://inexplicabledevice.blogspot.com/

More from the Shrieking Lichen Pit By IDV Norfolk England UK Jan 2023 https://inexplicabledevice.blogspot.com/

lichen, any of about 15,000 species of plantlike organisms that consist of a symbiotic association of algae (usually green) or cyanobacteria and fungi (mostly ascomycetes and basidiomycetes). Lichens are found worldwide and occur in a variety of environmental conditions.

_{Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. “lichen”. Encyclopedia Britannica, 21 Dec. 2022, https://www.britannica.com/science/lichen. Accessed 1 February 2023.}

Lichen Rock By Kerfe Asheville NC US Jan 2023 https://methodtwomadness.wordpress.com/ & https://kblog.blog/

Mostly Moss…

Moss and Butterflies By Kerfe Asheville NC US Jan 2023 (Flipped) https://methodtwomadness.wordpress.com/ & https://kblog.blog/

Ball of Moss By Lisa Troute South Florida USA Jan 20223 (Maybe Spanish Moss baby?)

Moss on Pine By Cathy Litchfield North Carolina USA Jan 2023 grounded-wisdom.com

Mossy Hedgebank By Ms Scarlet Devon England UK https://wonky-words.com/blog/

A Glimpse of the Shrieking Pit By IDV Norfolk England UK Jan 2023 https://inexplicabledevice.blogspot.com/

I’m ready for my closeup By IDV Norfolk England UK Jan 2023 https://inexplicabledevice.blogspot.com/

I’ve been to Japan many times but one of my favorite memories is when I was honored to stay at my friend Keiko’s house and her dad showed me his lovely tsubo-niwa (a small courtyard garden). When he showed me the tweezers he uses to pluck out rogue grass I had a funny thought; in Japan they favor the moss and not the grass and in the United States they favor the grass and not the moss. Personally, I’m with the Japanese on this. I prefer moss and clover over to big plots of lawn grass.

Here’s one of my favorite videos about the art of tsubo-niwa by NHK World Video:

Tsubo-niwa: Life Enhanced by Quintessential Spaces Language: English, Japanese, Chinese, Espanol Runtime: 28mins

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/ondemand/video/2029065/?

In closing, I’d like to thank Lisa Troute for providing us with this interesting article about moss itself.

The Many Meanings of Moss: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/nov/03/the-many-meanings-of-moss?cmpid=email-hist-inside-history-2022-0102-01022023&om_rid=58020d8ae1f1e8bc8e1d99bbd88cbfce9d1d1a142b3954bba64b94e6bf720408&~campaign=hist-inside-history-2022-0102

Thank you to everyone that participated in this month’s photo submission request! It’s not a competition, you all have my love and gratitude!

Next up:

Ferns and/or Unexpected Blooms

Due: February 28th

To be posted on: March 1st

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.)

Last Call for January: Moss & Lichen Pictures

January 30, 2023 ~ melaniereynolds ~ 7 Comments

^{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

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.