Early Spring Virginia Bluebells /  by Todd Henson

A small cluster of Virginia bluebells

Near the end of March my father and I visited Seven Bends State Park on what turned out to be a very windy day. But thankfully with a little help from ridge lines that lead down to the river and block some of the wind and the periodic lulls I was able to find and photograph some of the early blooming Virginia bluebells. At that time it was still early in the season and many of the flowers had yet to bloom, showing beautiful pinks that will eventually change to the characteristic blues.

Before Virginia bluebells fully open they are pink in color

For me, flower photography can be a challenge, trying to find an interesting view or angle, something just a little different from the norm. I can’t say I achieved that here, but I did seek out views I may not have photographed before. I hope you enjoy them.

High key closeup of Virginia bluebells

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Quarterly Look Back - 1st Quarter 2024 /  by Todd Henson

Looking back at the first quarter of 2024

And so began 2024. And having begun it’s already well underway, so much so it’s already time for a look back at the 1st quarter. In some ways it’s been a slow quarter, but I’m hopeful there’s still a little something below you might find interesting. But please read on and let me know whether or not that’s true.

Photography

We didn’t make it out for quite as many photographic walks this quarter as we have for some so most of the photos I posted were either from the very beginning of the year or new creations using photos captured in previous years (mostly last year, I believe). I had a short bout of inspiration which led to a small series of posts about a fictional trip to Fairyland and all the wonders I discovered in the land of the Fae. I really enjoyed that brief departure from my usual fare, though whether or not I continue it will depend on whether I can find similar inspiration. Time will tell. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this look back at the posts from this quarter.

Best of the Year

Best Photos of 2023: My Favorites of the Year

Field Notes Update

Mining Bee in its Nest

Inverted Worlds

A Bend in the Road

The Gateway to Fairyland

Playground of the Fae

The Well of Segais

Mostly Photos

Overcast Blues on Aquia Creek

Hunting Blind Sunrise on the Potomac River

Nature’s Ornaments

Trip Report

Opening Neabsco Creek Boardwalk New Year’s Day 2024

Mason Neck Great Marsh in Snow

A Return to Great Marsh Looking for Tundra Swans

Martinsburg Roundhouse and Bunker Hill Train Shows in West Virginia - 2023

Reading

This felt like a very good quarter for reading. I read what may be the best book I’ve ever read (To Kill a Mockingbird) and didn’t read anything that came anywhere close to being the worst. I sampled works originally written in five different languages (English, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Polish). I included a range of genres including photography, philosophy, classics, science fiction, fantasy, historical fiction, mystery, and an interesting graphic novel. About 60% of what I read I actually listened to as audiobooks, with 20% being ebooks and the remaining 20% old-school paper (still my favorite). It feels like a nice balance and I’m happy with it.

The books I consumed this quarter (paper, ebook, and audio).

Here’s the full list of books: Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree, Abandoned Virginia: The Forgotten Commonwealth by Joel Handwerk, The Glass Box by J. Michael Straczynski, The Art of Living: The Classical Manual on Virtue, Happiness, and Effectiveness by Epictetus & Sharon Lebell, Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa, The Tea Master and the Detective (Universe of Xuya) by Aliette de Bodard, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Hokusai: A Graphic Biography by Guiseppe Latanza & Francesco Matteuzzi, The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell, The Other Valley by Scott Alexander Howard, Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt, Death in the Clouds by Agatha Christie, The Tower of Swallows (Witcher 4) by Andrzej Sapkowski, Island Witch by Amanda Jayatissa, and This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone.

And of those, my favorites were:

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

One of the best books I’ve ever read. A classic I wish I’d read much sooner, preferably while still in school. As well as a very compelling story, it is a lesson in history and of humanity, of where we’ve been, where we’ve come, where we still have to go. Full of so many important life lessons. A book well worth reading, and of reading again.

Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa

This is one of those little slice of life gems. About a girl who feels lost in life, who can’t see where it all should go, and ends up living with her uncle for a time at the Morisaki Bookshop. This stay will change both their lives. A touching and beautiful story and I very much look forward to reading the next book, appropriately titled More Days at the Morisaki Bookshop.

Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

A fantasy novel unlike most I’ve read. This one was intentionally much smaller in scale, more personal, less about world-changing events and more about those that affect the life of one person, or of a small group. A touching story for fans of Dungeons & Dragons who wonder how the story continues after the adventure has ended.

The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell

I’ve long seen Cornwell’s books in bookstores, online, and in various other forums and have wanted to try them. But he writes so many series I wasn’t sure where to start. Somehow I ended up choosing the series that begins with The Last Kingdom and is a bit of historical fiction from the period in England’s history when it was made up of multiple kingdoms and was invaded by the Danes / Vikings. I loved Cornwell’s style of writing, and I loved the narrator for the audiobook. I very much look forward to my next Cornwell book.

Movies & Anime

Films I watched this quarter.

I’ve been trying to scale back a bit on the number of movies I watch, opting to increase my reading or other activities, but I did still watch and enjoy a number of films.

I gave the movie Looper (2012) a try, starring Bruce Willis. It’s a futuristic film about time travel and its consequences. It was ok, though not great.

I also tried 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016), with John Goodman and Mary Elizabeth Winstead. I had low expectations going in but ended up really enjoying the film, in which a woman is in a car accident and when she wakes finds herself locked in a windowless room. Things are not what they seem.

Somehow I missed an Arnold Schwarzenegger film from 2000, so when I realized this I had to check out The 6th Day. It’s exactly what one would expect from a sci-fi thriller about cloning with Arnold in it, and I enjoyed it because of that.

Though I’d heard mixed reviews of it, I decided to pick up a copy of Prometheus (2012) from a store closing, and I’m glad I did. I ended up really enjoying it and want to go back and rewatch the Alien movies. It’s not a perfect movie by any stretch, but a solid and enjoyable sci-fi story in the Alien universe.

Finally, the highlight of the movies I watched this quarter was a rewatch of the entire extended edition of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Two Towers (2002), and The Return of the King (2003). These are absolute masterpieces in so many ways. They are probably my favorite book-to-movie translations/interpretations. They contain some great acting, fantastic set design and costuming with so much detail. The music and soundtrack is incredible, emotional, and impactful. And the sheer scope is stunning. These are some of my favorite movies and are based on my favorite books.

And I’ve continued watching the anime series, Planetes, about folks who clean up orbital debris.

Music

Below is a sampling of some of the music I’ve listened to this quarter. There is more, but I try very hard (sometimes unsuccessfully) to keep this to a small number of songs. Most of these are from artists I’ve mentioned here in previous quarters.

SawanoHiroyuki[nZk]:XAI - Dark Aria <LV2>

I love everything musical Sawano Hiroyuki is involved in, and he is not new to this blog. In fact, this is the 3rd time I’m sharing one of his songs. He’s a Japanese composer and pianist and works with many different artists, often creating music for anime, shows and movies. This one evokes a lot of emotion for me.

Joe Hisaishi - Summer

I first heard this song in the movie Kikujiro many years ago and it became a strong influence on my enjoyment of the film and always creates nostalgia and desire for a rewatch, though when I do rewatch I find my feelings are not as strong about the film, that is until time has passed and I once again listen to this song, and all the magic returns of a summer trip for a young boy and an old man, about bonding, and learning about oneself, and meeting and making many friends along the way. I absolutely love this song. And do parts of it remind anyone else of the theme song for the show Cheers?

Rodrigo y Gabriela - Finding Myself Leads Me to You

Another song that’s full of emotion for me. I was first introduced to this fantastic guitar duo and their instrumental music by Joseph Smith and I’ve been a fan ever since with this being the 3rd time I’ve shared one of their songs on this blog. I love the buildup of this one and the mix of electric and acoustic guitars. And what a great title for the song. Click here if you want to check out or purchase their music from bandcamp (I’m not affiliated with or sponsored by them, but it is where I purchase their music).

Feuerschwanz - Highlander

And finally for a bit of fun let’s check out a song inspired by a favorite movie of mine from 1986, Highlander, written and performed by the German medieval metal band, Feuerschwanz. As with two other groups above, this is the 3rd time I’ve shared a Feuerschwanz song on the blog. And for those who haven’t seen the film, check it out some time. In addition to being a great movie it also has a fantastic soundtrack written and performed by Queen. And you can check out and purchase music by Feuerschwanz at bandcamp.

 

Life

How should I sum up this quarter? I suppose one way is to say it’s felt like an average sort of quarter. I can’t think of anything major that stood out or happened, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. I have felt tired and less than inspired after getting home from work, but that’s nothing new and in the grand scheme of things isn’t such a big deal. I haven’t been out hiking quite as often as I’d like but that’s also not unusual during the colder months of winter. Now that spring is here I have confidence I’ll find more motivation to get out and hike and photograph and share some of those moments with you.

Thanks very much for reading this far. I appreciate the time you share with me throughout each quarter. I hope this next quarter is a good one for you and I hope you have some goals to work towards. For myself, I’ll work on creating motivation even if I don’t naturally feel it. I’ll work on getting up and getting out. I’ll work on more quickly putting work behind me when home and developing a positive and productive outlook that lets me create during my free time. And I’ll work on creating images and words worthy of your time.

Thank you for reading and for your support, and have a great 2nd quarter of 2024!

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Mining Bee in Its Nest /  by Todd Henson

A first view of a mining bee in its nest in the ground

Mining bees are interesting little creatures. I’ve seen them in several locations. If you find them at the right time, in early spring, you may see dozens or hundreds of little holes in the ground, possibly with little mounds of dirt around them, and bees flying just above the holes. Each hole is the nest of a single mining bee. It will collect pollen and nectar and store that in a chamber in the underground nest, and it will lay an egg there. Thankfully, mining bees are not at all aggressive and the most difficult thing about them can be trying not to step on the bees or their nests when they happen to dig in the dirt of the park trail.

A closer shaded view of the mining bee in its nest

These photos show one of a large number of mining bees we found in Seven Bends State Park in Virginia on April 2nd of 2023, right on the trail. The first photo above was created in full sunlight. For the rest I shaded the nest to even out the light and shadows.

The two photos above are normal photos. But the two photos below are focus stacked, which means I took several photos of the same scene with the focus shifted just a little. I then use Adobe Photoshop to stack them together, allowing it to pick the areas most in focus from each photo. The end result, hopefully, is an image with more of the subject or scene in focus. As you can see, though, when the subject moves it can affect the focus stack. Someone with more Photoshop skills might be able to mitigate this problem, though I did find it a fascinating way of seeing the small movements of the bee while watching me from its nest.

A focus stacked view of the mining bee in its nest, attempting to capture more of the bee in focus

A focus stacked closeup of the mining bee in its nest. Notice how the antennae moved resulting in ghosted images of them.

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