Tag: meramec state park

Virginia Snakeroot (Endodeca serpentaria)

macro, native plants

Virginia snakeroot (Endodeca serpentaria) is an easily overlooked cousin of the much more familiar Dutchman’s pipevine (Aristolochia macrophylla). Belonging to the Aristolochiaceae (birthwort) family, both species host the pipevine swallowtail butterfly. The Aristolochiaceae family is composed primarily of tropical woody vining species. Virginia snakeroot is an exception in the family, being neither tropical, woody nor a vine. This species is a low and slow growing herbaceous perennial native to Missouri and is a really nice find.

The hastate leaves and growing habit of Virginia snakeroot (Endodeca serpentaria). Note the ground-level flower.
Flower of Virginia snakeroot.

A Foggy Day in the Missouri Ozarks

abstract, landscape

“Probably if our lives were more conformed to nature, we should not need to defend ourselves against her heats and colds, but find her our constant nurse and friend, as do plants and quadrupeds.”

-Henry David Thoreau-

Fog

“Fog″
Technical details: Canon EOS 5D Mark II camera, EF70-200mm f/4L IS USM @ 200mm, ISO 100,  f/14, 1/8 sec

The Dichotomy of Autumn

abstract, landscape

Is there more of a season with dramatic ups and downs than autumn?

Good: cooling temperatures that are often a respite to a long, torrid summer

Bad: the inevitable freezing temp, rains and gloomy weather that will show up sometime in November

Good: the astounding autumnal palette that the fortunate can find, depending on where you live

Bad: picking up those leaves and cleaning gutters after the show

Good: the backing of the clocks in losing “daylight savings”

Bad: going back to school

Good: feasts of the late summer/fall harvest season

Bad: knowing that in a month or two you’ll have better luck growing a second head than finding something worthwhile of being called a “tomato”

Good: apple season!!!!

Bad: end of the baseball season

I think I’ve made my point.  No other season is packed with so many highs and lows.  I’d be hard pressed to find many complaints about spring.  Even the most diehard winter fanatics must feel the hope and renewal that warming temperatures and fresh greens that spring in spring.  Autumn will always remain a season of two faces for me.  Now I can’t wait for the winter resident birds to show up!  Come on winter!

“Autumn’s Dichotomy″
Technical details: Canon EOS 5D Mark II camera, EF24-105mm f/4L IS USM @ 32mm, ISO 100,  f/16, 1/6 sec

Autumn Explodes in the Ozarks!

abstract, landscape

Following the winter that never was of 2011/2012 came one of the hottest and driest summers on record in the Ozarks.  Of course the autumn would be some sort of disappointment, right?  Boy was I pleasantly surprised!  Sarah and I have taken an October vacation, exploring the Ozarks, looking for color for about four years straight.  Even if our trip coincided with “peak color”, more often than not that peak wasn’t necessarily anything to jump up and down about.  Well, this year was nearly everything I dreamed an Ozark autumn should be.

Every tree tried on it’s best outfit a couple of weeks ago.  The black gum and dogwood were draped in their dark warm shades of reds and violet.  The maples were a schism of warm tones – sometimes on separate trees, sometimes with contrasting leaves on the same tree, and often with a mix on the same individual leaf!  My personal autumn favorite, the grand sycamore was gloriously showcased in yellows, burnt umber and mild reds that set off so nicely it’s bright, ivory bark.  Hickories, normally easily forgotten as the dull yellow leaves drop so quickly, were an incandescent display of quintessential amber.  Even the usually boring – white oak wasn’t going into its winter nap without a show, bringing out a variety of mild warm tones before dropping brown to become part of next year’s forest floor.  As usual, the small sumac and sassafras brought their best to stop you in your tracks.
This was darn-near too much!  Driving hundreds of miles and putting tens of miles on the trails I wanted to stop every five minutes and find a composition.  There was the problem.  Everywhere I looked was a potential composition, but actually putting something together was often a tremendous difficulty!  I now truly understand the concept of chaos in the biological world.  There were periods of frustration as I realized I wasn’t going to be able fulfill my desire to nail all the potential autumn shots that I dreamed about.  As I begin delving into and processing the several hundred images I took that magical week, I can only hope I nailed a few images.  Over the next several weeks I hope to post a lot images here with some info or story behind it.  Hopefully not all of the photos will be the typical cliche’.  Geez, are there any autumn photos that aren’t?

“Explosion of Autumn in the Missouri Ozarks″
Technical details: Canon EOS 5D Mark II camera, EF24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens zoomed during exposure, ISO 100,  f/20, 1/5 sec