Janet Brien's photos with the keyword: gall

The weather called for rain today but when I stepped outside it was merely a lovely light drizzle. The cool, damp air, pregnant with autumn's wonderful fragrances, filled my lungs as I stretched and marched out to the driveway. I initially had my umbrella with me but wondered if I actually needed it. Tilting it to the side, I put my hand out to test the amount. Negligible! Umbrella? FIRED! I marched back to our porch, leaned it against the porch wall and returned, enjoying the fine drizzle dancing upon my hair and face. I started down the drive, punching the air in scissor motions in front of me like I always do when I begin my walk. I felt my spine crack as my whole body loosened up. "That sure feels nice," I thought to myself, happy that I'd found a way to stretch and exercise my upper body a little bit while walking. I work out my arms in different ways as I go up and down and it's actually added some muscle to my slight frame. By the time I was half way up the hill of my first lap, the drizzle had gotten heavier. "Uh-oh, I hope I don't end up getting drenched." I high-tailed it up to the house and grabbed the spurned umbrella, popping it open as the drizzle turned into a true rain. In the span of about five minutes it fell increasingly harder until it was fairly pounding on my umbrella as I cowered in delight underneath. Wide eyes matched my Cheshire Cat grin and I was positively giddy with this "Perfect Storm" level of rain! "HOORAY!!" I splashed in the puddles and well, it was bound to happen...I burst out into song! "Singin' in the rain...just singin' in the rain...what a glorious feeling, I'm happpppy again..." I can't ever remember the rest of the words so I have fun filling in the blanks with "doo dee doos" and whatever else sounds nice before repeating the words I know. Down the driveway I went, singing and skipping all the way, splashing in every puddle and twirling my umbrella in joy! Isn't it such fun to let your inner child play at times like this?! :D The rain squall carried on for a while, finally letting up towards the end of my walk. I enjoyed every moment. I did get pretty cold though because my feet were soaked and I was pretty chilled by the time I cooled off from the exercise. I have to say that one of the best feelings in the world is a hot shower when you're chilled to the bone. The delirious sensation of pushing your frosty face into a hot shower is incredible. Deliciously warm water dancing over your hands and feet just feels so, so nice that all I can do is melt under the water and purr. Tingling toes coming back to life, warmth coming back into my hands and arms, I stand there until I begin to feel guilty about all the hot water I've been using. "Can't I just stay here?" I ask out loud, and answer by turning off the water and stepping out. "RUDE!" I snicker in response. It was very nice to be warm again, but gosh I sure had fun playing in the rain today!! :) A few days ago I wandered into our lower forest with my camera to see how things were looking after my long absence. It turned out to be a wonderful little jaunt and I came home with lots of successful shots. At one point I looked down and noticed a wasp gall stuck to an oak leaf. I was about to pass by when I noticed that there was a big hole in it and the entire orb had filled with water. The sky was reflecting in the water, and that shimmer caught my eye. "Oooooohhh!! Look at that!!!" I dropped down onto my knee pads and clicked away, hoping to capture the magic I could see there. What a happy girl I was when I looked at my pictures on the computer and discovered that they turned out! Pam, it would be such fun to wander around with you and see what catches your eye. Photography is such a fun thing to do and you never know what amazing thing will reveal itself to you. I love to think about your glorious critter shots, and wonder what it would be like to watch you do your thing. It makes me smile to think of you in the moment. I hope you had a lovely day and are feeling good today! P.S. If any of you haven't seen this or it's been a while, please be sure to watch Gene Kelly's magical masterpiece Singing in the Rain . Explored on 11/28/18, highest placement, #7.

(best appreciated at full size!) It was another gorgeous day and not so cold. Lately I've been freezing to death for the first half of my walk but today it was very nice. I spent a lot of time listening to my audio book today. Have you ever tried one? Or a podcast? They are a wonderful way to enjoy books and topical subjects when you don't have time or interest to physically read books or articles. No matter what your interest is, there is something for you. (By the way, if you've been curious about these things but need a little bit of guidance, please let me know. I'd be happy to fill you in and help you get set up!) Anyway, I've been listening to Dream Park by Larry Niven. Great concept: think Westworld meets Dungeons & Dragons. Very mediocre execution for the most part, parts are interesting, other bits are positively painful. I'm far enough into it that I'll finish it but it's not worth reading. I think I'll deserve a reward for finishing or perhaps what I really need is a noogie for continuing to slog through this dud! Yesterday I was walking down the drive way and happened upon a round ball of sorts. An Oak Gall , to be precise. Also known as an Oak Apple because of their shape, these fascinating things are created by insects called gall wasps. Wasp larvae inject chemicals onto a stem or leaf, which causes the gall to form around them. As the larvae grows, it eats the gall tissue and eventually emerges as an adult gall wasp. I remember when I first saw one of these. I wondered out loud, "What the heck is it?!" I picked it up and examined it closely, noticing how cool it looked. I find them fascinating and beautiful photography subjects . Oak galls can be many different shades of tan or brown, but are often a splotchy blend which I love. Looking at this gall on the road, I couldn't help seeing the long shadow cast by the sun that had just risen enough to light up the road. "Ohhhhh, the light!!!" Soon I had my camera in hand, and here is my picture of what I saw! Pam, I know you will love this cool thing. It's weird and wonderful, just like us! Well ok, I'm the weird one and you're the wonderful one! :D Anyway, I hope you like it, and I hope you had a nice Sunday! Explored on 11/26/18, highest position, #5.

Wasp gall found on an oak tree