Seeded Earth Studio » photography and musings from the Midwest

ybonesy - Another shot with beautiful muted rusts and greens, yellows, blues. I love the texture, too.06/30/2008 - 9:40 pm

Bernie Kasper - Cool perspective and patterns in this Bo, the arch is great leading line into the sky, well done !!07/01/2008 - 12:11 am

Gandalf - I agree with Bernie. The patterns and lines create a super perspective. You've also captured a wonderful mix of colors. The evening sun must have been very rich that night.07/01/2008 - 7:52 am

Anna Surface - I agree with ybonesy, Bernie K., and Gandalf... all I wanted to say. I love this capture and my type of photo. I'd hang this one on my wall, for sure. Very captivating with the patterns and line. Excellent! :)07/01/2008 - 1:24 pm

Chris Osborne - Sorry about the gnats. They're a pain, but at least they're not mosquitoes.07/02/2008 - 9:18 am

Hootin' Anni - Gorgeous!! And y'all have the privilege of having them come up all by themselves along the roads? Wow...somebody sure knew what they were doing didn't they? Such beautified country roads!!! My G T Sunday photos are posted. Come on over if you can find some time to visit.06/29/2008 - 6:21 am

HeyJules - It's amazing but that's exactly what they are doing. The colder and more snowy the winter the better the bulb and rhizome plants do in the spring. At least there's THAT to look forward to after a horrible winter!06/29/2008 - 7:36 am

Chris Osborne - That's a really nice blue. I wish I could grow something like that.06/29/2008 - 8:23 am

Gaye Johnson - Beautiful colors in this 'volunteer' Iris. I can't imagine this being a wild flower. A beauty of a picture BTW .06/29/2008 - 5:47 pm

Aiyana - Love your photo--I wish I could see wild Irises growing alongside the roads. We have wild sunflowers, but never Irises. Aiyana06/30/2008 - 12:50 am

Gandalf - The shape of the flower is captured beautifully and the delicate pattern in the petals is wonderfully reflected in your work.06/30/2008 - 7:49 am

Anna Surface - That is an outstanding capture! The irises in Kansas are now a memory but when they bloomed, they were abundant and gorgeous. Summer, now here, is rather beautiful. :)06/30/2008 - 7:57 am

Ulla - A wonderful photo and a very informative post! Ulla06/28/2008 - 4:30 am

rlovison - Beautiful image Bo and thanks for the informative and fascinating background on the flower. Was that taken with your new 50mm macro? Have you ever heard of a computer program called Creatures? You probably would have loved it as it was an artificial simulation of life with various plant life and cute animal life as well. The simulation is no longer supported though there still is a huge following. In the past I maintained a webpage on the Linux version... I believe it is still being mirrored somewhere if you are interested. Just do a Google search for "sylv's artificial life for linux".06/28/2008 - 6:28 am

Anna Surface - Wicked looking and very interesting. Can live to 100 years? Whoa! I really, really like this photo of the Yellow Lady's Slipper... great capture! :)06/28/2008 - 7:52 am

Chris Osborne - You know, I like coming her for the plant education now too. It's about as good as the photographs.06/28/2008 - 8:31 am

bookbabie - Those are such oddly beautiful flowers:)06/28/2008 - 9:24 am

HeyJules - Gosh I wish I could find some of those around here! What a beautiful flower.06/28/2008 - 9:41 am

montucky - Beautiful! It looks identical to the white ones we have here except for the main body color. I also appreciate the information about them!06/28/2008 - 2:47 pm

jeanabaena - beautiful specimen :D06/28/2008 - 4:08 pm

jpt - ooo...can i add this one to the list?06/28/2008 - 4:09 pm

mon@rch - outstanding ladyslipper photo! WOW06/28/2008 - 10:00 pm

Gandalf - After trillium, lady slippers are at the top of my fave of faves. Beautiful shots.06/30/2008 - 7:44 am

Sumedh - That is a lovely shade of green - very pleasing and comforting; almost serene!06/27/2008 - 8:25 am

Chris Osborne - Well, green makes a lot of sense. If you're out wandering and looking for food, you're looking for somewhere that would have food. And I would think that barns would have some food, right? So if you see a building that looks like it could be a barn, but it's not red, you can't be 100% sure that it's a barn. Which means you might get in there and find out it's not a barn, which means you wasted your time to get in. So you pass it and go to the next one.06/27/2008 - 1:36 pm

amuirin - I love the shape of it. It looks story-bookish. I also like the color/texture of the places where the green paint has worn off on the wood.06/27/2008 - 6:07 pm

Anna Surface - That is the coolest silo! I haven't seen one like that. Neat barn as to its design. It definitely has character... Dutch possibly? I don't know... just popped in my head. I really like the green. These old barns have such stories to tell... :)06/28/2008 - 7:49 am

wildstorm - These are my favorite kind of barn. Excellent.06/28/2008 - 5:41 pm

Gandalf - I love the textures in the wood with the worn paint and the pattern of the shingles. Wonderful for the eye.06/30/2008 - 7:42 am

ankush - nice shot, the colors go well together06/26/2008 - 6:24 pm

montucky - You know, when I was a kid, my folks had a car just like that. I don't know about the model, but it was a '39 Dodge and we used to go camping in it. Your photo brought back some pleasant memories!06/26/2008 - 11:14 pm

Chris Osborne - We had some old stuff like that int he backyard of the house we just bought. They were cool, but I was glad when they left because not only did they not run, they weren't ours. Seeing them made me want them.06/27/2008 - 1:34 pm

Preston Surface - Nice shot on the old vehicles. I like these for a they portray a story all of their own. Anna and I have toyed with the idea of getting one just like your Dodge Sedan pictured here, to place in our yard. Don't know what the city would think. Could be fun.06/28/2008 - 3:35 pm

Anne - Hi! Very interesting picture of the antique vehicles. Anne door-county-camping.com06/30/2008 - 12:27 am

Gandalf - I'm always intrigued by old forgotten cars. They are waiting like puppies or kittens to be adopted and made whole.06/30/2008 - 7:37 am

Chris Osborne - I guess this ship ate the other one then, since the other one isn't there anymore.06/25/2008 - 8:38 am

Bo - Chris - are you telling me my quote doesn't quite fit? Hmmm. Maybe not, but I love the quote so I guess it has to stay. I don't take many sailing photos. :-)06/25/2008 - 9:10 am

Ron in L.A. - Very, very nice Bo... R(etc... )06/25/2008 - 9:17 am

visuallens - I may not know the quote....but the photo is beautiful06/25/2008 - 9:20 am

HeyJules - Beautiful photo and equally beautiful thought.06/25/2008 - 9:36 am

lissa - wow. gorgeous pic.06/25/2008 - 9:41 am

Photo Buffet - The contrast between sailboat and background is perfect, Bo. It looks like you showed up at a great moment. Beautiful tones & setup.06/25/2008 - 10:53 am

Anna Surface - Absolutely beautiful... colors, composition, and view. :)06/25/2008 - 11:59 am

Chris Osborne - I like the quote too, and I like the picture that goes with it. I was just in a weird mood this morning. I should probably remember to go see other people's blogs after breakfast next time.06/25/2008 - 12:36 pm

Gandalf - This could be a shot right out of the visitor's guide or whatever pub they have there. Perhaps you can sell it to them. This is simply a delicious picture. Very serene and sensual.06/25/2008 - 3:49 pm

Grace - Ha! What a gem! (your photo is awesome, too, Bo!) What I like about this quote is that it really underscores the idea that 50/50 relationships never work well as people just keep bumping heads in the middle ;)06/25/2008 - 4:44 pm

montucky - Gorgeous photo, Bo! Your timing was perfect!06/25/2008 - 6:40 pm

Rosa Say - Bo, this is exquisite: I am dreaming of catching birds in flight (with the lens of my camera), and the way that this one is framed with all these other luscious elements in this photo is truly outstanding to me. Wow. There is a Hawaiian belief that the sky above us is filled with multiple layers of life: The word we use is papahulilani, and we don't always see what is there, but we shouldn't question that it is. That is the feeling that this sky evokes for me. Canoe paddlers can tell us which reflections in your ocean come from the sky, and which come from the currents beneath the surface. Great kaona (hidden meaning) in this photo.06/25/2008 - 8:26 pm

truddle - Oh my this is stunning! Nice work!06/25/2008 - 8:34 pm

ankush - lovely colors06/26/2008 - 6:25 pm

Preston Surface - Great capture, beautiful, simply beautiful. Love the quote as well.06/28/2008 - 3:39 pm

rlovison - Wonderful composition and nice colors... it has a calming effect.06/24/2008 - 6:48 am

Anna Surface - Yes, indeed, I think a building can have individuality. And this one sure shows its individuality. I love the windows on top... not the same. And the barn siding contrasts with the patterns of the roof. Neat patterning all in all. Looking at the photo, it feels the patterns are flowing to the left. This barn states that it is not like all the rest. :)06/24/2008 - 7:32 am

Chris Osborne - I'm a sucker for texture. And this barn has a nice texture to it.06/24/2008 - 9:01 am

nicole - Beautiful shot - I love the lines and colours! And yes, I think so too :)06/24/2008 - 10:10 am

Daniel - Saludos and thanks for visiting my site over at www.bentpage.wordpress.com. You have so many colorful photos. True eye candy stuff for a color junkie. Those blue skies and primary colors jump right out. Looking forward to more. I'd like to visit your part of the country sometime soon to research another novel.06/24/2008 - 11:42 am

Robin - Very cool barn. And not typical at all. Wonderful shot, Bo. I like the colors, the lines, and the textures.06/24/2008 - 7:12 pm

montucky - Someone had a flair for color and pattern when they built that one! Great photo!06/24/2008 - 10:24 pm

Bernie Kasper - Wonderful image Bo, the colors and textures are beautiful, great work !!06/25/2008 - 12:30 am

Ron in L.A. - What Bernie and Robin wrote... ;) R(etc... )06/25/2008 - 9:46 am

Photo Buffet - Bo, your barn image captured my attention. I love old barns and houses. I feel like if only those walls could speak...06/25/2008 - 10:51 am

gypsy-heart - Most certainly...and you have a gift for capturing it!06/25/2008 - 3:21 pm

ybonesy - This is wonderful!! The composition is so calming.06/26/2008 - 12:17 am

ankush - interesting composition06/26/2008 - 6:25 pm

Chris Osborne - Nice portrait from you. And a great cause from him. Put the two together, and you've got some very cool stuff.06/23/2008 - 7:08 am

gypsy-heart - I agree with Chris. I'll be back to check out the link.06/23/2008 - 10:31 am

organicsyes - Your life if so full of amazing things...thanks for sharing this story:) Susan06/23/2008 - 8:54 pm

nicole - What an amazing man - I keep my fingers crossed that he makes it to the day! :)06/24/2008 - 10:06 am

Bernie Kasper - Great cause glad to see you posting this, hope he makes his objective !! :)06/25/2008 - 12:31 am

Gandalf - Nice photo & a great cause. Thanks for posting.06/25/2008 - 3:45 pm

Meg Costello - I teach with Skip and just spent a few days with him in Kansas City. Was he vacationig? Nope. A group of 4 students for whom he's an advisor were competing in a National skills competition (SkillsUSA) in K.C. When they won the Massachusetts state competition, Skip's plans for paddling were already made, but, thanks to a very supportive school administration, he was able to adjust the plan to include a quick flight from Milwaukee to K.C. And the punchline is...his kids earned a silver medal and Skips is back in the water somwhere in Wisconsin. How cool is that?!!06/29/2008 - 5:20 am

montucky - Oops! I hate that, especially when my compass looks like that in the high country!06/22/2008 - 12:19 am

rlovison - Hmmm. With that image, I believe you lit a fire. :) Maybe I intuitively know the direction to head (don't need to look outside myself for a marker) and if I just got my conscious mind out of the way with its doubts and fears, the journey could unfold and I would eventually reach my destination.06/22/2008 - 6:08 am

Chris Osborne - And that's why I have the digital compass in my car. I'm thinking maybe I should make sure it's right though.06/22/2008 - 7:21 am

Robin - Ah well, the destination isn't that important anyhow. :) I like this one. Thought provoking.06/22/2008 - 6:19 pm

amuirin - accidentally?06/25/2008 - 12:10 am

Gandalf - Interesting shot & BTW classic (old) rock Rocks. :)06/25/2008 - 3:44 pm

Anna Surface - Oh ouch! I'm glad you and hubby are okay. We hit a deer once, and a deer had rammed into my daughter's car totaling it. Mosquitoes! They are horrible this year! The photo of the storm clouds blooming above the farm is beautiful! :)06/21/2008 - 7:51 am

gayejohnson - Such descriptive pictures to go along with your descriptive story. They say 'a picture is worth a thousand words' and it's true when I see your car. Thanks for sharing this awesome adventure...and I thought the mosquitoes here in Florida were the worst..not sure now :-)06/21/2008 - 8:19 am

Chris Osborne - Those storm clouds are great. I think the deer, squirrels, and small birds have a competition to see who can run/fly through the road closest to a car and not get hit. The deer are losing.06/21/2008 - 9:51 am

Pat Denino - Hitting a dear is one of my dusk/night driving fears. I'm glad you got out of this one OK, though forfeiting the SW trip has to sting.06/21/2008 - 6:49 pm

montucky - Your first photo is a beauty: I love to see clouds like that! The second is not so pretty! I'm glad you suffered no personal injuries but sorry for the expense of the encounter. That happens far too often around here too.06/21/2008 - 8:07 pm

HeyJules - Big fat bummer! Glad you are all okay, though.06/21/2008 - 8:39 pm

visuallens - Oh Dear And Deer...You have to pocket out 6 to 7 thousand dollars in car repairs. Most Important you and your hubby are okay.06/21/2008 - 11:52 pm

gypsy-heart - Sorry about your vehicle..and sorry about the mama deer. I hope the little one survived. We have to watch for deer and occasionally bears in our area so I understand.06/23/2008 - 10:30 am

bookbabie - How awful, I'm glad you guys weren't hurt though:)06/23/2008 - 2:18 pm

Janet Wilkins - I'm sorry that your car sustained damage, however, I feel much more sorrow for the doe and especially the fawn. Civilization has spread so massively in this country, our roads and property ownership (fences and other obstacles) have become a gauntlet for wildlife to run through. We must slow down and drive defensively, observing farther ahead than just our front bumpers, anticipating what "might" happen! Even at night, animals have "eye shine" and we must be aware. As a lover of wildlife and nature, I feel that we simply have ourselves to blame.06/24/2008 - 6:34 am

Bo - Janet - It WAS an unfortunate accident, and yes, I do feel sad for the fawn who will probably not be be to survive alone. As far as slowing down, however - we were driving not quite 40 mph. Not what I would call fast and when a deer decides to run in front of you, there isn't much more defensive driving you can employ. We would certainly have chosen NOT to hit the deer if we could have. Even practicing "safe deer driving" - a necessary skill to know in Wisconsin, and one actually taught in the drivers' ed curriculum, the inevitable happens. We were in a rural area - one main 'country' road and no fences - just wild land. It can happen anywhere. Wisconsin is pretty much being over-run by an expanding deer herd. Numbers nearly 2 million, and even with an extremely active hunting program - yes, venison is food here in the north - there is still an upswing. I won't even get into crop damage, destruction of the natural habitat by too many grazing deer, etc. Plus with deer at these numbers, their survival in severe winter is threatened. And it was a hard winter last year. I love wildlfe and nature, too, and I think my blog speaks volumes in that regard. But I think PART of the problem is that people treat wild animals "as pets" and the animals become acclimated to food handouts and people interaction. We need to keep the wild in wildlife - and perhaps THAT familiarity is the part we can blame ourselves for. I'm not blaming myself for being on a road at the very moment a deer crossed it. BTW, Wisconsin is considering a "birth control" solution to the deer herd problems in urban areas - an alternative to trapping, relocating, or hunting. We are not totally heartless when it comes to deer, but I guess we don't look at them and think Bambi. I understand your sympathies towards all wildilfe, and agree with you. I won't even pick a wildflower to shoot it in studio. But where deer and humans interact, there will be collisions. It's rather a fact of life - urban and rural.06/24/2008 - 7:12 am

Janet Wilkins - Naturally, unfortunate accidents do occur. And, we too have great numbers of deer as well as hunting measures (beginning in November) for control. However, anticipating an animals movements can do a great deal to minimize accidents during the "off hunting season." I recall, some years ago, seeing a doe in a heavily wooded area coming toward the road. I expected that it would eventually cross the road so I slowed down and eventually had to stop. When the doe then crossed the road, its fawn (with spots) crossed behind it ... then its second fawn followed ... finally, its third fawn followed. This is a memory that will stay with me forever, one that I wouldn't have had if I hadn't anticipated the doe's movements! BTW, I do not feed the deer and don't look at ALL of them as Bambi.06/24/2008 - 9:04 am

Bo - Janet, I didn't mean to imply you fed them or thought they were Bambi - but some people do and it just causes more problems. Hope I didn't offend you with my response, but the deer issue is a complicated one. I try to do my best when it comes to wildlife etc and am very aware of this, so maybe you just hit a sensitive chord when you spoke about "being at blame" Bo06/24/2008 - 11:21 am

amuirin - People keep talking about Swedish Pancakes. It makes my mouth water, which is an odd juxtaposition with the tragic parts of this post. Sorry your plans got messed up, that's a big bummer. I hope the fawn fares well, and if it has to die, it dies quick and mercifully.06/25/2008 - 12:16 am

Bernie Kasper - Sorry about the accident Bo, I have been in the same situation as you, except it happened twice to me. Doesn't matter how alert you are these things happen, in one accident I hit the deer as it ran out in front of me at night, in the other a pretty good sized buck actually ran right into my passenger side door completely denting it in it was probably being chased by a larger buck. I don't mean to sound callous but isn't it funny how people get upset when we hit a deer and it dies, but no one says a word when we smash thousands of beautiful little insects that get slammed into our windshields daily. Oh well I guess people like to pick and choose their battles. I hope you can work out that western trip, just make sure you watch out for antelope ;)06/25/2008 - 12:28 am

Gandalf - Wow, I've been tied up at work, so I haven't visited your blog for a while. The deer issue certainly created a good spirited discussion. There's no question in my mind that a lot of the human/wildlife encounters are a result of an ever expanding circle of people moving into more wild areas. Part of the issue with deer and other prey animals is the size of their population. We've hunted the predators until they are extinct or ineffectual at controlling the prey population. So unfortunately cars have become one of the substitutes for herd control, albeit one that is not very pleasant.06/25/2008 - 3:42 pm