ThawingTime
This is a re-edit of a photo I took during the quarantine in 2020.
This image won the best in show in the 2020 Lake Arts Council Virtual Photo Quest.
This photo wouldn't have existed if it hadn't been for the Corona pandemic. During Lockdown of 2020, I had to find things here at home to photograph. Unfortunately, this Asian Wasp, which is an invasive species, was much too easy to find. They start coming out of hibernation in the spring. These hornets, or wasp are a real problem in Europe. They are starting to appear in the United States now, and were nicknamed Murder Wasps. The government wants us to report the nests we find that they've built so they can destroy them. They also encourage everybody to put out wasp traps during the spring breeding season. The stings are extremely painful and if you are attacked by a swarm can be deadly. They also attack the honeybee hives and can decimate a hive in no time. I would have rather photographed a honeybee, or some other endemic pollinator, but this guy does provide us a warning of our ever-shrinking world.
You might be wondering how I took this photo of this incredibly dangerous insect. With my current kit, I had to use macro extension tubes. They require me to get an inch or two from my subject. This exceptionally sharp image required nerves of steel. Ever so slowly I set up my tripod and got it into position. So far so good. I worked slowly fine-tuning the composition adjusting the aperture and shutter speed to get as much in focus as I could. Then mustering up all the courage I had, I reached down and picked up the dead hornet and placed him on the flower.
I found him already dead in the bathroom. He apparently expired trying to get out of the house.
Venus hangs under the waxing crescent moon. Blue hour has almost arrived-the sun has finished his job here for another day.
Photo: 2023-04-23 by Phil Wahlbrink
Voie Verte de Bain de Bretagne à Châteaubriant, La Guerchette, Bain-de-Bretagne, Redon, Ille-et-Vilaine, Brittany, Metropolitan France, 35470, France
Bain-de-Bretagne, France
This week my assignment for 52Frames was to capture a photo of the Blue Hour. Blue hour is a generous term for it, since in reality it only lasts around 13 minutes depending where you are on the globe. It should be called the Blue quarter hour.
This is the last photo I took of the Blue hour for the challenge. It has been fun chasing the sun in the evening, or waiting to ambush it in the morning.
I may be a bit slow on the uptake, but it occurred to me that Blue hour is always happening, and that both the morning and evening Blue hours are constantly chasing each other across the globe, never to meet.
Photo: 2023-04-23 by Phil Wahlbrink
Voie Verte de Bain de Bretagne à Châteaubriant, La Guerchette, Bain-de-Bretagne, Redon, Ille-et-Vilaine, Brittany, Metropolitan France, 35470, France
Bain-de-Bretagne, France
A Great Tit (Parus major) perching in a bush next to the Vilaine river.
Photo: 2023-04-23 by Phil Wahlbrink
Résidence de la Blorais, La Guignardais, Sainte-Anne-sur-Vilaine, Redon, Ille-et-Vilaine, Brittany, Metropolitan France, 35390, France
Sainte-Anne-sur-Vilaine, France
In the 'I learned something new column, I discovered these two pairs of growth on an Oak tree as I was shooting photos of a White Stork.
The Wasp lays its eggs in/on the plant which then forms these growths around the injured area. This serves later as food for the larvae.
I'm sure I've seen these growths before but never have been curious enough to do any research on them. I'm glad I did.
Photo: 2023-04-23 by Phil Wahlbrink
Dongelou, Langon, Redon, Ille-et-Vilaine, Brittany, Metropolitan France, 35660, France
Langon, France
A great Crested Grebe (Podiceps cristatus) has spotted an unlucky fish and prepares to dive into the lake in Bain-de-Bretagne. Photo: ©2023 Phil Wahlbrink
Bain-de-Bretagne, France
A sea of yellow stands between me and the mill. The world transforms into a dream of sunshine and sweet fragrances and the history left behind.
Photo: ©2023 Phil Wahlbrink
Bain-de-Bretagne, France
The sun trembles with anticipation as it prepares to kiss the horizon. As it nears the horizon from below it doesn't pause, but continues until they meet. This time of rapprochement is the blue hour. A beautiful deep blue opposite the sun, while shades of violets, pinks, and reds start to fill the sky above the sun.
Morning is starting-again-as it has since the beginning of time.
Photo: 2023-04-18 by Phil Wahlbrink
La Ferté, Bain-de-Bretagne, Ille-et-Vilaine, Brittany, Metropolitan France, 35470, France
Bain-de-Bretagne, France
In the world of Pheasantdom the male gets all the attention. I searched for photos of pheasant hens and found they were few and far between. So to try to even out the odds I asked this shy hen to model for me. She glanced over her shoulder at me with a look that said, Shhhh, you’re gonna blow my cover”
Photo: 2023-04-23 by Phil Wahlbrink
Résidence de la Blorais, La Hordrais, Sainte-Anne-sur-Vilaine, Redon, Ille-et-Vilaine, Brittany, Metropolitan France, 35390, France
Sainte-Anne-sur-Vilaine, France
Really Gad, sometimes you can be so embarrassing...
.Photo: ©2023 Phil Wahlbrink
Bain-de-Bretagne, France
A great Crested Grebe (Podiceps cristatus) has spotted an unlucky fish and prepares to dive into the lake in Bain-de-Bretagne. Photo: ©2023 Phil Wahlbrink
Bain-de-Bretagne, France
What did I do?!
Oh, my head...
Photo: ©2021 Phil Wahlbrink
Bain-de-Bretagne, France
I do not authorize or give permission for any photograph or words of mine published here to be used or published in any form or venue without my permission
There is a sense of satisfaction watching the sun rise above the horizon. It is a feeling of accomplishment early in the day.
A great way to start the rest of your life.
Photo: ©2021 Phil Wahlbrink
Bain-de-Bretagne, France
I do not authorize or give permission for any photograph or words of mine published here to be used or published in any form or venue without my permission
A discarded can floats among the lily pads on the lake.
This can will take between 200-500 years to be absorbed back into the ecosystem. As the metal decomposes, the metal nitrites will be leached into the water or earth.
Recycling is considerably less expensive than producing new aluminium cans and has a smaller carbon footprint. Recycling this single aluminium can would save the same amount of electricity as watching your TV for one hour. I'm not advocating drinking a beer for every hour of TV you watch and then recycling the can, but the costs are measurable.
Recycle your rubbish people!
Photo: ©2020 Phil Wahlbrink
Bain-de-Bretagne, France
An old wagon abandoned at the local quarry in Bain-de-Bretagne.
When my brother and I visited our grandparents, one of the songs we listened to on their old record player was 'Three Wheels on my Wagon' the the New Christy Minstrals. We loved this song because on the refrain somebody would pipe in about how terrible the situation was, and there would be a smart-alecky retort.
Today this song would probably never make it onto the air. I'm sure it would offend somebody. For me it is a song that celebrates positive thinking, yet also shows the frustration of the appropriation of the land. I doubt that my 9-year old self read that much into the lyrics back then. We just thought it was funny.
Photo: ©2023 Phil Wahlbrink
Route des Carrière
Bain-de-Bretagne, France
Isn't it funny how we are stepping back in time. The plastic bags we used have all but disappeared. Convenience, low prices were priorities. Today we are heading back to days when we took our own bags or containers to the store. We lived a life of luxury. Throwing things away was such a natural reaction. Here in France, and much of Europe recycling has become the norm. I remember when I visited some friends in Germany 20+ years ago being amazed and confounded by at least six different types of recycling they did. You'd need lessons to learns the ins and outs. By comparison when I arrived in France we had plastic and cardboard trash, glass, paper and then everything else. Plastic could only accept certain types of plastic. The little plastic pots the yogurt came in were not recyclable however the plastic pots cream came in was. It was confusing. Now all packaging is recyclable, so much easier. We also have a third type of refuse, and that is the compostable kind. Today, I empty my everything else trash about once or twice a year.
The original shot of this image was in black and white for a competition. The colour however I find warm and comforting, just like the meal it became the next day.
Clémentine and I diced all of this up and threw it into the crockpot with some Cajun spices, some ground chipotle pepper, salt and pepper, red wine, 1 can of diced tomatoes, 1 small can each of chickpeas, corn, white beans along with a turkey neck and a blackened turkey thigh. Left it there for 6 hours and shredded the meat. Filling, spicy and delicious.
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