Winter Sun Flowers

Posted in Life, Love, Macro Photography, Meditation, Nature, Photography, Spirituality, Sunflower, Sustainability, Truth? by Mark on 03/08/2012

And, of course, their visitors. From night and day, they come and go either way.

Beautiful yellow standing tall and shining brightly out for all to see, in our crisp winter sunlight. Any bug in sight of it will have to visit this notable feature of their landscape. A wonderful welcome to any hungry survivor, though few there be, sufficiently.

It has been cold and wet enough for mold or fungus to form on the lower leaves and stems of the few sunflowers I have growing and nature has provided a remedy in the form of a fungus beetle, a yellow and black Ladybug and larva.

There are a few other creatures that visit but the beetle has made a big impression on the fungus and the plants have stood taller since being tended so. They will live longer and healthier for it.

It’s just another one of those relationships that give the lie to the purely rational ‘It’s only what you see’. It is, but not only. There is a wonder and intelligence that I prefer to call love behind the function and intricacies of a nature that is our own. That’s what connects every thing, beneath the apparent discord.

I don’t mean that in any ‘religious’ way. It’s just the spiritual way it is. :)

Mark Berkery ……. Click any picture to enlarge in a new tab – best in FireFox

Tagged with: Ant, Fly, Fungus Beetle, ladybug, Macro, Meditation, Nature, Spirituality, Sunflower, winter sunlight

33 comments

33 Responses

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Lunar Euphoria said, on 16/09/2012 at 10:53 am

That little ant! Gorgeous.

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- Mark said, on 16/09/2012 at 9:54 pm
  
  A curious one that. They only come out at night and are nomadic, wandering the garden alone in search of their needs and nesting where it’s convenient for a while – some whiles longer than others.
  
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futuredoll said, on 06/08/2012 at 9:22 pm

Wonderful! I get to see nature from an up close and personal angle each week! Please, keep up the great work!

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- Mark said, on 07/08/2012 at 4:42 am
  
  Thanks Sarah. How could I do otherwise … ?
  
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hannahandtheuniverse said, on 05/08/2012 at 9:04 pm

Reblogged this on Hannah And The Universe and commented:
Microscopic connections should not go unnoticed. I love the attention to detail this blog offers, because the details of nature require our attention.

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- Mark said, on 06/08/2012 at 8:11 am
  
  Thanks Hannah. … require our attention … because it is my own nature.
  
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katacamar said, on 05/08/2012 at 2:53 am

“Our Lord! not for naught Hast Thou created (all) this! Glory to Thee! Give us salvation from the penalty of the Fire.

Al-Qur’an, 003.191 (Aal-E-Imran [The Family of Imran])

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- Mark said, on 06/08/2012 at 8:08 am
  
  I’m not sure about the “Penalty of the Fire”, except it may be death of a certain form. The rest, yes, many a good book has parallel verse.
  
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  - katacamar said, on 10/08/2012 at 2:09 pm
    
    It is the way Muslims pray when we see God’s creation. because we humans have been given free will and living facilities by God, then there must be accountability in the form of reward and punishment. And I do not want to be punished, and therefore asked for protection from punishment (hell)
    
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    - Mark said, on 10/08/2012 at 3:27 pm
      
      I see. And protection comes from right action, having free will. The question arises then, what is right action.
      
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      - katacamar said, on 14/08/2012 at 7:13 pm
        
        Yeah, what is the right action, we must first realize that we are Creatures creation of God. We are not the Lord. We do not appear suddenly. We were created. We are complex creatures. We have limitations, time constraint, and we have needs. We depend on to something.
        
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        Mark said, on 15/08/2012 at 12:30 pm
        
        I would say right action is possible when I have had enough experience to know what is not …
        
        katacamar said, on 30/08/2012 at 4:38 pm
        
        sorry explanation yesterday was not finished,
        002.177 It is not righteousness that ye turn your faces Towards east or West; but it is righteousness- to believe in Allah and the Last Day, and the Angels, and the Book, and the Messengers; to spend of your substance, out of love for Him, for your kin, for orphans, for the needy, for the wayfarer, for those who ask, and for the ransom of slaves; to be steadfast in prayer, and practice regular charity; to fulfil the contracts which ye have made; and to be firm and patient, in pain (or suffering) and adversity, and throughout all periods of panic. Such are the people of truth, the Allah-fearing.
        Al-Qur’an, 002.177 (Al-Baqara [The Cow])
        Text Copied from DivineIslam’s Qur’an Viewer software v2.9
        
        Mark said, on 30/08/2012 at 5:59 pm
        
        There are some very good rules for living in all the books that have lasted but I was asking a different question. Of one who needs rules no longer but knows inside first what is right and true.
        
        But we all come that way.
Deborah said, on 04/08/2012 at 3:36 am

You have an amazing talent for taking what would normally seem “creepy” to me, and making it so intriguing. Well done (again!)

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- Mark said, on 04/08/2012 at 3:43 am
  
  Thanks Deborah. I just do it as I see it. How could our own created and evolved nature be anything but wonderful?
  
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mike585 said, on 03/08/2012 at 11:32 pm

Beautiful images.:)

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- Mark said, on 04/08/2012 at 2:17 am
  
  G’day Mike.
  
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  - mike585 said, on 04/08/2012 at 3:29 am
    
    G’day, Mark.
    
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Alice O'Leary said, on 03/08/2012 at 9:53 pm

Nice post and beautiful pictures. I particularly liked “but the beetle has made a big impression on the fungus and the plants have stood taller since being tended so. They will live longer and healthier for it.”

Thanks for a nice start to the day.

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- Mark said, on 04/08/2012 at 2:16 am
  
  Thanks Alice. I tried moving some of the beetles to where there was some greenfly but they weren’t interested. It looks like the Sunflower has been a good habitat for them and there will be many more soon enough, and more flowers on the way up.
  
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Onibe said, on 03/08/2012 at 9:09 pm

pure beauty… that’s what I see on Your photos!

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- Mark said, on 04/08/2012 at 2:13 am
  
  Hello O. Interesting, you must see it first within …
  
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flatlinerbooks said, on 03/08/2012 at 4:52 pm

Excellent close ups on the arthropods :)

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- Mark said, on 04/08/2012 at 2:12 am
  
  What pods? :)
  
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George Weaver said, on 03/08/2012 at 4:22 pm

Wonderful macros. Really wonderful.

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- Mark said, on 04/08/2012 at 2:12 am
  
  Thanks George, appreciated.
  
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LA Edwards said, on 03/08/2012 at 3:53 pm

These photos take me back to when I was in grad school. It seems like only yesterday. Awesome Macro Photos by fellow photographer. Nicely done!

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- Mark said, on 04/08/2012 at 2:11 am
  
  Thanks Louise.
  
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A.M said, on 03/08/2012 at 3:47 pm

stunning shots!! superb :-)

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- Mark said, on 04/08/2012 at 2:10 am
  
  Thanks A.M
  
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nonoymanga said, on 03/08/2012 at 3:28 pm

As usual Colors and Details are amazing!!! Cheers Nonoy Manga

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- Mark said, on 04/08/2012 at 2:07 am
  
  Cheers Mark NM.
  
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