Ant Days
Taking a breather on a hotter than usual day. One of the bigger ants that guard the train of smaller ones.
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Antennae curling in the heat perhaps … it only looks that way. But who’s to say, could be old age. Who’s to say …
Ant being ant, undaunted by its unending task, to live and work and die an ant. Robust little thing, no worries too.
Except maybe this little worrier, or is that warrior … Who also patrols the trains of ants. … Watch out ant, watch out spider.
On a huge power pole in the nearby bush ants can be seen travelling up and down in an almost endless procession.
There are different size ants, the larger the fewer, and it seems the big ones look out for the little ones.
Distinctly guard-like, keeping the tiny black jumping spiders at bay perhaps.
I have seen the spiders take a smaller ant from the train.
Nature, it looks messy but it’s all in order.
© Mark Berkery … Click on those pictures for a closer look … and click again.
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A Watery Grave …
Out of the water and on to a stick, a lifeline for a small but not insignificant thing.
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Taking her time to adjust and recover from the recent struggle in an alien world of water.
It is always striking there is no sign of personality, no suffering ‘me’, but a natural character of resilience.
Into her preening with a gusto, clear off the water, and anything else may have attached. Invigoration.
Once at ease with me, on my stick, I could move about to get the sky as background. Context helps …
Looking more like an wasp close up … a tiny drop of water still visible under its leathery looking body.
Having a good wipe down of the most important parts, antennae. A far seeing sense …
… not this time.
Out walking the garden where I am for now, Noosa hinterland, I noticed activity on the water’s surface.
A small creature, about 3/4 inch long, and it looks like an ant, or it’s a wasp, with those pointy mandibles.
It was in trouble, there is no way out of the middle of the pool so I gave it a hand. Lent it my stick to climb on.
And it didn’t hesitate, the need to survive overcoming any reaction to the sudden appearance of an alien presence.
Once in place it stopped a while to gather itself, wiping down the water, getting ready to launch back into nature.
No holding on to the experience as an emotional impression, no past to weigh her down, no problem.
© Mark Berkery ……. Click on those pictures for a closer look
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*This post is composed on a new computer that hasn’t been optimized for it. Just following established protocols, so differences to my usual may be apparent.
Golden
They can often be found on these flowers, always producing nectar for the little ones. Though it’s a dangerous passage to such bounty.
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Joining me at the table, a crumb or two to be had from the nearby giant, less dangerous too. As long as she knows her place is not on me.
Sharing a little goodness. Glad to see another who survived the perilous journey? We have much in common, if we could only see.
Happy little ant, no sign of danger about, well fed, just taking it easy. Not a single problem on its little mind, no ruminating on past pain.
After the climb up the sticky stem and something delicious to eat she takes the time for self-cleaning exercises. Intelligent little thing.
Wandering the byways of the wilden green the golden ant takes a morsel to keep it going. Doing what? Living, what else, as an ant.
If we could live as a body, without all the things we think we are, or are not – the notions and potions of mind, we would be doing as well as the ant.
No problem … Could we do better than to be without the madness of mind, as compulsive thinking, anger, fear and wanting?
Is there a ‘we’ can do that? Since ‘we’ presumes any plurality has a hope of ever being free.
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In times of difficulty ‘don’t judge the situation’, as a guiding mantra – will keep mind from running rampant.
And be the body as sensation, by focus of attention, through any thought or emotion that tries to rise.
That way what passes passes all the quicker and cleaner. As what passes always does.
© Mark Berkery ……. Click on those pictures for a closer look
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Morning Queen
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First light of the day is a good time to catch the wildlife unawares. They haven’t quite woken up yet, aren’t so active as when it warms up.
And first thing today there was an ant. A queen of her kind, Green Head kind. She must have taken flight at first light, I’d guess.
Her wings took her to an old lemon on a stake, where I couldn’t get a shot, so I helped her to the butterfly bush.
I thought she might slow down there and even take some nourishment from the little yellow cups.
And so she did, before some preening, then wandering off round the nearest leaves.
So I present to you, a queen of the morning …
© Mark Berkery ……. Click on those pictures for a closer look
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Travelling Ant
Out on my wandering in the local byways I often come across something unique, that I only ever see once.
As I was crossing this fallen – with a little help – fence I noticed there was an occupant of unusual character.
The ant, a kind I haven’t seen before, was using the fence line as a highway across the otherwise difficult terrain and appeared in no hurry.
It had been dry for a few days so I wet the line where the ant would pass and when they met it stopped to take a sip. Free moisture can be a rarity in the wild.
An ant might travel the equivalent of many miles for a drink, but not today. Manna from the sky, and it clearly enjoyed it, stopping to sip a while before resuming its journey.
I could wonder where that ant was going but I know already. It’s going home, if it’s not already there.
Small, instinctive, non self reflective mind.
© Mark Berkery ……. Click on those pictures for a closer look
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Watering The Ants
This nocturnal ant handicapped by the dented head.
Here in Oz the ant is in charge of turning the earth, as in other places it is the worm. That’s how it looks to me. Everywhere I look there are ants, always on the move, busy, busy, busy. They are better built for working the dry soil, with a little help from the occasional rain.
There are so many kinds of ant I have lost track, as if I was ever so inclined. Here are a few I invited to stop for a picture, by placing a drop of sugar-water along their path.
Every thing works its patch, you and me included. And everything needs the right kind of nourishment.
A little nectar is a passing heaven, to an ant.
Sensational …
© Mark Berkery ……. Click a picture for a closer look
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Treasure Ant
And a little treasure they are, caretakers of the dead, diggers of the soil. Indispensable pieces in the great Earth machine.
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It’s that time of season the only creatures around are ants, or so it seems. The passion fruit vine, with its highways and byways and the wonderful smell of exotic flowers is home to many kinds of ants, all patrolling for a bite to eat, a little nourishment. The only way to get a shot is to stop one and food does the trick.
I’ve watched an ant eat until it looked like bursting, its abdomen swelling to accommodate the liquid gold. A little honey stops an ant in its tracks, some feed until it can take no more, and off back to the nest it goes – I suspect – to share the treasure. Sometimes with an initial stagger from the unaccustomed weight and balance.
We do it too, with all the momentary treasures of a single lifetime, absorb and distil the essence to eventually radiate as our light or wisdom – after many years climbing around on the vine of experience, you may have noticed.
Whether the treasure is real or illusory, when it’s gone we move on, ever in search of the next de-light. Until the endlessness of the search is seen to be the grand delusion.
Then now is all there is, no loss or need to search, no ignorance nor despair. No need to experience any more, no need, no need.
Still, inside, there is the nourishment of the simple good, no thing, no form, no problem.
And the reality of the moment grows in focussed attention.
© Mark Berkery ……. Click the pix for a closer look
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Beyond The Rain
In the last week the daily temperature has gone from mid 30’s to mid 20’s (C) with the end to end cloud cover and rainfall over this part of the earth. Very comfortable, very wet. The plants love it too, after the scorching heat of the fiery summer sun.
Driving in the rain is not unlike the practise of being, having to look through the movement of form to see where I want to be, and stay on the road that works to get me there, instead of focussing on the splashing on the glass or thundering sound on the roof.
The trouble comes with distraction, to the focus of attention or intelligence, to the point where I become identified with what distracts and no longer see where I want to be.
If I am distracted enough by the rain it becomes all there is and I could end up drowning in it.
Recovery is always possible though, by focus on where I want to be – in clarity.
© Mark Berkery ……. Click any picture to enlarge in a new tab
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Nectar of The Gods
Amrit, ambrosial immortalising food of the gods, fit for an ant – for if there is a god it is surely in all things, without exception, or the creation is flawed. Notice any holes in the fabric of your universe lately? Well, let’s not go into that too much …
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It was Garuda, bird – king, who stole the Ambrosia of the gods in order to release himself and his mother from enslavement to the snakes – or snake energy. He had to perform impossible feats in order to do so. And so impressed with his character was Vishnu that he made Garuda free forever.
It’s an interesting myth from Indian lore. And like all myth it has truth behind it. He had to take it.
Have you performed impossible feats lately?
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A site that is good for some creatures can be enhanced for macro shooting by the addition of a source of food, as with the honey for the ant here. Nothing wrong with enhancing the scene if everyone concerned benefits.
A little nectar goes a long way.
© Mark Berkery … CLICK any picture to enlarge in a new tab …
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Nature's Place 
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