Painted Turtle On A Pond In Maine

Sunday, September 30, 2012,

Here are two shots of an Eastern Painted Turtle I found on a small pond in Boothbay Harbor, Maine. These turtles are beautiful wherever you find them. Those bright red and yellow stripes are just plain magnificent. Even the shell is “painted” wonderfully. These guys are native to Long Island as well as Maine, but I can never get enough of them. Such beautiful animals. Every time I see one, it’s a treat. JK   

JK

Beauty And The Bee

Saturday, August 11, 2012,

I was kayaking on a freshwater pond in Maine last week and managed to capture these shots of a bee visiting a water lily flower. I’m sorry that at this point I cannot tell you the specific species of water lily represented here or even if its native to the area. Apparently, many water lilies are invasives and have been planted for ornamental purposes. On the other hand, upon entering the state of Maine, there are signs asking boaters to be sure that their boats are clean and free of any plant matter from other areas or states. so Maine is a state that is concerned with its ecosystem and that, dear reader, is a very good thing. It’s good for Maine and good for all of us. There are way too many invasive species wreaking havoc across the country.

Wait a minute. We’re looking a pics of a flower, right? Let me step down from this soapbox and let’s enjoy some pollination on the pond. These are really pretty flowers, and anything that attracts bees these days can’t be a bad thing. All across the world, bees are disappearing at a rather alarming rate. Oh, crap. There I go again. Way too many soapboxes to stand on these days, especially for us nature lovers.

Lets get back on topic anyways, okay? Here’s another shot of the same bee visiting that same flower. Gosh, I love reflections. JK

 

JK