[ultimate_heading alignment=”left” margin_design_tab_text=”” el_class=”album-description”]Everywhere we look, whether in the middle of a city or deep in the wilderness, the magic of Mother Nature can be seen!  This could be anything from insects on a lovely leaf, to a rocky  monolith rising from the ground.  Open your eyes to the beauty all around!  Magical ice crystals and shimmering droplets of water will eventually give way to geological wonders such as crystals and fossils, among others![/ultimate_heading]

Big Butterfly, Small Snake

While exploring a remote canyon, I heard a little "buzz" right beneath me.
Realizing it was coming from the boulder on which I was standing, I took a peek and was greeted by the first ridge-nosed rattlesnake I've encountered. Having been enchanted by these rattlesnakes for years, the introduction was beyond thrilling! While photographing this little beauty, a stunning Arizona sister butterfly landed two feet away from the snake and spread his/her wings. This was a truly magical moment!
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Stunning Snail

This beautiful snail was content to hang out and nibble on the delicious lichens while being photographed. Southern Arizona is home to the Sky Islands. These are high-elevation mountain ranges that house species entirely unique from the valley below. Every one of these so-called Sky Islands has a unique snail species inhabiting it's talus (loose, rocky terrain) slopes. SE Arizona.
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My Strong Arm

The tiny, fiddler crabs, strewn across the coastal forests of Carolina Beach State Park, had some very unusual theatrics. Males would stand next to their holes, waving dramatically at one-another. North Carolina.

Fiddler Crabs

The tiny, fiddler crabs, strewn across the coastal forests of Carolina Beach State Park, had some very unusual theatrics. Males would stand next to their holes, waving dramatically at one-another. North Carolina.

Ghost Crab

The beach was littered with these small, shy crabs (possibly ghost crabs if you're into taxonomy) and the more I watched them, the more I appreciated their antics. They would quickly scamper out of a burrow and frantically forage, wasting little time before darting back in. The less I moved, the less frantic they behaved and the longer I sat on the beach, watching and journaling, the closer they encroached. Puerto Jimenez, Costa Rica.

Ice Crystals

A close-up shot of some delicate ice crystals. Although I did marginally increase the contrast, the blue coloration was an entirely natural part of the scene that I encountered. Photographed near Lewisburg, PA, USA.
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Millipede Jungle

A pair of cherry-foot millipedes getting a bit frisky on the forest floor. Unlike the terrifying predators we call centipedes, millipedes are slow and bumbling with far more legs. Millipedes make a wonderful clean-up crew as they patrol the forest floor, consuming rotten wood and dead creatures / vegetation. Tall Timbers State Park, PA, USA.
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Mating Millipedes

Such close proximity to copulating creatures might be considered voyeuristic. A fascinating and, at first glance, trippy picture to decipher! Curi-Cancha Reserve, Costa Rica.

Microcosm

A jumping spider, a beetle, and who knows what else just acting out their little lives on this shriveled-up leaf. Mt. Lemmon, AZ, USA.
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Towering Trees

Monstrous sequoias tower above their forest floor. Sequoias tend to be the largest trees in North America. They can reach thousands of years old and are naturally fire-resistant, a necessity for life in the Pacific Northwest. Montgomery Woods State Park, CA.
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Community Living

Look closely at these heliconia flowers and you may notice all manner of life taking up residence! Welcome to the jungle! Golfito, Costa Rica.

Dew Droplets

This “super-macro” photograph depicts tiny dew drops covering a small spider web. The silk of the web was so fine that, even at this level of magnification, it can’t be seen. Photo taken in Loyalsock State Forest, PA, USA.
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