A Strange And Dramatic Dream

This morning, immediately before waking up, I dreamt that I was watching a magic performance.

 
The magician held up a life-size cardboard cutout of a dog, turned away from the audience for a moment, then turned back to face us with a real live dog.

Even as the audience was still applauding, the magician turned away and back again -- in his hand now was a human skeleton.  It was smoking.

The audience applauded even more enthusiastically, and I said to my companion (a composite figure of two of my coworkers) that the smoke was a fantastic touch.

The magician had one more trick up his sleeve though -- he turned away and back once again, and now the skeleton was in flames.

This reminds me of a dream I had a long time ago.  I was gingerly picking my way through a mine field.  The field was strewn with human skulls.  The skulls were bombs, and they were burning fiercely.

Beauty. And Earthworms

Number of worms rescued :  67

Head In A Fog

Fuzzy-headed thinker, that's me,

Moonstare

Wet Blue Bunny In The Parking Lot

More On Insubstantiality

A shadow and a paint stain, expressing a ghostly negation.

Oy

It drizzled throughout the night and early morning today.  In the parking lot at work I found a bunch of stranded worms, all within a short distance of each other.  I took them and duly deposited them in the wet earth, then on the way back to the office I came across a bunch more.  I took them and duly deposited them in the wet earth, then on the way back to the office I came across a bunch more.  I took them and duly deposited them in the wet earth, and thankfully on the way back this time I didn't encounter any more for the time being.  I think there were 14 in all, though I can't be certain.

EVEN I WAS A LITTLE SPOOKED BY THE BIG FAT ONE AND THE REALLY LONG ONE

 Number of earthworms rescued:  61

Another Favorite

I really like this one.  The way he eyes those unimpressive horns of his that he can neither show off nor get rid of -- with such emotion -- reminds me a little of me.  O.K., so he's old and gnarly.  But he is crotchety.  Like me.

A DWELLER IN ONE OF THE LESSER NARAKA

Another Rescued Worm

This one is actually from several days ago.  I forgot to upload it amidst all the holiday distractions.

Number of worms rescued:  47

2 Different Kinds Of Insubstantiality

A shadow contemplating a stain.

WISTFULNESS

Hole In The Head

More Iridescence At Year's End

PEEK-A-BOO!

Related Post:  Last Iridescent Cloud Photo Of 2010

2 Random Floating Objects

Related Post:  Rainy Day

Iridescence

The longed-for Sun

Incandescence

The Next Panorama

After The Rain

It rained in the early hours of the morning today, so the ground remained wet through most of the forenoon.  And on the wet ground there were these very beautiful things.

And of course, wet sidewalk means stranded worms.

When I come upon a worm that's lost out of the soil and in danger of drying out, my usual practice is to take it to a grassy area, dig a little depression in the moist earth with my finger, place the worm in it and lightly cover it up.  Until now, though, I did not know if that was the best way to help the worms;  this one assured me that I have been doing the correct thing all along -- as soon as it hit the earth it started to burrow in.

Number of worms rescued:  46

Disappearing Trick

Another disappearing pole!

Hummingbird In Winter

When I found out that hummingbirds hunt insects for a living (the nectar-drinking is just to fuel their blurry-fast wings) and that while some species migrate to warmer regions for the winter months, others winter in California, I was surprised and delighted.  Turns out, they are tough little predators!

Anyway, several days ago I happened upon a hummingbird in a tree while out on a walk and was able to take a shot of it before it flew off.  It was a rare treat because I had not seen any hummingbirds for months, and was not expecting to see any until next summer.  Then Monday evening I spent a good half-hour searching for the photo, but it proved maddeningly and mystifyingly elusive.

This afternoon as I walked again through the area where I took the shot I began to wish the creature would return for another take;  and Lo! -- like magic, a hummingbird zoomed in out of the blue and alighted on a branch of the tree directly in front of me.  Again, I had just enough time to take one shot.  So I guess this photo could well be posted under Synchronicity.

A Glut Of Flooded-Out Earthworms

The wet weather continued into Monday, and I was able to help 6 worms that had become lost in the parking lot at work.

Number of worms rescued:  45

A Dark Crown

Cold Light