High Atop A Roadcut…

…along the road to Zoar, I spied a bloom of columbines, glinting redly in the afternoon sun.

“Yeah,” I thought. “I want pictures of that!”

So home I flew and back, returning with an extension ladder. Ten minutes of relocating roadside rocks created a space where I could pull The Runtmobile in tight to the schist escarpment, close enough to erect the extension ladder on my roof-rack. Then, with my camera and trick tripod slung over my shoulder, I approached my prey.

It was a feat nearly worthy of Cirque Du Soleil, OSHA Unapproved, complete with a cameo appearance by our local Officer Obie (whom I dazzled with bulllshit and sent packing, shaking his head and muttering audibly as he drove away.)

The day’s haul included a handful of shots of reds, the best of which was this one:

And this close-up of a much less common white columbine:

Unfortunately a stiff breeze foiled my attempts at nice, crisp images, and most of the rest of the shots were junk.

Oh, except for this cute little heart of a leaf, less than an eighth of an inch across:

I’m pretty sure it’s a baby columbine seedling. But regardless, it was low and stout enough to stand still for me while Mom and Dad cavorted in the breeze.

Thanks, Little Feller!