“Up Around the Bend”
“You can ponder perpetual motion,
Fix your mind on a crystal day,
Always time for a good conversation,
There’s an ear for what you say
Come on the risin’ wind,
We’re goin’ up around the bend. “
– Creedence Clearwater Revival
As I considered this image, the words to the Creedance Clearwater Revival song came into my head and I could not shake them and thus, the title came to be.
It was simply chance that I looked over towards the goldenrod plant and noticed the ladybug as it made its way up the bent stem, here pausing at a leaf node, considering the best path to follow. I don’t imagine that it climbed the entire stalk, but rather, landed at some nearby point and began its short trek. Yet, this moment is subject to interpretation, is it not? We don’t know how far it has walked or when it will decide to fly off to the next plant. It remains a single moment to enjoy and ponder.
I had another surprise as I was editing the image. The day I made the image was one of those days of variable sun and cloud and when I look closely at the ladybug’s shell, I can see the sun and cloud reflecting on them. Something I had not noticed before.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 (272ENII)@90mm
1/250 sec, f/8.0 ISO 200
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I know they do tend to fly around quite a bit. So, good shot! I do see a reflection of the sky on the ladybug. Very cool.
Thank yiu
Perfect song for a wonderful shot!
Thank you
Good eye, Ed. Always fun to find the “extras” in photos once they’re on the computer. Learning to ID ladybugs seems to have become my informal summer project. A fascinating group of beetles. Just learned that Alberta has about 75 species. I can ID 3. (I’ve got a long ways to go.) I think you may have a seven-spot ladybug here, a non-native species from Europe & Asia introduced in the 1950s and ’60s.
Ha ha. That’s why I just called it a ‘ladybug’. I was not certain of the species.
They’re beautiful, whatever the name. The seven-spot is the first ladybug I was able to identify. After reading your post I checked it out again — author John Acorn says older seven-spots are dark red while newly emerged adults are more orange in colour. Thanks for sending me on the hunt. 🙂
Happy to help 🙂
🙂
Looked again for reflection as the tune to the song linked up with the words I’d just read. Fab!
Thank you