I enjoyed a very lovely stroll around the grounds of the Virginia Living Museum today, it had been a while since I was able to walk around the museum as a guest.  I walked around the museum with a friend and her young daughter,  it was a nice change to slow down and see the details we so often overlook in busy everyday life.  Here are a few of the images I took from this morning. Enjoy. 

"Surrender to what is, let go of what was, have faith in what will be" - Sonia Ricotti

Today's post is all about being in the RIGHT place at the RIGHT time.  Over the last week or so I have been doing some "research" on how to better use my Nikon D5100.  While I was sitting out in the backyard playing with buttons and nobs, this lovely butterfly decided to grace me with his presence.  I have found that butterfly/insect photography requires a LOT of patience and being in the RIGHT place at the RIGHT time.  We all have those moments when we see something that would be the PERFECT picture, but we don't have our cameras, or maybe you have the wrong lens on.. Maybe you were surfing the internet and came across other people's photographs and wonder why you can't take pictures like that.... in those moments its ok to feel frustrated, but it is never ok to think you are a bad photographer.  Taking amazing pictures comes with practice and more importantly good nature/animal photography comes with LOTS of patience and being willing to put in the time to wait for that perfect moment to happen for you... being in the right place at the right time. 

"It is impossible for the emotions arising from the sublime to be felt beyond what they are here; so beautiful an arch, so elevated, so light, and springing as it were up to heaven, the rapture of the spectator is really indescribable!" 

- Thomas Jefferson

Yesterday, the fam and I filed into the car and drove to Natural Bridge, Virginia.  If you have never been to the Natural Bridge, then you are unaware of the walk you have to take in order to reach the bridge and Lace Falls.  We walked down 137 steps to reach the bridge, 1500 yards to reach lace falls, 1500 yards BACK to the bridge, and 137 steps BACK to the butterfly house/gift shop.  And although 3000 yards may not sound like a lot to some of you, all we have been doing this week is walking up and down mountains... By time we got back to the gift shop, we were a BIT tired.  However, it is really not fair to complain, because the Natural Bridge was amazing.  You walk around the corner and its like BAM, twenty stories of solid rock, shaped into an arch.  As you walk toward the bridge, on the Cedar Creek Nature Trail, you are immersed in nature.  Cedar Creek runs the length of the trail, and as you walk the half mile to mile long trail toward Lace Falls, you encounter both plants and animals.  Below I have posted a photograph of myself in front of the Natural Bridge, and a photograph of Lace Falls. 

After completing the trail, we stopped by their indoor Butterfly house to look at some of the butterfly species they had on display. 

After the Natural Bridge and Butterfly House, we once again filed back into the car and drove the short drive to the Natural Bridge Caverns.  It wasn't a remarkably long trip, but it was still enjoyable to get out of the heat (it was freezing down in the caverns).  

We once again got BACK in the car, this time we drove over to Lexington, VA to see the campuses of Washington & Lee and VMI, both were beautiful, and I could definitely see why President Trible (graduate of Washington and Lee) has built up CNU in it's image, it is stunning.  

We grabbed a bite to eat and headed back up the mountain to our resort.  I have seen a number of DIFFERENT animals over the last few days, and wanted to share with you once more, the nature I have come across while in the Blue Ridge Mountains.  

Enjoy. 

Two Fawns, snacking on the Golf Course

Baby Goose

Moth. 

Blue-Tailed Skink

Northern Water Snake (I saw two different ones)

Daddy Long-Legs.

"If nothing ever changed, there'd be no butterflies" - unknown.

Some of the most challenging photographs that I have ever taken, are those of butterflies (and other flying insects).  For some reason, butterflies just DON'T stay put long enough to really get yourself into place.  Most of these photographs came out of pure luck, or in some cases, I had posted myself in one position for a good 30 minutes, and let them come to me, and I took their photo with a telephoto lens (zoom lens).  As the summer progresses, and more and more flowers bloom, I hope to work on capturing more of these illusive insects.  I hope you enjoy the images.