Martin LaBar's photostream  

I'm going on hiatus. I don't expect to post any photos, or comment on yours, for a few weeks, after responding to today's comments.

God bless all of you at this time.

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him. Without him was not anything made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness hasn’t overcome it. (World English Bible, public domain)

Nandinas (Nandina domestica -- the genus name is also the common name, at least in this area) are ornamental bushes. The foliage (see below) turns red in autumn, and the ripe berries are also red, as you can see. We have a few of the plants around the buildings on our property. The berries are small, about as big around as the average pencil or ball point pen. I don't know if they are edible or not. Here's a photo, taken in January of a previous year, showing that some creature, probably a squirrel, tried to eat them, and apparently decided that they weren't good: www.flickr.com/photos/martinlabar/2312390050/

This photo was straight out of the camera, except for a crop. Larger sizes available. I uploaded the picture because red is the prominent color. Isn't God a great artist?

I know, the Christmas story gets a little mixed up -- the wise men almost certainly didn't get there while the shepherds were there, the wise men probably weren't kings, and we aren't sure how many of them there were, and Christ probably wasn't born in December, but it was, and is, great news! The Savior is born!

As I move toward going on a Christmastime hiatus, I thought I'd like to post another photo from our butterflyweed, Asclepias tuberosa, plants. This one features a bumblebee, with a well-filled pollen basket, collecting nectar, while a honeybee is coming in for a landing. We dug up a few of these plants, which grow wild in Upstate South Carolina, and elsewhere, and they have given us a lot of pleasure, both for their own beauty, and for the variety of insect life that visits them. See my Butterflyweed Set for more pictures, including a few butterflies:
www.flickr.com/photos/martinlabar/sets/72157605785474140/

Larger sizes available. Isn't God a great artist?

I guess that there's a more sophisticated name for these, but I don't know it, so "balls" will do. The long pointed objects remain. I believe that the groups of smaller objects, down among them, develop into the seeds, and, if all goes well, eventually leave. (See photo in my second comment, below.)

These two were hanging on a tree within walking distance of our home. The red one, in the first comment, was seen in Southern California, where they are widely used as ornamentals, because of the colorful fall foliage.

The balls are about an inch and a half/5 cm across. They just hang from the tree. They fall off, and are rather a challenge to rake up from a lawn.

I have a whole set of photos of this plant, showing leaves and flowers, as well as fruit: www.flickr.com/photos/martinlabar/sets/72157608673594480/

I also have a sweetgum gallery, photos by other Flickr members, which has, so far, gotten over 600 views: www.flickr.com/photos/martinlabar/galleries/7215762261699...

Larger sizes available. Isn't God a great artist?