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Growing Up Alone

ingrid — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 23:47:44 +0000

photos ©ingridtaylar – email me for permissions First signs of spring at the Center for Urban Horticulture in Seattle. I posted a mini history of the Montlake-Fill-to-Union-Bay-Natural-Area transformation over at Seattleography.

Phases of Fennel

ingrid — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 06:48:09 +0000

The fragrance of fennel always takes me to Southern California . . . to the untamed hillside of my parents' home . . . years ago now . . . where she and my dad landed after a lifetime of soaking up maritime fog . . . [read the full post ...]

Never Underestimate a Cattail

ingrid — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 09:26:25 +0000

Today, I watched a Marsh Wren collect soft fibers from the head of a cattail -- and dive into the abyss of cattail leaves to build up a hidden nest. [read full post ...]

One Tree, Many Lives

ingrid — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 07:06:45 +0000

Every spring, the wood chipper shows up. One morning, Fargo-like, it just appears . . . always while I'm in my bathrobe, never after I've quaffed my caffeine . . . [read the full post ...]

Brave New Poppies . . . and David Lynch

ingrid — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 22:06:54 +0000

I appreciate spring this year. I didn't in 2009. Our California sod is parched from recent drought -- and the whimsy of a winter that flitted through last year felt like hope lost. [read the full post . . .]

A [Still] Golden Autumn

ingrid — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 07:51:43 +0000

I realize it’s still autumn. But does this look like December 5? Our trees are still crimson, gold and amber — attributed to minimal rain and a mild autumn. We’re bracing for a storm next week which might send these leaves tumbling. But for now, fall lingers just outside my door. These photos were taken [...]

Yellow Star Thistle and the Reticular Activating System

ingrid — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 06:55:09 +0000

Invasive plants and motivational seminars collide in my world. If you’ve ever attended a goal-generating seminar, you’ve probably heard the term Reticular Activating System (RAS) tossed around. It’s used in motivational circles to describe our physiological capacity to pay attention. The RAS is part of a large network in our nervous systems, controlling consciousness, sensory [...]

The Goldfinch and Thistle (A Pub With No Pints)

ingrid — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 00:59:25 +0000

The Bay Area has a thistle problem, but goldfinches weren’t complaining on our hike yesterday. As stated in this sign, there are earnest efforts to limit the spread of wild artichoke thistle which tends to push out native plants and grasslands. Invasive thistles are aggressive, using up water resources and messing with habitat for wildlife [...]

Bees and Their Fennel

ingrid — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 08:23:30 +0000

It never fails that fennel is the best medium for my bee photography -- even if it does render consistently yellow backdrops for my bee images...

Studies in Vagueness: Everyday Translucence

ingrid — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 08:14:35 +0000

I was filling up the compost pail and decided the items on my fridge deserved a photographic tribute for the good works they do.

The Art in Bull Kelp

ingrid — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 08:01:39 +0000

I never appreciated kelp until, 1) I first saw this particular monster of a kelp, and 2) I saw close-ups of kelp shot by better nature photographers than I -- capturing the golden palette of this gargantuan plant. [read the full post ...]

A Day in the Life of a Corpse Flower

ingrid — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 03:15:39 +0000

Well, more than a day actually . . . It’s supposed to smell like rotting flesh, hence the name. But during our visit with the corpse flower (Titan arum) at UC Berkeley Botanical Garden, the plant was nice enough not to pulsate and stink up the joint. The smells come in pulses, often more pungent [...]