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Maybe it’s just me, but something about these branches and wood reminded me of fish—hiding behind some branches extending into the water—is the imagery I get when you see it from a distance. The longnose gar is what comes to mind—I think they’re adorable 🥰 But if you focus on the “face,” it looks a bit like a snapping turtle, too.

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I went to Tangier Island, located off of the Chesapeake Bay, recently and here are some photos from my visit.

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Came wandering over to where my co-worker and I were sitting.

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Went walking at a different local park and found out that big bird species don’t come here, which is kind of disappointing. There are smaller bird species inside the forested areas, squirrels, and you can hear the cicadas. If you want some variety between big and small birds, you might have to opt-out of that as a birder.

However, this section of the lake is kind of cute because it reminds me of those heart-shaped jam-centered cookies ♥️

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This nerd (yep, every one of mother nature’s babies are all nerds to me) has managed to elude me for nearly 3 weeks when it’s fishing or resting in the woods between the park and neighborhood! And what I witnessed today just confirmed my suspicions on just how smart it is when it wants to avoid being seen in this little area of the park.

Right when I was at the edge of the bridge, just off to the side (slightly hidden behind some trees to avoid getting caught): this lady came up to cross the bridge. Beforehand, this egret heard all this conversation coming towards its direction. So it started heading towards the tree with low-hanging leaves to camouflage itself as best as it can! So while I see this lady pass by and off the bridge, it cautiously waits for a minute or so before coming out of hiding and goes back to fishing again further down the woods and away from people.

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26 JUNE 2025: Green heron fishing early in the morning while the other herons aren’t in the area. Spotted at my local park.

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If y’all are spending time out there in the sun this week, be sure to stay hydrated. These little babies know what to do.

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In space they don't fight.

They don't hurl nukes, even though there's more energy up there than we'll ever have on earth. Bombs more powerful than we can comprehend - but they're bombs of creation, explosions of life. The universe realizes we can't be created or destroyed, so why bother trying to kill?

In space it's a matter of science - science we might not comprehend yet, but logic and reason nonetheless. The random smattering of gasses exist on their own, or work together to create something new and beautiful. There's no ego in space, no insecurity, no need to prove yourself- you just exist in perfect balance with your surroundings.

As I arose like the rest of you did this past week, hearing the news that once again my tax dollars are being used to kill my neighbors, I was reminded of Carl Sagan's quote from "The Pale Blue Dot".

"It has been said that astronomy is a humbling and character-building experience. There is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world. To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another, and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we've ever known."

I hope one day we as a society choose to follow Carl's words - we choose violence, and it's a choice we don't have to make.

-Mark

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Wild flowers from the carrot family.

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American trumpet vine. There was a severe thunderstorm the night before this photograph; I couldn’t help but re-take it. The one I had prior was a day before the rain.

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I have no idea why my own Insta won’t let me share my stuff over here, but I can share other people’s ☹️

Anyway, my co-worker and I were walking along the path on the way back to our cars and happened to run into her favorite bird. I was having to shush her a bit since her voice carries over, but I managed to get its photo—just for her. The egret that normally follows it wasn’t there; they were fighting so loudly the previous day that you had to be there to see/hear them going at it!

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Brown-headed nuthatch at my local park. I hope to get a better photo of these little birds. They were practically killing my shoulders today (I had my backpack with me and my camera was on a monopod I intend to use during a separate outing sometime in the future).

They are cute though 💛

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Relatable. Some of the things going on in my life right now is definitely not in a good place. I think coming back to Tumblr to share my thoughts is a good place to start. I share things over on my other social media, but my thoughts there aren’t always as well-thought out. Comments and thoughts aren’t necessarily needed, but if you are here to read a little. Thank you for stopping by.

Insta? I post there, but I feel like I’m overwhelming my followers with more posts than they’re used to, coming from me.

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I almost stepped on this poor little one at my local park today (the one in the taller grass). Its sibling was screaming at the top of its lungs while it sat on the muddy ground a little further away than where this baby was.

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Something I didn't really take to heart is how it really is more "acquiring data" than it is taking pictures. The more exposures I was able to stack, the more richly colored and detailed the milky way became. I still want to start screwing around with calibration frames next time, but for now I'm pretty happy with this.

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I love the colors in this photo. It’s very calming and peaceful overall.

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Persian Silk Tree found at my local park.

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"I'm a duck. You're a sheep. We can make it work" ⚘️