Fall Colors

Sunlight shining through fall leaves feels like a special gift from God to me.
I was visiting the mountains with my parents last weekend. I needed a break from the sterile, cold indoors of the anatomy lab and the lecture hall. I needed sunlight like a hawk needs to soar.
I told my parents that I was going to spend Saturday night sleeping in the backyard in the tent. They laughed at me and didn't believe me, because it gets cold at night and I'm not one to make myself unnecessarily uncomfortable. But I managed to make it through the night, mainly because my sleeping bag is fantastic and I got nice and toasty by my campfire. Didn't get a great night's rest, but I was too stubborn to come inside and it was nice listening to the wind in the trees and the owls.
I woke up early to bake brownies, make coffee and take pictures. This is the view from our porch.
We drove to Brasstown Bald, the tallest mountain in Georgia, and hiked the last half mile to the observation deck.

Time spent in nature makes me feel whole again, when all seems tired and old and broken.
My parents needed a break, too I think.

Cloudy day = first hint of fall?

My photo shoot for this week is at our little zoo, where I'm starting volunteer training. I couldn't resist being outside, this weekend is so beautiful.

I'm not used to it being so warm well into fall. We haven't had a cold day yet, even though it's sometimes cloudy. In Indiana I bet they're getting lots of rain and chilly wind...

Bear Hollow has a nice selection of native wildlife, but the animals weren't really into photo-ops today. This bald eagle was the exception. It must have very limited flight capabilities because its enclosure was open at the top and you could look down into it.

At one point, when I was at maximum zoom to get the face of a tortoise, this dad with his family told his kids to watch out for the "spy camera." Lol.

I thought of taking pictures of actual human beings, but I didn't get up the courage to ask anyone for permission and didn't want to be creepy. A self-portrait will have to suffice.

A weekend well spent.

I went to the aquarium the other day when I should have been studying Bacteriology.

The aquarium is pretty peaceful, if you can tune out all the people. It would actually be an awesome place to study if you didn't get kids running past you every five seconds telling their parents, "I'm a piranha. I'm from the Amazon!" (Finding Nemo style, with big toothy grins).

These are upside-down jellyfish. They have a symbiotic relationship with algae to acquire nutrients. They're pretty cool.

Lion fish are always worth seeing.

And my favorite, whale sharks! Friendly fish the size of a school bus -- oh how I love all of the crazy creatures on this planet. One day I'm going to scuba dive with them.