What did you get up to today?

[Hannie]

So pretty, are these edible?

[Mhayes]

Hi Everyone,

Been under the weather for about a month after returning from a vacation in Alaska. Now that I'm back to feeling better here is a macro shot I took yesterday of a honeybee on a purple cone flower in our back yard.


 

[Shadow]

Gorgeous Candy!

[Shadow]

Sorry you've had a rough go of it Margie. Glad to see you back! Great shot!

[Lynnya]

Lovely Margie, glad you are feeling better.

[philbach]

Very Nice Margie.  Thanks.

[Candice]

That's beautiful, Margie.  I'm also glad that you're on the mend!

[schen]

We had a vacation in Mexico City in May. We ate lunch at Chef Elena Reygadas' Rosetta Restaurant. She was named The World's Best Female Chef 2023. We had pork chops with Chicatana sauce. The main ingredient of the sauce was Chicatana ants which usually feed on the Purslane plant. The dish was garnished with sprigs of Purslane.

[Mhayes]

Thanks Everyone, it is so great to be back to normal--as in health, not mental state.

Schen, what a lovely photo and it looks so yummy!

[schen]

Last week was National Moth Week. Due to logistic issues, we held our moth observation last Monday. The night air was warm and stale, just the kind of weather moths love.




Earlier this year in May, we had an observation with fewer moths showing up. But one of them was stunning.

[Mhayes]

Great shots Schen, but really love the white one. Were you using a macro lens?

I overlooked your dish by Chef Elena Reygadas' of Rosetta Restaurant. Was it hard to get into her restaurant? Very interesting about the ants.

[schen]

Forty-five years ago, I had a 24-hour layover in Tokyo. My sister gave me a couple hundred dollars worth of Japanese money and I spent it all on a 55mm lens that would focus down to 2:1. I used it for the picture of the white moth. It was a real pain to use a manual-focus lens on a moving subject. We hang a white sheet and shine various wavelengths of light on the sheet. The moths will rest on the sheet. We wait for them to stop moving but when the wind blows, the sheet moves! After a laborious evening in May, I bought a used 60mm micro lens with autofocus for $130 which I used last Monday. It made the job so much easier. It was so easy that I took 400 photos of moths in a couple of hours. I am still doing selection and postprocessing and only finished a third of them so far.

This one was taken with a white background and the moth didn't look as mean as the other.




My son and daughter-in-law planned the trip to Mexico City. I was told it was difficult to make reservations but they scored one at the opening time for lunch. We were having too much fun at the Museum of Anthropology in the morning. By the time we left the museum, we were late for the reservation. Kids were disappointed but I suggested that we still give it a try. When we arrived at the restaurant, the hostess still held the reservation for us.

[Mhayes]

Schen, what great shots and I love the one of you in the restaurant. That is great that you didn't miss your chance after being late. I love taking macro shots. Interesting about the white sheet.
 

[schen]

I love macros! Didn't mean to catch them in the act. With my old eyes, I only saw one when I took the picture.

Macro photography is getting more challenging as my eyes age. Due to the shallow depth of field, auto-focus often does not focus on the right place.

[Hannie]

Beautiful (if somewhat naughty)shot Shujen, you are having a lot of fun with the macro lens!
Very interesting meal you had at the Rosetta Restaurant, I have a feeling ants are healthy and good for joints etc.  I love purslane.