Pitcher plants in Oregon, green but deadly

These pitcher plants that we found in the Kalmiopsis Wilderness in Oregon, are insect-eating plants. The insect crawls into the opening at the top to follow the scent to the inside of the tube, but downward-projecting hairs and a slippery surface cause the insect to be trapped inside. When it falls into the liquid inside the tube, it dies and is digested. The plant benefits from the extra nutrients. The pitcher plant tends to grow on nutrient-poor soil, so the extra nutrition gives it the chance to in places where poor soil might prevent it.

We backpacked into the Kalmiopsis Wilderness to look for and photograph the rare Kalmiopsis flower, but found many other interesting plants, too.

Remember, it's not just a picture, it's a story!

Yosemite Falls and the Lost Arrow, Yosemite National Park

From this view along the Four Mile Trail, you can see almost all of Yosemite Falls, the Lost Arrow (to the right of the falls), the Merced River below, and parts of the trail that leads to the top of the falls. You can see that trail by basically starting at the middle of the left edge of the frame, following the line of trees that leads from the ledge up to the rounded top of granite to the left of the falls on the granite ridge.

ISO 100, f8, 1/180, 37mm focal length, taken during February, 2014.

Remember, it's not just a picture, it's a story!

Half Dome at sunset in Yosemite Valley

Sunset at Yosemite Valley with the magnificent Half Dome as the main subject. There's North Dome at the left in this view. We've posted a photo of Half Dome as seen from the top of North Dome in an earlier section of our blog. We've been to the top of Half Dome three times, and Rick has been to the top of North Dome twice. One thing about the angle that Half Dome's face has in relation to the sun is that it is very often in shadow in the morning and isn't fully lit until the afternoon. There are now people hiking to the top of Half Dome at all hours of the day. We've met people started their hike to the top of Half Dome late at night because they wanted to witness the sunrise from the top the next morning.

Camera settings were 1/125 sec. f/5.6, ISO 100, 32 mm focal length.

Remember, it's not just a picture, it's a story!