Faith in a Seed, 2

I used this titled prematurely on my July 12 post. I'm using it again today because, with very limited time on my hands, I tried to get some good photos of plants "going to seed." To me, seed pods and seeds are often an extraordinary and beautiful part of a plant's life cycle, yet the phrase "going to seed" has negative connotations - such as when you forget to pick your lettuce on time. I made several quick roadside stops to photograph seeds and seed pods, stumbled across a beautiful katydid, and rushed home to other duties. On the way home, while driving the speed limit, I saw ravens, meadowlarks, a kingfisher, and a large group of vultures on the ground. I had to pass by all these photo ops in the interest of time, but mentioning them here will help me retain the memory of them. I wish I had the luxury of just waiting a long time in one of these great birding spots and journaling with my camera at the ready. I have selected the photos I'll add here this evening [added at 7:00 p.m.], including one of the katydid. This coming week, at least one of my nature hikes will be devoted to seeds and mechanisms of plant dispersal.