Alone in the Forest

Marty CohenCalifornia, Carmel Valley, Landscape, Trees, U.S.8 Comments

After the recent heavy rains, the ground in Carmel Valley has been well saturated. This, plus the cool temperatures has given rise to wild mushrooms or different varieties. We live within what one might call an Oak Tree forest. This mushroom was growing, alone, on the hillside behind our house. It caught my attention because it was lone and because … Read More

AH NUTS!

Marty CohenCalifornia, Carmel Valley, Carmel Valley Ranch, Trees7 Comments

  Ok, this post isn’t really about the poisonous nut that falls from the Native California Buckeye trees around where we live. It’s about how I tried to photograph the Lunar Eclipse last night and was thwarted by the fog. Yesterday afternoon, I set up my tripod, Canon 6D camera, telephoto lens and cable release in preparation. My plan was … Read More

Fork-Tailed Bush Katydid

Marty CohenCarmel Valley, Carmel Valley Ranch, insects7 Comments

This is an iPhone 6 photograph of this beautifully green colored Fork-Tailed Bush Katydid, Scudderia cuneata (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae). They are a similar species to the short-horned grasshopper and are widespread in the eastern and southeastern United States. They’re also found in California, Maine and Texas. They are native to the U.S. They resemble grasshoppers but their rear legs are long … Read More