Author: Brenda Clements Jones

Brenda is a certified Virginia Master Naturalist, a Habitat Defender for Shenandoah National Park, and a devoted fan of Mother Nature. She lives in a cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Shenandoah National Park, and hikes up to the higher elevations of her mountain often to see what nature is up to. Her constant hiking companion is a camera that captures nature as it unfolds through the seasons. It’s her goal to share the natural world around her through her photographs.

Carrion Beetle

American Carrion Beetle (Necrophila americana). Beetles that do good things for our environment. They’re able to smell decaying flesh from a long distance and automatically take off for a next meal. They eat rotting flesh of dead animals which gives them the name of decomposer. They’ll also eat insect larvae feeding on decaying animals which they themselves are working to consume. They on occasion will eat fungi and rotting fruit.

These Carrion Beetles live in United States and southern Canada, east of the Rocky Mountains. Most adults are about 1.2 inches. Pretty large.

Independent Leaflets

As days get shorter some leaves take that as a signal and stop making chlorophyl. That chlorophyll is what gives the leaves their green color, and what is left in those leaves will break down. The green fades and disappears. Yellow, orange, and red colors left in the leaves and now uncovered, become visible.

This is a leaf of Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) with its five leaflets, which seem to be showing their independence, doing their own thing, and creating a fun look of red and green.

Even now, autumn is creeping up on us.

Soon Autumn

Autumn is sneaking up on us. Slowly creeping. It starts in late June when the leaves of Flowering Dogwood begin to let a bit of red seep into the green. Not enough that anyone notices. Anyone except the ones that are tuned into such things. I notice it every year. And now, some of those Dogwood trees have berries that are red. Announcing serious intentions. Autumn is on its way.

Not Red-spotted but Orange-spotted

Such a bewitching butterfly, but aren’t they all! Red-spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis). Not the most beautiful of diets though. Tree sap, rotting fruit, dung, carrion and on occasion, nectar. And what about those spots? Obviously not named by a student of color.

Found in the eastern United States, from the Gulf Coast to southern Canada. So glad it’s in my neck of the woods.

More Orange

Many more photos of orange call to me. Here are a few more.

Orange cars may be unusual but back when this was ours, they were even more unusual. At least that seemed to be the case. Here it is, complete with bear paw prints on its hood. We live in bear country after all. A car that I gave the name of Jack, as in Jack-O-Lantern.

An orange, and orange zest. Waiting to become part of cranberry sauce with Grand Marnier.

An orange orchid. One of Mom’s orchids. A flower that she loves and delights in living where they are so easy to grow.

And last but not least, a caterpillar that looks as if it is dressed for Halloween. Milkweed Tussock Moth Caterpillar (Euchaetes egle). Black, white and orange, a perfect costume. These caterpillars will eat leaves of Milkweed plants (with the exception of the veins) but they prefer older plants, while Monarch Butterflies which depend on Milkweed plants, prefer younger growth. A perfect situation.

Orange, one super color, even for cars.

The Color Orange

Okay Gary, here ya go!

Orange might mean, might represent, might bring, might suggest, joy, warmth, heat, sunshine, enthusiasm, creativity, success, encouragement, change, determination, health, stimulation, happiness, fun, enjoyment, balance, sexuality, freedom, expression, and fascination.

Lincoln National Forest is an area of 1.1 million acres. A forest region including Ruidoso Valley, Cloudcroft and Carlsbad. Located throughout the southern Rocky Mountains of New Mexico. Near and dear to my heart.

Chicken of the Woods (Laetiporus sulphureus). A species of bracket fungus found in Europe and eastern North America. It grows on standing, or fallen, dying oak trees.

Orange Day-lily (Hemerocallis fulva). Native to Asia. A plant that grew along the road, out in the country (or so it seemed back then) leading to a little house in Sellersville, Pennsylvania, where my, dear to me, Aunt, Uncle and three cousins lived. A house where I would spend time each summer, learning to create, learning about nature, learning how special cousins can be.

And the ultimate orange object (with perhaps the exception of an orange car). A pumpkin. And this pumpkin has something that is always needed on a pumpkin. A handle. Also known as a stem. And if that stem is twisted, all the better.

Orange. A magnificent color. The brighter the better.

Visit From The Turkey Family

Some of my neighbors are Turkeys, Wild Turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo). And twelve of them dropped by to say, “Hello,” this morning before I headed to my yoga class. More than likely this is a mother Turkey and eleven of her “little” ones, or poults. Males don’t participate in raising their young, but females are devoted Moms. Turkeys roost in trees and the poults learn to fly, and are able to roost during the night after just eight to fourteen days.

There have been sightings of a Turkey family several times during the past many weeks up here. I’m wondering if it has been this family each time.