Toad Tuesday? Ok! (Original Photography)

Howdy!

It's hot again, and the mosquitos have returned in force. Walking to the river at Minneopa State Park, near Mankato, MN (USA), I was fending off the blood-thirsty squadron of winged insects and did manage to neutralize half a dozen.

Then, I noticed this little guy, doing his part to stop the 'skeeters.

^{"I'm a leaf. You can't see me..."}
If he hadn't decided I wanted to eat him and hopped a couple times, I wouldn't have seen him at all. He must have decided remaining still was the best option, next. I was able to get my macro lens out, change settings, and almost poke him in the nose with it for the portrait shot.

^{Deep Roots}
Of course, it's #treetuesday, and here is my contribution. The roots, clinging tightly to sandstone boulders, caught my eye. The natural framing made it interesting. Balancing on the edge of a six-foot drop made it tricky!

^{Natural Redheads}
I did, eventually, see some birds in a dead tree. The earlier flooding left this one in the middle of the river, and these rather interesting dinosaur-descendants were resting up. I'm not sure what kind of birds they are, but they were diving for small fish. Is it just me, or do they look slick and aerodynamic?

After a few photos and a lot of mosquito bites, it was time to head back into town. I snapped this photo of the corn on the way out. The tassels look good, an indication that the crop has gotten plenty of moisture.

^{Very Veggie View}
Back in my apartment, and ready to process images, I opened my laptop... and heard an awful CRACK! A couple weeks ago, the right hinge broke and needed repair. The left has followed suit! Hopefully, I'll be able to cobble it back together with epoxy. I can't afford to replace it as a graduate student.

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