Nature's Morbid Sense of Humor

At the beginning of September, after waiting all summer for them to appear, my red morning glories finally bloomed.  I enjoyed their beauty for two weeks and could not refrain from taking a tremendous number of pictures.  While I am still a fan of film, I am deeply grateful for my digital SLR and my macro lens.  Of the 50 shots I took I chose and titled about a dozen.  I could not have afforded to do this by conventional methods as I lack the training necessary to keep unnecessary waste to a minimum.  Here is one of my favorites:

I am drawn by the intensity of the color and texture of these flowers.  Their vibrant explosion of color and the delicate nature of their form amazes me.  Morning glories are among my favorites because of this.  They make my mouth water with desire for their luscious beauty and my heart fill at the tenacity of their vines climbing ever higher.  It is nearly impossible to untangle the twining tendrils that twist around any available string, twig, and wire, invading and taking advantage of every crack, crevice, and fissure to move toward the light and warmth of the sun.  They inspire me in this way.

So I take time and allow them to guide my creative need in a different way.  I follow my eye as it sifts through their world, peering at close distance through my lens, invading their space in order to capture an essence I can never hope to actually be.

And as I go along I see things I hadn't noticed before -  ants deep inside the flower gathering nectar, the way a spider has connected the flowers with a fine silk thread, how the vines encapsulate the netting I have given them to climb, the fine hairs that cover the leaves and stems, the nearly crystalline nature of the flower petals - all of it making me feel blessed to have stopped to see it.  Really see it.  And appreciate it.  And keep it, this wondrous, beautiful, peaceful, blessed moment.  And then I step back and take one more look and I am caught by the deranged joke Nature has crafted on my front light using my beautiful morning glories and their innocent nature.  Growing there in the warm, nurturing sunshine I find this...

The lovliest hangman's noose I think I have ever seen.  What a morbid sense of humor Nature has.

~ Peace and, well, let's just say that I suggest you mind your Ps and Qs.  Nature, apparently, is watching.