Monday in Nature Weekly Photo April 28, 2014

<p>Dandelions count as nature, don't they? The nice thing is I didn't feel guilty about picking it to get the shot.<br>

<img src="http://akgosdenphotos.smugmug.com/photos/i-89SqWpH/0/700x700/i-89SqWpH-700x700.jpg" alt="" /><br>

<strong>Samsung Galaxy S4</strong></p>

<p>Rockport, ME a few years ago</p><div></div>

<p>It seems that spring has happened very quickly this year. All the buds and early flowers appearing at once. This is just a leaf bud on one of the trees in our park.</p><div></div>

<p>Always a great set of images to look at on Mondays, or Tuesdays for those of us who forget on Monday. Mine is of a newly molted katydid. The pink color will change to a bright green as the new skin hardens.<br>

<a href="/photo/17750718&size=lg"><img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/17750718-md.jpg" alt="" width="680" height="451" /></a></p>

<p>that's pretty cool Siegfried, never seen one in that state before......nice catch</p>

<p>thanks Roberta.....couldn't get to the camera fast enough to catch the cardinal couple so i had to settle for the robin........:)</p>

<p>Thank you, Roberta!</p>

<p>Not all the honey bees have died of the Colony Decline Syndrome. Here's one working one of the later Spring wildflowers.<br>

<img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-gKHp3VfCn98/U1uo7yOaVtI/AAAAAAAACiA/vcPn3tWhDd0/s640/IMG_5029.JPG" alt="" /></p>

<p>Hope I'll be forgiven for posting a second picture, but just got through sorting and processing last weeks take...and THIS showed up. It is Chenier Coastal Plain Wildlife Refuge hdqtrs on Lake Anahuac in SE Texas. <br>

It is a very new (not yet completed visitor center. The 1/4 mile boardwalk takes you from a mixed forest habitat, then down into a cypress swamp (where this pic was taken) and finally through a fresh water marsh to the edge of Lake Anahuac. You cannot believe the number of critters you will see, nor the beauty of the place. If you go there take LOTS of extra SD's, and batteries. I think you cannot go ten feet without getting a dozen shots. This was done on the 25th of Apr.<br>

<img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Z-0MSgWhsFk/U1uo5nOrndI/AAAAAAAACh0/CgbR6hPclms/s640/IMG_5071.JPG" alt="" /></p>

<p>The weather in Yellowstone National Park has been beautiful the past several days with 60 degree highs. More clouds and snow would have been better for photography, but it sure was enjoyable to be wearing a short sleeve shirt rather than a down parka for a change!</p><div></div>