Praying Mantis

This praying mantis was hanging out on the screen on the gazebo. He was straight above my head in the shadow of the roof overhang. Holding a 300mm lens straight up really takes all my concentration to keep the camera steady. I don't have a very steady hand. I'm not sure the tripod can point the camera straight up so I didn't get it out. I hope to see this praying mantis again in a location that's easier to photograph.

Tattoos

I love tattoos but I'd never be brave enough to get one. I have an aversion to needles. I don't even have my ears pierced. I wonder how people decide where to put the tattoo and then determine what it will be. I guess I'm as interested in the story behind the tattoo as much as the artistry in the tattoo itself. After I snapped this photo, I did a double take.

Cancer? Veteran? Birth defect? Accident? Now I wonder what the story is on both of his legs.

His friend had tats on her leg too but I could not get a clear shot. I'll be posting more photos of tattoos as I get them. Savor the details in life.

View from the Sidecar

On our way to the track last night, several things occurred to me:

1. Do not put ribbon magnets on the back of your car with super glue. Bad, very bad for your paint. It seemed like a good idea until you tried to take it off and it neatly peeled all the paint off your car leaving a permanent ribbon shape. I can only hope that it was a ribbon supporting the local automotive paint shop because that's where this guy needs to head to next.

2. When I took this photo, all I was thinking was, "what a gorgeous evening for a plane ride." But when I viewed it on the computer, the perspective of looking up at the plane, I immediately thought of the planes which crashed into the Trade Center? Those horrible 9/11 images are forever burned into our brains.

3. Talk about product placement - this sign was about a quarter mile from the drag track.