Today I learned

That hens and chicks have cubical bits. No, really. I have evidence. I was out, as I often am, capturing flowers in our garden as they go through their life cycle. I have a soft spot for the hens and chicks we rescued from someone putting in some new steps with extreme violence. The poor little plants were all torn up and would die soon, so we brought them home, Linda thinking they would die soon anyway. As if. They have prospered.

This flower is little, about the size of my thumbnail from the tips of the petals across to the tips on the opposite side. The spikes are easily visible, but the little spheres and cubes at the ends of the stalk are barely visible to my naked eye. Yet here, some of them are a cube, the rest are ovals. I have no idea why or if one transforms into the other. You might have to embiggen the second one to see the cubes. The first two were taken with the 100 mm lens with all the extension tubes.

And then I got out the big gun, thinking go small or go home. Or something. This is about 3.5x with the 65mm macro lens. It's not quite exactly cubical, so I'm not worried about it growing into a Borg spaceship, but still. (Hand held, no cropping, no artificial light.)

Since it was right next door you get a macro bonus. These are the tips of some petals on a something. Looks a little like a sunflower. Linda says they are Gazanias. (So I learned two things today, imagine that.)

Plus, lilies! I love this yellow. We've been working hard so far this year to keep the lily beetles under control, and so far, so good.

And lastly, a photo abstract for you. I'm pleased with it, since I'd envisioned the shot, then played with the camera to get it. This does not involve photoshop trickery, it looked much like this in camera.

Rock of the Day

Driftwood of the Day
This is the last of the Napier area beaches. Next it's off to the Mahia Peninsula.