5/52 Freeze-Dried Mystery

Photo of the Week series: Every Sunday in 2012 I will either share a photo from my archives or something new I just can’t wait to get feedback on for future art shows/exhibits.

I woke early yesterday to about a half inch of snow cover. By mid-morning the sun was thawing the tree that has grown attached to my dusk to dawn light pole. Its glistening branches caught my eye so I snapped a few quick photos before the ice melted. A closer examination revealed several baby pea-size, freeze-dried berries still dangling precariously from the branches; most had split open to scatter their seeds to the ground. I am pretty sure these burnt-orange pods were once bright red. I did not have time to thoroughly search the Internet, so the tree and its possibly forbidden fruit remains a mystery for now.

Blogger participation: My hope is to receive enough input on each week’s photo to later post a Bloggers’ Choice of the Month and wrap up 2012 with a Bloggers’ Choice of the Year.

Advertisement

Wednesday Word on the Street: Watch out for Weirdos

Trees, that is.

This post is a heads up to my followers Dezra Despain and Rob Slaven and other Indiana photogs who may be reading my blog and/or this news release for the first time.

The Word on the Street:

The Indiana Department of Natural Resources Forestry division seeks submissions for the 2012 “Invasion of the Weird Trees,” its online publication that identifies the weirdest tree for each county.

The DNR updates this publication every four years, so the photo op is now! Search your archives or your favorite Hoosier treescape. Deadline for entries is April 30.

District foresters will narrow the field to the weirdest tree for each county and the publication should be available online in the fall.

Your submissions can be any species and size. The DNR only requires that they be weird.

The tree here is from my archives, but after viewing the pdf below, I think I’ll keep looking.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Past entries have included a species that swallowed a sign, two grown together like conjoined twins, a tree trunk twisted like a snail shell, one that resembles a giant octopus and trees with root systems that appear they might run away.

The current “Invasion” can be viewed at www.in.gov/dnr/forestry/files/fo-InvasionWeirdTrees_2008.pdf

At the end, the document issues the following WARNING:

We know there are more weird trees out there. We advise you to always take the following precautions:
1. Never go to the woods without a camera
2. Be sure to have plenty of film (or disc space and battery power if shooting digital)
DO NOT BE CAUGHT IN THE WOODS UNPREPARED!

How to submit: Send at least two non-returnable photographs to Sam Carman, DNR Division of Forestry, 402 W. Washington, Rm. W296, Indianapolis, IN 46204. Digital photos should be emailed to scarman@dnr.IN.gov. Along with the photos, be sure to include your name, address, phone number, and the specific location of the tree, including county.

Happy hunting. And when you find the perfect submission, remember, even weird freaks of nature need a hug!