i still find this a most intriguing subject to photograph

Belated birthday wishes to countrygirl

Happy Birthday, Countrygirl!! Time marches on ... the sun rises the sun sets ... seconds to minutes to days to weeks to months to years ... each for you to decide what you wish to make of it. Decide to be happy.

illumination

muahahaha ... this is what happens when you have Hurricane Evelyn at home.

Mother Nature's goblet

my heart sighs at its beauty

Pray tell what this might be ...

It's a sea-star, actually. Isn't it beautiful up close?

My Girl

There was a dream. Determination. 6 years of hard work in a strange far off country ... leaving home, family and all that is familiar.
Congratulations, Girl ... I'm so proud of you.

Chilling out ...

A cup of hot coffee by the stream ...

Booties taking a rest while its occupants were soaking in the cold water ...

Good time out with good friends ... immensely satisfying for the soul

pleasant surprise

we were driving 'aimlessly' along country roads and were rewarded with this beautiful surprise

From a different point of view ...

`Looking at 'shrooms from a different angle. Madwag, these are for you.

Happy Labour Day!!

This was my reward for rising early on a public holiday. Happy Labour Day, everyone.

This cute little thing has really long feelers!

I want to see!!

The latest baby in the family. This is the realisation of a dream from a long time ago.

Don't you wish you can soak in this??

Kuala Lumpur city

For my friends from other parts of the world, this is a Hawk's eye-view of Kuala Lumpur city where I work.


Another view of the city.

The LadyHawk's nest

Gong Xi Fa Cai 2008

Gong Xi Fa Cai to all my friends. Happy Chinese New Year. Wishing each and every one of you good health and happiness.

There was a bird .. a hip hop hoppin' ...



I see you!

You look up and there was the blue blue sky ...

There is beauty in the simple things ...

Rafflesia cantleyi

My latest trek to see the Rafflesia cantleyi in Ulu Geroh gave me an opportunity to photograph the various stages of this beautiful and fascinating flower - from bud to decline. My finger/hand had been placed near to the flower for size comparison. And in case there are some over enthusiastic people out there who may be getting ready to bombard me with their "holier-than-thou" attitudes, at no time did my finger or hand touch the flower.

This is the bud-stage. It takes 9 months to journey from bud to bloom.


A bigger bud.




Almost ready to bloom.


The beautiful flower.


Size comparison.


The beautiful Rafflesia cantleyi.


This is what the inside of the Rafflesia looks like.


The Rafflesia, as seen from the trek.


The bloom starts to wither after 3 - 4 days. This is the sad decline.

Happy Birthday Countrygirl!!!

Sandra ... I'm looking for Sandra!! I have an important message to give her. I'm here to wish Sandra a very Happy Birthday with lots of love and hugs and sunshine from LadyHawk in Malaysia. May your special day be filled with love and joy and laughter.
p/s I have to deliver this message early due to unforeseen circumstances so please don't peek at this until 30 December (or at least pretend you did not see it till then).

May the most valuable gift you receive this Christmas be found not in a box, but in the hearts of those you love and who love you. A Blessed Christmas to all my friends, both near and far, who bring so much joy and love into my life. May your days be always filled with the glow of love, joy and laughter and may you keep growing. Have a fabulous New Year and many happy memories to look back upon to warm your heart.

... a shrooming we will go ....

Old is gold

All things are but fleeting moments in our lives. Appreciate them for they are soon no more.

shrooms!!

size comparison

if we take time to see

the home ...

the resident ...

Nature's designs are gorgeous

Mother Nature's amazing show

The following sequence of photos are to share with you the beautiful changing scene of the late evening as we were travelling home after a trip ... all within the space of about 1 1/2 hours.



rain in the distance








this image is blur as we were travelling at some speed but I loved the intense colour and contrast so much that I think you will forgive the lack of sharpness

Peacock flower

Caesalpinia pulcherrima aka Peacock flower. I am always delighted when I come across the Peacock flower because it is part of my childhood. I studied the Peacock flower in Biology drawing all the parts of the flower.

the big and the small of it

atlas moth

Lol .. you people know your insects!! Yes, it is a moth's antennae. More specifically, they belong to a beautiful atlas moth.

Pray tell what this might be ...

bamboo - grace, strength, resilience

Don't mess with Mother Nature

Mother Nature can be fabulous but don't mess with her as she can be vicious!!

for Countrygirl ...

Countrygirl, may you find the strength to soar above your troubles on the wings of the raptors ...


and be at peace with yourself at the end of every day

Happy Birthday Divemuster

Happy Birthday, Divemuster. May you have everything your heart desires ... L-series lens ... hahaha. May you cross many more streams, stand under lots more waterfalls, stalk more damsels and dragonflies, squint at more fungi and mushrooms, shoot more spiders and moths and butterflies, climb more mountains, soar with more raptors and be filled always with all that you love.

Happy Birthday Madwag .. this post is for you

may your days be as varied and intriguing as these fungi ... as beautiful ... as precious ... and as well-loved

each wave coming ashore brings gold from the setting sun ...

Pray tell what this might be ...

... it is the underside of a beautiful fungus!!

A little visit

We were blessed with a little visit by a little bird today. We don't know why this gorgeous creature came into our lives but we do not need a reason to feel blessed.

Mother Nature gives us her love ... why can't people love her back?

the hunters ...


... and the hunted ...

Paradise beyond ...

This is the third time I have been back to this paradise but this sight still fills my heart with utter delight and we still find new and amazing gifts to shoot (with our cameras!) and share with our friends.

I walked to my kitchen to get a drink 20 minutes ago and this is what greeted me when I glanced out of my dining room window. Absolutely gorgeous!

my indulgence

This is my on-the-spur-of-the-moment impulsive indulgence. It is a bench made out of wooden railway sleepers - rock solid and a super heavyweight. This is a family heirloom that I am passing down ... I hope the generations to come will love it as I do.

do you see what i see?

There's more than meets the eye

Parkia speciosa

Learnt something new ... this is the flower of the petai plant Parkia speciosa

Introducing the other members of the G Hopper family

Mr Tiny G

Moggie said this must be the tiniest grasshopper he has ever seen.

Size comparison against my finger.

Icebow

Icebows are similar to rainbows but are formed by refraction of sunlight through cloud suspended ice crystals as opposed to raindrops or other liquid water suspended in the air. The absence of the "rainbow" colours is because the diffraction is through a specific face of the hexagonal ice crystal, which only gives rise to one color. This photo was taken at 11:19 a.m. on Sunday, 8 August 2007 in Ulu Geroh.

aranocide

WARNING: The following photos may be disturbing to some people. It follows scenes of an aranocide (from Latin: arano "spider" + cidium "act of killing".)

see spider ... see insect ... insect no see web ... spider see insect ...


spider ensures insect does not escape ...


spider doubly ensures no escape ... spider wraps insect in cling-wrap ...

of insects and stuff ...

gorgeous markings on this spider

it's wings are almost transparent

doesn't this look like a cartoon?

this must be one of the most beautiful slug i've seen ...

... look at his itty bitty eyes ...

I love the colour of this flower


... and this one too

Pray tell what this might be ...

fascinating ...

architecture as it should be

There was a time when buildings were artistic and details intricate. Materials used were warm, such as wood, and not the cold steel and concrete that we now see everywhere.

front door

one can play peek-a-boo on the five-foot way

a beautiful window

picking treasures ...

these are my treasures ... saga seeds. they are also memories from my childhood. there used to be a saga tree (Adenanthera pavonina) in front of my school and we used to scramble around picking up the saga seeds while waiting for transport home. there was a time i used to cycle all round the neighbourhood with a schoolmate and we will always stop to pick up saga seeds when we come across them. happy times ... joyful times ... carefree times.

A leap into the unknown ...

They call me 'Gollum'

serenity

the beauty and magic of fungi - Sg Pisang

Pray tell what this might be ....

Those of you who remember the saga of my blooming orchid, I am pleased to report that the flower stalk still continues to give me presents. The latest bloom, number 18, opened its petals on 25 May 2007. The first bloom was gifted to me on 13 June 2006. This is an amazing orchid.

(left to right) : Blooms # 16, 17 (background) and 18.

There's beauty everywhere if you care to look. Whoever said leaves were ordinary looking.

Introducing Mr and Mrs Yellow-face Ducky-face (observation thanks to Sharon)

Divemuster and Moggie have identified this flower as Asclepias curassavica, a species of milkweed. Common names: Bloodflower, Scarlet Milkweed. Thanks, Moggie, for the pointer.

dew pearls

I absolutely love the garden when the dew is fresh

adorable one

This little guy is absolutely adorable and so very beautiful, he would give a peacock a run for his money. Mandarin Dragonet (Pterosynchiropus splendidus).

Candle Power

There was a power failure the other night and I read my newspaper by candlelight.

Echos ...

can you hear the arches echoing ...

Let not your soul be a prisoner of your own making when there is so much beauty out there.

A brand new day

Silk Flowers

Don't these look like silk flowers?


Think again ... they belong to a very prickly cactus .. my Mom's pride and joy.

Mother Nature's washing day

staring down the barrel of Moggie's new toy ...

3 giants and a baby

The 3 huge camera bags belong to the big boys - Divemuster, Moggie and Milo. The itsy bitsy camera pouch belongs to my itsy bitsy camera.

Everyone should have the beauty of sunsets in their lives.

Perfect Arc !

I saw a beautiful beautiful rainbow today on my way home from work. It was a FULL rainbow .. a perfect arc. I did not have my camera with me and so I did the next best thing ... my handy phone camera. I pulled over to the said of the road and this is what I captured for memories :
The left end ...

... the mid-section ...

... the right end.

Reunion Dinner

May this tradition continue always ... a time for renewal of family ties, for forgiveness and good wishes.

Xin Nien Kuai Le

Wishing all my friends who are celebrating the Chinese New Year good health and happiness.

star light star bright

Star light star bright, The first star I see tonight, I wish I may I wish I might, Have the wish I wish tonight.

Scorching Day

It had been a blazingly hot day today and the sun scorched everything in its path but rewarded us with a brilliant show before it went to bed.

flowers .. as I see them

of moths and butterflies (part 2)

Blast from the past

We made a pact and this is my end of it.
My one and only topless photo!

This used to be one of those must-have studio photos

Moggie has walked on ahead

Moggie has walked on ahead and joined Pickle over the rainbow. Please say a prayer for her and Andy. Thank you all for your love and support.
Link to Mogwai's Final Resting Place

Happy New Year 2007

Wishing all my friends a happy new year. May 2007 see your dreams come true. Good health and happiness to everyone.

Happy Birthday Countrygirl!

Happy Birthday, Sandra!! Hope you have a great day and a blessed year ahead. A bird of paradise here sending you a birthday wish.

for Moggie

The candle is lit

The prayer is said












*This candle stays lit until Moggie does not need it anymore.
Regular posting will continue in due course.

of moths and butterflies (part 1)

Rainbow for Moggie

Found a rainbow for Moggie! Betcha this came straight out of the rainbow factory.

and I'll stand by your side when the day is done

Rainbow factory

I have found the rainbow factory!

It's all in the eyes

Mr Crocodile

Rattlesnake

Green tree python

Ball of fire

I could almost hear the sizzling of the boiling sea as the sun dipped its fire into the sea to extinguish it for the night.

liquid fire

Nature is an artist

A smurf's view

Moggie taught me this

Crystalline petals - as Dr L would describe it

Looks yummy enough to eat.

Introducing Supermodel Mr. G Hopper

Today, Mr. G Hopper is modeling his multicoloured dreamcoat.
Here he is on the catwalk ... erm ... stalkwalk?


Nice profile


This is the model bum turn


Another look at the side profile


Which is my better side?


Thank you ... thank you ...

The price we pay for fabulous fun and beauty

Mr Seven - 14 September 2006

The seventh bloom decided to show after a hiatus, with a promise of #8

Conservation???

How does fishing, anchoring the boat, handling corals and spear fishing convey the message of saving our heritage?? Somebody should take a good look at what is printed on the marine parks' conservation charge receipt.

Beginnings

Beware ...

To solve a mystery ...

here's looking at you, kid

I've got my eye on you

Spider in the sky

Monkeys' Happy Hour

me and my shadow

baby #5

1 July 2006

and then there were four

Bloom # 4 came on 27 June 2006

New marketing style?

*rub eyes*

18 june 2006 - bloom no. 2

My pretty little orchid that flowered continuously from a single flower stalk for more than one year. Identify?

Community living

My little community of Nepenthes


The monkey cups sharing a joke and rolling about in laughter.

My pretty little Nepenthes

of light and shadow

Sugar Glider - Taiping Night Safari

Gorgeous sunset - Taiping

rainbow no. 2

The drama to capture this can be read here

my first rainbow shot

who do you call??

cable tubing

feed me !!

just call me damsel

yeah, milo .. say cheese!!

the birds do it .. the bees do it ..

and the butterflies too ...

Moggie's stalker/stalkee

my mummy thinks i am beautiful

I believe I can touch the sky

No Geocache

Could not locate a geocache but was rewarded with this pretty fungus.

Caught in the Headlights?

Is this the last image seen by an animal crossing the highway in the path of an oncoming vehicle?

The blooming of the Blue Pea

The Blue Pea is also known as the Butterfly Pea and its scientific name is Clitoria ternatea. My memories of this beautiful flower are tied to its usage by my grandmother to give the blue colour in the blue pulut kuih that she used to make.

The teeny weeny blue pea flower peeking out of its protective sepals.


... it grows stronger ...


.... and is now in full bloom, its colours strikingly beautiful.


Soon, the pea pod is formed in place of the flower.


As it matures, the pea pod dries ...


... and splits to scatter the seeds which is the promise of the next generation.

it comes in shades of white and purple

it can climb !!

Things you learn when going on photo-shoots