Sunday, December 20, 2009

The Filter-Feeding Forest

I'm not much of a natural history museum kinda gal; those places have dead stuffed animals killing deader stuffed animals, cave recreations with bats, (ugh, ugh, ugh!!) or worst of all, nightmarish stuffed birds glaring at me. Fossils and bones I can life with, but the rest, no thank you!

Recently, Megg Hewlett, (who is lucky enough to still be living in London!) went to a photo exhibition at the Natural History Museum there, and sent me these. (By the way, I finally wove a cashmere scarf to thank her for my second bag so I can start using it now!)

I love the seed pods taken from below; this is the kind of things I often think about when taking macro shots. The fish reflection makes me think of a kimono; could it be the stillness and the colors?? The white dots, they are birds, masses of them, in Austria. After I tried to "see" the individual birds, this one started to creep me out a little... But the green one is the most striking; it's the inside of a sea squirt's mouth. I had never heard the word but I think I know what they are, and I assume they are tiny? I wouldn't mind taking a walk through this forest, if I knew I wouldn't be eaten, and had good oxygen supply! And if the forest floor wasn't slippery.

The wonder never ceases, yes? Thank you, Megg.

PS: Interesting. If you look up "sea squirt" in Wiki, you are redirected to "tunicate", but one of my dictionaries say it is "ascidiacae". Clarification, please, anyone?

2 comments:

  1. I know nothing about sea squirts, but I love your pictures and the idea of walking in a forest in a creature's mouth!

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  2. Reminded me of the Incredible Shrinking films series of the 80's (??) and before that Lily Tomlin's Shrinking Woman character that explores the kitchen sink, Trapunto.

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