“The Sun’s Kisses…”

Aug11

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“My 10th Sonata is a Sonata of insects. Insects are born from the sun…they are the sun’s kisses.” Alexander Scriabin
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“I am dying by inches by not having anybody to talk to about insects.” Charles Darwin (Age 21)
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“In fighting the insect we have killed ourselves, polluted our water, poisoned our wildlife, permeated our own flesh with deadly toxins. The insect becomes immune, and we are poisoned. In fighting with superior intellect, we have outsmarted ourselves.” The Hellstrom Chronicles

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“If all insects on Earth disappeared, within 50 years all life on Earth would end.” Jonas Salk

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“A stray fact: insects are not drawn to candle flames, they are drawn to the light on the far side of the flame, they go into the flame and sizzle to nothingness because they’re so eager to get to the light on the other side.” Michael Cunningham

114 thoughts on ““The Sun’s Kisses…””

  3. Your posts are always such celebrations of life and its beauty. Nabokov, who was a lover of butterflies, wrote: ““Literature and butterflies are the two sweetest passions known to man.”

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  11. Hi Cindy, These are incredible Photographs, I am in awe of your talent! The quotes are fascinating too! I had no idea Charles Darwin was such a lover of insects.

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  14. Love the first photo with the sunlight filtering through the butterfly’s wings. I could look at an infinite number of photos of dragonflies and damselflies–I love them! Hope you are having a good week.

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    • They are fascinating aren’t they, with their almost invisible, crystaline wings and they are so ancient. So glad you enjoyed the photos! Makes posting them rewarding~

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  15. Beautiful pictures!

    From the point of getting rid of insects. I completely agreed with you. I think that is a big mistake we are taking. They are part of ecosystem. I think ecosystem created by nature is intricate and I am afraid we are doing more harm than good in trying to change them.

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    • Somehow I missed your comment. I do so agree with you! We do not understand the intricate interactions of the natural world and we tinker with it at our peril and that of all living things. Thank you my friend for your always thoughtful comments~

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  18. Maahhvellous, Mah Deah. You are a real artist with the lens. There’s no subject you can’t capture with a high degree of excellence. Beautiful photos, Cindy (as always).
    Paul

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  21. Once again, Cindy, you make insects look likable — beautiful shots of insects both still and in motion! Really good insect quotes, too — the last one taught me something I hadn’t known before!

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    • Can you even imagine how insanely fascinating it would be to get to listen to Darwin talk??? Oh I wish we had a time machine. You and I could walk up to him and say, “Excuse Mr Darwin, but we were wondering if your could explain more to us about insects? They are so curious looking..” Maybe he’d take us with him on the HMS Beagle…..and we could blog about it!!!
      Let’s do it…..
      You make the time machine.
      I’ll pack.

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  27. Delightful! And I love the quotes to go along with all the superb photos….. especially the one about killing ourselves trying to rid insects from the world.

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  34. I can’t look at a beautiful sunset or flower with out feeling a bit sad about how we as a species have shepherd our beautiful planet. I’m ashamed to feel fully how horrific our actions have been as lucky as we are to have such a planet.

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    • Exactly. People run to shrinks and dump scores of cash on them. They live in concrete jungles. They can’t figure out why they are often unhappy, when the greatest mood elevator ever, is outdoors in the natural world. And clever us, we are bascially destroying our only source of sustenance.
      Maybe we could have another war? We need to have multiple ones ongoing for whatever reason. It’s a boon for coporate profits. Or we could go hunt some wolves in Wyomming? Or shoot them out of a helicopter with Sarah Palin? We could shoot a bear and stuff it? Forget the polar bears, you can’t hunt them in their soon to be only remaining habitats, a zoo. We would dump more pollution and plastic in the oceans and open some more nuclear power plants?
      Thats the ticket to healing ourselves.
      We are a destructive species, despite the truth that most individuals are good.
      Sad.

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      • Sickening and sad…. Truly a REAL tragedy! I mean we live in a universe and we are the only life we have found yet. And the life we will find will have no consciousness. I feel like because of greed and religion we don’t try to lengthen our lives or have hindered the kind of science to keep us here longer. Hold onto consciousness. Here now is ALL we REALLLY have. I wish others understood that! Maybe we would all slow down if we knew we were not going anywhere.

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      • I guess it comes down to the issues of profit and exploitation which are motivators for some humans, unfortunately the one’s who seem usually to hold the most power. Animals and nature are not concerned with profit. This profit motivation does not appear to be in the best interests of the vast majority of human beings on this planet, and every other living creature. All you can do is try to communicate your thoughts, and get out and commune in nature while both you and the natural world as we know it are still here.
        I really don’t have a problem with extinction when it is caused by meteors, cyclical global changes etc.
        I have a big problem with it when it is caused by the actions of selfish humans.

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    • I am so glad you like 4. I am not good at evaluating my own photos and that one almost didn’t make the post, so it makes me happy that you like it! Thank you~

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  37. Sun kisses indeed 🙂 We can’t imagine a life without insects, they’re so special and bring so much joy, only to look at them gives us a special feeling and a smile on our face and your words give that extra dimension to it 🙂

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  38. You’re just too popular, it’s hard to get to the end of your comment string to add my little bit. Again, wonderful shots. Must have missed this one – maybe a day when the wife and I were out in the jungle chasing butterflies ourselves. Got sidetracked by dueling bands of Howler monkeys, so it turned into a monkey day.
    Later…

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    • I have never gotten a decent shot of a Howler Monkey!! I have watched them fascinated as they loop through the canopy. And yes where the Howlers are, “there be” the serious butterflies! In Iguaza I couldn’t photograph the incredible rainbow of butterflies because they all landed on me and let me do the transportation! Smart beauties! Cheers to you my friend~

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      • I’ve discovered what flowers B-flies like the most, and I help the wife get appropriately dressed, to discourage the biting ants, and stand her in a patch of flowers….and the butterflies come to her, and yes, land on her, on the camera, and the Howlers too, I imagine.
        Later…

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  41. Amazing photos Cindy. I admire the patience you have to wait for and capture those insects, especially the bee in flight, you have captured the gossamer of his wings

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      • I love dragonflies, they are so magical to observe. your picture of this one with the teriffic shadow is so artful. I often wonder at how talented a photographer you are and pieces like this one blow me away. so artful! Bless you, Cindy, you are a treasure. hugs from Baldy 🙂

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  47. BTW, when my daughter was quite small, she tired of teasing over her freckles. One day she did that stand with the hands on the hips and said “Boys have freckles, girls have sun kisses.” Now aren’t you glad you know the difference? 🙂
    With your title, I couldn’t resist…

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