Fork This!

Great Debate: In a dishwasher, should silverware point up or down?

Foto Friday: Budding Beauty

This photograph was taken with my little (pink) point-and-shoot camera on June 21 in my backyard. Any guess to what it is? If you pay attention to your unopened flowers, you probably have a good idea.

It's a daisy.

I just loved how it looked before it bloomed (maybe more than what the flower looks like). I was inspired to take a photo of this bud because I loved the way the petals looked before they sprouted open - they were unfolding from what seemed to be a perfect spiral on top. And the crisp (off) white against the luscious green was very eye-catching.

Guten Tag, Project Runway Season 9!

Project Runway returns to Lifetime tonight, July 28 at 9 pm/8c! Wahoo!

Follow @ProjectRunway on Twitter for news, designer updates, and more. Since the advent of Twitter, I have discovered the thrill of sharing my thoughts with complete strangers! It's so much fun watching PR alone while tweeting in PJs with a bowl of ice cream! Join me this and every Thursday.

Here's a clip from GMA with Heidi, Nina, and Micheal:



See ya tonight, Tweeps! @CelesteKCC

Art by Northwest

Northwest Pennsylvania Artist Association (NPAA) Bienniel Art Exhibit Opening Recetions:
Thursday, July 28
6-10 p.m.
1020 Holland St.
Erie

Saturday, July 30
7-9 p.m.
Heeschen Gallery, Market House
Meadville

The NPAA Biennial Exhibit runs at 1020 Holland St. in Erie through September 3 and at the Heeschen Gallery in Meadville through September 17.

Galleries Hours:
Erie: Thursday, Friday, & Saturday 12-5 p.m. or by appointment 450-9183
Meadville: Wednesdays & Fridays 12-4 p.m., Saturdays 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

The NPAA is a private, non-profit visual artists' organization formed to help define fine art to the viewing general community, to protect the interest of artist's, and to provide scholarships to promising student artists. It was formed in 1974 by a core group of professional artists with resume's listing national and/or international recognition as well as regional awards and/or higher art education and now is comprised of 120 members.

YouTube-sday: Sibling Love

I saw this video over at Heather's HerTimes blog and thought it was too cute not to share.

Daisy breaks the squeaker in her toys within the first 15 minutes of play time. So I'm pretty sure she could never play with a kitten without busting it up too.

(Daisy's) Curiosity kills the Cat.

Retro Beach Party?

I am now in search of a retro beach or boat party to attend and wear my new swimsuit. I just bought this Jantzen bathing suit at T.J. Maxx for $20 (gotta love end-of-season markdowns)!

I got it in this blended animal print pattern, which helps to hide the lumps and bumps better than a solid color.

This Jantzen Vamp, One-Piece, Ruched Bathing Suit channels retro-inspired glamour, while offering flattering ruching and removable straps for two great looks in one. (I still haven't tried the halter strap, if it doesn't lend some support, this suit might be getting returned.)

•Nylon/spandex
•Hand wash
•Adjustable, removable straps
•Self-tie at back with keyhole below
•Crossover design at bust; seam detail below
•Soft cups
•Slight side boning for extra support
•Ruched side seams; gentle ruching throughout

This style of swimsuit matches pretty spot-on Marilyn Monroe's bathing suit from her 1949 beach photo shoot:

I love me some Marilyn (three halloweens in a row, I dressed as her).
I love me some animal prints.
And I especially love me some vintage.

Not So Lazy Daisy

My yellow lab mix, Daisy, is slowly learning to leap and catch a frisbee. I think sometimes she forgets to open her mouth to catch it.

Here's a video of her catching it. The leap is a bit underwhelming (because, man, that girl can jump!), but I am impressed I even managed to video tape it.

Foto Friday: Sedona Spring Plant

From my April Arizona trip, here is a photo I took during our second day in Sedona (April 5, 2011) of a plant just sprouting its green leaves:

I love the contrast of the bright (almost fluorescent) green leaves and the saturated red dirt. And in early April, any Northerner really appreciates those spring green colors.

If you're into the camera settings (which I still don't have a good grasp of), I took this with a Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XT, exposure time 1/125 seconds, ISO speed of 200, with a 100 mm focal length.

Vacay Memories

Hey, remember that one time my mom and I went to Arizona and visitied Phoeniz, Sedona, and the Grand Canyon? No? Maybe because I forgot to blog about it.

But don't be fooled, I'm still not really blogging about it. So many pictures and things to say without the time to say it.

Here's a couple teaser pictures of me:

I'm grimacing in this photo. How 'bout it?! I'm in sandals and not scoping the landscape for creepy crawlies.
And these creatures could kill me!



At our hotel in Sedona. Great rates, even better views.
And, of course, since it's been 3+ months, I cannot remember the name of the hotel. Fail.



Putting the "hi" in hiking.
In Sedona, we "hiked" Overlook Point near off Airport Road to find/feel/sense a vortex.
I got bored and took a photo of my shadow waving hello.

 

Freezing my cheeks off at the Grand Canyon. Seriously, it was in the twenties and it snowed that morning.

Here I am on our last morning at the canyon. You can kind of see from my hair how windy it was.



AMAZING TRIP! (Aside from the fact that I caught a cold.) I took tons of photos and maybe that is why I haven't found the time to write about it. It's overwhelming to sort through all those pictures. The only reason I have these is because I forced my mom to find the photos she took of me.

Vacation memories to be continued...

Five in Five

Five things I'm loving right now...

1) Air Conditioning. Seriously, folks. It is humid, sticky, and H.O.T. I'm not even complaining about the freezer-like conditions of my office building this week. And while, no joy will come from the electric bill next month, I have used my central air already more than I used it last year.

2) Ice Cream. We had our annual Penn State Creamery Ice Cream fundraiser with distribution last Sunday and, for as much as that zero degree freezer was not enjoyable, this ice cream is! Mmm. Delish. Creamy. Sweet. Satisfying. Fresh. Unique. Tasty. And all for a good cause. Never has ice cream been as guilt-free as when it benefits students' scholarships! (Although, let's be honest, I never feel guilty about enjoying an ice cream treat.)

3) Friendships. My friend, Justina, moved away less than a week ago. She is going to have a wonderful experience at her first big girl job, but I miss her. I know we will keep in touch and I will constantly be reading her blog. But selfishly, I hope when she completes her time, there will be a job in Erie for her. And on the flip side, I am really excited about an upcoming trip with my highschool (rather, gradeschool) girls (and their hubbies) to a Chautauqua cottage on the lake! Boating. Sunshine. Water. Wine. Friends. Food. Can't ask for more.

4) Pearls. My mom and I went to the annual Gem and Mineral Show on Sunday. She used to take my sister and I every year when we were kids. I had an AWESOME rock collection. Seriously. I was obsessed. I can blame my adult jewelry obsession, at least partly, on my childhood gem and mineral infatuation. Looking at all the booths, and seeing all the awesome gems - some for collectors' display and some for jewelry making - really gets the creative juices flowing. One of the booths had 16-inch strands of cultured, freshwater pearls (dyed all kinds of colors) for $2 and ten strands for $15. So I purchased 160 inches of pearls without really knowing what I was getting myself into. To string pearls, you need special silk thread, a really small needle, a knotting tool, string-end caps, and more. Sigh. I'm overwhelmed. But once I get the courage to take on this task, I will have a rocking aqua, teal, and green necklace of more than 100 inches and I will have at least six bracelets of assorted white pearls.

5) Dad. Okay, I love him every week. But I just wanted to express my gratitude to him one more time. For as proud as I am to be a single woman who owns her own house, I know I couldn't do this without his help, assistance, knowledge, skills, and constant attention to details. Yesterday, he stopped over to spray my weeds, on Father's day he cleaned out my gutters, last week he stopped to let Daisy outside at lunch, and he never complains - at least not to me. And on top of all the work he has helped me with (read: did for me), I still have plenty on my Daddy-Do List for him. I'm very fortunate.

Okay, this Five in Five has made me tear up like four times and has definitely taken longer than five minutes for me to write and, probably, for you to read.

I wonder if I am going to get a migraine. On GMA this morning, they talked about how being emotional can be a precursor to a migraine.

YouTube-sday: 10 Reasons We Hate Facebook

Fave Quotes:
"Oh man, Mike turned into a baby." "How does he type?"
"F**k you, Mike, I will not join your cult!"

Foto Friday: Get Sharp Pictures

Camera movement during exposure is the number one cause of unsharpness for nearly every photographer (even pros – they just delete the bad shots!). Small, compact and point-and-shoot cameras can be especially susceptible to this problem because they are so small. There is no "mass" to the camera to help keep it steady during the shot. In addition, many photographers think they can handhold a camera at much slower shutter speeds than they really can.

Here are some ideas on gaining maximum sharpness from your gear, no matter what it is:

Watch your handholding technique.
A compact or point-and-shoot camera is designed to be held with both hands: left hand on the left side of the camera, right hand on the right side. One-handed shooting is a sure way to blurry and less sharp photos. A DSLR camera is designed to be held as follows –grab the right side of the camera with your right hand, then tuck your left elbow into your chest and rotate your hand so it is palm up. Place the camera onto that waiting palm of your hand. Avoid holding the camera with the left hand palm down or facing right – that is much less stable.

Keep your elbows down and tucked into the sides of your chest.
Flapping arms with elbows flying will guarantee less sharp photos.

Be careful how you use the shutter button.
Press the shutter with a continuous pressure down, never punch the shutter or jab it.

Use a fast enough shutter speed.
If you can set the speed, be aware of what you are setting. If you can’t, see if the camera tells you what speed it is using.

• For wide-angle lenses, use 1/60 second or faster.
• For moderate focal lengths, 1/125 or faster.
• For telephotos, choose 1/250 at the minimum, but 1/500 will often be better. This is tricky when using a zoom lens. You may get a sharp image at the wider focal length, but if you then keep the same shutter speed, the photo may be blurry if you zoom to a telephoto setting simply because you can't use that same shutter speed.

Try a bean bag.
A bean bag is a simple, easy-to-use and inexpensive camera support. Put it on something solid, then the camera on it.

Use a good tripod.
A good tripod is well worth the investment. It will do more for you than buying a new lens. A low price lens will do better than an expensive lens if the low price lens is always shot from a tripod and the expensive lens never is. A good tripod will be lightweight yet very sturdy and will be easy to use. Many serious photographers think little of spending $1000 and up for a new camera, but have trouble spending $300 or more for a good tripod — yet the tripod will last longer than the camera and will guarantee better results (something that the new camera probably can't). It is possible to get a decent tripod for less than $200, but it may be heavier and harder to use. Avoid cheap tripods that flop around when you set them up. They can be worse than no tripod at all.

Source: National Wildlife Federation

10 Feet Tall, Give or Take a Foot

Mitch is now a babysitter...

A 10-month old giraffe arrived at the Erie Zoo on Sunday, July 10. He will be sharing the giraffe house with the resident giraffe, Mitch. According to the Erie Zoo, Mitch will now be taking on a "big brother" role and he will help raise the young giraffe.

The 10-to-11-foot giraffe was brought in as a new companion to Mitch, who had a brief period as the zoo's sole giraffe after the death of his father, TJ, in April at the age of 16.

The new giraffe arrived from the Como Park Zoo and Conservatory in St. Paul, Minnesota in a specially designed trailer that is built to hold giraffes. Since he is only 10 months old and around 10-to-11 feet tall, he is easier to transport than a full grown adult giraffe. (Adult male giraffes stand 14 to 17 feet tall.)

The new giraffe is currently living indoors until a new chain-link fence is installed in their outside area, as the current fence was built for adult giraffes and the baby could easily escape.

The Erie Zoo will have a competition to name the youngster.

In the future he could be paired with a female in the breeding program, as he is ranked higher genetically than Mitch. Mitch is also not an ideal candidate for breeding due to his family genes.

According to the Erie Zoo, "Mitch’s family tree played an important role in his companion choice. TJ was born at the Indianapolis Zoo to female Elena, who was born at our zoo in 1985. Elena has given birth to 13 calves, resulting in 41 prodigies. Because of this, her genes are very well represented in the giraffe population. Since Mitch is among these prodigies, his genes are also spread throughout a good portion of the population. Consequently, he is not considered an animal that is recommended to breed. "


CHRISTOPHER MILLETTE/ERIE TIMES-NEWS
See more photos here.



Five in Five

Five things I'm loving right now...

1) My new iPhone! I can finally have more than five apps (previous BlackBerry was all work and no play) and I can "see an phone call." My mom and I spent 50 minutes talking to each other over Facetime and I walked her around my house showing her my new, Medusa-like, IKEA lamp, bookshelves I assembled myself, and Daisy being cute. Sure, she only lives three miles from me, but still, it is a fantastic communication tool!

2) iFrogz Luxe Case. I just received the $6 iPhone case I ordered off Amazon - love it! So happy I got that case recommendation from Amy. I was only minutes away from purchasing a $16 case (where the retail price was $35, which seems nuts to me).

3) Words with Friends. Who knew scrabble was the next big thing? I'm not very good, but it's a nice distraction when I'm looking for a break (and when I'm not). Now I just I need scrabble tips and secret words.

4) My first grill. I've grilled at least five times since I purchased the propane tank over the July 4th holiday weekend. And for someone who rarely eats meat, it's great. I've made: veggie packets, corn on the cob, veggie and shrimp kabobs, veggie burgers, potatoes, and hot dogs. There's been a few mishaps - like dropping an entire veggie burger between the grates and having a veggie packet opening up and spilling into the fire. But - live and learn.

5) Fresh herbs. Well, maybe I'm not loving them. I've used my fresh parsley twice and my thyme once. I'm mostly just perplexed with what to do with them. I have my go-to recipes and none include these herbs. But I feel healthy and domestic having these herbs growing (and thriving) on my back stoop.

10 Great Places to Bar-Hop Around the World

Will Cockrell, Men's Journal articles editor, shares with USA TODAY a list of watering holes, from super-swanky to lowdown dives, all across the world.

Leblon: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
This tony neighborhood has an Ipanema vibe but feels even more exclusive. "It's where the locals party away from the tourists," Cockrell says. Better yet, local drinkery Academia da Cachaca, is "the best place to chill and watch the sidewalk scene and drink Brazil's famous cachaca — a sugarcane liquor." academiadacachaca.com.br

Dublin, Ireland
With more than 1,000 pubs and plenty of live Irish music, Dublin can make your head spin. With so many choices, "it's easy to mix up your drinking between charming old historic pubs, like the Brazen Head (established in 1198) and the very central Stag's Head, or mix with Dublin's creative elite in cool spots like The Globe Bar & Cafe on Great Georges Street," Cockrell says. Shake your rump at Ri-Ra nightclub afterward; it's attached to the pub. And have a pint at The Gravity Bar atop the Guinness Storehouse. visitdublin.com

Williamsburg Neighborhood: Brooklyn, N.Y.
"This hipper-than-thou corner of Brooklyn has perfected the art of the intentional dive bar," Cockrell says. "The crowds are low key, the bartenders are skilled, and there's a unique place to drink on every corner." That includes the famed Union Pool and The Woods, a stylish industrial bar. End the evening on a full stomach — taco trucks are on standby. 718-802-3846; visitbrooklyn.org

Ohio City Neighborhood: Cleveland, Ohio
This trendy neighborhood is a Midwest crowd-pleaser. Discover its appeal by hopping over to McNulty's Bier Market, a Belgian beer bar that houses Speakeasy, a prohibition-era cocktail bar in the basement. Then, "hit up the nationally renowned Great Lakes Brewing Co., or for retro grunge and cheap beer, try The Garage Bar," Cockrell says. Coming soon: Market Garden Brewery, an outdoor beer garden. 216-781-3222; clevelandnights.com

Seville, Spain
This dazzling city, with its street performers and flamenco dancers, is a prime people-watching destination. When the late-night crowd roams the cobblestone streets, grab a bottle of red and enjoy the festivities. Just keep in mind: "Nights in Spain go very late, so start with an espresso," Cockrell says. He also recommends hitting an all-night tapas joint for Ibérico ham that melts in your mouth. turismo.sevilla.org

Portland, Oregon
Beer fanatics flock here because "Portland has more breweries than any other city in the USA, and they take their beer very seriously," Cockrell says. "Start in the center of the city and let breweries like the Lucky Labrador Brew Pub and the famous Deschutes Brewery Portland Public House set the route for your bar crawl." The latter is a classic beer-going spot that serves craft-brew icons and small-batch experimentals. 800-962-3700; travelportland.com

Aspen, Colorado
"As far as mountain towns go, Aspen is one of the few that holds up in summer and winter," Cockrell says. "Of course it has the usual ski-bum haunts, but it also has places like 39 Degrees Lounge, an urban-style oasis with a pool frequented by a chic crowd. In Aspen, you can have any type of night out you want within its few main streets." aspenchamber.org

Austin, Texas
"So many great bars here, just choose a street — South Congress, East Sixth Street, South Lamar — to get your fix, then end your night at one of the nation's greatest food carts (download the AustinFoodCarts app to find out where they are)," Cockrell says. New bars on the east side include Yellow Jacket Social Club and Eastside Showroom. "South Lamar is a little more authentic Austin," Cockrell says. "Don't miss the laid-back Barton Springs Saloon, a repurposed gas station with a pool table and pinball machines, or the super divey Horseshoe Lounge." 800-926-2282; austin360.com

Frenchmen Street: New Orleans, La. 
"Skip the French Quarter and Bourbon Street and instead head a few blocks away to Frenchmen Street, where you'll find a slightly more civilized crowd and the city's most authentic jazz scene," Cockrell says. "Legendary spots like d.b.a. (huge beer selection) and Snug Harbor (great burgers) feature some of the greatest live acts in the country." If you're after a Mardi Gras vibe, visit during Jazz Fest in the spring. 504-524-4784; neworleansonline.com

Have you been to any of these cities and enjoyed the nightlife?

Permanent Heat

Hotter summer temperatures could be a permanent fixture for half of the world by 2070.

Using data from more than 50 climate model experiments, a study by Stanford University researchers Noah Diffenbaugh and Martin Scherer predict the Northern Hemisphere will face extreme heat due to greenhouse gases.

"According to our projections, large areas of the globe are likely to warm up so quickly that, by the middle of this century, even the coolest summers will be hotter than the hottest summers of the past 50 years," said Diffenbaugh, an assistant professor of environmental Earth science at Stanford University.

They also predict tropical areas, like Africa, Asia, and South America will experience "the permanent emergence of unprecedented summer heat" within twenty years.

Europe, China, and North America will see their summer temperatures shift within 60 years.

The increased summer heat represents a very real threat to human health and crop production. The study points to the 2003 European heat waves that killed 40,000 people and experimental models that show summer temperatures having a significant impact on soy and wheat produced in the Midwestern United States.

"The fact that we're already seeing these changes in historical weather observations, and that they match climate model simulations so closely, increases our confidence that our projections of permanent escalations in seasonal temperatures within the next few decades are well founded," Diffenbaugh said.

The study was funded by the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, the National Institutes of Health and the World Bank. The results of this study will be published in the June issue of Climatic Change.

Source: Mother Nature Network

Foto Friday: Six Tips for Photographing Flowers

From the screaming orange of poppy fields in Southern California to the bold summer displays of alpine flowers, flowers offer some great opportunities for landscape photography as well as some up-close macro work. That combination can be a lot of fun, but it can also be a challenge. Here are a few tips to make photographing flowers a breeze.

Think like a flower. Wildflowers are a great subject for strong foregrounds in front of a big landscape. But be careful of shooting at eye-level. Eye-level can put your camera too far away from the flowers so they become small and less important to your composition. Most flowers are low, so get down to their level, where you will start to see much detail that is not otherwise revealed.

Don’t shoot for the sky. Usually skies are not a significant part of a flower landscape. First, photos with an area of strong color and texture, such as a field of flowers, often look conflicted when there is a competing area of strong color and texture, such as a sky with broken clouds. Second, flowers often look great on bright cloudy days, days that also feature dull and formless skies.

Try telephoto. A telephoto lens will compress distance, which will often mean bringing patches of flower color closer together within the image area. This makes a field of flowers look more dramatic. You may have to back up to capture the whole scene, but that will often look better than simply zooming your lens wide to show more.

Or, for a different look, use a wide angle and get in close. By getting up very close to flowers with a wide-angle lens, specific flower detail will show up more. You will also capture the entire landscape behind the flowers. This is not about simply putting on a wide-angle to get “more” in the frame. As with much of photography, including “more” in an image often detracts from the real subject.

Watch out for white. White flowers can be a terrific part of forested spring landscapes, for example. But because they are white and the forest is dark, they can be easily overexposed. Keep an eye on your highlight warnings and the histogram for exposure problems with them.

Finally, be respectful of the flowers. Even if a nearby group of flowers looks appealing as a photograph, avoid trampling through another group of flowers. Some flowers will not recover from such abuse. In addition, you will be seen as the "rude photographer" by others who might also like to shoot those flowers.

Source: National Wildlife Federation

Wild Wednesday: Catalpa Tree

I have this tree...

Actually it's a stump with regrowth of its former tree self sprouting from the base. It looks terrible in the winter when all you see are limbs and trunk, but in the summer it gets pretty full and blocks my view of a house across the street. The leaves are huge and the "branches" (if you can call them that) hang low and get in the way when I mow.

This year, however, I noticed the tree has flowers. I'm not sure what I was doing last year at this time, but apparently I was too busy unpacking and decorating my house to notice.

So now I care. I asked my friend Justina if she knew what kind of tree it was, or if she could recommend a resource I could use to figure it out.

Success.

It's a Catalpa or Catawba tree.

Catalpa can be recognized by its large heart-shaped, sharp pointed leaves, showy white or yellow flowers and long fruits which resemble a slender bean pod.

Catalpa Speciosa (Northern Catalpa) grows into a loose oval shape, 50 feet tall in most urban locations, but occasionally grows to 90 feet under optimum conditions. This large-leaved tree spreads 50 feet and tolerates hot, dry weather, but leaves may scorch and some drop from the tree in very dry summers. The trees have a coarse, very open growth habit forming an irregularly shaped crown. Catalpa has a moderately-long life (60 years or so), but trunks on large trees often contain rot. Catalpas are very adaptable and they are tough trees, having naturalized in many parts of the south.

Catalpa growth is rapid at first but slows down with age as the crown begins to round out and the tree increases in spread. The main ornamental feature is flower panicles of white with yellow and purple markings produced in spring and early summer, depending on the particular tree. Leaves fall throughout the summer in USDA hardiness zone 8 making a mess and the tree looks ragged with yellow leaves in late summer.
Catalpa bark is thin and easily damaged from mechanical impact. The limbs will droop as the tree grows, and will require pruning for vehicular or pedestrian clearance beneath the canopy. Pruning is required to develop a strong structure. The limbs are resistant to breaking and very stout.

The Catalpa fruit is a long pod growing up to two feet long. The fruit resembles a string bean and can be a slight litter problem after seeds are dispersed. The old pod shells are persistent on limbs but will eventually drop. Still, the pod is quite interesting and adds flavor to an ornamental specimen.

Aren't the flowers neat?

YouTube-sday: Have you Herd?

Nancy the Chihuahua shows five sheep who is boss despite the animals being more than ten times her size.



On the flip side, Border Collie Ci is bullied by sheep on his Somerset Farm even though it should be in his nature to herd.

Foto Friday: Tips for Photographing Insects

Insects are the most common wildlife around the planet. They come in extraordinary shapes and sizes with stunning colors and patterns. When you view them up close through your camera’s lens, they quickly become dramatic and wonderful subjects.

Insects and similar small critters are readily available, but they can also be challenging subjects that will test your photographic skills. Here are some tips for your next backyard safari in search of life in a macro world.

Insects are most active when it's warm. This means you can more easily photograph them early in the day because they can be sluggish. On the other hand, they can also be harder to find.

Always check out flowers. Lots of insects use flowers for food, both directly, through pollen and nectar, and indirectly, by eating the other insects that come to the flowers for pollen and nectar.

Telephoto lenses can help. Many insects are as wary as big wildlife and will not let you get close. In addition, some insects, such as bees and wasps, can sting, so having a little distance between you and them can be good.

Many telephoto lenses do not focus close enough for insects. Extension tubes are a relatively inexpensive way to turn any telephoto into a close-focusing “macro” lens. They also work with zooms. (A note on extension tubes: While they work with all normal and telephoto lenses, some lenses just don’t do well up close.)

Live view can help. Sometimes you can get your camera closer to insects by extending it at the end of your arm than by putting your whole head and body in close as you look through the viewfinder.

Stop and really look. Many insects blend in with their surroundings, even if they seem quite colorful when you actually spot them. Pause at a clump of flowers and really look over the blossoms and all around them. You will often find some surprising insects there.

Let companions know you are looking for insects. When you are out on a hike with friends, have them be your extra eyes as you search for buggy camera subjects.

Get to know your backyard and garden. A plain grass yard is pretty boring as far as insect life goes, but if you have a lot of flowers, shrubs and trees, you probably have a lot of insects around, too. As a bonus, a garden with varied species of plants rarely needs insecticides (in fact, they can be counterproductive, as they also kill predatory insects).

Source: National Wildlife Federation