It is a pleasure to participate in guest host Janet’s Lens Artists Challenge this week. She asks us to share photos of things that we or others might overlook. Whether we are in a hurry, preoccupied, or not really looking, Janet asks us to highlight photos that summon others to…“look differently to see what they normally overlook.”

What are those spiderweb-like patterns on the surface of the sand here at the confluence between the meadow berm and the plunge into sandy seashore? The more I saw them, the more curious I became, so I started referring to them as “Dune Runes.” Thankfully, *Steve Morey saw my posts and set me straight! These are the trails left by Alloniscus perconvexus, a night marauding woodlouse, that seeks nourishment just below the sand’s surface.

Tree bark, and dry grass. Why take a photo of these ordinary subjects? Look closer, focus in. On the left, a brown dragonfly hangs upside down on a dry stem blending in seamlessly with the background. To the right, a red dragonfly rests on a white flower, almost invisible.

Were any of us to stumbled upon this plant in the wild, it would be extremely difficult to overlook. It is known as the Corpse Flower because when it comes into bloom the smell is…let’s just say foul. This Amorphophallus titanum, also known as the Titan arum, was nurtured by a botanist at Washington State University, Vancouver. When it bloomed a few years ago, I made a point to go take photos. This shot is of the flower reflected in a mirror located above the blossom, so that viewers like me could “overlook” and see inside.

Here I go again, showing you vast spaces of boring meadows! What could be of interest here? It is easy not to notice fledgling Killdeer. If their parents didn’t make constant distracting calls and feigned broken wing routines, one might not know the little ones are even around.

This evening, as I looked over the work I’d done to renew life to a garden this week, I was invited to pause and admire a Katydid on my rose bush. May we all treasure those little moments of surprise!

On your walk with life, please honor our earth, encourage dignity and share kindness. 🐾

What fun to join in Janet’s challenge! Thank you for your lovely images, and wide-open subject.