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David W Runyan II's avatar

Mr. Marlow, thank you for taking time to comment and wishing you a splendid day.

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Sue Cartwright's avatar

How incredibly beautiful, in words and photography that takes my breath away. Thank you so much for sharing, David. How magical to live in such an enchanting place where Nature can thrive with such colourful and exotic plants, fungi and flowers. I love your dragonflies and how you capture the light through the mushrooms. My favourites are ferns, I have many pictures of fiddle heads and so excited that they will be arriving here soon. 💚🌿🍀❤️🍄🏵️

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David W Runyan II's avatar

Dearest Sue, so nice of you to leave a lovely comment like that. And I know from your various online places that you're a nature aficionado after my own heart . . . and ferns? . . . well, ferns are the most ornate of the forest decorations! . . . such a robust and delightfully formed ground cover. And soft to the touch too! Thank you again for popping in. It's always a pleasure to interact with you.

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Sue Cartwright's avatar

My absolute pleasure, dear David. I am thrilled you are sharing your Nature finds and will be your number one fan for sure. You are so knowledgeable, I love to know these things. It's like I have found a sanctuary to visit and experience with wonders I have never seen.

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David W Runyan II's avatar

Sue, it was a long, gradual process and I have a long way to go. I think I need about 3 lifetimes to figure out all these species! But what happens is this . . . I venture into the forest, take a bunch of photos, come home and get online to try and figure out which species I found lol . . . the learning is as much fun as the finding!

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Sue Cartwright's avatar

So far so incredible, I am dizzy with this first collection shared. I do exactly the same when sharing my photographs on Twitter, and for my poems, posts and writings. Finding is the best part, I agree, you never know what the day will bring.

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David W Runyan II's avatar

Nichola, thank you so much for taking time to craft such a lovely comment about the ways in which the natural realm please you and the compliments about my little blog. The world of mushrooms is full of wonder and odd, curious beauty and I'm fully addicted. Gentle harvesting comes naturally to those who have a love of nature and that love prevents abuse or greedy behavior toward nature. The older I grow the less I care for winter but the beauty of it can't be denied so I endure the hardships and take in that special arctic appeal. :)

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Charlotte Pendragon's avatar

I love your description of the forest. Your words make me feel intoxicated like I am there in the present. ✨💫

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David W Runyan II's avatar

Lady Charlotte, the forest is my favorite place. Always has been. As a young boy, my friends and I would explore and build forts in forests. As a father, it was a learning playground where I taught my sons about life forms and as an adult I am back to my childhood, exploring but not building forts lol . . . thank you for your kind comment!

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Charlotte Pendragon's avatar

My pleasure, beautiful story and description. 💖💖💖

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David W Runyan II's avatar

Much more to come in the way of photos and little stories. Substack is a handy place to store data. Thanks again for taking time to view and comment. You are a busy one here, don’t know how you manage!

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Charlotte Pendragon's avatar

I look forward in your future post! ✨

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David W Runyan II's avatar

Lady Charlotte, the show will begin in about 4-5 weeks up here north of the 40th . . . we're a little late up here but the show is always worth the wait.

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Helen Whelchel's avatar

I became visually drunk about half way through. I'll be back later to finish the round. Dazzling work.

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David W Runyan II's avatar

Hi Helen, I thank you for your comment and for the restack! So pleased that you like the blog.

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Sarah Donoghue's avatar

Wow! Your photographs are stunning, and your words conjure up such magical images. I'm so thrilled to have stumbled across your work David. I totally understand your sentiments around nature and light. I recently learned about the Japanese term “Komorebi”, for which no simple English translation exists. It is a distinct phenomenon, that anyone who spends time among trees will have enjoyed and is roughly translated as “the scattered light that filters through when sunlight shines through trees”. I am entranced by your work and look forward to reading more over the coming seasons.

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David W Runyan II's avatar

Sarah, a pleasure to make your acquaintance and thank you for the glowing compliment. Komorebi . . . love it . . . the filtered and fluctuating light of the forest is my photography haunt because it's the light play i'm after. Yes the subjects are beautifully designed but they exist in an environment where fluctuating sunlight is part of the show, just as they are part of the show.

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Sarah Donoghue's avatar

I couldn't agree more. However, it is a true gift to be able to capture the beauty. Thank you for sharing these stunning shots :)

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David W Runyan II's avatar

Sarah, that's because i'm a stubborn one . . . when i first started shooting, my photos sucked so i learned how to make them unsuck hahaha

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Trish Reader's avatar

A gorgeous compendium of photos and thoughts from a master photographer. Thank you for sharing your wondrous craft and world. ❤️

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David W Runyan II's avatar

so kind of you, Trish! just a hobbyist, not a master . . . i like to say that nature is the artist and i'm just the reporter :)

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Dr Margaret Aranda's avatar

I see God's symmetry in everything. Just FANTASTIC!

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David W Runyan II's avatar

ty Dr. and the more you study nature, the more you realize it's by design!

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Dr Margaret Aranda's avatar

Absolutely! You cannot look at nature and not know that there's a God.

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David W Runyan II's avatar

Dr. Margaret, years ago, I started studying the anatomy of dragonflies. Their design is so complex as to be unfathomable and can't possibly be the result of random processes.

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Dr Margaret Aranda's avatar

Ed and I are both biologists and we love the earth that God has given us... especially the plants and creatt.

I just wish we had learned more about natural herbs in school... but it's never too late to learn 🙌 🌱!

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David W Runyan II's avatar

Herbalism is an excellent hobby to entertain. Started dabbling in that myself 3 years ago.

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Dr Margaret Aranda's avatar

We just left the city for a small town with 0.5 acre and will be growing our own produce, getting 4 hens, digging a well. Planting a medicinal garden.

What's your favorite use of herbs?

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Veronika Bond's avatar

Absolutely gorgeous! Thank you so much for sharing your treasures❣️

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David W Runyan II's avatar

my gratitude for your kind comment, Veronika with a K!

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Veronika Bond's avatar

I like your perceptiveness 💕🙏 many readers simply change my name to Veronica. I can't tell you how many zillions of times I have to say 'Veronika with a K' (when giving someone my email address, because every letter matters!). You spelling it out in writing is hilarious!

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David W Runyan II's avatar

Veronika . . . confession . . . it's cuz you're pretty . . . if you weren't pretty, I wouldn't've noticed haha . . . i'm shallow like that!

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Melo's avatar

Are you still sharing your walks in the woods? I haven't been here in many months.

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David W Runyan II's avatar

Hi! Probably dormant until springtime.

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Syssey's avatar

Your photos are just Amazing! I can’t get over how Gorgeous they are. I could spend all day everyday looking at them. Thank you So Very much and for all your information that goes with them. I just Love Them All!!!

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David W Runyan II's avatar

Hi Syssey, thasnk you for the lavish and wonderful compliment!

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Finding Grace's avatar

So fascinating, David.. and your photography is too beautiful for words! 👏✨

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David W Runyan II's avatar

Anna, thank you so much for your comment. Nature provides so much beauty for us to enjoy 😊

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Susanne Helmert's avatar

Nature is absolutely amazing and you did a wonderful capturing all these little treasures It holds.

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David W Runyan II's avatar

Susanne, thank you for taking time to leave me such a lovely comment! :)

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Tinabeth Chapman's avatar

Beautiful Amazing article. Photography here is captured! And makes you feel like you are in the photograph.

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David W Runyan II's avatar

thank you, Tinabeth, for your kind words. :)

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Tinabeth Chapman's avatar

You are so welcome. Like your writing so.

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Kitha Cockrell's avatar

What a pleasant surprise to find you on Substack today!!! Soooooo much BEAUTY!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!

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David W Runyan II's avatar

thank you for your lovely comment, Kitha! . . . a pleasure to meet you here as well. :)

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Karafree's avatar

I used to live up in the NOrth east corner of CT Woodstock Valley on a little lake in the forest. Not to far from Yale Forest if you've ever heard of it.. We hiked up in New Salem

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David W Runyan II's avatar

you lived in the quiet corner? . . . we were almost neighbors :)

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Karafree's avatar

moved to Cali, from there and LOVED exploring the Sierra's but, I Miss that little corner of the country. so close to the white mts, the rivers, and Maine COAST!!!! Now I am in the south on the wrong end of TN... LOL, It's only a 17 hour drive to the Rockies, and only 8 hours to the Appalachian/Blue Ridge so, Those are my go to places through out the seasons these days.

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David W Runyan II's avatar

you get around! . . . as for me, i am a lifelong new englander, but at the moment i'm in chicago to bond with the grandkids while they're little . . . i'll be back in new england in another year.

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