LARVALBUG LENS, March, 2017
Sometimes even sentient beings who are capable of understanding a photographer's instructions can get so distracted that they completely forget the task at hand. Larry, Val, and their dog, Periwinkle, were visiting in Ocala, FL, with Evelyn, Val's mother, during the Thanksgiving holiday in 2005. As is often the case, a visit to Kanapaha Gardens in Gainesville was on the agenda, as it is one of the few gardens that is both a fantastic botanical showcase AND dog-friendly. One highlight of the grounds is a demonstration water purification system that incorporates a series of ponds and streams allowing the water to move through lush vegetation in order to remove contaminants. The habitat is home to fish, turtles, snakes and alligators, and never gives the impression of being a wastewater treatment facility. Instead, it features lily pads, waterfalls and a lovely little bridge that provides a perfect backdrop to photos, but only if you can get your subjects to focus for a bit. All seemed to be going well, but before Val could snap the shutter, Evelyn saw a bird at the waterfall that she wanted to photograph and Peri saw something equally tantalizing off in the other direction. So it goes.