Harold von Drehle
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haroldvondrehle.bsky.social
Harold von Drehle
@haroldvondrehle.bsky.social
510 followers 79 following 1.1K posts
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haroldvondrehle.bsky.social
#RoseWednesday
#FlowerReport:

A rose from Monday morning
in San Jose, California.
A photo of a maroon red rose from straight on. The petals are a little lighter toward the center, where they are a bit more twisted. All of them are pointed. Very dark maroon (almost black) stamen and anthers are tumbling in the middle. The background is mostly light blue sky. Some green leaves and a distant tree are below. A single yellow triangular gingko leaf is caught underneath. A photo of the back of the maroon rose in the first picture. The petals from behind fade from a dark pink to white at the center, which shows the green stem and the folded over sepals. A few petals are turned backward slightly. The background is an unrelated green and white bush, with many yellow gingko leaves scattered around on dark green grass.
December 3, 2025 at 4:15 PM
haroldvondrehle.bsky.social
#ArtAdventCalendar Day 3.
#FlowerReport:

From last Tuesday, in Gilroy, California.
A close-up photo of a yellow rose. It is mostly from the side, a few gold nugget anthers are poking out from the folds of petals. Large and small droplets fill most of the outward petals. Due to adjusting the contrast and shadows, the water drops and the twists and turns of the flower's petals "pop" in the picture. The background is blurred.
December 3, 2025 at 3:39 PM
Reposted by Harold von Drehle
marysunshineisgone.bsky.social
This may help
Cabbage white butterfly hovering above a purple plant.
December 2, 2025 at 2:29 PM
Reposted by Harold von Drehle
naturecompass.bsky.social
Last night, the sky over Alaska turned into a cosmic vortex…

A massive swirl of purple and pink auroras lit up the frozen landscape — a formation so rare that even long-time skywatchers said they’d never seen anything like it.

Captured by a local photographer during an intense geomagnetic storm.
🌌💜 “Last night, the sky over Alaska turned into a cosmic vortex…” A massive swirl of purple and pink auroras lit up the frozen landscape — a formation so rare that even long-time skywatchers said they’d never seen anything like it. The entire horizon glowed as the lights spiraled into a perfect celestial whirl. ❄️✨ Captured by a local photographer during an intense geomagnetic storm.
December 2, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Reposted by Harold von Drehle
fairymelly.bsky.social
the forest was beautiful today 🫶🏼
A picture of trees in the forest, the low sun shining through the trees and the light fog giving the warm light a beautiful atmosphere
December 2, 2025 at 8:39 PM
haroldvondrehle.bsky.social
#ThickTrunkTuesday, California style.

Tropics in Fall?

San Jose, California, Monday.
A photo looking up through a tangle of branches with scattered brown leaves, not yet Autumn fallen. The branches go before, around, and behind a palm tree reaching higher. The sky is gray.
December 3, 2025 at 12:15 AM
Reposted by Harold von Drehle
anaisfae.art
Happy decembirb #ArtAdventCalendar
watercolor painting of a crow perched on a branch, looking up at a purple starry sky.
December 1, 2025 at 6:59 PM
haroldvondrehle.bsky.social
#ArtAdventCalendar
#BlueTuesday
#FlowerReport:

From San Jose, California, Sunday.
A close-up photo of a blue Viola flower. There is a fuzzy whitish V-shape pointing up at the center, down from which flows a bit of orange shading. There are also darker blue streams reaching out into the 4 to 6 big floppy petals, and smaller veins of lighter hues cascading into the petals as well. The background has some darkness and several large olive green leaves.
December 2, 2025 at 5:00 PM
haroldvondrehle.bsky.social
Hello, @graciewilde.bsky.social.

A very minor point, but I made a little boo boo in part 4 of my last reply. I said that something happened 44 years ago in 1971. Actually, going back from 2025, 1971 is 54 years ago, and the event I refer to did happen in a previous story of ours in 1971.
December 2, 2025 at 3:39 AM
haroldvondrehle.bsky.social
#MacroMonday
#FlowerReport
(And a very early #InsectThursday.)

This morning, in San Jose, California.
A macro close-up photo of the orange and red center, and some golden yellow petals, of a daisy-like flower. Near the middle is a long thin beige bug with long legs and long antennae, seemingly pointed at a rather stout smaller green bug with short antennae, facing the camera, who is heading up one of the petals.
December 1, 2025 at 5:42 PM
haroldvondrehle.bsky.social
Good night, #FlowerReport.

Thank you for the reminders
to stop, look, and click.

Dream well.
A close-up photo of a yellow marigold flower, with her dozens of small petals fanning out to every side. Tiny bubbles of dew dot them all. The light of the camera creates a lot of contrast and pale shadows. Some green leaves and brown soil are in the background.
December 1, 2025 at 4:27 AM
Reposted by Harold von Drehle
taminf.bsky.social
Out for a Sunday stroll

#photography #winter #scape #stunday #newjersey
November 30, 2025 at 12:57 PM
haroldvondrehle.bsky.social
#FlowerReport:

A New Zealand Manuka tea tree blossom, found in Mountain View on Thursday afternoon.
A macro close-up photo of a blossom with five petals that are white, but have a lot of pink veins and shading on them. Ringing the center are the red stamen with roundish light green anthers atop them. Some are standing up, and some are dipping toward the red stalk in the purple center, on top of which is a small flat green disc. They almost appear to be bowing, or leaning over to get a better look at the disc.
November 30, 2025 at 3:07 PM
Reposted by Harold von Drehle
mccnjz.bsky.social
A CONVERSATION

“Never look back unless you’re planning to go that way.”
Henry David Thoreau.

“I try to avoid looking forward or backward and try to keep looking upward.”
Charlotte Brontë

#dont-let-them-steal-your-joy #sunflower #courage #inspire #slavaukraini #mobilize #50501
November 30, 2025 at 1:44 AM
haroldvondrehle.bsky.social
#BlueSkyArtShow
#Warmth
#FlowerReport:

From an August afternoon
in San Jose, California this year.
A macro close-up photo of a bee on an all-yellow daisy-like flower in bright sunshine. The fine "hairs" on the bee are prominent, and her antennae are dipped toward the center of the flower. Sunlight reflects off of her clear stained-glass wings, which are folded back.
November 30, 2025 at 3:20 AM
haroldvondrehle.bsky.social
#SixOnSaturday
#FoliageReport:

Still Fall, in Mountain View, California,
Thanksgiving Day, 2025.
A six frame photo collage of Fall leaves and trees. A close-up of a five pronged dry leaf of red and brown among sprig-like green leaves, with the shadow of one of them in the middle of the fallen leaf. A scattering of turning leaves backlit by the sun, with blue sky and white clouds beyond. A tree with dark red leaves on the left side and golden orange leaves on the right, in a blue sky. A frame filled with golden orange leaves on thin branches, with some prominent green leaves. A thin tree of sparse, turning leaves amid a blue backdrop. A tree with few reddish leaves and a trunk covered by green ivy, with that blue sky beyond.
November 30, 2025 at 2:59 AM
Reposted by Harold von Drehle
lorettarobinson.bsky.social
Friday is also the day for the art challenge of #Scape day here on Blue Sky.

Another wonderful sunset in #Yachats #Oregon

I have taken more photos here than anywhere else in the world over the last four decades. Amazing beaches and rocks.

#EastCoastKin #Photography #OMSystem
November 28, 2025 at 1:34 PM
haroldvondrehle.bsky.social
#FlowersOnFriday
#FlowerReport:

From Mountain View, California, yesterday.

Alt text would have been:

Two close-up photos of flowers. One is of a Lily of the Nile, who is light violet, with purple stripes. The other is of a pair of pink Azaleas, with dark pink "leopard spots" in the centers.
November 28, 2025 at 2:35 PM
haroldvondrehle.bsky.social
#Photo #Thought

Let us not be defined by
the cages which confine,
let us grow beyond them.
A close-up photo of a black chain link fence. Further back are a little blue sky, thin tree branches, and a lot of small green leaves. More green, sharp-pointed, teardrop leaves are pressed up against the fence. Growing through the central square of the fence is a very thin tangle of red and green twig-like branches with tiny white buds. Some are closed, and some are open, showing yellow anthers. A few have a dollop of light on them.
November 27, 2025 at 9:05 PM
Reposted by Harold von Drehle
averagesphotos.bsky.social
Into the Woods. #ballinastoe #wicklowmountains #visitwicklow #ireland #forestpath #woodlandwalk #naturelover #hikingadventures #moodyphotography #forestlife #scenicview #landscape #outdoors #smartphonephotography #photography
A moody, vertical eye-level shot showing a wooden boardwalk path winding through the dense trees of Ballinastoe Woods in the Wicklow Mountains. The boardwalk curves through a carpet of reddish-brown pine needles, flanked by dark tree trunks covered in moss that create a natural tunnel. Dappled light filters through the pine branches overhead, creating an enchanted and mysterious atmosphere.
November 27, 2025 at 8:13 AM
haroldvondrehle.bsky.social
#InsectThursday
#FlowerReport:

In #Thanksgiving colors, a hover fly in San Jose, California yesterday afternoon reminds us that the intricate interwoven world of nature is something else for which to be thankful, and that beauty in so many variations and perceptions is everywhere we care to see.
A macro close-up photo of a hover fly on a ragwort flower, which is sort of a cross between a daisy and a dandelion, with broad yellow petals, and yet curled anther ends. The rounded floral disc is more gold than yellow. The flower is angled away slightly. The hover fly (with brown and yellow stripes, long yellow legs, and curved yet angular brown eyes) is on the top edge of the flower disc, "nibbling" on some pollen, I presume.
November 27, 2025 at 5:57 PM
haroldvondrehle.bsky.social
#RoseWednesday
#FlowerReport:

A rose from two weeks ago in Gilroy, and a rose from the day before yesterday in San Jose, California.
Photo of a yellow rose with golden anthers. She is dappled with drops from a sprinkler. An unopened bud is below to the right, and a hint of another rose is down to the left. Green vines, leaves, and tiny thorns fill the background. A photo of a tightly wrapped red rose with petals turning yellow toward the center. Greenery abounds behind her.
November 26, 2025 at 6:57 PM
haroldvondrehle.bsky.social
#BlueTuesday
#BlueTue
#FlowerReport:

From last Friday afternoon,
in Downtown San Jose, California.
Photo of a single "tower of flower." On a single stalk, leaning left, are many blue blossoms. The lower ones have a broad, curled, split petal at the bottom, with a few dashes of white. Just above that is a fuzzy "thumbs up" projection. Around the base of the stalk these flowers make it appear wider, with the blossoms bunching together toward the top, giving it a conical Fir tree shape. This "tree" is among broad, bumpy green leaves, and is growing out of a concrete city planter which runs into the distance, containing other greenery and flowers. The base of a skyscraper is in shadow, while a few low square buildings further away are in sunshine. Lit up brightly on the right is the St. Joseph church with its towers and domes. A tree in Fall foliage is at the lower right. The sky is a light blue.
November 25, 2025 at 5:21 PM
haroldvondrehle.bsky.social
#MacroMonday:

From San Jose, California, yesterday.

Alt text would have been:

A macro close-up photo of a reddish orange ladybug with no spots. The front armoring is black, outlined in white. The eyes are black with a white stripe between them. She is on a thick green leaf, among more leaves.
November 24, 2025 at 8:40 PM
haroldvondrehle.bsky.social
@graciewilde.bsky.social:

With my latest reply, feel free to let that lie there, and move on with the narrative. I just wanted to put that bug out there, that this young woman, if she learns the fate of Martin in April '68, and Bobby in June '68, may have to decide what to do in February '68.
November 24, 2025 at 5:57 AM