Praying Mantis in the Flowers

 “How beautiful a day can be, 

when kindness touches it!” 

—George Elliston

Print Available - HERE 

  

Praying Mantis in the Sedum

Praying Mantis - at Home in the Sedum 

Find ecstasy in life; 
the mere sense of living is joy enough.
 - Emily Dickinson

 Prints and More Available - HERE 

Praying Mantis - Learning from Nature

One should pay attention to even the smallest crawling creature for these too may have a valuable lesson to teach us.

~ Black Elk

About the image: Taken in June 2011 - I found him after he had emerged from his exoskeleton. This was the first time I realized that they molted and leave behind their old skin.

You can see his molted Exoskeleton - HERE

Praying Mantis - Everything Has Beauty

~ There is Beauty All Around Us ~

More of my Praying Mantis Images - HERE 

Mantis - After the Molt

As I was taking shots of the Mantis Exoskeleton I found the newly emerged Mantis.

Nature often holds up a mirror so we can see more clearly the ongoing processes of growth, renewal, and transformation in our lives.

~ Mary Ann Brussat

Mantis Molt

One of the highlights of one of my walks was finding the shed exoskeleton of a baby mantis. I didn't even realize the the mantis went through a molt.

This is the same picture. The first picture shows a rotated view but this picture show exactly how I found it - on the underside of a leaf.

We must be willing to get rid of the life we've planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us. The old skin has to be shed before the new one can come.

~ Joseph Campbell