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  1. CNMI ON LAND
  2. SAIPAN 2012

JAN 2, 2012: EAST OF BANZAI (JAPANESE BUNKER AREA)

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Old WWII Japanese bunker.  Well-camouflaged and with very thick, reinforced walls and roof.  I'm not sure if the back wall was blasted open or if it just has fallen due to the passage of time (I assume the former is more likely).
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Old WWII Japanese bunker. Well-camouflaged and with very thick, reinforced walls and roof. I'm not sure if the back wall was blasted open or if it just has fallen due to the passage of time (I assume the former is more likely).

bunkerJapaneseWW IIWorld War 2North Saipan

  • Old WWII Japanese bunker.  Well-camouflaged and with very thick, reinforced walls and roof.  I'm not sure if the back wall was blasted open or if it just has fallen due to the passage of time (I assume the former is more likely).
  • My original goal for this trip was to see if I could get to an elusive wave-watching place.  But, after I took the previous photo and turned around to resume my hike, this spider web caught my eye.
  • The location of the web was totally perfect in that it was brightly glimmering in the sun, situated before a shaded background (behind the web is the  inside of the bunker, covered by the roof).  Perfect item to practice some photography techniques on.  Then, as I looked closer......
  • I saw that one of the reasons this web appeared so bright was that it had these dew drops all over it.  T'was beautiful, but quite odd.  This was about 4:00 PM, in the afternoon sun.  Why would dew be on a web at that time?  Perhaps it was ocean spray?  But, I then noticed that the droplets appeared almost oil-like.  And see how regularly they are spaced along the web?  All the larger ones are at intersections of web.  And the smaller ones are evenly spaced like beads over most of the rest of the web.
  • This is not a place where I would expect any type of oil or other unnatural mists.  Maybe sea spray which becomes more concentrated and viscous as it evaporates?
  • It was not until I got home and started looking at some of the macro shots that the likely answer to this puzzle dawned on me.  Notice how all the larger droplets seem to have something in them?  Look especially at the largest one, slightly to the right and below center.  The next shot will be a cropped image of this same photo to look more closely at that droplet.
  • I'm no arachnologist, but that looks to me like a little spider inside there.  I think these must be some type of spider eggs!  If anyone who reads this knows for sure, please leave comments (see "Add Comment" button below and to your left).<br />
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Added later:  See my comment below from January 18 for a more likely explanation.
  • It still seems amazing to me how regular these are all placed.
  • This photo was taken with a much shallower depth of field (thus the blurring of most of the photo).  But here, again, you can see the little body in the droplet.  The next photo is a cropped version of this one.
  • Actually looks more insect-like.  Maybe there is a species of insect which lays eggs on spider nests?  In my opinion, unless I hear otherwise, I think Occam's Razor cuts to the theory that these are spider eggs.  I would love to hear anyone else's thoughts, whether you are an expert or not, actually.
  • OK:  Now to the task I set out for originally.
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  • VIDEO for wave lovers only.<br />
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Music by Kevin MacLeod of <a href="http://incompetech.com/">http://incompetech.com/</a>
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  • Self portrait shadow in the foam.  Looks like I have a dog next to me, but it's really just a rock.
  • One last video and wave goodbye........
  • t

    on January 18, 2012

    ...rock looks to be like a petrified, blistered head with eyeballs looking left. Nice shadow work:-)

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