John R. Hoffman is a Professor of Biology, public speaker and a scientist examining the recovery of the nervous system after injury. Since 2006 he has written several unpublished manuscripts and he is currently working on the first Nathaniel Smythe novel and short story collection. He spends his spare time with his family and running.
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 The foreman slammed his hard hat into the ground. He tried to smooth the crumpled document against the hood of his pickup. He glanced around the construction equipment parked idly next to the mosquito infested swampy pit of weeds. The second hand of his watch spun around representing the dollars he was losing with each delay.
The Rustic butterfly was incredibly beautiful and extremely rare. It was found only in a few isolated spots, including the field of endangered wildflowers in the path of the new highway.
As the foreman studied the legal order, a butterfly landed on his nose.
(Photo credit: “The Rustic (Cupha erymanthis) is a species of brush-footed butterfly found in forested areas of tropical South Asia and Southeast Asia. They usually found puddling on rock and cement plastered surfaces. Taken at Kadavoor, Kerala, India.” Selected as the Picture of the Day, Wikimedia Commons on August 14, 2012)
 A twisted bundle of brambles blocked the ancient gateway. Once the limestone castle had stood at the intersection of the ancient trade routes, surrounded by a bustling metropolis of brightly colored merchant tents. Now it was a simple refuge for a scraggly flock of goats and a poor young boy.
The goatherd tugged on the rope to retrieve the bucket. The ancient well in the courtyard contained the greatest treasure of the region. He took a long sip of the only drinkable water for miles, unaware of the mass of gold coins hidden in the watery cavern deep below.
(Photo credit: “The desert castle Qasr Kharana in Jordan” Selected as the Picture of the Day, Wikimedia Commons on August 13, 2012)
 The reef came alive as the tide rolled in. Feeding time. The sand shifted against the gentle current. Two eyes opened and quickly scanned the array of brightly colored fish swimming randomly, unaware of the impending danger. The body ruffled as it emerged, slowly crawling along the reef with arms methodically probing and searching for a hidden crab or clam.
A sleek shadow races across the surface as a shark torpedoes toward the buffet line.
The octopus disappears in a cloud of black ink. It’s arms snap and it’s body contracts as it jets away, escaping to eat another day.
(Photo credit: “Octopus vulgaris, 1896.” Selected as the Picture of the Day, Wikimedia Commons on August 12, 2012)
 The wooden boat lounged on the riverbank in the shadow of the bridge. More asleep than awake, the old man leaned against the oar impaled in the mud. For generations, his family had ferried pilgrims across the river to the temple. The perilous journey of an hour or more to cross the flooded river was now completed in minutes by car.
A visitor in an embroidered Sherwani approached and hired the boat. For generations, his family had journeyed across the river to the temple. It was now his turn to continue the tradition.
Sometimes the old ways are the best.
(Photo credit: “This image is a beautiful shot of Godavari bridge on the left and Godavari Arch Bridge on the right. The bridge is a decommissioned bridge that spans the Godavari River in Andhra Pradesh, India.” Selected as the Picture of the Day, Wikimedia Commons on August 11, 2012)
 The hiker huddled in the fetal position, his teeth chattering. The emptiness of the long moonless night amplified his hunger pains. His ragged clothing showed the effects of wandering futilely through the brambles after leaving the trail and losing his pack at dusk.
The first rays of warmth cascaded into the valley as the sun burst over the peak of Mount Shani. Emerging from the darkness was the church sitting proudly on a distant ridge. He struggled to stand on his cramped legs. His goal was in sight; he could reach it by continuing on one step at a time.
(Photo credit: “360-degree panoramic view of the Gergeti Trinity Church, the Mount Kazbek, and Mount Shani in Georgia.” Selected as the Picture of the Day, Wikimedia Commons on August 10, 2012)
 The crab wanted to be an Olympic athlete.
He was fast enough for the track events, but couldn’t run in a straight line so would get disqualified for straying across the lane markers.
He tried the pole vault, but couldn’t let go and ended up looking like a kebab.
Finally he tried the marathon. His gait was somewhat unconventional, but effective: two steps sideways, one step forward. He didn’t earn gold, silver, or bronze. He won the satisfaction of starting and finishing the race.
If you can’t reach your goals directly, keep trying and approach them from a different angle.
(Photo credit: “Ocypode cursor, Dor-Habonim Beach, Israel, February 26, 2012.” Selected as the Picture of the Day, Wikimedia Commons on August 9, 2012)
 The electronic engineer soldered the computer microchip into place on the prototype. The advances of technology were remarkable. This chip could easily pass through the eye of a needle. Using the original vacuum tubes, grandfather would have needed a collection of electronic circuits the size of a small house to accomplish what this tiny chip could do quickly, reliably, and invisibly. Electronic surveillance, GPS satellites, and wireless communication were science fiction in the McCarthy era. Today no one thinks twice about the computer boards in almost every device. Nothing is anonymous anymore. Big brother was getting smaller every day.
(Photo credit: “Soldering of a 0805 component.” Selected as the Picture of the Day, Wikimedia Commons on August 8, 2012)
There was a buzzing in his ears when he woke up at dawn for the mission briefing and flight plan. Same as yesterday and the day before and the day before. You have to strike when the iron is hot or at least when the flowers are in bloom. The instructions were simple enough. He would only need to visit about a thousand flowers to collect the seventy milligrams of sugary nectar for a full load. Then it was back to the hive for unloading and then back out again. Making honey is hard work. Maybe tomorrow it will rain.
(Photo credit: “Anthophora dufourii Lepeletier, 1841 (Det. Achik Dorchin 2012), male collecting nectar and pollinating Salvia hierosolymitana, Mount Carmel, Israel, April 10, 2012. Many Salvia species deploy a staminal lever mechanism: when a bee probes the flower for nectar, the stamens are lowered to deposit pollen on the bee’s back. Note that the front leg of the bee is amputated.” Selected as Picture of the Day, Wikimedia Commons on August 7, 2012)
 With a snap of his wrist the net snared the butterfly as it hovered above the flower. He removed the lid from the jar and detected the faint odor of Ethyl Acetate. The net shook as the butterfly fluttered wildly in an attempt to escape. He had to hurry before the lepidopteran damaged itself. With finely honed skills, he grasped the thorax and removed the butterfly from the net. He peered through the jeweler’s loupe, carefully inspecting his trophy. As he had hoped, it was perfect. An incredibly rare specimen for his collection. He smiled as he set it free.
(Photo credit: “Common Lime Butterfly Papilio demoleus by Kadavoor.JPG” Selected as Picture of the Day, Wikimedia Commons on August 6, 2012)
The sparkling crystals sent beams of light dancing around the room as the chandelier spun away. The man swore under his breath and tried again. This seemed so easily in the movies, but at least he wasn’t suspended from a rope. There were only minutes before the guard would return and he didn’t want to explain why he was at the top of this rickety old ladder. He could barely close his hand around the central crystal as it lifted free. He smiled as the gem left a long scratch on the gilded mirrors. The legendary diamond was finally his.
(Photo credit: “Schwörstadt: Chandelier in Catholic Church” Selected as Picture of the Day, Wikimedia Commons on August 5, 2012)
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