Ok, if you're here reading this, chances are that you love cars, love the act of driving, and enjoy taking in all the little details -- the sights and sounds you encounter when you're behind the wheel of your machine. Fred First is a Virginia-based naturalist and blogger, and he's put out a call to arms, asking photographers to send him pictures of "America's Roadside Bloomery." What he's looking for, in a nutshell, is photos that include a road and the wildflowers that grow alongside it. Fred will take the submissions he receives up to October 15, 2007 and upload them to this gallery on Smugmug. When all's said and done, folks will be able to vote for their favorite pics, and prizes for first, second, and third place will be awarded.

The photos already uploaded to the gallery will give you an idea of what kinds of things people are submitting. The shot above is one of the submissions, and happens to be a great car photo as well. It's easy to take the surroundings for granted as we cruise by on the way to work, or shopping, or wherever. Take a moment to notice what's there, and if you like something you see, click that shutter and forward it to Fred. This is a cool idea, so take five minutes to read Fred's specific instructions on how to participate, check out the gallery of pics so far, and then toss that camera in the passenger seat the next time you roll out.

[Source: Fragments From Floyd, Virginia via Instapundit]