A cool trip to the Big Spring.

I decided around noon to take a hike down through the valley alongside the creek. Quite a few years ago the previous neighbor's kids dubbed it 'Awesome' Creek. The name stuck.

The creek has several springs and is for the most part a shallow and narrow creek that a person could mostly jump over. Since the land has laid untouched for the past 20 years, the brambles and other stick-ery things have moved in. 

When cattle roamed the land, it was quite nice to hike through. Now, it is more of a challenge. I can mostly follow along the creek and detour along deer paths, but after nearly 30 years of walking this valley, I know where to go to look for cool winter stuff.

Below are frosted grasses alongside the creek's edge. 

Where the water isn't flowing fast, it gets a skiff of ice over the surface. With enough cold days, portions will freeze over yet water will still move underneath the surface.

I wanted to get to the east end of the valley and check out the Big Spring where warm water flows from the hillside and many forest animals come for drinks. In the past winters the  mossy rocks in the Big Spring had been covered by layers of frost. I was hoping to see some cool tiny formations from the latest cold spell.

The surprise came when I sat down to study the grasses I took photos above. I saw a rock with snails on it! I hadn't been looking for them, but I certainly was pleased to see them. The bumps you see on the rock in the water are snails.

Here is a macro of one from 2020.

As I watched the rock, I noticed a Scud moving around. Here is a photo of a scud I took in 2020 also. This is when I used my Olympus TG6 which I can dip into water to take a photo.

They are called Amphipod Scuds and they are tiny shrimp like crustaceans that small fish feed on. Like these guys...sorry, they are hard to see. But they do live in the creek in this valley.

Here is the 10 second video of a scud moving around the snails! It may not be too good but maybe you can just notice the tiny movement. I felt like I just opened a huge Christmas gift when I saw the scud.
Geeked out... I told Charlie all about it and he ignored me.

The Big Spring was a little frosty and the moss was cool, but we didn't stay long. The cold must be extended for a longer period of time to cover the spring with layers of frosted moss.

But the pattens on the mossy rocks still are quite beautiful.

A few years ago...

So we decided to head home. I needed to make lunch for hubby and I was getting hungry.

Charlie stopped and froze while standing in the spring. 

I grabbed this shot and then realized what he was doing.

He was watching a Bald Eagle soar above the canopy.  Charlie is uncanny about spotting Eagles and Hawks, it is as if he knows that one of those large birds would view him as a snack.

If he hears an Eagle squeak or a Hawk call, he scurries to my side and asks to be picked up. He is very aware of everything that goes on around him both on land and in the air.

We made it home in time for lunch and got warmed up in front of the heater.

Stirred Crazy.

...Or, how to warm up on a really cold day after feeling it was tooooo cold to go out.

The wind chill was below...cold. The temps were 'fresh'. Mr. Kind Neighbor stopped by to ask if he could cut up some of the trees we had chopped down and dropped in the pasture. 
Yep, he certainly could. He was also looking to make some posts for corners of a fence he wanted to make.

I took him around to point out some trees he could take down. Locusts are very good for making corner posts once they are de-barked. We have a few younger trees that would make excellent posts without much work.

He then offered to cut up the old ash trees that fell on the east fence. Nice, I can repair the fence this spring.

He also will be cutting up the other pile for his own wood stove. There is no hurry and he can do it at any time. 

He said he'd clean things up and burn the brush pile he makes. Huh. Go figure.

He is a Forester guy. He is the person that the state and county will send out to help you manage a better forest on your land. 

Plus he knows what he is doing and as a bonus...he is a neighbor that is nice. We also offered him hunting on our land next deer season. We've watched him for two years and he is quite skilled at that too. He doesn't just wound them and have to track them for hours.

I spent most of the very cold morning, practicing and engaging in photography skills for my 365 Toy Photography Challenge. It was a good morning to try new things for me.

This is the tavern and the shop buildings from the Medieval Town Square--> the project Rich and I worked on. I've never tried a 'full' scene before. Placing the figures in the windows and in front of the building took a lot of effort and time to get them just right.

Fun though.

Then I took some interior shots. One of my favorite ones is the sleeping female warrior, Tilla.

I enjoyed trying to use the kitchen of the tavern...I mean, it looks like the cook is going to make Lobster for breakfast???

Do you know that I can do laundry and this at the same time? Well, sort of.
With laundry done, I decided to go to work outside.

It doesn't look like a huge pile, but it is two years worth of sticks and branches. After getting that started, I added logs, long branches, and walked about picking up chunks of wood. I added the other pieces a little at a time. 

I never like a huge roaring fire.

To give you an idea of how much walking I did to pick things up and drop them on the fire.... my watch thingy said it was 5 miles. Whaaaat? I do know that I was bone tired by bedtime.

I got a great workout picking up log chunks and dragging long logs though.

By morning, the center had burned through and I was able to tip the unburnt sections back onto the hot coals and finish it off.

It is pretty nice to have such a nice neighbor. We don't see him or her and the kids often, especially in the winter. But they are kind people.

And, if you are wondering, while working in the nice fresh temps --> think 15 F -- I took off my coveralls and was toasty warm. Burning and piling brush piles is one of my favorite winter activities.

I know. I am odd.

Digital Backgrounds in Photography

Who'd of thunk it? Using an old TV screen like this to make a photo like this....

👇

Some say that showing the 'secrets' of behind the scenes ruins the magic. In a sense it does, but it doesn't help others learn how to improve or try new techniques. In the past, I've used my laptop screen with pretty good success. However, I could only do little figures and not something like the above Watch Tower.

I tried some more fun shots before I dismantled the TV and put it back in storage. I don't have the room to leave it set up.

The one below is similar. I used an AI generated image of a desert and placed this minifigure and her horse on top of a piece of wrinkled paper bag I had. I used my cell phone flashlight to light her up from an angle and there it was....

A warrior traveling in the desert.

I had one more I tried. I set this Pegasus and the warrior on a mirror close to the TV so I could 'shoot' her flying on her steed.

I chose a photo of mine from the archives to use of clouds.

It came out pretty good, but I had to use a 'mist' brush to cover up the lines where the mirror met the screen. I did a slight radial blur of the background.

I need to try this again. Her face and the reflection of the light on her face are awkward. But the idea seems sound. Maybe next time I can put them on a tilt to imitate flying.

In portrait photography [which I have no care to do -- I tried it and failed], Digital Backgrounds are used. As they can be for Still Life Photography too.

The backgrounds can be digital printed items, or a smart TV like I used. I've even used scrapbook paper for backgrounds.

I've also used scraps of wood that I've painted and textured.

It worked well.

I really prefer to 'make' my own backdrops but I enjoy using all the tools I can. I do have a light box too. I'll probably shake the dust off from that and explore some created scenes with that.

I did this last year, it was quite fun to create a story without words.

The Interview

Since our temps dropped to very cold again. I may explore some of my old methods and try some new methods of photography.

I should really really ... gather some items and do some more still life shots.

There is just so much one can have fun with.

Have a good day. 

Wait. What? Its the year 25?

I went to bed at 9PM. Woke up at 10PM and stared out the window until much later, then wrestled the covers a while. Rearranged pillows. Got up, walked downstairs. Looked out the window.

The New Year didn't look any different at 2AM than it did the day before. But at least there wasn't fog.

I went back and beat my pillows up a bit and pushed around the blankets much to Charlie's disdain and sighs. He sleeps on a corner of the bed in his own little nest.

Welcome 2025 your start sucked.

By 4AM I made decafe coffee and decided to go through my files for December and back up other photo files.

Delete 
Keep
Hmm
Delete...and so forth.

By 5AM I got up and started stretching. Either a pressure system was moving through or suddenly I aged a gazillion years over night. Everything hurt from head to toe.

Maybe I'd just skip 2025 all together. 

Charlie watched me sleepily and went to his nest on the couch. Big help he was!

I thought I'd check into my mileage for the year of 2024. I was surprised. I did reach a pretty cool milestone. 1,070 miles hiked since January 1st 2024. I had no intention of reaching any goal other than just having fun keeping track.

Maybe I'd better get my oil checked for this year.

After another morning walk and some other Mobility work, my body felt much better.

So I guess 2025 may not be so bad after all.

I think I'll go do some Loopy Yarn work today and perhaps a nap.

Happy New Year Day.

A shot from last year. 

Fogged in again

Dense Fog December 30th.

I don't DO driving in dense fog or freezing fog now that I don't have to punch a time clock. One time I had to drive home from work in dense fog like this. It was over 10 years ago. I rolled down the window on my ancient car and drove at idle speed so I could watch the center line below me.

That was simply the most exhausting drive I'd ever done. I'd gotten off from a midnight shift and once I hit the ridge I couldn't see past my hood. Now I avoid bad weather and I am glad I can.

So instead of complaining about the weather and the fog, I went hiking again and again.

These were short hikes of only about 40 minutes or so to explore the forest floor and look at the mystical ... magical ... fog that everyone dislikes -- especially
when it happens
for days on end!

At about 9 am yesterday, it lightened up when I went to for one of those walks and I thought I'd be able to run some afternoon errands.

It was quite pretty with the freezing fog on the trees.

But by noon we were socked in again with weather alerts about not being able to see past 25 feet or 1/4 of a mile in areas. I figure with my depth perception being nil, it was another good day to stay off the roads.

By this time I was going stir crazy staying home safe and sound. There were quite a few accidents but nothing major.

I texted Olive to see if she wanted to go for a walk on our road out to the blacktop road and back. She jumped at the chance. Everyone in her house is still recovering from after Thanksgiving Colds and croupy coughs and all those fun colds that come from pre-school and daycare.

This way we could get in a visit and walk at the same time in the mild temps and fog and avoid trading germs. [We are extra cautious for hubby.]

Picture below...walking through the 'neighborhood'.

Well here it is. The last day of the 2024 year. 
Rory turned 1 year old on the 27th, we got to do a live time video with her and watch her play thanks to her wonderful parents.
We had only two visits to the ER for hubby and a pretty quiet year.

There are no plans to celebrate New Year's Eve. I did that when I was a youngster, now it is no more than just another day other than changing the calendar and remembering to end the date in 25 now.

From my Lego friends to you...

Happy New Year

That year end thing...

 We all do it. Talk about what we may think we want to accomplish in the next year, or state resolutions for the next year.

There are even key words for the next year. I used a 'Free Word Generator'. I clicked on it and...

it gave me the word:

Play

Wow. Okay.
Um.

I went no further than that word. There were all sorts of suggestions on the -- Interweb.

Travel inspired words
Healthy inspired words
Uplifting
Career focused
Words of inspiration, kindness, self love, and so many more.

The word that was given to me by some random bizarre generator was fine with me.

Play.

We all know that just by changing the year's ending number, nothing really NEW starts. We do what we have to do each day to get along and that is simply the basics of living a life.

I have a lot of things I'd like to do and like to say I'd do. But it really boils down to. 

One
day
at
a
time.

Last year I promised myself that I'd find a way to go camping for just one night. That didn't happen. Still, I'd like to do it just once.

I am setting up a photo challenge which I am almost certain I can attain.

A 365 Photo challenge. Theme suggestions that I may be able to do. 

Legos, Toys, Nature... 

I'm pretty sure I can fulfill the Lego-toy challenge. I wonder if I could fulfill a daily nature photo.

Men at work:

Ninebark bush, clumps of seeds.

The decision is still out. But I best make one soon.

I will probably do the photos on Flickr and not annoy anyone who reads this blog....or will I?

Hmmm.

Toys? Legos?
Nature?
Play?

Ideas?

Fun fotos...

Just because...it is after Christmas and I have a bunch of fun fotos from the month of December.

Santa's Relief Driver????

My all time favorite
ornament!

...I collect horsey ornaments. This may be
the most photographed ornament I've ever had.
I've had it for over 30 years. 
It was a cheap plastic one I picked up in
some second hand store so 
many 
years ago!

A much newer addition to my collection...

My tiny Button jointed Teddy Bears I made

years ago. Still up to no good!

Even Dragons celebrate Christmas?

I can't help it.

I think Dragons are cool.
New addition to the dragons!
A Baby Lego Dragon!

And then there was Mini-me
and Charlie doing last 

minute errands in the Village...

Little Bear and his wooden friends gather on

Christmas Eve at the Chair.

[These are old toys gifted to me

over the years.]

My ever changing toy display next to

the Christmas Chair.
It is made up of Vintage Boxes 

and

an old nesting box for hens.

I really didn't want to take down my cheery fun 'display'. I've had so much fun with it this year. 

But eventually the party ends, right?

I took down the Christmas Chair, the North Pole, and the Christmas Village and traded out the Lego buildings for the Medieval Village. I wanted to take a break from Lego so...

...before the rains hit, I grabbed some of my of my action figures and headed out. 

Ailie and Rabbit came out to play. I added the snow in post.

Time for a change up...