Ramble Ramble ...

Spring is just around the corner. I am watching some purple house finches try to build a nest in a wreath I left on a hook on the porch. Rich wants me to take the wreath down, but I enjoy the morning visits by the finches and their song is quite beautiful.

I climbed the ladder and took a look. I guess they are just sitting there in the mornings and not building a nest. So I am going to leave the wreath until they move on or I feel like replacing the it with something else.

This morning I watched a dozen deer on the hill above the house. This is fairly new thing. I used to have cattle in that pasture and all summer I rotate pastures for the mules so I rarely see deer but I do often see their tracks.

This morning it snowed and the ground is white but it will melt.

Sunday I met up with another photographer and we hiked along the Kickapoo River in the KVR. We hiked the Wintergreen Trail and I had to laugh when the gent made a comment about him getting old. We'd just climbed down a bluff and I had pranced back up following a deer trail.
Yes I said pranced! I felt really good on Sunday!

Anyway this fellow, Brian, said he needed to catch his breath.

He and his buddies were talking about how they were getting to that age where they had to worry about things like heart attacks and such like. So I asked him what age is that? He said he was born in 1965. I burst out laughing. I didn't want to offend him, but I did then tell him that I was 9 years older. He just smiled and shrugged.

I learned a lot from Brian about infrared photography. He'd just been to a 'class' out in Utah for 9 days and was excited to share what he'd learned with another photographer.
The sky was perfect, blue, sunny, and dotted with clouds. Perfect for our IR cameras to pick up some IR wavelengths of light.

Brian had some incredible shots that he posted on Facebook that are in the colors of reflected light. Most of what I took became black and white shots.

My favorite shot of the day was this one I took with the non-converted camera with just a filter on it.
I see a face in the bluff...a Warrior! Do you?

Monday morning I felt the effects of all of the extra activities I'd done since playing soccer with kids on Friday afternoon. And when I say I played soccer, it wasn't just a little running here and there.
I literally played like a kid. Yes, I had to catch my breath a few times ... I even got tangled up with a 9 yr old and we tumbled and rolled on the slightly muddy field.
When I got to be goalie I actually prevented 4 goals.
Saturday was an all day sprint of finishing Sven's outdoor pen and moving all those heavy windows out of the corner of the shed.
Sunday was hiking in the morning with Charlie and then hiking in the afternoon with Brian along the river.

Monday morning came along. I felt stiff all over. My feet hurt, my hands hurt [osteo arthritis], my head hurt. And I found a tiny tick in my neck. Shame on me for not changing clothes after climbing around on the bluffs.
I literally took the day off.

I read a book, watched some videos about Infrared Photography, and did nothing but chores and laundry.

However on Sunday I did find Skunk Cabbage! So spring is coming even if it is snowing outside.

And I leave you with that.

My week begins today.
Lots to get done!