Perfect weather

The temperatures were insanely warm on Wednesday, so much so that I wore a spring jacket while Charlie and I took a nice long hike.
I knew the weather was going to change on Wednesday evening and be awful on Thursday, so I made the executive decision to

not do laundry
not vaccum

not dust

leave my messes alone and

go out for fresh air 

and snow.

I chose to stay on a flat and familiar trail nearby. I had considered going to one of the State Parks but I opted for the shorter drive.

In the summer this is a paved trail for bicyclists and hikers, equine are to ride off the blacktop to the side.
In the winter, the trail is groomed. No bikes allowed, but those who walk are supposed to stay off to the side so skiers can use the groomed area.

I chose not to take my snowshoes. When the temps are nearly 40 F, the snow will clump up under the snowshoes like a huge snowball. It makes snowshoeing rather unenjoyable. 

Charlie was in his element. He followed the proper trail and ran ahead stopping to stick his nose into the snow and smell for mice and other things.

We went to the bluffs where I go each year. There is no trail but one can walk below the bluffs near the river. Here again, we found damage from the August Storm that took down so many trees in the area.

The marks in the snow were made by myself and Charlie and other critters.

No human tracks were found here.

Perhaps you can see why I continue to work out at the gym. Balance and agility are things I hope to keep for quite a while yet. The color is off in the shot below, the snow I don't believe wasn't that blue! But it was chilly next to the bluff!

This is with my back to the river looking up the bluffs and hillside. After looking at the rocks and the little bits of ice we found we went up the hillside to find a log in the sun and have our lunch.

Ice. The nice kind that is pretty to look at.

We had plenty of time so I headed down to what I call Star Valley ponds and decided to see how iced over it was. 
It surely was iced over. 

Curiously though, I saw where x-county skiers had crossed the ice. 

Infrared Shot

By the time we got back to the car, I figured we'd have a really nice long hike in. The footing got a bit mushier as it warmed up.

I ran into someone I knew from the gym but hadn't seen since 2020.

He and his pheasant hunting lab were out walking and looking for some birds. 

We caught up with each others' lives and then moved on.

I kept my infrared camera out and snapped a few shots. 

Kickapoo River at bridge 15

Pine forest and shadows.

Heading back.

Follow the leader!
cell phone...

I was rather surprised that it was about 2pm when we got to the car. Charlie made himself comfortable in his car seat and we headed home.

Another fine day at the Reserve.

Today, it is wicked and wild. Who pissed of Mother 
Nature??

 

Summer Daze and part of the weekend.

 Hot and mug-gley are the words for the weekend. Our friend did come. Jason has been a good guest and has enjoyed keeping Rich company with his stories and discussions.

Our upstairs doesn't have A/C so Jason made a DIY unit out of ice/cooler/rechargeable fan, and foam board. 
It works. It sort of looks like this and uses ice and a fan that can run on a battery or plug in if you prefer. 

What can I say? 
Ingenious.
His looks a bit different. He used foam for a lid and pulled or left the original lid open so he could still use it as a cooler.

I think he used a 10lb bag of ice and set things up.

I did get out and watch some more of those amazing fireflies. I was hoping the sky would clear off so I could also see the Milky Way again. No such luck.

Early Saturday morning while it was still cool, we went for a hike down the new logging trail next door and scoped out two spots Jason thought there should be more underground caves. 30 some years ago there was a 'hole' or entrance in one of the fields at the edge of the woods near a long dry run.

I was pretty sure that it had been filled in with a bulldozer by Mike around 29 years ago when the loggers had last visited and the landowner decided it was a hazard to his cattle.

The way out was a long and slow hike as Jason is still recovering from his surgery last month. He hasn't been able to get out and hike much due to some restrictions. I have photos from out adventure. Some in Infrared and some from my little red Oly TG6 [tough] camera. I keep forgetting what a great little camera it is for getting both landscape and macro shots.

Once again, under the forest canopy was the place to be. There was a very slight breeze and the ground under the trees was much cooler than that in the sunny field. Of course ... I found cool fungi. What else?

Coral Slime Mold and Coral Fungi...

The white 'coral slime mold' is as tall as the width of a nickel for size reference.

That is...small!

Jason has issues with heat and humidity doesn't help.

We took a short on the way back home and decided to take an old snowmobile trail. However. In June the trail is very narrow, the grasses and weeds are as tall as I am. 

AND...it was full of Parsnip that was flowering. Just this, the hiking challenge in the heat and humidity got a bit trickier.

After I dropped Jason off back at the house I went out for a while in the woods to have some serious quiet time. 
No conversations, no one else. Just me, the oppressive heat and old logs with amazing things growing from them and in other places ... interesting things growing up from the ground or wood chunks and roots under the dirt.

The fungi growing above is seeming to grow out of the dirt, but they could be growing out of roots or sticks. I don't know exactly what they are. They look like coral fungi, but when I look at the one below that is growing on a log, they look pretty different.

Another shot of some of the coolest and strangest looking fungi. Deadman's fingers. I found an old oak log that had been around for years. Deadman's Fungi was growing along each side of the log for the length of it. 

I've never seen that before. I couldn't get a shot of it without clearing most of the plants alongside each side of the log.

When I got back I changed into dry work clothes and started to mow the yard. I didn't finish, but finally quit and decided to cool off and eat supper.

When darkness fell, the guys went to bed and I laid down for a bit. At midnight I woke up and decided to visit with the fireflies.

The shot above was shooting east from the driveway into the neighbor's meadow. I just loved the designs the Fireflies made in the darkness. I sat on the driveway and just admired the night. The owls were busy talking and echoing through the forest.

The clouds had moved in so the stars were rather faint and I was disappointed that I could see the Milky Way.

I thought I'd try a shot up our driveway. It took two shots with two exposures and then blending them together to be able to see the driveway on the ground.

It's faint but one can see it. I did get some stars too to the south. Clouds were moving across the sky making for places that the stars were blotted out.
The result of a slightly over exposed shot and a regular LiveComp shot resulted in this shot below.
Not perfect or stellar. But I am working slowly at a way to do better.

Oddly enough, I wasn't tired and I was very relaxed while enjoying the night. It was just me, the snorting deer, in the forests, and the silent fireflies.
What more can one ask for.

On a roll.

Friday we had another unbelievable day for Wisconsin. I didn't need long underwear and I didn't need a heavy jacket.

Yet I still found ice in the valley.

Cell phone shot of the creek below and the forest above.

The sun shines on this area where the ice is gradually melting into the creek bed.

This is a very curious spot. The creek is generally very narrow here, but the trickling water in the subzero weather built layers up and spread the ice out to the edges of the bank. 

This would be the normal width of the creek here when we have plenty of rain.

Charlie went ahead of me scenting for deer and mice. He did get to chase a squirrel. 

His prizes were Rabbit Pellets of course. He insists that he needs to have a few daily. After all, they are Smart Pellets!

All in a little dog's day of work.

I've also been working on two separate 'toy' story lines for my own entertainment.

One is outdoors with the orange and black Titan 13 3D articulated figure. I've set the Lego folks aside for now since my creative juices are mesmerized by these two figures.

Titan 13 photographs very well outdoors much to my surprise. 

A Toy Photographer on Flickr and Toy Photographers [.com] asked me what the back story was to Titan 13. Titan 13 is the name of Toy and all the variations of this printed figure. It is 5 inches or 13 cm tall. 

I replied "No back story yet. I'm wondering if he just got dropped into this world and we'll have to figure out what is happening by looking at the photos."

I'd like their poses and actions in the shot have to speak for themselves.

I do appreciate many other photographers who include a narrative to tell the viewer what is happening in the picture. Wouldn't it be unique to let the viewer decide? Or even yet, another thought popped into my head today.

What if I just gave each shot a one word description? 

Reflections

That would be so challenging with a piece of plastic wouldn't it?

The next two are of T13 and her dog. This Robot/Figure is my current indoor Table Top Challenge -- self imposed challenge.

Unwind

Dreams

Or...
what if there is not title but the viewer decides on the word or vision for themselves?

....

Another thought struck me. What about doing a series of shots without a narrative by me, but a narrative by the figure itself?

Happiness
Sadness
Surprise
Lonely...

Hmm, it is a thought.

And yes, I'll be bringing back the wooden guy this month. I usually pull him out to do a Valentine's themed series of photos.

With the landscape as dull as it is, I need to do something else that keeps my enthusiasm up for right now.

Warm weather!

Crocuses from the yard are coming up alongside the tulips and daffodils.

Meanwhile further down the valley in one area.
The Skunk Cabbage has made its appearance. It only grows in one part of the valley.

Lately guys with 4 wheelers have been riding pretty hard through the property. I am assuming that the land holders know that their brother is allowing 4 wheelers to ride all over. The riders must think that the louder their machines are, the better they are?

I sort of have a dislike for the noise and mess they have created. However they are making trails through what used to be nearly impassable places because of the multiflora rose bushes and wild berry bushes.
I will have new trails to walk or ride a mule on only during the weekdays though...

However, this time of year, the soil in the valley is quite delicate. And it makes me very sad to see this.
To me, the destruction is pointless.

Really? What is the point of making a huge trail of mud on such beautiful fertile soil? One big flash flood and ... think of the erosion!

My neighbors and their kids took a hike with me on Sunday. The kids love the creek and enjoy hunting for bones and interesting rocks.

I found Spring Beauties poking up from the soil on a eastern hillside.

When they come up and open they look like this shot below!

I am overjoyed at the prospect of the warm weather for this week. It means the bloodroot should be shooting up along with Trout Lily's in Tainter Hollow.

My CareGiving Duties for my husband and currently my MIL, will keep me from Tainter until at least Thursday.

Spring is coming!