November beauties

I'm still trying to make sure that November will not be that bleh month. I'm working hard at it by spending time outdoors and searching for things that are beautiful.

Usually by now we have a first snowfall and the ice is forming on the grasses in the creek bottom. Not so this year.  The mornings are frosty and the days are tolerable.

On our last very gloomy and overcast day, I decided to go out and look for something. Anything.

These trees I think are Hop Hornbeam trees which are also known as Ironwood.

Every tree speaks to me
fluttering from an Autumn Tree
~~Emily Bronte

I saw it as a plain old tree with startling leaves in the understory of the woods. Some of these trees are low enough that the winds don't take away all of their leaves in the winter. 

From there I started to hunt for little things. You know, that stuff you step over when you go for a walk.

The mossy log that shines with a brilliant green now that summer has passed into recent memory. 

The lichen with moss on dead wood.

The browned leaves of ferns that glow orange in the late afternoon sun.

I came home after that hike and felt I'd given November a pretty good effort but found it a bit wanting.

I came home and thought about this season again. I checked my email and had an update from OM Systems [formerly Olympus Cameras]. Since I am an OM user, I get emails for different events and 'how to' videos that explain how to get more use out of your camera.

The email was titled 'it's in our Nature'.
Specifically it addressed Kacho Fugetsu which is an old Japanese philosophy that translates loosely into Flower, Moon, Wind, and Bird. 

OM's philosophy is to go out and do continuous self discovery through nature.

Of course I know it is advertising and promotion of their products. Discover yourself through photography.

They had four little videos to watch. I was rather inspired by the words of the video. They stirred something in me that made me want to go out and find something intensely wonderful with my camera.

From the video... a few sentences 

I am everywhere...

above you in the canopy
and nestled right at 
your 
feet...

For you 
I drape the world 
in splendor
embellishing every valley
and forest
with marvels hoping that you
upon your arrival

capture my essence...

Link: Flower

I ended up with some motivation to go find something unique.

This is not my normal work, but it is a place I am  at the moment to trying something different out to see how it feels.

It combines a longer lens used in the sense of a macro lens and creating a depth of field that gives the viewer one thing to look at. That item can be mundane in a way, but unusual in how it was photographed. The best days for this kind of photography are heavily overcast days.

Tiny Fungi:

Spent Golden Rod through brush:

A dead fleabane flower in the pasture:

Rain droplets on Powderhorn Lichen:

There is so much to see out there before the snowfall will cover it up and then I'll have to change up my focus again.

That's okay, it is the best way to stay fresh and explore.

That Tough Little Dog

Thursday morning, I looked at the weather and decided that even if it was really windy, I would go on my hike.

There are ways to avoid winds when you live in an area that is steeped with hills and valleys.

Charlie is finally getting used to his Hi-Vis vest. It isn't a coat but more of a canvas vest with bright colors and reflective strips on it. He gets excited now when I bring it out of its basket. He knows we are going on a car ride and hike. 

You would think that such a short little dog like him would be reluctant to go on hikes.
Nope. Charlie lives for cooler weather and adventure. 

Of course he has been raised as a hiking dog from the get go. So he doesn't know that most of his kind of mixed breed prefer the couch and long days of napping. He can do that too, in fact he can excel at it. 

Now if I grab a backpack he is on high alert and watches me like a hawk.

Once we got on the trail, he trotted forward. He does stop and make sure I am coming along. A few times he slowed to a crawl and had me go ahead. He seemed hesitant. He may have smelled coyotes or other creatures.

Cellphone shot looking up at Hanson's Rock

Trail below Hanson's Rock.
I love both the trail that goes on top of the rock and the steep
trail that goes around the bottom of the rock formation.

Short video of a 360 view of where we were standing-- almost 30 seconds.

It was an amazing walk through the steep valleys near Hanson's Rock. Parts of the trail were pretty intense for footing because of the deep leaves. Under the leaves there are roots and rocks that would be ankle turners if one didn't exercise caution. 

I even broke off a nice stick and used it as a walking stick to negotiate the worst section. I do recall riding this part of the trail in 1996 and being thankful that I was on a mule that seemed not to be bothered by the footing.

We headed down towards the most remote campsite on the Kickapoo Valley Reserve at campsite F. From any trail head you choose, it is over a 3 mile trek to get to. Charlie and I took a break there and shared and apple and some water.

We found the foundation of the old spring house and explored that. The fresh watercress smelled amazing.

The rest of our journey was rather unexciting, we just tried to hurry up a bit so I could get home before dark. We took the West Ridge trail back which is wider than some of the other trails and is better maintained.

I thought Charlie would collapse and fall asleep in his little car seat. He didn't. He sat up and made sure I navigated properly in order to get home.

Once at home, he shed his vest and assisted me with chores before taking a snooze on the couch.

That is one tough little dog!

5.81 miles

Oh Deer...it is that time of the year

The leaves are gone from the trees and the foliage in the woods has died back making the spotting of deer easier.

This doe was feeding under one of the apple trees on the other side of the driveway. She and three others walked alongside the fence and up the driveway to investigate what my neighbor's woods had to have for munchies.

The photo below is part of the reason why electric fencing is awesome and awful. During the rut, the deer just tear it down.

The hot wire will be removed as none of the mules bother the fence any longer. This hot wire kept our elderly mule from jumping the wire fence and crossing into the neighbor's land. It is disconnected like all of our valley fencing is right now. 

 Then there was this guy yesterday morning who was scanning the meadow as does were busy eating around the apple trees.

At first I couldn't figure out what I was seeing. I thought it was bare branches of a dead tree and with the long lens I was able to see this magnificent buck. No matter how much I dislike what deer are to cars and crop damage, ...

there is nothing like seeing a buck like this.

He was built like a beef bull. Thick in the neck and everywhere else.

Eventually the chase was on. I don't know if any of the girls were actually ready for him. But they ran across the meadow and disappeared into the woods below.

I went back out in the evening and sat in the little tree stand I'd made this summer. For a long time nothing happened until I saw these does at the apple tree.

This doe seemed to be enjoying the afternoon sunlight.

This one across the meadow walked along quietly browsing. I can generally see them walking this route late in the day.

As the sun went down some little ones came out into my meadow.

Then a little buck came through browsing and sniffing the air. He walked along as if he owned the world then dipped into the woods.

This is the time of the year where I get to enjoy the movements of the deer. There are a LOT of deer this year. 

I don't hunt for venison but I never turn down the meat if someone gives some to us. I like it. If I did hunt though, I imagine I could feed the two of us well. When Rich hunted, our freezer was always stocked.

Right now? I'm happy photographing them and watching. 

Thank goodness for links...

 Drats

I really messed up this week. 

There was a baby shower for my daughter in law today. I had the invite, I had a link to things they wanted. And because of Caregiver restraints, I didn't plan on going. Oh. I wanted to. Baby stuff is awesome, cool, and oh so sweet.

How stupid of me to set the things aside and remind myself. Oh, I'll get that later. 

Of course I thought things like: Oh. It's a way off, I'll get that later. 

Meanwhile I'll take care of the pony who had colic. Oh that fence fixing stuff. Oh wait get those gutters, they're full of leaves again just after I cleaned them a month ago!

This morning I got up and made my coffee as usual. I made Rich's coffee after pouring mine into a thermos. I decided to start the day with fresh crisp air.

Charlie and I left the house in the semi dark. We heard owls talking in the distance. They weren't calling out Who Who Who Cooks for You?? 

It was another kind of owl. The world was mostly silent except for the birds starting to wake up and move about.

The sky was amazing. I sat down in the soybean field and decided just to watch the sky for a while.

All summer we had a drought with no cloudy and brilliant mornings, some mornings were dull with heavy forest fire smoke. This was gorgeous.

The colors kept changing rapidly.

This photo was edited to bring out a painted effect. 

What can I say, it felt a bit like a magical morning.

I was enjoying the fresh air when I stopped in my tracks.

It was Megan's Baby Shower today! Wait, what? Wait...what? 

Oh NO!

I'm an Idiot, I'm an Idiot was my mantra as I walked back home. I shook my head and stomped my foot and told Charlie that I was dumb, I was an idiot. And...how could I???

I tried searching the link that I'd gotten on the card and then gave up. It didn't work for me. I racked my brains. Nothing I could do anyway now. It was too late.

I went about the day with this nagging feeling that even though I was replacing busted wooden posts with t posts, I should be doing something else. I felt wretched.

[Truthfully? I wanted to be part of that happy party where all young moms and old moms -- grandmas sit around and watch the new mom to be open up all those incredible beautiful gifts. I recall the fun and pleasure of being that new mom many many years ago and how overwhelming it was that kind people gifted me items to help me with my firstborn son.]

Finally just before supper I searched my smart phone for the link my son had sent me a while ago. I paged down looking through the baby list and at the bottom it had another link which led me to Amazon. At the bottom of that list was a wish list for diapers. They had a Baby Contribution Gift in which a person could pick an amount towards diapers. There was a monetary goal listed.

Rich and I discussed diapers and talked about it at one point. Diapers are not glamourous or something too ooohh and ahhh over. However I know from purchasing diapers for my youngest son when his two youngest ones were born...that the price was pretty eye opening.

I filled in an amount and sent it off into an Amazon Gift Thingy or Whatever it is called. A diaper Fund?

The best part? An email would be sent to Megan and Eddie alerting them that they had a diaper fund within minutes of me hitting the purchase button. Holy cow, Batman! I would get a gift to them on the proper day after all!

Thank goodness for links, lists, smart phones, and on line purchases.

Now to search high and low over the next few months to find someone to stay with Rich so when the new mom and dad are ready for this old buzzard to visit, I can go.

Whew, thank goodness I didn't delete the text my son had sent my awhile ago.

Below ~
Photo of my Grand daughter Elena from
December 2013

💖💓💞

It is November!

In the past, I've complained about November and the time between the gorgeous fall colorful leaves and the ick yuck of barren trees. However this year I intend to find a way to enjoy it visually. Miss Aurora said I needed to go out and find the beauty of November for there was a lot to see.

Okay. I'm in on this. The month of November will be a search for beauty in this time of the year. I'm committed. What will I look for? Fungi? Tiny things? Landscapes? Skylines? Moss? 

Nature's Artwork that we don't see when the leaves are full?

I'm going out on a mission to find beauty in November.

There is something to be said to be able to go out and enjoy the sunrise and the brilliant colors of the morning. Especially since the sun comes up at such a reasonable time these days!

There is still time to get out and take a nice walk before the weather turns...

or just get outside and enjoy some nature.

I'm determined to find things I like about this brownish-russet season.

It will be a change in my thinking but I'll give it a try.

Day off

Each week I try to take a day 'off' for myself. I generally love to go hiking and it doesn't matter what the weather is, I just go. Last Friday was to be our last warm day of October, so Charlie and I headed off to KVR even though the sky looked like a bit dreary.

We chose to walk the Old 131 Trail. It had rained for a few days and the other trails would be muddy. There is still a lot to see if one looks for it.

We were not in a hurry nor were we hiking hard. It was one of those times I just wanted to stroll along and look around.

I put Charlie's hi-vis jacket on. He lets me know that he doesn't really like it that much, but because he is a good little fella, he wears it.

We wear Hi Vis clothing during pheasant hunting season on the Reserve. We saw one hunter and his dog leaving when we parked. 

Even with most of the leaves down on the ground, it was beautiful. The oaks and the underbrush clung to their leaves despite the high winds we'd had. 

I've been on those bluffs with the pines in the photo below. It is humbling to sit on the bluff and watch the river go by 80 feet below.

Everything was beautiful. I had brought my Full Spectrum Infrared camera along. I hadn't been using it lately. For the normal photos, I used a Hot Filter. Basically it allows the camera see in what we perceive as normal light.

It was fun to change the light spectrum and see what the landscape looked like.

This is a photograph taken in the 720nm light spectrum. Boy, things sure look gloomy!

This is the same pond taken from the end of the dock taken in IRChrome. It turns foliage reddish and the sky and water become brilliant blue.

IR also brings out the definition of clouds.

Here is a comparison between normal light that we see and IRChrome.

IR Chrome

Charlie and I enjoyed the damp overcast day and took our time. He sniffed things, and I walked slowly enjoying all the sights and smells of the fall woodlands.

Yesterday, on Halloween we had snow off and on for most of the day. The winds on the ridge howled like crazy and at times you couldn't see very far.

I didn't go out in it! I stayed indoors and did boring things.

Today will be cold but there is a warm up through the weekend.