Play time is required

I got a nice reminder the other day in the comment section from DeniseinVA regarding my toy photography which looks like I had abandoned lately. 

I sort of had in a way as my mind has been hyper-focused on taking care of business at our place and hunting for spring plants. I decided that even though the day was cold and overcast that I'd leave things for a little while and take some items out for 'play time'.

The dogs and I ended up in one of the dry runs exploring what the latest heavy rainfalls had done to the area.
The water had rushed down from the ridge so hard that it removed all the fallen leaves and cleaned some moss off the rocks.

The creek and this spot are some of my favorite places on our land.

I really wanted to try some shots in the creek with toys. I enjoy trying to get reflections in the water.

The ducks kept floating away too quickly. There is actually some flowing water in the creek this spring!

Oh hello.

Shark Duck?

To do some of my playful toy photography, I generally load up a backpack and ... well, you guessed it, the dogs come along. They like inspecting my work. 

I had to stand in the creek [rubber boots on!] and stack tiny rocks up in the water to set the Lego kayak on. I must have done it a dozen times or so. The kayak kept tipping over or sinking. [It doesn't float]

Twice, Hannah jumped in the water and knocked them over. 
Patience is the key. Hannah will learn to just observe.

I didn't have the best light and I didn't have the best angles, but I shot these anyway. Just to enjoy the challenge of it.

There is mini-me in the middle and the two dogs. My Life in Legos.

This is the final shot. It is okayish, but at least I have the reflections in the creek.

The fun shot I took of the day was the one below of the Titan 13 'action' figure and his robot dog jumping the creek.

Hannah is starting to figure out I don't want her to knock my toys down.

She will get it eventually. Charlie was the same way when we started doing things like this together.

The difference between these two dogs is that Charlie is focused on everything else going on in the forest.

Hannah is always watching me.

I often wonder what Hannah is thinking. 

We spent the early chilly morning exploring and the afternoon doing yard work.

Cold and Ice. I like ice.

I waited for a 'warmer' day to go hiking and check out the Ice Falls and the Rock Shelter on Wintergreen Trail. I thought I dressed properly. 

Thought being the word of the day.

The worst part was my mitten - gloves. I chose the very wrong ones. I thought the polar fleece ones would be plenty warm. They are thin and work in most of the weather but apparently not in temperatures in the low teens with a slight breeze. I should have worn my little cheap thin gloves and my hand made mittens with the double palm.

Lesson learned. I balled up my hands inside the mitten gloves and stuck them inside my jacket pockets in an effort to warm them up.

Charlie and I went on regardless of the cold fingers. I was smart enough to add a scarf to the contents of my backpack so I could use that to protect my face from the breeze off the river. I generally pack a spare pair of gloves or mittens too. Ach. Lesson learned.

We made it without any trouble to the place where there is a Rock Shelter that turns into an Ice Cave by February. I wanted to see how the warm weather, fog, and rain, affected the building of the ice. Was it all gone? Was it there?

It was there and it surprised me. The Rock Shelter itself is huge. The ice was long and but I couldn't get a good shot of it.

Here is a shot from 2019 that a friend took of me hugging the ice.

The cooler parts are not the rock shelter itself, but the area that it drains down into. 

There are actually 2 areas of Ice Falls in this one spot. Water drains constantly from across the ridge and flows over this area and out to the river.

Here is a wide view from the bottom. 

This view is stunning. I don't think many people get to see this because the climb down is pretty intense. The Shelter I was pictured in .. is in the top right of this photo. So it is quite a distance that the water flows.

To the left is an ice falls. To me, it is one of the prettiest ice formations I've ever seen.

I always climb down to view it in the winter. I just can't help myself.

Along the trail there are a few other interesting places to see ice. This one is a bit treacherous if you are not paying attention and try to walk over it when snow covers it.

We made it to the end of the long bluff and got a shot of the river below us. In many places it was frozen over. However the river is dangerous when iced over because the water is flowing underneath it.

We made the trip safely despite getting a bit chilled along the way. I did end up using the scarf to keep my chin and face warm while walking back into the slight breeze. It was nice to get in the car and turn on the seat heater.

I'll be back to all the places I can get to as many times as possible throughout this winter.

Meanwhile

I keep enjoying the weather. It is cold, and earlier this week it was wicked. The Winds were blowing hard and this light and beautiful snow was falling.

I decided to take an early morning walk with Charlie. We hadn't been out in the woods for over a week and my feet were getting 'itchy' to wander.

The winds were so brutal in the open areas that I wore a balaclava and a pair of over the glasses goggles to keep my eyes protected from the cold winds. We made it to the Creek and enjoyed our time just wandering about and enjoying the fresh air out of the fierce winds.

There we are in our safety vests. I'd made some adjustments to Charlie's vest and now it doesn't impede his running or jumping. He and I are ready for winter hiking.

I took some of my characters with me. Big Foot wanted to find a nice tree for the village so he took one of the Polar Bears along. It looks like they found one!

Hobby, the photographer went along too. Gosh, it looks like her hair is getting grey just like mine! She always has her camera. [I painted her hair...]

[Hubby says she is me. She always has a camera in hand and is searching for something little to take photos of.]

I'd promised to make chocolate chip cookies for us [ewwww...baking!] so after shooting snowflakes on moss sporophytes, I headed towards home.

When I started putting together the cookies, I decided to see if my Lego folks could help. I discovered that I'd left Hobby in the forest! 

I was sort of elated that it would give me a second chance to head back out.

I know. I am crazy.

It was amazing that I found her exactly where I left her.

It seems someone needs to keep an eye on the Lego Village....

Uh oh, no one is watching the 
bears!

Looks like everyone is

gathering candy cane

decorations.

Snow Warrior and

a snowperson watch

And so it goes. Hope you are all having a good weekend.

All in a Sunday

All week the weather has been pretty darned yucky. Perhaps I got the March blahs?

That beautiful weather we had last weekend spoiled me for the weather we had this past week. Sure I went out and played in the rain one day, but snow and sleet mixed on and off for the rest of the week was just too much bleh for me. The winds howled and icky stuff came down from the grey sky. [How's that for a weather summary?]

I thought a quick trip on Sunday morning to the KVR Ponds would be a great way to chill out after crummy weather.

It was 15 degrees when I walked from the Visitor Center down the steps and over the rock blocks to the valley. I didn't hear much noise. Last time I'd visited during the warm weather, every bird was making a racket. The red wing black birds had been swarming the area.

It was pretty quiet considering that the KVR website had said things were picking up at the ponds early this week. After the past two days of freezing temps the ponds had ice on them again.

Pond Ice:

However, I did find signs of the coming spring.

Pussy Willows:

I found a couple of new spots to 'spy' on the birds, but still was far enough off not to bother them. 

Geese and Sandhill Cranes:

I heard some cranes coming and tried to do a panning motion to catch them in flight. I didn't do so well, but I tried.

Flying Cranes:

Next I saw a group of 10 soaring Turkey Buzzards. Uffdah, they are back which means they will compete with the Eagles for food. 

I was so tickled to see and then get a decent shot of a female cardinal on the way back to the car. I like this shot better than the photos I've gotten of them at our feeder and pine trees.

Female Cardinal:

The biggest surprise was when I thought I saw a Bluejay then I realized it was a Kingfisher! This is the second time in my life I've seen these guys, but I've never really looked before.

Kingfisher:

I did see Sandhill Cranes and Canada Geese and they were hiding on the far side of the pond in the marsh grasses.

Charlie was happy to see me when I got home....and the other half was doing his morning nap. He says he has to nap to have energy to have lunch.

Charlie was a nag all afternoon. He wanted to get out and hike.

I finally relented and off we went. Charlie was tracking something in the woods and kept stopping to sniff and then chase the scent on the ground as if he were some sort of tracking dog. I only wish I could share in his sense of smell and figure out what it was he was chasing.

He had a lot of pent up energy and I just followed him through the woods.

He did end up leading me to a neat spot with some mossy logs that had more cool lichen on them.

But that is for another time.

Chillin'

I'm not going to complain too much about this cold spell. I've been able to get out and about in the big chill and not really suffer much.

We are got pretty cold over night but I am a bit luckier than those who live on flat lands or on the ridges.

We have the bone chillin' cold, but we miss some of the light wind. Perhaps it doesn't feel so bad? I don't know yet. The air temp outside my door is -15 F. I'm going to wait until the sun shines into our hollow before heading out to do the chores. 

Yesterday I did walk to the ridge with Charlie to get the mail in the morning. My coveralls didn't offer enough wind protection. 

I got cold heading back down the hill. Charlie stopped and asked to be picked up.

I went back out later with a different set of winter clothes and was super comfortable.

Charlie did not go with me.

He said he wouldn't wear the Goggles nor would he get dressed up at all.

'Give me a cookie and go out on your own dorky strange Human! I shall stay right here and protect the couch from invaders!'

Oversized Goggles for glasses are great eye/face protectors. All these years I've worn them with my glasses and have always been irritated that the glasses fog up. Now I carry my glasses in a case in my pocket and hike without glasses. I can see clearly enough to walk without glasses. 

It really helps keep my eyes from getting windburn and the masks I have keep most of my face warm. I am always pulling it down to grab a gulp or two of cold air.

I made it to the ridge to look around the area I like to watch the winter sun come up.

There were dozens of deer beds by next to the small copse of trees. It made sense as the deer could sleep out of the wind and keep an eye on the open land before them.

The light winds were still blowing the snow around and the air was filled with very fine snow. I decided to head back home through the woods to avoid the coldest air.

I followed some well made formed deer trails and once out of the sun it just was plain cold on my cheeks even with the face mask.

I sat with my back to the light breeze and studied the Barberry bushes. They litter this part of the forest. They are invasive but enchanting in the cold harsh days of winter with their tiny red berries.

Man o' man my face did freeze off by the time I got home! 

I spent the rest of the day warming up.

So Friday morning it was -14, when I went out to do chores. The wind chill was supposed to be colder. However it was from a different direction and I never got cold! Go figure.

I like crisp air. I don't like --it'll--freeze--your-lungs--air-- but I don't mind my mask which warms my breath.

And...

NO bugs!

This is me heading out to the creek around noon. It was up to something like 4 by then and the mules were all laying around taking turns sleeping in the sun.

Lazzzy critters!

I wanted to check the ice wall and see if the creek froze over. In places where the water moves slowly it has but in other spots the warm springs keep the water open.

Spring water keeping the ice thin:

Watering hole further up the creek in a sunny spot. Tracks are coyote, 'possum, deer, and mice all mashed together. 

Ice Wall

Frost on the moss and grasses from the moisture given off by the springs

This is why the creek and my daily walks are so important to me. The going can get rough in the cold weather with deep snow, but still it is worth it!

Yesterday afternoon I sat on a rock and listened to a very quiet woods. Eventually I was able to watch some deer browsing further down the valley.

A good chillin' day.

It was perfect.

Today I am headed off to guide/hike with my buddy Bill as we start our Trail Challenge and meet up with Jason [the geologist] and his dog Piper. 

It should make for an interesting hike!

Cold & Sunny

Cold weather and Sunshine the Mule...enjoying the sunshine.

Sundance, her sister looks over as I am doing the stock tank refill.

And Mica, the grey mule snoozes, choosing to ignore everyone else.

Fred is now 37 years old. He is the only male we have left and is his own man. He is a pony mule of 13.5 hands.

Pardon the fence lines, but they are there and there was no way to avoid them. 

This was Sunday when the warm temps got up to -4! Whoo!

Today is warm and this evening we are to get a blast of cold and winds along with some snow.

That could make things adventurous in our neck of the woods.