Comparisons trees & brush

 Bittersweet May 1st in blossom

Bittersweet August 20th

Bittersweet September 20th

Bittersweet October 22nd

This was one plant I was pretty sure of. I was able to photograph it from spring to fall.

Properly dried Bittersweet is often sought after by the old timers as a Fall and Thanksgiving decoration in vases or on wreaths. Who can blame them? They are so bright and cheerful.

Here is the mystery bush that turned out to be a Hazelnut.

These are being sought after also as a alternative crop. Hazelnut coffee? The wildlife and humans both adore the nut. See? I will have to pay attention next year!

Hazelnut bush September 9th

Hazelnut bush September 24th

Hazelnut bush October 9th

Hazelnut bush October 22nd

Then there is the Dogwood. I didn't even know we had dogwood around until after I'd visited my son and he'd shown me some of his beautiful varieties in his yard. I recall looking at the blossoms in the early spring along side our road.

Dogwood Blossoms May 1st

August 20th 

October 22

Oak Tree May 1st

October 22

Another oak variety with rounded edges on the leaves.
White oak.

I think that is about it for today. I'm actually haveing some fun with trying my best to learn more about tree and how to ID them. This has evaded me most of my life.

However this summer while at my son's place, we spent quite a bit of time looking identifying trees around his home. For whatever reason, I found that really interesting.

I always start out with these exact good intentions every spring [to follow a plant from spring to fall] ... and usually forget about it. I didn't do too badly this year.

I'm looking forward to some winter ID'ing and more!

I need to get back to where I saw those Witch Hazels at KVR! That will be my goal next week!

Gearing up for the Fair

I've narrowed down the final photos I'm going to exhibit.

It took a lot more time and effort than I thought it would.

One of the hardest categories I had to deal with was "Nature".
According to Photographic Society of America Nature is:
Images used in Nature Photography competitions may be divided in two classes: Nature and Wildlife. Images entered in Nature sections meeting the Nature Photography Definition above can have landscapes, geologic formations, weather phenomena, and extant organisms as the primary subject matter. This includes images taken with the subjects in controlled conditions, such as zoos, game farms, botanical gardens, aquariums and any enclosure where the subjects are totally dependent on man for food.

Well okay, then I had to re-think my idea. I wasn't sure exactly what I was looking for, but my Nature submission was finally narrowed down to this:

Good old coral fungi and a slug!

I'm still struggling with the 'Winter Scene'.
I thought about the snow scene of our farm but then got sidetracked into other winter scenes.
I admit, winter is my favorite time of year to do photography.
And... I take so many shots in the woods and on trails that I hike ...it is hard to chose.
The pasture after our freak April snow storm.

The creek after week of ice and cold, then a melt.
Hubby likes this shot because of the cool ice and the water.

Then another favorite of mine the melt down in January.

But the winner may be this one. Taken at Parfrey's Glen on an ice hike with my friends.

Well, winner for me that is. I spread the photos out on the table and stand back as a judge may do and then just let my eyes roam over the shots.

Which one grabs the eye?

Hard to say. And then again, each judge has their own likes and dislikes. Are my 'scenes' not wide enough? Are they too focused? Do they want more color?

Oh boy, you'd think I was obsessing about this and you are right.

My domestic animal shot for black and white.

And the one I chose for Landscape.

I feel this does justice to the wide open landscape definition and it really is a true photo of our area. Perhaps not enough wow in the color, but that is okay.

My color reflection shot is hands down one of my favorite photos from Jersey Valley last year.
However, due to the recent floods, Jersey Valley may once again be gone. I don't know if there will be money to replace the wing dam that broke.

Enough obsessing.
I'm going to visit with some 4H kids who do photos each year to see how to properly exhibit the photos on Tag Board.

I am entertaining becoming a 4H leader again.

But that is another story all together!

I'm going out and enjoy this thing called sunshine outside.

Out and About ~ Me Time

This past week has been a good one filled with ups and downs. A few warm days were wonderful. Morris was able to get out and walk with me for some nice romps. Dixie watched over her elder dog friend.

Then the weather went crazy. It was 45 degrees in the morning and pouring rain when the temperatures dropped to 15 degrees by noon and we had sleet and snow. By nightfall, the temperatures had gone to 5 degrees and the winds kicked up.

I was concerned that Mica one of our mules who seems to be effected by rapid weather changes would show signs of an upset stomach. She didn't. Other than frosty backs no animal showed adverse effects. Phew...

I knew that the rapid cool down would create some interesting views along the creek. So after the chores were done, I packed a bag and headed out. I wanted to get to the 'East' Dry Run to see if the spring had created an ice flow.
However to get there quickly I had to walk across the top of the ridge and across cropland which placed me in the cold north breezes.
The temperature was -7 with a wind chill of ... well, cold.

I am so grateful to have purchased these over the glasses goggles a few years ago, combined with a face mask, hat, hood, and scarf my face rarely gets cold even in subzero temps.
I also wore insulated coveralls over layered clothes underneath.
I know, most people would cringe at these temperatures and stay inside. Most sane people, that is. But dressed properly a person can enjoy the bitter cold.

I climbed down through the woods and was surprised and pleased to see that the spring at the top of the dry run had been busy!
As I was climbing down I heard some rather loud cracks and at first couldn't figure out what it was.
I've heard it on lakes but never on an ice flow like the one I was standing on.
The ice was popping in the cold!

In contrast, December 10th:

The spring has added at least two feet of ice in waves...

The sun was shining brilliantly onto the ice so getting a good shot of the ice flow would have to wait for an overcast day.
I sat on the ice to take some shots of the little spring.
The water comes up out of the ground and is much warmer than the air around it. I knew that this spring would be 'running' as well as the spring at the bottom of the dry run.

I packed up and hiked to the next spot. The Big Spring.

Here it comes out of a rock and clay are and flows towards the creek. This is the spot in the spring where the very first flowers appear, the marsh marigolds.
No flowers today. Just bone chilling cold. When I squatted down to take some shots of the incredible frost on the mossy rocks, I could feel the cold air caressing my face and it seemed to come right through my coveralls.

The excess moisture from the past week and then the plunging temperatures had an interesting effect on sticks, logs, and moss, a hoar frost effect.  I was really quite excited to see all the delicate frost clinging everywhere.

I should have worn my boots that would have allowed me to stand in the water and take some shots. However I didn't. So I walked down to where this spring water joined up with the creek.

To compare with December 10th....

I only took two shots before my fingers started to get cold. I opened some hand warmers and put my hunting mitten/gloves back on. It was time to head up the valley towards home.

All along the creek where grasses dangled, the frost had collected. I felt like I was walking in some sort of wonderland.

I know that each time I visit the creek, now dubbed *Awesome Creek* by the neighbor kids...it changes slightly. 

The old Mule Crossing. It changes constantly. This is the spot where we used to ride to cross the creek on the west end of the valley.

And then yesterday?

Different but similar. With the subzero temps, the ice is starting to form on the edges of the creek and extend out into the faster moving water.

December 21st 2017

January 7th:

January 11th:

 And then yesterday:

I love this place.

This morning after chores I raced out with my camera and no dogs to try and *shoot* some more hoar frost before the snow and wind change the creek again.

I was not displeased.
I told my husband that I'd only be gone for about a half hour.

Oh.
I was gone longer than that.

The camera is still in its bag warming up slowly.

When I get the winter doldrums I just go out the door and make my way to the creek.
That's what I call Me Time.