Not as it seems?

 

"When we look at a rock, what we are seeing is not the rock, but the effect of the rock upon us."
~Bertrand Russell

I found myself looking for reflections that were odd. It didn't start out that way. 

I had no intentions of looking for anything specific when I took Charlie for our hike in the forest yesterday. 

However, my feet found their way to the valley and the creek where I could find some water.

I just became fascinated with the little creek and all of the neat reflections I found. I hadn't hiked this area most of the summer. 

I kept finding interesting perspectives.

This is Rich's favorite shot from my walk, he loves this one and calls it The Floaty Rock.
He usually doesn't take much interest in what I discover. But he really liked this one.

It isn't even in perfect focus, but I'll keep it anyway. The odd part was the plant reflection. It looks out of place and strange. Enough to make a person question their eyes.

In another spot, as I got ready to take a reflection shot, a slight breeze rippled the water and it looked like the water was hand painted.

I had a few good Up/Down shots that turned out. Here is one that feels out of balance. The photo looks upside down but I included the edge of the tiny pond and Charlie [out of focus].

When I turned back west towards our fence I glanced up the valley and was startled to see a white tree with brilliant red leaves. I thought it odd and impossible.

So I pulled out the camera and zoomed in....

If I had been standing in any other place, it would have been evident that the birch was just in front of a tall oak. But from a distance it looked pretty strange.

On our land portions of our creek are bone dry. I think some of the springs may still flow but not where you can see them. Here is the view of our creek bed that is normally at least ankle deep and knee deep in the the spot where  the large rock is.

Parting shot, from my upside down world.

So it is March

I think March is more dull than any other month. The snow melts leaving the area with piles of dirty half melted snow and mud. Mud.
If it freezes overnight then I can pull up to the house. If it doesn't, well I can back down the driveway and park at the bottom of the hill.

It is 'bucket' season. I keep a bucket of water at the porch with a brush to scrub my boots off before going onto the porch. It is just how the March Protocol works.

March holds promises of something better than dreary skies and faded grasses. It is also the time to rake the yard and think about connecting up the fences again. Winter is officially over.

Yet oaks that are not in the wind still cling to their leaves.

This March has been a bit of a strange one. Birthdays, deaths, memories, forgetfulness, aging, controversy, disruption, and some sort of hope. I have hope, I always try to have it on my shoulder and never further than my back pocket.

But that is what March brings.

Let's Go Fencing!

Plastic bags mark the division

I have always been one to advocate smaller pastures to rotate with. It just makes sense. At the moment I need to move some mules to woods pasture and cut the cost of feeding them hay until a buyer is found.

I had a crew out to help me 7 days after Rich's stroke. We didn't get to this dividing line. So I worked on it yesterday.
Good Neighbor Justin came down and did the heavy work with the T-posts. I am grateful to have such good people living near me. Justin also offered to mow our yard. His mower and ours are nearly exactly the same.
He has my yard mowing blessings.
At least it takes a bit of pressure off from me this week.

I need to get back out this morning and see why the line fence hot wire is not working. I have some clues, but need to figure it out. It takes a lot of walking and backtracking with a fence tester.
But when the project 'goes live', we will have 5 rotating pastures, plus the meadow at this point. I won't run out of pasture at all this year after we downsize the equine.

It is beautiful out there in the pasture.