Just fun stuff ~ Rains!

This past week....

We got so dry once more. But that was good in a way as the farmers got most of their crops planted and I put off mowing the yard a few extra days.

I decided that a shaggy yard was okay since the price of gas was so high, I could mow it a bit less and not worry about how pretty it looked.

Now we are in a cycle of rain and rain and rain. 

Friday night we had close to an inch of rain with some incredible lightening.

Saturday was supposed to get up to 83 F and be hot and icky. So after sunrise, the dogs and I took a 'field trip' to our creek. There was a dual purpose to it. I could do my daily check on the mules and get the dogs some exercise before it got hot.

I made one more discovery. Hannah loves, loves, loves water. She paws it, walks in it, jumps into it, and plays in it. If I toss a rock into the creek and it splashes, she pounces on the splash.

Our creek is not deep in places there might be pools of water about 6 inches deep, but that it is mostly about 3 inches of water that tumbles over the rocks.

Alas, the creek is full of weeds and grasses from years of dry summers. It used to be a nice rock bed that one could pick their way through. Not any longer.

This is a photo of the creek in 2019 before years of drought.

And what the area looks like now.

I've watched the valley change over the years. 

I now fight through thigh high garlic mustard and in June, I stop going through the bottoms because of 5 foot tall parsnip plants. I have spent hours and hours clearing paths along the creek in my favorite spot.

The runoff from the fields around us drains into our valley and we get all the nasty weeds from our neighbor. The deer and other wild animals spread the seeds simply by walking through these patches.

Garlic mustard

The cattle from the two farms on either side of me are gone now and the lands around us have turned into 'wildness' and weeds. 

However, I still go out and enjoy finding amazing plants and scenery. The dogs don't care about trails, weeds, or flowers. They enjoy the smells and adventure.

I have to assist Charlie through some of the places now as the plants are up knee high to me or thigh high. I used to take a corn knife and cut a trail through the difficult parts. I may have to do that again this summer. 

This is part of the reason why I go to the Reserve or our county parks. The trails are mowed and we can walk on them.

But I do love our forest.

I'll keep exploring it as long as I can. The hillsides and upper forest have so many amazing things to see all year.

Maidenhair Fern

Golden Oyster Mushrooms

Reflections of the tree above in a small creek pond.

Mini-me and my backpack and camera

always searching for the next

shot.

This week we are predicted to have accumulated at least 4 inches of rain since Friday evening. Perhaps the creek will have plenty of water for Hannah to play in.

The Magic of Black Backgrounds

 Bored. With temps in the -9 F range and wind chills much lower, I decided to stay indoors except for chores. 

I was...

Bored. Bored.

So I decided to look up and learn some more about photographing with an invisible black background. I tried it once before with little success. So I spent Friday evening watching some tutorials and found a photographer from the UK that explained and went through how to do it so easily.

He also took apart an old picture frame to create stunning reflections and used the back part of the frame to hold up an appropriate backdrop for his work. He used a simple flash light to create dramatic photos of macro images. He used feathers, flowers, and other beautiful things. 

I thought I'd try some Christmas stuff.

The set up was super simple. Black paper clipped onto a holder .. you know the back part of the frame that holds the photos up. I put Christmas paper under the photo glass, and used an old cube light and flashlight to set up a couple of dramatic shots of a gnome. I didn't keep the one with the gift, it was not quite what I wanted.

But I liked this one.

I took out my wooden critters that were given to me by a childhood friend and tried two lights. I am fond of the deer and the dachshund so I chose them. I guess they could be brighter, but that was my effort for the day as I am learning quite a bit with this method and making many mistakes.

I got fancy by adding Christmas paper to the back and under the glass for the next shot which worked much better since I wasn't going for the dark mystical look.

I just kept adding and subtracting things to see how they worked. It was quite fun.

I got so busy trying out new things that I just kept making a bigger and bigger mess on my work table that is also housing the Christmas Village


I eventually put everything in its place and set the Village back up then got distracted by creating a new scene about the goings on in the Christmas Village.

It took me a good hour to tidy everything up because I kept stopping to think of something else I could try.

And so I did. My friend Pat gave me this beautiful ribbon she'd made to put on a wreath. I didn't put it on a wreath, I studied it with my camera with whites, high key, and other trials and methods.

I finally settled on this.

I liked the word peace showing up twice in this shot. And felt it was appropriate for right now.

It was a busy day for me. Cleaning house, running warm water out to Little Richard, getting distracted, and studying more videos regarding lights and still life.

As if you haven't guessed, this time of year is my favorite for playing with beautiful and cheerful colors and of course the characters I've acquired for years.

I'd given up the idea of doing it this way until The Happy Whisk [Ivy] commented on how she did her DYI black backgrounds using the inverse square law and her flash -- I think I am correct on that.

I don't have a flash but am enjoying creating an 'invisible' or black background with camera settings and then using LED lights or a simple flashlight to highlight my image.

With another below below zero day, it looks like a fun day to try a shot on my wooden floor in the daylight and use nothing for the background and see what results I can have.

Light manipulation is insanely fun once learned.

I found a tutorial by Lee Hall on YT that finally explained things so I could 'get it'. 
How to get black background easy way for beginners.

I'm going to be checking out his mushroom photography later on so I can learn how to up my game in the forest when it is warmer. I love learning new things.

-15 F this morning. I think that is freaking cold even in Celcius!

A walk

 You could technically call it a hike, but we weren't putting a lot of effort into it. The hardest part was the mosquito-y portion right by the river with a muddy path flanked by waist high weeds. 

The new management has had a shortage of people working for them in this year and it shows in places where they used to do some weed management. I imagine with the 69+ miles of trails, it is not an easy job to keep things trimmed back.

Anyway, we made it out to the first set of ponds and there really wasn't much going on in the ponds themselves. 

Charlie chose little trail that heads off to the bird blind area. I wasn't going to take it as I was sure I'd be carried off by giant skeeters.

But in the end, Charlie made the best decision. Sometimes you just need to follow the dog!

There was a pair of swans at the other end of the pond where I'd take a photo of a pair this spring. I think they may have nested there, I can't be sure since I couldn't get back to this part of the reserve for the past 6 months.

The surprise however was this! Is it a young mute swan? I don't know. I will look it up. However, I didn't get a close up shot so I could see its face. It was too far off. 

It just means I'll have to come back one morning without Charlie so as not to alarm them. Yes, he is small but his dog tags alert birds to his presence.

We walked along the paved bike/hike/cross country ski trail and admired the fall beauties we found. I think these are white prairie asters. The bees were having a great time with all the fall wild flower choices.

We stopped after a couple of miles and decided to hang out on the floating dock that has a bench to sit on. Charlie needed the rest and a big drink from my water bottle.

I think we sat there a good long time just watching the scenery around us and the changing light and the moving duck weed.

Charlie had a great time. He sat quietly next to me in his 'car seat' and rested up on the way home. All afternoon we worked on weeding out my flower patch to the outhouse.

Some things I have decided to get done to assist myself with the empty house syndrome.

I started to look up state parks in my general part of the state. I've actually found 3 places I have been to long ago but want to go back and explore to them intimately.

Governor Dodge, Perot State Park, and Wyalusing State Park are all about an hours drive from my house. State Natural Areas are also on my list.

I checked out what the cost would be to camp in my car or get a room (dog friendly).

Now, instead of listening to the roaring silence in the house, I have some goals for exploring.

This week I am adding a little dog tailer to my bicycle. I think Charlie would like to go with me when I am biking on those nice flat railroad bed trails.

Cheap affordable hiking is what I need to do to start feeling like myself again, I think. It feels weird to expand my hiking area to an hour travel time away. Once I conquer that, I could go futher!

Charlie this evening, we've been getting rain for hours along with nonstop thundering [which he hates].

I can't think of anything great...so

Starting Thursday, I knew I was coming down with 'something'. My throat felt raw and hateful. I didn't have a temperature. So I wondered was it part of the jaw that hurt the day before?

Nope this was going to be some sort of cold.

After chores, I decided I wasn't going to let my throat keep me from at least going out to see the beautiful snowfall. We hadn't had any so far this year. We had a snowfall in December and that was gone by Christmas.

Besides, the cold air felt really good and I had plenty of energy. I wasn't going to waste a beautiful snow event just because I was getting a cold. 

[Funny but true story...when my sister and I were running distance road races and competing, we'd sometimes, get a cold. We decided to practice through our colds anyway. We were convinced that we'd beat our colds by running in the cold. You know, it sort of worked. Or maybe we were just young and invincible!]

The last time I had a serious cold was in 2009. I recall I had a fever of 101 and called into work and they said I couldn't call off. Even with a physician's note and a fever when I went the next day, I got lectured and given 'points' off and a 'warning'. Anyway that was long ago and I am rambling....

First I took care of the ladies who were having such a blast giving themselves snow baths and chasing each other around.

Here, my charming red heads telling me to hurry up with their sled full of hay.

With all the chores done and hubby taking a nap, I grabbed my two weather resistant cameras and took off to see the creek and swap out the trail cam SD card.

The trail down to the creek was getting snow filled and deep. I got down to the creek and noted that most of it was frozen with no water showing anywhere.

I went to find the areas where the water still flowed from the warm springs.

I was rather happy to find little bits of open water. It creates a beautiful magical scene with snow.

If you can find a spot that reflects the trees above, I consider that a bonus. The snow simplifies what is in the photo. The grasses are covered...

and the rocks get snow caps...

I got to this point and figured I'd better head back home, I'd told hubby that I was just going to the creek. I didn't tell him I'd get sidetracked by water, rocks, and reflections.

This is the same area that I found Bluebirds in earlier this winter. Three years ago I found Robins in the same area. Another time I saw so many of one type of bird here I was enthralled. I guess that is when I decided to try and find the names of birds.

So I stood for a few minutes and then heard a light tapping noise right above me.

Hello Chickadee! It then flew down in front of me.

...and then posed for me after getting a drink of water from the creek. 

Oh I was so tickled! And I took it as a sign to head home on a great note. The snow was still coming down. Below is my 'trail' along the creek. Whoops. I got too far out on the thin ice and broke through.

I do love my Muck Boots. I didn't get wet.

I was so happy at seeing the Chickadee that I called it a day. 

I got home, took off my coveralls, made lunch for hubby and went upstairs to sleep until evening chore time.

By then I was beyond miserable.

You know. When you think you are dead and maybe wish you were dead because it is so miserable?

Today I am coming out of it. I actually nearly feel human again.

I may even be able to take off my mask soon!

 

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.