Category: nature

This morning on my walk I added a nature loop down to the pond by the middle school. Several geese were honking and carrying on as I walked off the path closer to the pond to get a little better vantage point for a photo. The two in this shot were happy just to stand close to one another atop the frosty ice.

Occasionally along the way, I had to slow my usual pace because of ice patches on some of the sidewalks, streets, and driveways (even though it was above freezing when I left). At one point, I hit a hidden patch of ice with both feet flat-footed and found myself moving forward traction-free. It was an exhilarating few moments as I slid, my back arched and my arms flailing outward. But thankfully I stayed vertical.

As I arrived home, I took a few close-ups of snow and ice and garden detritus. I’ll put those in some future posts.

After my early morning snowshoeing in the new winter wonderland that is Iowa, I stopped in our yard to take some photos. After making my way to the back of the house, I was composing these branch images. When I distractedly moved to the side to get a better vantage point, my snowshoes unexpectedly stepped right off the short rock wall of our patio (at an unhelpful angle). Down I went. But other than a slightly twisted ankle, a somewhat awkward time getting vertical again, and marginally damaged pride, I am fine. How we suffer for our art! 😉

This digital photo is actually a close-up view of more fungi in the woods, but it reminds me of an aerial view of woods and river canyons or some other natural landscape.

I have been trying to keep my digital photos to the weekends, but was spinning my wheels with paint today (trying to get some other work done, and got a little frustrated). So, outside I went with my camera (phone).

I walked into the woods down to the pond, where several ducks and a few geese were sitting on a fallen tree trunk, standing on the ice, swimming in the open water, and discussing the latest news amongst themselves. I took a couple of photos of them, but the crunching of dry leaves under my feet urged them to retreat too far away to be very interesting given my lens.

On the path back to the house, though, some very cool fungi on a birch log revealed itself. I took several close-up photos, and then further zoomed in on the computer. This image was the winner today.

More melting ice moonscape at the end of our driveway. Zoomed-in digital photo.

January thaw! I took this photo at the end of our driveway and zoomed in closer on the computer. I am scheduling two photo posts this weekend due to MLK Day of Service prep. I love how extreme close-up photos reveal a new visual world.

Close-up photo of the middle of a gerbera daisy, noir style.  I like the texture that becomes more apparent without the distraction of color.