It’s s(no)w joke

Anyone living along the east coast who thought the weather forecasters were kidding about the Nor’easter woke up to find the joke was on us! My city faired better than many with only a few inches, BUT it was the heavy, wet kind of snow that downed many branches including a large one off of my (already damaged) Coral Bark Maple.  I must admit, Mother Nature got me since I didn’t see that one coming or else I would have strapped the branches together (as I intended to do before ‘winter’ arrived) when we were scurrying around yesterday covering furniture and moving in fragile perennials that I had yet to get planted into the ground. Sigh.

Not wanting to dwell on what was damaged, I decided instead, to look for the beauty of the day. It isn’t often we get the combination of gorgeous fall foliage, crisp blue skies, brilliant sunshine AND a bed of the white stuff. As the winds whipped, I walked the landscape, shooting until my hands were frozen.

Folks who don’t experience snowstorms often ask how we ‘deal’ with it.

Well, I think the last photo pretty much sums it up.

"S(no!)w Welcome" (Welcome Flag with Urn) Canon PowerShot SX40 HS, 11mm, F/4.0, 1/100s, IS0 125, Built-in Flash, -1.3EV

 

"Duck, Duck, Snow!" (Resin Ducks in Snow) Canon PowerShot SX40 HS, 13.5mm, F/4, 1/250s, ISO 100

 

"When Seasons Collide" (Backyard Shed in Snowy October) Canon PowerShot SX40 HS, 6.8mm, F/4.0, -0.3EV, 1/320s, IS0 100

 

"S(no)w Swimming" (October Pool) Canon PowerShot SX40 HS, 4.3mm, F/8.0, 1/125s, IS0 320

 

"Snow Birds" (Copper Swans with 'Cardinal Red' Hydrangea) Canon PowerShot SX40 HS, 21.8mm, F/4.5, 1/80s, IS0 125

 

"Seasonal Confusion" (October Backyard, Far View) Canon PowerShot SX40 HS, 4.3mm, F/8.0, 1/60s, IS0 160

 

"How to Weather Snow in October" (Backyard Vignette) Canon PowerShot SX40 HS, 7mm, F/4.0, 1/00s, IS0 100

At a snail’s pace

Even though I seem to be doing things at a very slow pace these days, this summer feels like it is flying by. Here we are in August (AUGUST!) already and the cooler days of fall are fast approaching.

'Slug-ish' (Land Snail on Daylily Frond) Nikon D300, VR 105mm F/2.8G, F/5.6, 1/125s, ISO 640

That isn’t to say I’m tossing in the (beach) towel . Nope, I’m the girl that grabs onto summer and holds tight with both hands. Temps in the 90′s? Keep ‘em comin’. I’ll sacrifice a few plants in the garden and a sweaty brow for every last ray of sunshine I can soak in. It’s the only way I can make it through the inevitable winter. (Oh, well, that and a few trips South. ) 

They say that snails are BAD for a garden, but I’ve only seen these little guys hanging out on the daylily fronds so, for now, they can feel safe here. This fine specimen was actually moving right along (yes, at a snail’s pace) leaving a trail of slime in its wake. I thought the sprinkling of snails added some rather nice ‘bling’ to the mass of green and when the sunshine struck their iridescent shells, they would glow like fine gemstones.

As far as I’m concerned, August can take a few lessons from the snails.

No need to rush on by… take a load off and sit awhile.

You are welcome to stay as long as you’d like.

My dad

When I was a child, my dad was a giant to me. At a height of 6 feet, he stood a whole foot taller than my mom making him seem larger than life. His hugs would completely engulf you and once captured, you weren’t safe from a barrage of kisses! Yes, my dad loves his kids, and me being the youngest girl, I think I got more hugs and kisses than the rest. Lucky me.   

I’ve inherited many things from my dad (height not being one of them). My sweet tooth (yeah, my thighs thank him for that), the ease at which I make friends, the ability to drum up a conversation with a complete stranger (a trait of his that used to annoy the hell outta me as a kid), a non-judgemental attitude towards life, a love of the outdoors (especially water) and an almost extreme persistance (okay, stubbornness) when it comes to wanting to know how things work. But, above all, he gave me the propensity for all around ‘nice-ness’. If nothing else, my dad is a nice guy. I don’t think he knows any other way to be.  

"Daddy Longlegs" (Harvestman Arachnid) Nikon D300, 105mm F/2.8G Macro, F/8, 1/40s, -0.7EV, ISO 1000

Living a distance away, I don’t get to see my dad very often. But, even just talking on the phone, I can feel the warmth of his hugs as he says (again) how so very proud he is of me. I can’t tell you how many times that is exactly the kind a thing a daughter needs to hear.  

Happy Father’s Day, Dad! ♥ ♥

When opportunity knocks

"Swaddled" (Weigela florida Blossom Tucked into Hosta Leaf) Nikon D300, 105mm F/2.8G Macro, F/7.1, 1/125s, -1.0EV, ISO 400

Walking the garden beds this morning, investigating if any damage had occurred in yesterday’s rainstorm, I came upon an unusual photo opportunity.  

The branches of my neighbor’s enormous old-fashioned Weigela hang over our fence and put on quite a showy display of small, trumpet-shaped flowers in spring.  

Yesterday’s storm knocked a slew of those blossoms off, divinely dropping one inside the ideally shaped crevice of a hosta leaf that sits below.  

Now, how could I pass that up?

Surfin’ USA

Something a little more fun from me today!   

While photographing rain-soaked hosta leaves, I was already drawn to their wave-like form. So, when a small black gnat decided to do some surfing, well, it’s times like this you simply cannot believe what you are seeing through the lens!

"Shooting the Tube" (Black Gnat Surfing on Wet Hosta Leaves) Nikon D300, 105mm F/2.8G Macro, F/8, 1/50s, ISO 640, Black & White with Blue Tint

Since the foliage colors of this particular hosta are a variegation of green, white and yellow - not the hues that evoke a strong feeling of the sea – I decided a color change was necessary to successfully convey the ‘surfing gnat’ idea. So, the image was first converted to black & white and then tinted using blue. I also bumped up tonal contrast a bit using Color Efex Pro.  

Gnarly, dude!

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04/21/10 Update

Sean Kane requested a close up of the ‘surfing gnat’ so, here he is!

"Hang Six" (Surfing Gnat Close-up)

 (If you listen really closely, you can hear ‘wheeeeeeeeee!’ )

And you think you hate the rain?

Ever wonder what it’s like to be so small you could drown in a single raindrop? 

"Minefield" (Bug on Backside of Monkshood Leaf) Nikon D300, 105mm F/2.8G Macro, F/8, 1/160s, ISO 320, Built-in i-TTL Balanced Fill Flash

Life behind bars

"Variegata" (Dracaena marginata 'Tricolor' aka Rainbow Tree) Nikon D300, 105mm F/2.8G Macro, F/40, 15s, ISO 400

Last weekend, we bought some pretty cool-looking foliage plants to brighten the house during these less-than-colorful winter days. 

Dracaena marginata ‘Tricolor’ sports dramatic  spikes in stripes of green, cream and reddish-pink. Shot at close range, form and color take center stage – looking less now like a houseplant and more like abstract art. 

I can’t help but think this image might be a metaphor for how caged in I’ve felt these last few days.   

However, I’m sure life behind real bars is not nearly this colorful!