Blog Archives
A Hole in the Clouds
Friends, on a recent cloudy day i ventured to enter Crex Meadows, no light but when i reached this point, suddenly the sky opened to reveal this lonely oak tree, so I took out the camera and took his picture, he said thank you and i was on my way, too much snow is making me talk to inanimate objects, but thank you lonely oak, til Tomorrow MJ
Snow Wave
Friends, well back to winter this morning, the wind makes beautiful snow waves and on a sunny morning they truly sparkle , enjoy your morning, til Tomorrow MJ
Treasures Found
Friends, this baby pied bill grebe is starting to get some real feathers on his wing and celebrating by stretching them out for all the world to see. He is kind of a drab color but i love when the natural history of the wild comes thru in an image, and i caught it for just an moment in time, however with all the images i shot last summer, i did not recognize the value in this image, but now that life has slowed and it is snowing outside again today, i now have time to peruse and process images of the past. til Tomorrow MJ
Hahaha
Friends, while hunting for the Snowy Owl at Crex, all we have found lately has been vertical clumps of snow hanging in the trees. This clump was especially interesting from a distance, but when we got closer, we were royally fooled. Oh well still looking. til Tomorrow MJ
Oak Leaf
Friends, this oak leaf has finally fallen from the tree and is slowly sinking into the snow. I think that this leaf expresses my view of the world today, for i have my holiday cold and my head hurts. Hope you are all well and not like my new computer, it fried its hard drive so i am limping along on my old computer. It should be fixed today, if not then Monday, ( hear Screaming), til Tomorrow MJ
Frosty Morning
Friends, yesterday we had a little warm-up to 29 degrees F above zero, so Jim and I and the dog went for a stroll in Crex Meadows. Every little detail was covered with hoar frost and I was able to shoot without gloves. What a treat to see the top of tiny trees painted with white, I love the bokeh background in this shot, we did not see the Snowy Owl but heard it was still in the area, maybe we will return today and search for her. til Tomorrow MJ
Waiting
Friends, these Trumpeter Swans are waiting, patiently for the snow and ice to melt, I am not so patient, I go to the Meadows in expectation to find nothing new, bummer, maybe i will have to visit elsewhere to find some action, maybe the waves on Lake Superior will talk to me about spring, but last time i visited there, the waves were washing in the ice shards, sharp and glasslike panes, having family for Easter, so I guess cleaning house is the order of the day, til Tomorrow MJ
March Pond
Friends, this pond is near our home in northern Wisconsin, last year at this time the tamarack trees were starting to get new needles. This year every thing is covered with 12 inches of snow and the pond is ice. When spring does arrive, this scene will repeat itself on the first warm sunny day with no ice and snow. til Tomorrow MJ
The rest of the story
Friends, this Great Gray Owl flew out of a tree directly at me, at the last second he banked away and this image above was the result. I think I ducked and he landed in the snow beside me, the image below was taken as he rested in the snow watching me, I wonder if he had been fed by the banders that in 2005 were roaming the bogs of Minnesota trying to determine the state of health of these birds that irrupted to the south. Maybe he was expecting me to produce a mouse or other small rodent. After a few seconds sitting on the ground, he flew back to his tree. Definitely a close encounter of the wildest kind, til Tomorrow MJ
Weekly Photo Challenge: Home
Friends, Home is where the heart is, so I am always at home when with my husband. He is my life. When I was young the hills of North Dakota Badlands were my cherished home, where my mother had been raised and my grandparents lived. When I visited them I was allowed to be a child, and alone I would scour the hills and river bottom for pretty rocks, flowers, and fill my pockets with tiny trinkets. My grandfather had ridden horses all over the badlands chasing cows and wild horses. Now his homestead is part of the Theodore Roosevelt National Park and this place, Scoria point is by far the prettiest place in the park. I captured this image when wet with a rare overnight snow when the red rock is very saturated. No photoshop was needed to saturate the red rock as nature was at work. I am at home when in the badlands. til Tomorrow MJ
MJ Springett 