MARCH TO APRIL...5

MARCH TO APRIL...4

The ric-rac pattern of the branches frames the rising moon.

Frantically searching for pollen, the bees are bombarding all of my Japanese Willow bushes and trees.

We usually hear the wild turkeys when they land on top of the cabin and walk around...not to be outdone...O.J. attempts and succeeds to land on the cabin roof!

On a walk along the back edge of our property, an old ragged Apple Tree still manages to show off her emerging pastel blooms.
This Tufted Titmouse was quite happy watching me wash the dishes through the kitchen window.

MARCH TO APRIL...2

On a rainy day...I found color looking out the kitchen window. The intensity of the red coloring of my Eastern Redbuds deepened.

Redbud blooms reaching for the early evening sky as the moon begins to rise.

Three different sunsets shown in this post...

I was photographing this view when Bandit casually took her place on the rock and decided to take in the sight as well! I wondered what she was thinking as she gazed into the water. Was she capable of enjoying beauty through her eyes?

This was the overall view of the above photo with Bandit.

Home, Sweet, Home
I thought it would be nice to show how quickly the setting sun deepened the colors across the sky and pond. There is approximately one and a half minutes between the times taken of each of these photos.

INTO THE NIGHT...

One night...without regard to where I wandered... the darkness, the moon glow and the woods as one surrounded me. I felt as if I was being drawn in. To where? I wondered. Such an eerie, yet so comfortable feeling to be engulfed in. The night air was cool, thick with mist and fog... unusual for a winter evening. I felt as if I were being held, comforted. What a wonderous feeling... one with nature.

FEBRUARY MOON RISES...

As I was gazing upon the sky on this early evening, it reminded of a whimsical painting of a faraway land. Perhaps a sky background of a painting that you may see in a child's room. The textures of the clouds and the dreamy colors of the sky almost lend an unreal feel, yet it was very real, which made this view all the more special to me.

The rising moon glowing in the background, as the setting sun still clings to the treetop branches. Perfect harmony!

SURVIVING THE ARCTIC BLAST...BLUE JAYS

BRRRRRR!!!!....Here is where I often wonder if we are truly the fittest of all life on this earth. Survival of the fittest...while I am warm and cozy nesting in this cabin, I think of how all the creatures outdoors flex their will to survive with all their strength. Through the series of storms and bitter cold this past week, I have seen the most activity yet this season around my feeder. As I prepare this post, the actual temperature outdoors is -10 degrees. The wind chill factor brings the temperature to -30 degrees!

I have this fascination with viewing a subject up close and personal. I'm not sure why, maybe to be a little closer to the heart and soul. As I was admiring the woods covered in snow on a dreary day, I stood at my back window gazing up the hill behind our cabin. There in front of me, icicles regularly take their form until my husband knocks them down. While I know they can cause damage to the roof, that doesn't stop my love of icicles. They constantly change, and if the sun or moon is in position over the back hill, they glisten all the more. Drip, drip, drip...tempting me, teasing me...hmmm?? Can I catch a drop falling from the icy fingers? After thirty four shots, I finally captured a water drop. My challenge to myself was to NOT use my feature on the camera that will automatically take a succession of shots. I stood there counting seconds between drops in an attempt to meet that challenge. VICTORY!!...now I just let you into the quirky side of me..I know, too much time on my hands!
On the 11th of this month, the night skies over Wishnik Woods were too cloudy to photograph the moon. The night after was another story. This first capture was taken out the same window were I shot the icicles. I had a rough nights' sleep and awoke at 2:20 a.m., there was my old friend waiting for me in the sky.
These next two captures were taken a few hours later at 5:oo a.m. in the same morning....except this time I braved the cold. I took my tripod outdoors and sturdied it in the snow. The atmosphere was very hazy with a good dose of cloud cover. Perhaps that explains the overall softness to these photographs.
Just a sliver shy!