One of my favorite cottonwood trees surrounded with heavy fog.
A Foggy Morning Walk
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The Cottonwood Tree -
Wooly Bear Caterpillar
Wooly Bear Caterpillar I always look where I’m stepping this time of the years as I see these beautiful caterpillars all over the trails at the Environmental Learning Center. My walk last week included a few photos of these caterpillars, a gopher snake, a couple of white tail deer and some large insect carrying a green worm that was bigger that it was. What a struggle it was having but such determination. If we spend the time we can learn so much from nature.
After my walk I decided to find out more about these Wooly Bears. So, what’s a Wooly Bear Caterpillar? Well, it’s also called an Isabella Tiger Moth and can be found in many cold regions, including the Arctic. The banded Woolly Bear larva emerges from the egg in the fall and overwinters in its caterpillar form, when it literally freezes solid. It survives being frozen by producing a cryoprotectant in its tissues. (Sounds painful) In the spring it thaws out and emerges to pupate. Once it emerges from its pupa as a moth it has only days to find a mate. In most temperate climates, caterpillars become moths within months of hatching, but in the Arctic the summer period for vegetative growth – and hence feeding – is so short that the Woolly Bear must feed for several summers, freezing again each winter before finally pupating. Some are known to live through as many as 14 winters.
There’s an annual Woolly Bear Festival held every Fall in downtown Vermilion, Ohio, on Lake Erie. The one-day, family event, which began in 1973, features a woolly bear costume contest in which children, even pets, are dressed up as various renditions of the woolly bear caterpillar. The festival is held every year around October 1 on a Sunday on which the Cleveland Browns have an away game. It is touted as the largest one-day festival in Ohio. Could be a good photo opportunity.
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Car Show
Chevy A couple of weekends ago I came a cross a car show in Old Town. Since I had my camera with me, I walked among the vintage cars. I remembered the past, cars my friends had and also the 56′ Chevy sedan I use to own. Wished I still had it, too. Anyway, here are a few photos from the wandering.
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Silver Efex Pro 2
Bed Post I’ve liked what I’ve seen done with Chris Klug’s black and white images. If you’ve not been over there for a visit I suggest spending a few minutes over there. I like the results He gets from Silver Efex Pro in his post processing. So, I bought it knowing it would make me a better photographer, like him. About a year later I received an email offering a free NIK software package that included Analog Efex 3, Color Efex Pro 4, Dfine 2, Sharpener Pro 3 and Viveza and an upgrade to Silver Efex Pro. I took it. Needless to say, I’m not any better photographer because of these software tools and I have done almost nothing with any of them except Silver Efex Pro.
I’m finding there are a ton of options available in Silver Efex and I’ve touched very few of them. There are helpful tutorials in the internet in using this software. I just have to dig into it.
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Starting the Day
Starburst Sunrise Paul shared a post about spending 30 minutes in the morning watching the wildlife and the sunrise. He described it as, “quite, cool, peaceful, orange … perfect.” “Perfect” always gets to me. It caused me to remember my early mornings of the past years. After showering and dressing I would spend most mornings reading the “news”. I started my day by filling my head with news about war, local and world crimes, political bull crap. On some pages I could see images of the next car they wanted me to in debt for, or see the competitive prices of potatoes and carrots between the local grocery stores. Then one morning it dawned on me reading the “news” was not the way I needed to start my day. So, I stopped reading the “news”, or watching it, over 20 years ago. And, I don’t miss it.
This past Monday morning one of the regular customers walked in to the coffee shop and wanted to know if we all new the latest news. Seems we had a rowdy weekend in town. Without asking, he passed on his latest “news”. A riot broke out at a large party on a cul-de-sac near campus. Luckily no one was injured. The next “news” he shared was about a shooting where a police officer was shot and wounded and the suspect was killed. This is not how I wanted to start the morning. The news he so desperately wanted to share was bad news and not good news? It seems like 1 in 20 stories in the paper are about good things.
I prefer to spend my mornings in a quiet and contemplative place. I have sacred place in my home where I sit and watch the sun rise. I quietly sip on my personally made latte. I read, journal and enjoy my time. Or, I can find a secluded place outside of town and watch the sunrise. I can listen to the sounds of nature rather than the trash truck. I can feel the coolness or warmth of the air and allow it all to penetrate my soul. With each of these, I feel I’m filling my mind and soul with better images to start the day
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Somewhere Around 45
Soups Cooking I think this is the temperature where I start to feel chilled as we move deeper into the fall season. It’s not a cold but a chill that is deep inside the body. And, there is a chance it may be rising a degree or two each year I get older. Or, it could just be the beginning of October.
Before you think I’m going on a negative rant know that fall is one of my favorite seasons. I enjoy the changes all around me, the colors and the cooler temperatures. Even the first frost is neat to wake up to, unless I’m camping. Saturday morning was the first time this season for scraping frost off the windshield. It’s a season I like to pull out the fleece pullovers, sweaters, and gloves from the bottom drawer of the dresser. Dust off the slippers. I like the aroma filling my house as I make stew or chili. I like to wrap myself in a blanket in a comfy chair and sip on hot tea or a freshly made latte while I read. I like the walks and watching leaves make their downward journey as they partake of the circle of life. I like to hear and see the Canada Geese making their seasonal migration. Maybe the chill is because I know the coming weeks will bring even colder temperatures. Stay warm and enjoy the coming week.
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Black and Whites
The Beautiful Kimberly It seems I have been processing more images in black and white. This includes portraits, street and some landscapes. Wonder what that implies?
