Muted

Muted light, muted colors, and a walk around Wilton on a chilly pre-Spring day...

Silhouettes

silhouette - in a cloud

silhouette - a cloud through the raindrops

silhouette - coffee in a cloud

silhouette - color in a cloud

A rainy day in the mountains of North Carolina. Headed up to the Lake James area then on to Blowing Rock, hoping for nice enough weather to hike around a bit and take some pics. Instead, rather robust rain, fog, and the higher we got, the settling of clouds over the area.

Sitting with my lovely daughter and nearly perfect husband at Canyons in Blowing Rock, enveloped in a cloud, photos were taken and provided the inspiration for this series.

Out walking

A beautiful February day - the last Sunday of the month and the temperature has exceeded 80 degrees... The sun is shining, a dog bounces excitedly at the prospect of a hike in the woods. Even boys are interested in walking along... all is right with the world, at this moment, with this lens...

Above the original shot, bright white fungus reflects the midday light, zoomed in, then cropped. To the right, the full size of the original shot, with a bit of color added to emphasize the mossy surroundings.

Musee Mecanique

A hole in the sky, ghosts & burgers

Ghosts in the Details

Life finds a way and then...

There was a small maple tree in the common area of our neighborhood. It was much like all of the other young maples in the neighborhood. Then one summer night it was struck by lightning, splitting it down it's center. It's higher parts were removed by the landscapers leaving only the splintered trunk. After about a year it began to sprout new growth. In fact, a lot of new growth. The tree continued to try. It grew and grew but could not seem to grow up. It could however grow out. It fashioned itself into a maple bush. Magnificent and unique. It grew and grew for years. It filled out into a bush of true substance albeit not a tree of height. This beauty beat adversity and flourished -- for several years.

And I watched and admired.

Then, suddenly, without warning, an ignorant landscaper decided that this bush did not meet the criteria for the plantings in the common area and REMOVED it.

I feel a sense of sadness as there was a struggle and a victory that was simply removed by someone that had no knowledge of history.

That's all.