Reflection in Creek Pool

 

Combination Snow and Fog

Today's landscape is a reminder

that 'stark' can be beautiful.

 

Enchanted World

 

Tenacity

 

At the Feeders, On the Water, and In the Air

 

Mockingbird and house finch

White-crowned sparrow

Snow geese

Sandhill cranes

Birds in the Snow (from the back door)

 

After yesterday's Chiricahua adventure that included hours of cold, wet feet, and this morning's hour-long walk in snow and cold wind, I had no desire to bundle up to try for good photographs of birds at the feeders, but it was interesting to see that gusting snow did not keep a gang of hungry house finches from collecting. I ventured no farther than the back door, standing there in my slippers, the door open just long enough for a click!

Later, as the wind was abating, the snowstorm winding down, I opened the back door again and aimed at the feeders. Wasn't this cardinal the clever fellow, though? Posing against the white background!

Frequent Visitors

 

The northern cardinal, a bird that presents itself strikingly against northern snow,

makes a welcome splash of color in the Southwest against a grey and brown backdrop.

The curve-billed thrasher, dull in color,

is equally welcome (despite his grumpy look),

because he sings almost as beautifully 

as the mockingbird.

Jack Frost in the Philadelphia Wash

And Then the Sun Came Out!

 

Not "pristine," but full of our tracks --

Others have also been making tracks.

The sun came out, yes, but dark clouds still hung above the Dos Cabezas Mountains, so that light and dark made striking contrasts. 

Snow clings to stubbornly clinging mesquite leaves.

Looking west through hackberry branches to where the sun would soon set --

Peasy does not tire of exploring smells under the snow.

And then I see the moon!

Later, long after sunset, the sky began to clear around the moon. Temperature was our lowest this winter, below 20 degrees F. And so, the snow was still deep and abundant on Wednesday morning, sparkling in the sun. Peasy loved it!

Peasy in Tuesday afternoon snow...

...happy to see the snow still  there for him on Wednesday morning!

The Michigan Road Less Traveled

Who wants to fight expressway traffic at 80 miles an hour when Michigan's beauty is so much more richly enjoyed on two-lane blacktop? We drove from Northport to south of Newaygo on Monday, sailing through a magic, sparkling corridor of wonder. We couldn't stop exclaiming, and I couldn't stop lifting my camera to the car windows.

East Is East, and West Is West

Dawn's promise

Developing skies

Fields in Snow with Cable

These fields of corn, with sunflowers in the foreground and a tree-covered hill as backdrop, have been particularly beautiful since our recent (unexpectedly early) snow.

The challenge to photographing these fields is a heavy power cable that interrupts the scene.

This is a situation where I miss Photoshop and vow to return to it. Because to my eye the full effect of the sweep of sunflowers depends on the background trees.

Northport Beech

Hello, Leland Winter!

We drove through wintry scenes to come into the village of Leland from the north, where more wintry scenes greeted us.