Monthly Archives: February 2019

Winter Persists

“Silhouettes”

Hawks perched above
On high bare winter trees,
Waiting for dinner below.

Winter continues to persist.  Birds of prey frequently perch on surrounding trees looking over the snow covered pastures waiting for slight creature movement below.  It is a good time for bird watching.

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Think Abstract

“…Oops!”

Don’t worry, you are not losing your eyesight.  It is the camera operator who’s the cause.  Sometimes blind luck turns out OK.  I took this image without focusing the lens.  When reviewing my images, I first threw this image out.  I looked at it again and realized that I liked the colors and ultra soft look.  So I recovered it and played around a little and made it an abstract.

Lesson Learned:  Don’t be too hasty throwing out images.  Sometimes blind luck turns into an opportunity.  I am always learning.

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Beautiful But Cold!

Neighbor’s Pasture

How beautiful the snow is, but it is really cold.  Today was -6 degrees when I got up.  It is “dry” cold, so not too uncomfortable.  Since Punxsutawney Phil made his prediction of an early spring, winter has hit Eastern Washington hard.  We have had our first real snow of the year and the temperatures have dropped below zero.  We are in for more!

The only good advice I have heard is to not trust the groundhog.  Out of Phil’s 103 predictions, he has been right only 39% of the time!  I see that he has about the same prediction accuracy as our regular weather forecasters.

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It Is About Time

“First Snow”

It is about time that we had our first real snow of the year.  Our luck of having mild winter weather has just run out.  Last week I was out golfing.  I don’t think I will make it out this week!

This morning was 20 degrees when I went out to photograph.  I came in after about an hour walk around the house.  After warming up, I decided that I would rather review and work on my images instead of going out and shovel snow.  I guess I can’t put it off any longer … it’s time to go out and get to work.

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Spooky Morning

Backyard Fog

I looked out the window and watch the fog roll in.  Ghost images appeared where just a few minutes earlier trees stood.  I couldn’t resist going outside to try to capture the feeling.  I was thinking, “Look at all these cool silhouettes!”  It only took a few moments for my fingers to freeze, making it difficult to operate my camera.  I took a few images and scurried back into the warm house.

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There’s a Story Somewhere

Old Schoolhouse Window, Yakima Valley, WA

I love to drive around without any specific destination.  I am amazed what I have missed over the years as I have just driven from point A to point B thinking about how long it will take me to reach my destination.  This day a few weeks ago, I was just driving backroads where I had not been before … just driving along.  I saw this old school house somewhere north of Zillah (I think), I really did not where I was.  I stopped and just gazed for a while, contemplating what stories this old building amongst farm lands had to tell.  How long had it been since the last student walked through its doors?  Was it a grade school, high school, or an all inclusive country school?  After a while of just looking at it, I got out of my car and walked around with my camera.  

Many stories, many questions … time for a little research to satisfy my curiosity.

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Yakima Wine Country

Yakima Valley Wine Country near Zillah, WA

On a clear day, Mt Adams prominently displays its beauty on the horizon.  Well this was not a clear day, but the rows of the various vineyards were on display against a light dusting of snow. In a couple of weeks, the Yakima Valley wine country will be bustling during the February Red Wine and Chocolate festival.  It will be a good weekend to take a break from eating wisely and indulge in the wine and chocolate. 

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