It's a New Year, so I'm back with January's photo calendar. Hopefully I will keep these posts coming for 2021. We start 2021's calendar with snowy pine cones.
Read more...Another week, another snowfall! This time, instead of melting away quickly, the snow stuck around for four days, and more impressively, adorned the tree branches for three full days. That is an anomaly for this area - normally we receive a snowfall, the wind picks up and the snow is blown off every branch and horizontal surface. This time, the snow started off wet, stuck to everything and then the temperatures fell precipitously to the single digits, flash-freezing the snow to everything.
The icy snow - Defying gravity on day one (Thursday)
From the pine trees in the back yard:
Friday morning greeted us with brilliant sunshine but sub-zero temperatures without the windchill. I took this from the kitchen, looking at those same pines.
Saturday morning I headed to the forest preserve with friends, hopeful for a winter wonderland. I wasn't disappointed.
We hiked through the powdery snow, caught some wildlife and enjoyed the beautiful surroundings.
It's all so fleeting - on Sunday, warmer air coupled with the sun melted the snow off the trees. Today the rain is washing away the remnants. My philosophy - get out and enjoy it while you still can.
Past performance drives future expectations and this year's mild winter has lulled us into forgetting that snow normally falls in February. Too often, the media plays up snow's impending arrival with panicked fervor, creating undue hype. Why must every inch of snow require a winter storm warning? It's only snow and not much snow. So when big flakes started falling Friday evening, unannounced, it was met with delight that often accompanies a surprise.
That sense of delight spilled over into Saturday morning, when awaking to the white and bright landscape. Fluffy, flocked branches flanked the roads.
I had to be in town to set up Saturday's scheduled club run and since I'm not running, I walked while the runners ran. I headed to the trails that follow the water ways, nestled away from the main streets. Here, pristine paths begged to be explored.
The only disappointment of the weekend - thick cloud cover precluded the viewing of the full Snow moon Saturday night. Had clear skies prevailed, I planned to venture to the forest preserve for a night hike lit by moonlight. Hopefully next month...
October gave us summer, winter and fall weather all rolled up into 31 days.
I liked the fall portion the best, even if it was a bit short lived.
Spring came early to Central Illinois - the trees bloomed in early April and most have fully leafed out. It was so short lived that I didn't get to enjoy it.
However, I made a last minute trip out east to the Boston area and got to enjoy an early spring all over again. I normally visit the area in summer, so the landscape was very different from what I am used to.
My runs took me to a local pond and even in the off season, it was calm and inviting.
Even with a bit of rain, there was no wind (in Illinois, rain is almost always accompanied by straight line winds).
November marks the end of Daylight Savings time in the US, which means earlier sunsets. Many people dislike the earlier onset of darkness, but hopefully we get to witness the spectacular skies before starting the evening's activities. Personally, I am looking forward to the brighter mornings.
This month's calendar features such a sunset.
Photography captures a specific point in time that can not be replicated. Soon after I shot this, a cluster of high voltage towers and power lines were erected in the background field. This scene, with its empty expanse of sky, can never be captured again. I remind myself of this whenever I'm out with my camera and find myself uninspired.
The same analogy applies to each day, each passing minute - it can't be replicated - so cherish it, embrace the good with the bad and be grateful of it. I continue to remind myself of this, fitting for the month of Thanksgiving and Gratitude.
To download the November 2015 calendar for free at Box.com, click on the link:
Free November 2015 Calendar - Prairie Sunset
Have a wonderful, gratitude filled month.
October culminated in the running of the Chicago marathon and my subsequent recovery period. After the Illinois marathon in April, I dipped into a bit of a post-race depression, but this time I didn't let it happen. I think the shorter days and dark mornings made it easier to let go of the expectation to get up and run. I simply decided to relax more and gave myself permission to take it easy.
I also didn't run any long distances the two weeks leading up to the Chicago Marathon, due to plantar fasciitis in my left foot. As a result, I don't have many running photos from October (so I included the photos from the start of November - I needed two more photos to make it an even 10).
1. Flip on the Lights , 2. This is the Day You Have Made. I will Rejoice and Be Glad in It, 3. It's a Perfect Day to Run Chicago, 4. Golden Days - 3 easy miles today , 5. First Movement , 6. Enjoying Fall , 7. Beautiful Morning for a Trail Run , 8. Looks Can be Deceiving - Steep Hill Ahead, 9. Cold but Golden , 10. Contrasts
Two weeks after the Chicago race, I ran a 6-mile trail race, held at Allerton Park. It was the perfect way to follow up my marathon - running something completely opposite - a trail race vs a road race, through a forest preserve instead of the city and a very small pool of participants (although it felt very crowded, especially at the start).
It was a perfect autumn day for a trail run.
I love running in the fall - the temperatures are ideal, the air crisp and the leaves crunch underneath. I experienced something new running Sunday morning - watching, hearing and feeling the leaves gently rain down from the canopy above as I passed underneath. Just another reason to lace up and run outside.
Some other things to note - everyone seems to be commenting on my pink running shoes (on Instagram and Facebook)! I bought new shoes to add to my rotation - these are Hoka Cliftons, a highly cushioned yet lightweight shoe. The heel to toe offset is still low (5mm) and similar to the Brooks PureCadence, which I consider to be my main running shoe. I decided to try the Hoka brand, since they appear to help with plantar fasciitis. I have a fairly new pair of Saucony Kinvara5 which I am still getting used to (they are a bit on the stiff side). My last pair of shoes are pretty specialized - Goretex lined Inov8 Roclite Trail shoes that I wore during last week's trail race. They are waterproof, great in the rain and snow and of course, on a muddy trail. Can a runner have too many shoes? I guess not!
I went for a long walk Wednesday evening - to clear my mind. I found beauty in the Lone Tree as I watched the sun set.
See the shimmers on the very bottom of the photo? The sun is glinting off dandelion puffs - the only time I appreciate those dandelion seeds.
They reminded me of this photo I shot four (wow!) years ago - at the end of April, during sunset:
So surreal....
Back to the Lone Tree... which started to burn like tears in my eyes...
Until the fire ebbed, the sun dipped ....
Gone, The Lone Tree left in the ashes of the day ...
Photos from yesterday's rain and fog.
Driving back from a campus event, the fog surrounding the Arboretum grounds caught my eye. I pulled into the empty parking lot and held a five minute photo shoot.
Welcome to February in the never-ending winter of 2014.
Some shots of the hoar frost that formed last week. I knew it was coming the night before as the freezing fog settled in.
All photos taken from a tree in my neighbor's back yard. I'm lucky they don't mind me traipsing around their landscaping...
Fall's brilliance finally showed up.
Even as the leaves fall, they land in grace.
I took these yesterday - I happened upon each scene by chance. So glad it was one of those Saturdays with no definitive plans. It was a great way to start the month of November.
Slowly, the spring blooms are starting to emerge. I might even classify that they are tentatively emerging, with continued cooler temperatures we are experiencing, but spring is starting to reveal herself.
I'm disclosing that I took this photo while standing in a parking lot, behind a row of cars. I wish I took it while enjoying a peaceful walk in the woods, but I take what I can get. It just illustrates that beauty is all around us.
Same tree, different processing - a bit of a sepia, monotone effect:
A couple days ago, I post photos of my neighbor's redbud tree. This one is the same species of tree, but it has white flowers, something I've never seen before.
Have you ever seen a white flowering redbud? I wonder if they are considered rare.
Sharing with Mary and her Thursday Inspiration where this week's theme is trees
So enjoy the delicate spray of purple and pink while you can.
Fortunately, this tree is in my neighbor's backyard and I can see them whenever I look out from the kitchen.
Sharing with Tuesday Muse and Communal Global.
I've always wanted to take a picture of that "lone tree in the middle of nowhere". If I had a photography "bucket list", it would be on it. It's hard to find such subjects, even along the flat prairie, but last Saturday, while driving east in unfamiliar territory, I spotted one.
We were headed to my daughter's soccer tournament, and on the way there, I only had access to my iPhone. I was better prepared on the return trip to capture my "Lone Tree".
I guess it's not really alone - the county road runs by it.
Of course, we passed by several barns during our trip. This one caught my eye because of the flag mural on the side.
So one "bucket list" item done, a thousand more to find.
Linked to This or That Thursday and Rural Thursday
Sometimes inspiration strikes just by looking outside on a rainy day.
I was initially drawn by the rain drops hanging off the branches, but I didn't want to take my camera outside in the rain.
[OK, maybe I didn't want to go out in the rain]
I shot this from the front door instead.
For Texture Tuesday, the same photo, with two texture layers - Kim Klassen's Lola and Lily:
And so you don't think I'm a complete wimp for avoiding the rain, I did go outside later and captured one of those drops using my iPhone and the macro lens of the Olloclip. I really love this little attachment for my phone!
I am often asked questions and comments about my photography - what location, what camera, what settings, etc. The camera question aside (i...
A chemical engineer working in IT, Wife to Scott, Mom to two great kids + two cats, one horse and numerous fish. Photographer, marathoner, musician, yogi and gourmet cook. I don't think there is time for more, but I'm sure I missed something!
© Blogger template Shush by Ourblogtemplates.com 2009
Back to TOP
