The willow trees are leafing out, and the branches are full of catkins. The wind was blowing today and the willow branches were moving and swaying. The contrast of the early leaf yellow and the blue sky was particularly beautiful. These were captured with my iPhone 7, the camera that is always with me, using the Slow Shutter App. Then Lightroom was used to add contrast and clarity.
Wind in the Willows 1
Wind in the Willows 2
Wind in the Willows 3
The wind and clod and snow did not destroy all the Spring Flowers! As I walked around my backyard today to see what survived. The Scilla, Daffodils, Glory in the Snow, Windflowers and Blood Root are beautiful. I am promised a very large crop of Bluebells looking at the buds. The Trout Lily and Celosia Poppy are filling the ground with green. Not many leaves on the trees yet. But maybe we’ve turned the corner from Winter.
Glory in the Snow
Glory in the Snow
Lenten Rose
Daffodil
White Windflowers
Purple Windflowers
Bloodroot
We decided to go on a road trip today, even though the weather was not great. But because we have a new car, and we wanted to learn how to use all the new gizmos! So we set our destination to “Fabyan Windmill” (Fabyan Forest Preserve in Kane County) and followed the directions in the new navigation system. It got us to the first boundary of the preserve, but not the entry point. Maybe best to get an address next time. So, amongst the goose poop, we walked around in the cool, damp air just looking. Except I can’t just look when there are Bur Oaks! I had my iPhone 7, so these images are iphoneography, and all editing was done on my iPad. I need to know that mobile solutions work! I don’t always have easy access to my computer.
The Apps I used: For capture, the iPhone 7 native camera and LenkaCam for black and white images. For editing, I used Snapseed and iWatermark+ for my logo. I’m still learning the best way to use the watermark app.
So imagine the cold, damp air, clouds overhead, with goose poop under your feet, and surrounded by a grove of Bur Oaks. Add the Historic Windmill at the top of the hill.
Spring is messed up in the Midwest this year. The plants thought Spring arrived a few weeks ago, but then Winter came back. So daffodils are bowing down from the cold, scilla are closing their petals in the cold, and muddy wet soil is frozen in places. This is not a good sign for spring flowers blooming in abundance!
My Mom and Grandma always said there had to be a snow on the yellow flowers before winter was over. I think we qualify today.
Bluebels To-Be under Snow
Blue Scilla Drooping in the Snow
Snow on the Yellow Flowers
Mini Daffodil with Snow
Tiny Swamp Oak Leaves
Snow Pattern on Grass
A few more images from my visit to Yarmouth. These are candidate for my project on elements, where I show elements interacting with other elements. In these images, earth plants grow on earth stone, earth sand soaked by ocean water as the tide goes out, and various earth plants littering the earth stone outcropping.
Or…you can just enjoy the images, like I’m doing!
Moss on Granite
Water Soaked Sand as Tide Goes Out
Ground Debris
A few more images from Yarmouth last week. These include some work I’m doing with Elements. Think Water/Earth. We had one really good sunset while we were there, among the days of rain and snow and clouds.
Yarmouth Sunset Clothesline
Yarmouth Sunset Colors
Lichen on Rock
Seaweed at Low Tide
April was cold, windy, and wet in Yarmouth this year. Yet, there were enough good days to go see the coves, beaches, waves, and from a distance, the lighthouse. The distance was caused by a movie being filmed, using the lighthouse setting in Yarmouth. So no tourist visits to the lighthouse for me. Still, even with the wind, and cold, and wet stuff that went from rain to snow and back to rain, I had a wonderful time and saw great scenery.
Here are a few of the images I took on the beaches around Yarmouth. There is more to come!
By the way, the reason for the visit was to meet a new great nephew! The scenery was in second place.
Mavillette Beach
Yarmouth Lighthouse
Wave Action
The shadows of trees and plants, the footprints of animals, all create drama on the snow. What is usually hidden by grass or dirt, comes alive with the whiteness of snow. It was a beautiful, blue-sky day and the shadows were amazing. Here are a few to share.
About 6-8 inches of snow blanketed our neighborhood last night. Today was a beautiful day for a walk in the snow, with some playfulness along the way. The contrast of the white snow against the dark bark always draws me. These are just a few images I captured.
Birds in Snow
Snow Triangles
Salt Pattern
Not Shoveled
Pine Needles Weighted with Snow
Snow, Glorious Snow
Snow Drift
Wind meets Frozen Water at the Tree
Piled up Snow
Snow Plow Tracks
Curly Snow Pattern
River Snow Clumps
Liquid Water Meets Frozen Water on the River