Another Stormy Afternoon out on the Prairie. I was out Fiddling with Balky Technology and hadn’t planned on Shooting Anything. But when the Sky Gathers In and the Light goes all Crepuscular…
Les Petites Fleurs take on a Lustre.
Tag: Clouds
A Hot & Humid Summer Solstice Afternoon
With the Temperatures in the Nineties and after All the Rain,
Out at Nine Mile Prairie lots of Species are Bursting Forth in Glory…
Reproduction is Nature’s Imperative &
Occupies Our Minds & Bodies
In these Warm, Moist Times…
After a Big Rain in June
An Early Morning Thunderstorm brought Hail and about Four Inches of Rain to the Prairie. I went out just as the Storm was ending. The delicate Prairie Rose Blossoms were Pretty Beat Up. But the Milkweed were just Shy of Blooming. One of the Lakes was Full Up. It continued to Thunder and Lightning East and West of the Prairie. So I skedaddled after a Few Dark and Damp Hours…
A Visit to Grandmother Cottonwood
On yet another Damp Gray May Afternoon I walked across the Uplands noticing a Few New Flowers and Big Clouds Rolling over the Cold War Nuclear Bomb Bunkers and the Newish LES Power Poles, then Down into the Middle Draw past the Grove of Slender Middle-aged Cottonwoods where the Springs and Streams were Really Flowing. Nearby, over in the Big South Draw, is the Home of Old Grandmother Cottonwood. I first made Photographs of this Magnificent Tree in the 1980s. She and I are probably about the Same Age. And we Both have a Bit of Damage to Show for it. But this Wet Spring and all the Lush Green Foliage is Good for the Spirit and the Flesh…
April in the West Draw
On a very Cool and Overcast late April Day at the Mouth of the West Draw I visited my Old Friend, the Goner Cottonwood. Then by following the Water Upstream the Afternoon revealed bright New Blooms, some more recent Wind Damage & a few faded Remnants of the Old Year.
A Walk Among the Living and the Dead…
“April is the cruellest month…” –Â n’est ce pas?
A Good Friday in the Rain
As I Went Out on Good Friday Morning, the Rain began as soon as I was through the Gate and Walking across the Prairie. For the First Few Hours it was Merely Damp. But later in the Morning the Sound of Thunder and a Harder Downpour told Me: “Ite, Missa Est…”
Rain Day
On a Rainy March Afternoon I put the Rain Gear on the Camera, suited up and wandered out. Rain Days are the Worst and the Best. Shooting in the Steady Rain is a challenge not only just to Keep the Gear Dry, Lenses free of Water Spots and to see the Viewfinder through Foggy Glasses – but at this Time of Year it can get Cold and Unpleasant fast when Wind picks up, Rain comes Sideways and Clothes get Wet as they eventually always do. Everything just takes a Lot Longer. On this Day I lasted Five Hours.
But on these Magical Days all the Colors are Richer and More Vibrant. When Everything is Wet the Prairie looks Very Different than at Any Other Time. Sometimes One can See it once again with Beginner’s Eyes. And that makes it All Worthwhile. It is my Favorite Time to be Out There…
A Light Snow Day
A little Walk across the Prairie to the Second Draw after a Light Snow. There was Good Water down in the Draw and the Wet Snow coated the Trees. Over in the Big South Draw there is a Blow Down from a few years ago that makes for some Hard Going. And back to the East, the Grandmother Cottonwood is still standing but She’s losing Limbs fast these Days…
What a Difference a Day Makes…
Here are two slides shows of images made on February 23 & 24, 2017. I almost never go to the prairie two days in a row and also never take the same route twice. But on these two days, waiting for a winter storm to blow in and then during the storm, I thought it would be interesting to see how the prairie changes from day to day… sometimes dramatically.
