Forest Floor
A splash of green, brown, orange, grey…..the forest floor was a bounty of colors that day.
Red Wolf
The secretive red wolf finally came out of his hiding place. The wintery 8 degree weather kept the people away from his enclosure, allowing me a rare glimpse at him curiously footing through the snow and leaves. I know he saw me, but he didn’t run away. It was magical. This is reason # 459 for why winter is a wonderful time of the year.
Grey Morning
The beach at Wells Maine, one early October morning before my 9 hour drive home, alone. It was almost like the sky reflected the mood in my heart.
Visitors
In June of 2014 I took my nephew to visit the Adirondack mountains. We set up camp at a NYS park site. I left my bag on the platform for 10 minutes while we got the tent set up and look who came to visit. If they were trying to make off with the electronics, they should have brought reinforcements, that bag was pretty heavy. 🙂 Thankfully my camera was right where it should be, around my neck.
November Trees
Winter has not been too present this year. This storm came and went within a day. There have only been two subsequent storms since this pic was taken in November 2014. Looks like it’ll be another winter full of dead grass and yellow fields (though my snap dragon plants are still alive and very green, strange as that is). Perhaps Jan/Feb will bring a nice blanket of snow that will stick around.
Ghost Bird
The Hermit Thrush guards a small nook in the moss covered rocks. Jumping behind ferns, it becomes a blur; a rustling shadow, a yellow light. What fairy land does it protect? Where does it go? Of what places does it know? Hidden behind the green, moving among the unseen, a ghost bird beckons us softly, cautiously showing the way.
Creeping Ice
The ice receded, though some people saw snow fly this morning. Rain, mud, and decaying vegetation all around. Spring has come. Now I wait for the return of my beloved Winter. Gone, but never forgotten.
March Waters
The melting snow and rain left the water ways dynamic. The turbulence was inspiring.
Fungus mystery solved?
In an earlier post of mine, I referenced some unusual amber droplets collecting within and around some type of shelf / bracket fungus on a tree stump. Here’s a few shots of the stump and the full fungal growth. There is a discernible line of clear droplets forming underneath many of the fruiting bodies, with amber droplets forming both above and below the fruiting body. It appears this is a common characteristic in many types of shelf / bracket fungi, but I still haven’t found a description of the function of the droplets or what causes the fungi to exude them. It is rather interesting to observe, though I made no attempt to poke, touch, smell or otherwise interact with the sappy substance besides photographing it. 
I wonder if the fungus is exuding actual tree sap because many of these fungi are parasitic. In other cases, they grow on trees that have already fallen or died, so it works both ways. A wikipedia entry about shelf fungus mentions the following “They can also be used as a wick in an oil/fat lamp. Use a shell, turtle shell, or non-burning oil/fat container. Prop fungus up using three little rocks. Place oil or fat in container. Once Bracket Fungus turns black and has absorbed oil it is ready to light.” So they are able to absorb liquid/oil meaning the droplets they produce could be water or sap or perhaps some component of the phloem of the tree that they are absorbing? I think I still have more questions then answers. 😉
As Above, So Below – The last days of Winter
Technically it’s the first day of spring, but this image sums up my feelings about it all. I’m always sad to see the Winter leave. This was taken in February at the Marsh. I’ll be looking forward to seeing more Winter next year (or in a week or two if the “Powers that Be” still favor a late snow, like in the past).
Sycamore Over Water
Another view from the Marsh. The sycamore tree is particularly beautiful in the winter season and one of my favorite trees to photograph.
Rainbow inside a Cloud
Tried to capture this unusual effect of light and ice crystals in the sky. The images aren’t the best as I was a passenger in a car at the time. Took these out of the window. I’ve since learned that this phenomena is called circumhorizontal arc or “fire rainbow”. At least, that is what it appears to be. It is hard to covey the full effect with these photos, as the clouds were in constant motion. I did question the circumhorizontal arc theory because cirrus clouds don’t seem to be involved. They looked far more like cumulus or stratocumulus clouds. Maybe this effect is simply “cloud iridescence”. Not sure how to tell. Regardless of what it is called, it was truly beautiful and a lovely way to end the day.
A face in the snow?
Captured this unique image from the bridge over-looking a small creek. I was fascinated by how much it resembled a profile, like faces from art-deco paintings I’ve seen or architecture of that ilk (maybe I just thought this because of the juxtaposition of steel girders from the bridge). It’s also a little like Jack Frost himself, blowing icy cold wind over the parks and glens. That works for me too. (I kind of like winter *understatement*). I’d be curious to hear what it evokes in other people’s imaginations.
Faerie House
Note from the artist: This house was hand made by myself (T Wells) and my nephew (B Wells) who is working toward becoming an Eagle Scout. We crafted the house from scratch, collecting birch bark, pine bark, moss, and pine cones. We picked up some unique fixtures from a local reuse store (drawer handles, antique door hinges) The walk way was made from cut and polished stones (I have a rock hound – and core member of the Che-Hanna Rock and Mineral Club – in the family). The swing was made from scratch by my nephew. The little bird house and trinkets in the diorama weren’t made by us (everything else was). Those items were all found in a box of ‘doo-dads’ that had taken up residence in my attic. The house was built from cardboard, then covered with the bark, moss, and pine cone parts. It took us a couple days of non-stop work to make the entire set up. The house stands 15″ tall, 11″ wide and about 11″ deep. The diorama is about 3 feet by 2 feet and contained everything from a bird bath, small pond, and miniature table with tea cups and flowers (which can be seen in a couple of the shots). The day it was all photographed, we had quite a fight with the weather and sunlight, leaving me disappointed by the quality of the photos. We had carried the entire piece 2 miles out into the woods looking for the “perfect spot” to set up. It was quite the production. The photographs do not do it justice. Hopefully I will be able to take more pictures at some point in the future. (And bring another 2-3 people to help carry the set up someplace more inviting). I want to thank my nephew for his dedication and assistance in this project. He did a great job.
AZTHET 