Most Viewed Photography Blogs (166)

As wildfires rampage throughout my province and it being declared a state of emergency with over 600 burning, the one 10 km from me has created a thick smoke for about two weeks now.

Sick of the smoke and lack of photo opportunities, bored with cycling my same 15km in the thick haze, I headed south of the border on Thursday to ride a rail trail I'd seen but never travelled before. I'm so glad I went! If I'd stuck with the reviews, I wouldn't have even attempted it.

A 45 mile return trip from Sedro-Woolley to Concrete, the beginning of the trailhead was a bit difficult to find as directions to where it started were rather obscure. Now that I know exactly where it is, I'll write a review with explicit directions.

Starting off, the trail is like a shady tunnel, cool and inviting.


About a mile and half through the trees, a bench by the river beckons me to take a peek through the trees. The aqua river mesmerized me, so beautiful in such a quiet and peaceful setting.


Not quick enough and no zoom lens on, the mergansers moved swiftly away from the bank and into the middle of the river at my intrusion.


Continuing on my journey across the first of many bridges.


Still captivated by the sight of the river.


Across another bridge, and I loved the leaf, seemingly suspended in air.


A little closer look.


The last mile marker was at mile 16, at which point you have to cross one of many back roads. Crossing to continue the trail, this is what's at the end of it (about a block from the entry). No indication to detour, just heavy bush and a pond. Good thing I'm adventurous and found my way via road around, and found a narrow path where others had circumnavigated the dead end.


Further along the trail, a very busy highway dissects it, and one has to be quick and careful to cross. A parks employee was working and we chatted for a bit, him advising me to be careful crossing the road. When I told him I was riding the entire 45 miles (there and back) his eyebrows shot up and he said 'impressive'. My camera in my bag, I didn't think to take his photo (if he'd even allow it).

On the other side of the trail, it turns into flat, open valley with little shade. A herd of buffalo roamed the pasture, which I was delighted to see up close. Still can't roller skate in a buffalo herd, though. (Remember that song?)


As it was noon, I didn't take too many photos as the light was very bright, but took several on my way back.

The trail started to climb out of the valley and back into the trees. I didn't take any valley photos as the smokey haze did nothing for it. As the trail climbed upwards at a 2% grade, it's easy to pedal although you know you're definitely on the climb. Fall made it's coming presence known in the higher elevations.


I had no idea how much further I needed to go to get to Concrete and stopped at one of the many benches for a quick lunch and bottle of water. Thankfully I'd taken 5 bottles of water (3 frozen), which were all gone by the end of the day. Getting back on my bike, a little discouraged and tired, I was more than relieved to see the huge Concrete towers stating 'Welcome to Concrete' - and just slightly smokey skies.


Riding towards the end of the trail, this cool old passenger train captivates me.




...cont in comments....

Rocky Knob, VA

The Channels, VA

Burke's Garden, VA

Molly's Knob, VA

Buffalo Mountain, VA

McAfee Knob, VA

Stone Mountain, NC

Grandfather Mountain, NC

These past few months, despite my best efforts, I haven't arisen early enough to capture a sunrise and I haven't found a place that strikes me to take sunset photos. Both times of the day have me in awe of the amazing colours painting the sky.

Saturday morning, I awoke at 4:30 am, determined to capture the rising sun. Unfortunately, there was only one little cloud in the sky, so the colour was minimal. However, the full moon was still very evident, and I managed to capture a cool shot of the moon as it was fading.

Taking my normal route through the farmers fields and dodging the blackberry vines that have grown over the foliage tunnel, I rounded the curve and came back out on the gravel path next to the hayfield.

The sun had risen just above the mountains and it's rays highlighted the mist laying across the field. I thought it was an 'okay' photo, but as usual, the sun is blown out (white), although the rays can be seen emanating from it, turning the mist a beautiful warm gamboge yellow, along with the sky, due to the lingering smoke from forest fires.

I posted it on the local community page and was shocked at the number of views and comments on it. Only one other photo I've taken has received the kind of comments and views that this one has. Wow. The funny thing is, I just don't see what's so 'special' about it.

I'm on another group page for posting photos of BC (where I live), and have been incredibly impressed at some of the photography on there. Every week or so they choose someone's photo as the fb header for the page - and believe me, there are professional photos that I couldn't even begin to compete with. I don't post there often, but thought I'd post the photo that everyone seemed so enamoured with.

You could have blown me over with a feather when one of the admins asked if they could use my photo as the header for the page for the next little while. Uh, yeah! And honestly, I still don't see why everyone seems to love it, but who's arguing? lol

I've sold one copy of it to a resident already, and I'm absolutely tickled pink at the response. Never, in a million years, would I have thought it would be so popular. It just goes to show you, that beauty's in the eye of the beholder, and you just never know what will appeal to people.

As I mentioned yesterday in my introductory blog, I took up photography a couple of years ago when I purchased my first DSLR camera. I'd had an SLR camera, but never really got into photography at the time.

After my purchase of my DSLR, I just loved the photos that came out of my camera, and found myself venturing out at all hours to various and sundry places just to take photos. I was totally hooked. Initially, sunrises and sunsets were my 'thing', although macro (close ups) of plants were also vying for top place.

A lady I knew is a photographer and she asked me if I'd like to join the local photo club, seeing how enthused I was about my new-found interest. The answer was a resounding yes, and although it's been frustrating at times, it's a great learning experience and challenges one to continue improving. There are four or five levels in the club and one has to attain a certain number of points in order to attain the next level. I'm finally in level two. Yay!

Monday nights are photo club nights, with the first Monday of the month being our exhibition night (unless it's a holiday, then it gets moved to the following Monday). Mondays are also my border run days where I ship orders out of the US to my overseas and US customers. As I've moved away from the community where the photo club is, it's a bit of a drive now to get there. As the border is in the same community, I go later in the day to combine both trips into one.

It still means a few hours between dropping off the orders and when photo club starts at 7:00pm. No problem, of course. Take my camera and visit the local park, Mill Lake, that I used to bike around daily, before dinner at Mom's and off to photo club. I have this!

My first stop would have been the cherry blossoms in the park, but that particular tree was pretty much done with it's blossoms, so that was a bust. Next stop was around by the pier where the magnolia trees were in full bloom. Yes!

The usual ducks and Canada geese were quacking and honking on the water, and a cormorant on it's log perch in the lake flapping it's wings. Redwing blackbirds flitted in and out of the reeds and saplings near the floating boardwalk, their red and yellow epaulets flashing brightly in contrast to their black feathers. I was too slow to capture their movement, but did capture a couple of them in song on branches. I haven't downloaded them yet, so have no idea how they've turned out.

As I was standing on the floating boardwalk photographing the Redwing blackbird singing up in the willow tree, a little brown bird flew right into the reeds and did not fly back out. Peering through their dead leaves and stalks, I saw the edge of a nest hidden, and the bird moving around in the nest. More photos, naturally.

On my way back from the boardwalk, I noted two Canada geese, doing what I thought looked like a mating ritual. They had their necks curved and heads close much like you see swans do, forming a heart shaped silhouette. It quickly went from that to ducking their heads under water then bobbing up again. One would put it's head under water and come up, then the other would.

This went on for a few minutes, then the next thing I know, the male is on top of the female, she's totally submerged so it's a good thing their mating habits only last a few seconds. That was it. The head under the water thing, and off they went. Alrighty then.

One guy walked by me and asked if I got a good photo of the geese. I'm like, uh, no, I'm not into goose porn. So now I know how Canada geese mate, and it's probably something I could have gone to my grave not knowing.

This morning, still in my nightie and before I even had my cocoa, I had my camera out taking photos of the tulips that were on their last legs on my dining room table. Is photography a passion, an obsession or an addiction?

You know you have it bad when it precedes your morning beverage.

What does one do on an overcast day? Well, you can do all the things indoors that you've been putting off, or, if you're me, you get in the car to find a landmark. Granted, it's not a landmark everyone would want to visit, but it was interesting.

I had no idea the area I lived in had so many hidden areas! Travelling the back country roads, farms abounded with verdant hay fields alternating with towering corn fields, and sunflowers lining the roads, their bright yellow heads sagging with the weight of their seeds.

Exploring the road, I wanted to see where it ended up, and, as I suspected, it ended up at a dead end. The great part of it was though, as I drove down the gravel lane, a dike dissected it, so I found another place to ride my bike and explore. I just had to find where the end of it was.

Driving back along the lane, cows lay on a grassy hilltop overlooking the slough.


Passing the cows, I glanced under the trees and spied an old semi truck near the overgrowth. What a find! I love these old trucks and cars, especially in a state of disrepair.




I had a couple of people pass me and look intently at what I might have been photographing, and I'd bet that they hadn't even noticed the truck before.

Carrying on back down the road, I took a side street in hopes of finding the end of the dike, and sure enough, although it's not the end, I believe it's close enough, as the farm gates on it are closed. I have no idea how far it goes, but I'm going to find out, hopefully tomorrow, if it's just overcast like today.

Returning to the winding country road, I drove back to my planned destination - an old cemetery. Now, it's not my thing to visit cemeteries, but this one opened in 1895 and closed in 1946 and someone had mentioned the other day that it was well worth a visit.

Parking at the bottom, I'd been warned that it was on a really steep hill, and they definitely weren't lying. Holy cow! Starting the climb up the many, many stairs, after the first set of stairs, a bench made from boulders had been set into the side of the hill.


A sloped path cuts across the grass from the left side stairs to the precipitous stairs on the right. Looking upwards, and with a bad knee, I wondered if I'd make it to the top. Thankfully I'd grabbed my cane, as there are no railings to hold onto.


Starting up, there are, as any cemetery, there are large headstones encircled with wrought iron fencing.




Some of the fencing is missing on some of the graves, or laying in a heap behind a headstone.




I criss-crossed the grass in order to take photos, glad I was wearing my hiking boots with the extra grip on the soles. I definitely needed them as the hill is exceptionally slanted. Finally, I reached the top where the founding father of the town and his family are buried, their crosses signifying the end of the property at the very top of the hill. You can just see the top and a cross between the two trees from the below photo.


Turning around to make my way back down, here's how steep the hill is, the road at the bottom on the left:


And a different viewpoint looking down the hill:


Almost near the bottom:


On the same row as the one above, a child's grave is marked with a sheep on top of the headstone. A discarded stuffed toy lays at the foot of it, there for who knows how long?


-cont-

It's so funny to see his sleeping postures like this, he even climbed up again to his bed in the middle of his sleep and continued his dreams...




We have a hot summer days...

Wish we have a safe, happy summer.

What could possibly go wrong ?

Or add your own caption(s) for the following photo;

If you like, have some fun adding your own caption(s) for the following photo;



My first entry is;

After hearing the recent movie critics reviews,
Pooh hit the honey malt liquor quite hard, as well as anyone,
who dared to cross his path.

What better way to start the day than with a bike ride in the early morning hours? I love being out and about while people are still sleeping. It's so quiet and peaceful, the only sounds those of nature. Travelling east, my first stop is the tulip lady's house, her beautiful Japanese plum tree in full pink bloom.


Continuing on my journey, the scent of freshly mown hay wafts on the soft breeze, long lines of cuttings damp with dew, left to dry in the sun, Mt. Cheam towering over the valley.


Cycling south, the pavement comes to an abrupt end up over an incline, a gravel road taking it's place. Blueberry fields stretch to the west, a robin perching on a numbered post indicating the row. Two old rubber boots are upside down over a couple of posts, an indication of something to the owner.


An occasional house and riotous vegetation hide the slough to the east. An abandoned house, broken windows with plywood coverings and sagging doors in a state of disrepair, blackberry bushes almost to the height of the second floor, is the last house.

Just past a barrier of tall alders and poplars, an large field is home to hydro towers. At this early hour, as the sun starts to peek above the mountains, even the towers take on a certain beauty, metal girders glowing as they reflect the first fingers of light.


Continuing on my journey, the gravel road continues towards the bridge and the old ferry landing. Wild cherry trees intermingle with other deciduous trees, their white blossoms contrasting with the new growth of spring leaves.


Of course, my penchant for macro photos had me paused there for quite some time taking the 'perfect' shot of shadow and light on the milky, fragrant blossoms. A challenge, as this close to the river, the wind is always a little stronger. Of course, gusts of wind play games with one's attempt at macro photography. I believe I did manage to 'win' this contest, though. lol.


Stopping at the bridge and the former road to the ferry landing, solar rays danced light across the river, breaking through the clouds behind the indomitable Mt. Cheam. Too many clouds for a colourful sunrise, the shadowed scene filled me with a sense of wonder and peace.


Riding under the bridge, the riverside bench greeted me. I can just visualize people sitting there, watching the former ferry traverse the river and dock on either side. Perhaps watching the pleasure boats in the summer, large plumes of water arcing behind sharp turns, waves slapping the shore from their wake.


Through a narrow path and vegetation that threatens to take over along the riverfront, the path opens up to a gravel lane, blueberry fields bordering both sides. Dodging potholes and mud, asphalt greets me at the first massive domicile, following the path of the slough. A heritage home sits at one corner, it's multi coloured orange tulips with sculpted petals beckoning me to photograph it's allure.


The owner of the home was out walking, a rosary in her right hand, greeting me with cheery hello. We discussed the height of the slough, already high with spring runoff, and the resident beaver she hadn't seen in awhile. I mentioned that I'd seen one there the evening before but it was too fast and too dark for me to take a photo.

...continued....