Silk Creek in December

We're on the road and stopped today in Jordan NY to visit the REAL Silk Creek where the Silk Creek Retreats used to be held and where the Silk Creek Review and Silk Creek Portal were born. The creek was high and a bit wild. The current was running fast.

Clam Beach

From leaflady

Went to Clam Beach yesterday. A strange day -- very gray but still relatively clear. There has been snow on the mountains all week. A friend went snowshoeing 30 miles away and said it was a "winter wonderland." (Didn't take pictures.) But she has a daughter who will drive her on the snowy mountain roads to get there.

 

Off to play bells for the last Christmas time.

Living in the Moment

I went to the arboretum the other day, took pictures, and wrote this poem.



As a child, I would hide away
Within the venerable civilization of trees
There was an invisible line at the edge of our property
Once crossed, all yelling and fighting would cease

I would step into
The flute-like call of a soulful owl
The rise of loquacious locusts
Like steam after a summer rain
And then their sinking hush as I drew near
The creek spilling through pine roots
Weaving around fallen trees
Creating swirling stages of leaves dancing
Ceremoniously, at the end of their day
Like the wind-up music box ballerina
That played Lara’s Theme
The pine needles, bark, and cones that scented my bare feet
Wafting woodland perfume
Infusing a musty certitude

I used to wonder
About never going home
About living on dew berries and Honey Locust nuts
Like the people who lived here before
About pine bark boats
With a leaf for a sail
Where would it end up?
Drifting

Making birds, nests, and eggs
From the creek bed’s clay
I lived in the moment
Though, it eventually dried and crumbled
And I cried
Now, I keep returning to the forest
Searching for that world
Where I lived in the moment
But my head won’t be silent
Yelling and fighting, though I live alone

Old Ice

The falls on Hurley Mountain Road. . . all froze up. This photo was taken on Feb 5th, 2007.


Hudson River - photo taken on Feb 10th, 2007

Hi I am a new poster here! I was invited to add some blogs here & was so pleased to be able to contribute!

I love taking pics. . . especially of nature/wildlife to share;)

I am a photo-freak for sure!! I have 1000's of pics. . . and I got a new camera this year (Jan 2008) . . that I LOVE . . . but I did a BAD thing & cracked the screen! :( bummer. . I gotta see if i can get it fixed, or I'll be shelling out for a new again . .

Winter Wind

Look what blew in from the north! No, hell has not frozen over, but close. It snowed in Houston yesterday. This phenomenon occurs maybe once every five years or so. We tend to get really excited when it does. In this first picture, I was trying to catch the wind blowing the snowflakes around, but my fingers were frozen, and I didn't get any good shots. This was the best I could do. I'm not used to this kind of cold.



Snow on my geraniums


Snow on my mint


Most of the snow melted as soon as it landed. I had to be quick ;]

Supernatural experience, 1982

Oh to Sprout Wings and Fly

"One exciting day last summer, a group of Campfire kids found a
dragonfly nymph climbing up a branch along the Bog Trail. Suddenly it
began to look strange. The back enlarged and it appeared to have what
the kids called 'eyes' under its skin. The back of the thorax
(shoulders) burst open and the adult dragonfly began to slowly emerge.
All of us watched transfixed as the dragonfly crawled out of its
nymphal skin and ever-so-slowly pumped a fluid from special reservoirs
(the 'eye-like' structures) under its skin d into the abdomen. It
gradually elongated and became exquisitely thin. Finally, after
beating its wings several times, the dragonfly suddenly flew rapidly
away. The children and I were thrilled!" 1982 (Photo from Stoney Creek
2008)

West Texas Autumn

Every year, I travel out to west Texas to visit with my in-laws. I look forward to the peace and quiet, and the clear skies at night. All the stars amaze me every time I go, and you can hear a car driving a mile away. On the drive home, I noticed how the clear crisp air disappeared as we drove east, and a grey haze settled in. What stars you are able to see here appear blurry. I suppose the humidity has something to do with it.


This first pic was taken where we spread my husband's ashes. It's a place called The Turkey Roost, but lately we just call it The Well, because the wild turkeys don't seem to roost there anymore.


Same place, looking from a different direction.


The old knotted live oak on the dirt road up to the house.


Just wandering through the pastures. The cows followed me around until I got back to the house. I guess they thought I had food. It was funny, though, they wouldn't get too close. They have over 600 acres on this ranch.


Mistletoe on a Texas Mesquite.

Thanks Mary for putting up the new monthly themes. Sorry I dropped the ball on that one. I just forgot. The Mistletoe is my winter evergreen for this month's theme, but I have to admit, I'm just now getting in the fall mood ;]

crazy currents

I have so many beautiful shots of that river mouth. This shows some of the wave patterns that occur when the sea is going one way and the river the other way.  Leaf Lady (Gail)

fearless people above high surf

It amazed me that people would go outside the fence and sit so near the edge of the cliff. It was a sheer drop-off. In fact, that guy with the guitar was earlier just walking around and strumming and paying no attention to his kids, who were playing outside the fence!!

 

Driving up the narrow road to this place, I had stopped at a photogenic vista. There was a guy and two little boys, about 6 and 8, who told me, "Don't go down to the beach." They'd just gone and were sitting on a rock when a huge wave came and got them soaking wet. They were lucky that was all that happened!! I told the guy, "Don't tell their mother. Seriously!!"

Leaf Lady (Gail)

Peek-A-Boo

This little guy lives outside my kitchen window.

We need a new theme for the month of December, like winter wind, evergreen, or global warming. I don't know. That's the best I could come up right now. Just a thought ;]

more again

by Leaflady (Gail)

more big lagoon

From Leaflady (gail)

Big Lagoon

Last Sat. it was about 70 degrees, and I went to a beach I'd never been to before -- Big Lagoon. That is really its name. It had huge waves, and here are a couple of the many pics I took.

I just went by myself cuz I knew I'd want to take pictures and do a little agate hunting and didn't want to have to worry about someone else. I found more agates than I usually do, so I think if I actually went further down the beach and concentrated on it, I might find a decent sized one.

It's kinda far but not super far, about 20 miles. Leaf Lady (Gail)

Over the escarpment

The creeks here in Hamilton plunge over the escarpment.

Nashua Creek in Autumn

Nashua Creek in Autumn, by Mary Stebbins Taitt

Haiku

I've been trying my hand at Haiku. Ok, I know it's the wrong time of year for this one, but it's still 85 degrees here, and I have many more photos from my summer vacation to play with.

sunset

There were a lot of pretty clouds in the sky so I drove (only cuz I didn't have time to walk) to the top of Hewitt Road near my trailer park to see what the sunset looked like. It was gorgeous! Even tho the sky couldn't be red cuz "red sky at night sailors' delight," and rain was predicted (and arrived). Leaf Lady (Gail)

Creatures on the beach

I am pretty sure I never posted these pix of creatures seen on the beach!

Leaf Lady (Gail)

bug!

Bug and lichens on the granite of Cima Dome, a laccolith in the Mojave National Preserve…yesterday.  Dave Pierce

Trinidad beach

Here are some pix I took yesterday in Trinidad.  Leaflady (Gail)

creature of the tide

One pretty and several creepy things the tide brought in.  Leaf Lady, Gail

what passes for fall color here

Took a drive to Willow Creek to see some fall colors. Not that there are many here, and it seemed about a week past its prime. But it was a real sunny day up there!!! In fact, I admit I added a little "shadow" to most of my pictures.  leaf lady (gail)

Summer Flowers '08

These were taken on my trip to Wisconsin last summer. To see more click here.

Summer Sunsets '08

To see more sunsets from my summer vacation click here.

Indian Beach

Then I went to Indian Beach (also in Trinidad, down trail by lighthouse). That turned out to be the perfect place for an afternoon like this. Calm and almost warm!! It kind of reminded me of that Sept. weekend I spent in Rogers City, walking along Lake Huron.

I want to take advantage of good weather, which we haven't had much of and which won't last. Leaf Lady (gail)

bubbles

There were a lot of bubbles on Clam Beach today, so decided that would be today's experiment. When I took the first one, I didn't realize my reflection would be in every bubble. Obviously I had when I took the other!  I'm waving hi!  Hi!

Leaf Lady, Gail.