Dirt roads and pathways are everywhere around here. So when I saw Cee’s challenge I knew I’d find something fresh, some place you haven’t been with us before.
Friday Penny and I spent all day exploring. We started out at a new park I’ve renamed Penny’s Park. I’m sure she’ll have a lot to say about it and the other places we visited when she’s recovered from all that exploring!
Mike, over at MLCreatons and I had a short comment thread talking about being photographers that are always on the lookout for that one tree standing alone out in a field. I have had similar discussions with other photographers, so it must be a thing.
Anyway, Friday I was out with Penny when we came across this tree.
Not in a field exactly, but a lone tree with a pretty nice reflection on an unusual sunny day.
Made me smile.
Go check out some of Mike’s images, guaranteed to make you smile too.
Karma, over at Karma When I Feel Like It, has challenged us to a couple of photo challenges. One of them she titled “Before and After.”
For this challenge I was looking for something that changes…where I could show the before…
…and the after….
I honestly thought she’d be a bigger mess. We walked through snow and mud and leaves and puddles. Maybe she’s a Teflon dog.
She says she wants to share more about her latest walk in the woods, but she’s busy napping. Maybe someday soon she’ll be motivated to finish her post.
You never know.
After the snow and cold it got warmer. Typical Michigan weather, changing all the time. But all that snow was still on the ground, and it had been cold for almost two week, so inevitably one day we woke up to fog.
So I went looking for water and trees dripping in fog. I had something specific in mind, but sometimes things don’t work out the way I plan. Eventually I gave up on the foggy lake idea and settled for foggy farmland.
I was somewhat happy with the few foggy farmland photos I had when I remembered the National Cemetary, not far from my house. I reasoned the rows of white tombstones could look interesting in the fog.
And I remembered there were a few dead trees around a small lake too. Surely there would be something perfectly foggy to photograph out there.
In the end I’m really glad I stopped at the cemetery, though it had begun to rain by the time I arrived. The tombstones looked even more somber than usual in the grey light. I took quite a few photographs. They look almost black and white, but they aren’t.
When I was finished photographing things near the front of the cemetery I figured I’d go to the back on the off chance I’d see the eagles that nest there. Every time I visit this cemetery I look, but I don’t always get lucky and see them.
This time I did.
Score.
And double score on the way home when I found a red barn.
Yep, I ended up being a happy camper, even on a dreary, foggy, rainy, winter day.
A couple weeks ago we got some real snow, the first of any significance this season. It came to us blowing from the northeast, unusual for around here, and it was wet, sticky snow.
It stuck to all the tree trunks and branches, outlining everything. From a distance most of the woods around here looked like birch trees.
I wanted to get out to get some pictures. It was so pretty for so long. But the weather was also miserable for a long time, the roads covered in slippery snow, the wind blowing, the temps in single digits.
I don’t want to even talk about the wind chill temperatures.
Still, I’d look out the back windows and it was sooooo beautiful.
So one afternoon, with the sun peeking out from behind the typical Michigan winter clouds, and temperatures above zero, I ventured out.
I went to a park in the next township west of here. I didn’t walk very far, but I enjoyed being out there, and I hope you enjoy the photos as much as I enjoyed taking them.
Those of you that live in warmer climates….this is what you’re missing!
Now…stop laughing, and no fair sending me pictures of blue skies and golden beaches!
Really. No fair.
Penny here!
Hey! Did you know we got a bunch of snow a week ago? I’ve never seen so much snow in my entire life! Well, OK. My entire life has only been 13 months, but still.
I kept bugging mom and dad to take me out to play and they kept saying it was too cold. Too cold? Are they crazy? I’m a sheltie for goodness sake! I love the cold!
But mom and dad said I didn’t understand, with the wind chill it was something like -18 degrees Fahrenheit which, for those of you in Canada is about -27.7! Mom said that is really cold and I wouldn’t want to be out there.
I said yes I would too, and I begged and begged to go outside. Mom and dad said I was quite annoying. I call it persistence.
Finally mom dug around in some drawers and found my sister Katie’s boots. My feet are bigger than Katie’s feet were, but she still managed to get them on my feet. Only because I let her, I might add.
I was not amused by the boots, and she doesn’t have any still images of me wearing them. She took a short video of me, short mostly because I wouldn’t walk much wearing them. I thought they were ridiculous.
When we went outside I accidently (on purpose) lost 3 of the boots in the snow drifts. Mom had to go back out into the dark and cold to find them. She says she’ll get them on tighter next time.
Sure mom.
Anyway, finally it got a little warmer, and today it was warm enough to go play in the back yard!
Boy I had fun! Mom threw the frisbee and I chased it down, pounced on it, and brought it back to her.
Then, usually, I chewed on her ankle until she threw it again. You have to keep moms on their toes, you know.
Then I saw a BIG STICK in the yard and I headed right over there. You all know how much I love sticks, right? Well this one looked just perfect!
But then mom called me, really loud, and I knew she had treats in her pocket, so I turned around real quick and headed back.
I scored big time for coming right back to mom when she called me!
We spent a lot of time out there in the back yard. She kept trying to get me to stay while she walked away.
I don’t know what that’s all about, I like to be right up next to her all the time. She backs up to get a better shot and I scoot forward the better to get a treat.
I personally think that makes me a very smart dog. Don’t you agree?
Anyway, mom got a few good shots of me playing in the snow. They say it will all melt next week, so it’s good I convinced her to go out with me.
Next week I’ll be muddy. I’m sure mom will think I’m just as cute.
Right? Right!!
Talk later,
Your snow-girl, Penny
Change Is Hard 