Wavy Icescape

I really love the eyeline for this one. The foreground is a bit busy, but I think it adds interest.

It's Official: My Diploma!

I officially graduated in December! It feels so nice, and I suppose it's finally sinking in. It took over a month to get my diploma, but here it is :)

Weaving Path to the Sky

The tides on the beach make a new landscape to be explored every day. I loved this strange, curved path created in ice.

Stranded Icebergs

A lit up sky, beautiful sunset light, and icebergs on the beach - some of my favorite things!

Seaweed Rope

Moose Expressions

Moose are quite expressive animals sometimes. Of course, you can tell a lot by their body language, but their faces can have all kinds of expressions as well.

It's not really smiling here, but it sure looks like it :)

Winter Carnival Parade 2012

Homer has an annual winter carnival for a weekend in February annually. The only thing I ever have a chance to participate in is the parade. Two Saturdays ago, I stood outside for 20 minutes in the not too cold, but very icy weather to enjoy :)

Krewe of Gambrinus: A Social Aid and Pleasure Club

It was a nice parade, full of character as usual!

Crystal Fire

Many of the chunks of ice present on the beach are disappointingly cloudy in appearance, which can be interesting in its own way. I love finding large chunks that are crystal clear.

Fairytale Journey

I don't know about you, but my favorite sunsets involved this and deeper shades of pink. The merits of such colors outside of nature can be debated, but it is simply spectacular in the clouds.

Print available

Moose Eating Spruce Branches

This winter, the moose are having a hard time finding food because of how much snow we have. I looked outside of work one afternoon and was surprised to see this moose standing on the top of the berm of snow (quite tall) and eating spruce needles!

Here he is a little farther down, but it doesn't show how high the berm is.

I watched him throughout the afternoon. At one point, he climbed to the top and attempted to go down the other side, but it looked like he walked onto softer snow and tumbled down! I was bummed I missed it on video!

My personal favorite from the afternoon. Stretch!

Bubbled Road

Ice on the beach has come to be one of my favorite scenes. Such interesting changes that are different each time I come for a visit. This particular visit made for a treacherous path of ice, but was amazing to see.
Print available

Alien World

Seaweed Sunbathing

Tide pooling is always interesting when the tide is out. I find it fascinating to find seaweed plastered to rocks. I always wonder if it "comes back to life" after the tide has come back in or not.

Print available

Tide's Out

Attempted Beach Walk

The warmth has continued, and we have continued to see 40F this week.

Huge natural snow berms at the beach

I went to the beach with a friend on Tuesday, but it was a bittersweet trip. The beach was full of snow, and I mean FULL! The waves had created humongous natural snow berms. I have never seen the amount of snow on the beach like that day. It was crazy.

I call it a "sheet cake" of snow....another good size pile!

It was impossible to have a leisurely beach walk, as it was all snow, and soft snow is not easy to walk in. It didn't help that some of the piles were several feet high, resulting in sinking boots :)

My friend brought her new Vizsla puppy with her, and she is darling! Despite the awkward conditions on the beach, it was still fun :)

Tiny Leaf

I am not sure what kind of plant this is, but it grows in a bed at my church. It is rather boring most of the year, until fall. The leaves turn this vibrant red and sometimes orange. I almost missed them this year, but I caught a few shots a few days before the leaves dropped. This coming fall I would love to spend some more time shooting these leaves!

Print available

40F!

That's right!! 40F!! Breakup is occurring, and our mountains of snow are melting, which is annoying because winter is nowhere near finished. But it is also so nice to see the sun again, to have above freezing temperatures, and to not need a coat and gloves to go outside!

I went for a beach walk with a friend this morning, which was lovely with no wind. Then I came home and delighted in the sun shining on my deck!

That's right, I read on my deck for a while today in February!

The amount of daylight is quickly increasing, and I suddenly want summer here, after getting a quick taste! How has the weather been where you all are at?

Leaf Left Behind

By mid October, the leaves are long gone from our trees. We usually do not have snow that early, so fallen leaves can be found all over the place, including the beach.

Autumn Spectrum

I adore the different stages of fall evident in the broad color spectrum of these trees!

Print available

Moose in Town

This young moose was enjoying the sunshine a couple weeks back. I was outside taking pictures of it, and I was completely ignored, and I felt that it got a little too close to me, but it didn't seem concerned.

The moose here are not concerned with being in town with traffic, and are quite used to the people.

Food sources have gotten scarce for the poor creatures, and they are often seen digging in the snow with their noses.

Snowy nose!

Reeeeaacchh!!! Poor thing couldn't quite reach the branches!

Different World

MORE Snow

Have I mentioned how obnoxious this winter has been?

Nearly every week since just before Christmas, we have had a snow storm. Some weeks we have had more than one. At first it was nice to have a white Christmas, and a couple inches didn't make much difference. C and I shoveled our driveway each time to ensure that we could still get in and out. Since our big blizzard at the beginning of January.....snow is no longer fun, and is more of an annoyance.

We got a bunch of snow last Wednesday and Thursday. We did all kinds of shoveling. Same with this week. This Wednesday, we had a nasty blizzard that left several inches. And then it started to rain.  Today, the snow came back and just kept coming. I was at work, watching the parking lot fill up to around 8 inches. I thankfully was able to get home, but the main town streets were awful. I made it up the driveway, and C and I shoveled all the new stuff again (after shoveling yesterday as well) I think we gained a foot in the past 24-36 hours. My body ached yesterday, and it hurts a bit more tonight =/ Good thing we're young :)

I want to build a big snow fort....but I am sick of moving the stuff around, and I believe we are supposed to get more, so I will resist the urge. If you hear angered screaming, it is probably me shaking my fist at the sky.

Tree Bark?!

Birch's amazing colors

I was playing out in our large amount of snow a couple weeks back, and happened to look at the trees in our yard, and I was delighted to see how interesting the tree bark was!

I had never noticed how pretty and fascinating bark could be! Such interesting patterns!

I have been continually pleased that I made the investment into a macro lens. I have used it more than I thought I would, and it helps shove how amazing nature is!

Spruce Bark

What's something you have found in nature to be more intricate, interesting or fascinating than you expected?