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Monday, October 13, 2008

Death Valley, California

Here are my two views of Death Valley in late June. Badwater is the lowest site in North America at over 280 feet below sea level. We reckoned that the temperature there was over 124 degrees. The water is bad and the ground is parched. Salt sits on top of the dirt. A completely inhospitable place but beautiful at the same time. You cannot spend time in Death Valley without knowing the dangers of being there. It just sits on your mind all of the time. This photo was bare and uninviting in color, but I thought it more forboding in black and white.

We spent the night in Panamint Springs at one of a handful of hotels in the national park. Panamint Springs is a little motel with few amenities - most notable is the air conditioning in the rooms and the incredibly cold and inviting beers in the restaurant. I was sitting on the deck of the restaurant at sunset, temperature was over a 120 degrees, altitude was around 1000 feet, the view was incredible and the beer was perfect.

Squeak the Cat in Bodie

My dear cat Squeak died six years ago at age nine from cancer. I think that I see her sometimes around my house - just glimpses out of the corner of my eye. When we arrived in Bodie, a cat identical to Squeak (and who answered to her name) came out to greet us and gave us a tour of many of the buildings. I know now that my cat has gone onto another of her lives and is now living as a ranger's cat in Bodie California. What a life she has, more mice to hunt than she could ever wish for and lots of people to rub up against. I am so happy for her!

Driving back from Bodie to the main road is a 26 mile trek along a mostly unpaved road with no inhabitants along the way. The hills were barren except for a small meadow near the road about halfway back to the main road that was probably once a pond. In the meadow were masses or purple iris growing, and in the midst of the iris were a herd of sheep. The photo that I took was of the shepherd at the end of the day just as the sun set, walking back to his old dilapidated trailer on the hill with his five dogs. Just a few minutes earlier he had been lying on the grass near the sheep with all the dogs laying by his side. The dogs were alert the whole time, watching the sheep and occasionally moving amongst them to keep them in a group.

Bodie, California - Ghost Town

Bodie, California is a ghost town and state park somewhere near Mono Lake, 26 miles off the nearest road to anywhere and within 13 miles (as the crow flies) from the Nevada border. It is quite literally in the middle of nowhere with empty desert all around. We found the town near sunset on an evening where thunder storms were moving all around us so the light was dramatic. The town is pretty much as when the last miner left in the 1960's but its heyday was in the 1890's when the town grew from 25 people to 10,000 in less than a year.

With the light coming low under the clouds and it being nearly sunset, I decided to play around with aging the photos. So few people where in the town when we were there that it was easy to find shots where it could be today or 50 years ago, nothing has changed.

This is main street looking north into nowhere. The road you can see in the distance is dirt and goes on for 13 miles before it reaches the next small town. However, travel on it is not advised. The sunlight was shining through rain that was not reaching the ground. I pushed the contrast and ended up with the aura effect that I liked.

Fall car show

details

Fall car show

Chevy

Fall car show

Pontiac

Fall car show snap snap snap

detail

design

snap

Fall car show

detail
color
design

Chop

chop

chop steady

successful chop

shingle

Fall fall

fat boy

Waves

Sunday, October 12, 2008

It's Sunday and I already have 20 shots!

Okay. This was really last week, but who's counting? A slightly edited version of the iconic diner sign in Tacoma, Washington

The fall color is just getting good. Check out your local parking structure for excellent Virginia Creeper and its viney cousins.

I like fall Valentines!

We went mushroom hunting today. This fellow was out sunning himself.

Another garter snake from our afternoon walk.

Friday, October 10, 2008

Another lovely week for photographs

Here are some photos captured October 7 at Nisqually Refuge

Canada Geese returning to Nisqually

Acrobatic Cedar Waxwing

20 photos a week

I have been taking my own advice these past few weeks. Like Marcia, I promised myself I would take at least 20 pictures a week. Here are some of my images from September 29.

Canada Geese are begining to return to the Nisqually Refuge. The refuge is undergoing a major transformation to restore the Nisqually River Delta to a natural state. The ring dike which created Brown's Farm is being removed to allow marine water to enter the delta. A new dike is being added, closer to the Visitor's Center. The woodlands and fresh water ponds which surround the Visitor's Center will be undistrubed in this 3 -4 year project. The Canada Geese seem slightly perplexed as to what is going on, but have found a new winter home on one of the large remaining fields.

An American Bittern. Previously, I had only caught glimpses of this amazing bird. On this day, I had the rare treat of seeing 4 different American Bitterns in one day. This Bittern was less than 40 feet away.

The Bittern has an interesting behavior where it mimics the breeze-blown reeds by gently swaying its neck with the wind. The vertical striping of its chest make it hard to spot.

Cornell University All ABout Birds states:"A stocky and well-camouflaged heron of dense reed beds, the American Bittern is difficult to see. Its far-carrying booming call is distinctive, but the bittern itself likes to keep under cover."