As I write this, I haven’t been able to get out yet to take photos- fingers crossed that the snow plow guy will come later today. The photo below was taken a few weeks ago with just a dusting of snow on Prescott’s iconic Thumb Butte.
Then and Now
THEN:
The photo below was taken a couple weeks ago when we drove around town chasing photo ops on the third snow day of the year. As you can see, it was just a light dusting, but it still created a pretty scene. As we turned to to drive over to Granite Basin Lake, I spotted this perfect little tree ahead, and I shouted “Stop the car- NOW!”. Since no one was out and about that morning, we were able to stop, and I got this shot.
NOW:
Yesterday was our Covid shot appointment. An announcement was made that the clinic in Prescott Valley would be delayed by 2 hours due to heavy snow, which meant that our 2:30 appointment would be at 4:30 and it would mean coming back through the storm in the dark. Appointments would be postponed until the next week if we didn’t show up. What to do, what to do? Then a friend contacted me that they were accepting people in BEFORE their scheduled time (lots of people weren’t able to get there at all), so, long story short, we got there and got our shots! BUT coming home, the storm worsened and we weren’t able to get all the way up the hill to our driveway- so our car is parked down the street where it will likely remain all week. We have 1-2 feet of snow on our driveway and our yard has drifts of 3-4 feet. And snow will continue all week!
Wet hair, wet clothes, but happy and vaccinated!
View out the front door this morning…
Snow, snow, snow, snow, snow
It is a very snowy day. Understatement.
Usually I would delight in this beautiful winter day and not care that our hilly street isn’t plowed, because I could take photos or stay inside with my genealogy or a good book- BUT… we have appointments for our Covid vaccinations later today. Currently appointments are delayed for two hours, so we may have to be rescheduled. Trying to keep a positive attitude- like this flicker who is guarding the feeder (behind ) so no one else can get the frozen block of food.
#2021problems
Shining Through
FYI- looking at bay water shining through a grate in Homer, Alaska
Hopeful for Unity
It’s a new day! And, even after the events of two weeks ago, I am hopeful we can come together as a people despite our great differences. I loved the quote from St. Augustine in President Biden’s address that “a nation is a multitude of rational beings united by the common objects of their love.” Let’s focus on our commonalities and not our differences, people!
So no photography today- just these shots from our tv. Note: as a genealogist/family historian, I am fascinated by that Bible!
Hanging Out with the Birds
Last week we spent an hour or so at Willow Lake one morning, just hanging out and watching the birds- AND we were the only people there! We were on the lookout for sandhill cranes which have been photographed over there recently. I think I spotted one flying, but didn’t grab the binoculars or camera in time, unfortunately. Although I’ve seen them in the air and at a distance several times since I started doing photography, I’ve never been close enough to get good photos. At one point, I was able to get two herons and one egret in my frame as they were busily looking for food. Toward the end of our time at the lake, one of the herons flew over to a little island, and I was able to get this photo of him taking a break from fishing.
Winter?
Our winter is coming in dibs and dabs this year. This was taken at Granite Basin Lake after our end of the year mini-snowstorm.
Lake Life
Walking at one of the lakes and taking in the peaceful beauty of nature has become our refuge from the conflict and stress of our world these days. On New Year’s day, we spent an hour or so walking along the shore of Watson Lake watching ducks, swans, blue herons, and a pelican, all seemingly untouched by the political and pandemic news of the day.
Below is an impressionistic view of a heron fishing in the shallows.
Morning Visitor
As I was rinsing my cereal bowl one morning last week, I looked out the window and saw this guy! We’ve never spotted any type of woodpecker in our yard, so this was a major event, birdwise. I grabbed my camera and took a photo through the glass. A few minutes later, it flew away. I sent a photo to my bird photographer friend, Carol, and she agreed with my quick identification from Sibley’s- a Northern Flicker. However, there is a possibility it may be a Gilded Flicker- so, not being a birder, I will just say it is a Flicker. Or a big bird.
Cold Moon
Last week’s Cold Moon after it rose
Egret Reflection
Another view of the same egret posing on the rocks.
Shine On!
But we all shine on
Like the moon and the stars and the sun,
And we all shine on
Come on and on and on on on.
John Lennon
I’m holding a vision of a shiny new year ahead!
HAPPY 2021!
Goodbye, 2020!
Goodbye, 2020!
2020 may have left us battered and bruised, mourning our losses and maybe our innocence as we come to the end of this terrible year, but we can still find hope and inspiration in our heroes, the resilience of the human heart, and in the beauty of our world.
Moonrise- the last full moon of 2020
Frozen
We had a light snow Monday night- our third of the season. We got tired of waiting for a proper snowstorm for picture taking, so yesterday morning we headed out to see what the rest of town looked like. We eventually headed up to Granite Basin Lake and saw gorgeous scenes of snow-capped trees along the snowy road. The frozen lake surrounded by bare rock formations made a beautiful scene- and, best of all, no one was there!
Christmas Day Egret
On Christmas Day, we went for a leisurely walk at Willow Lake and watched a heron and egret fishing for an hour. We are used to seeing the heron slowly wade through the shallows looking for fish- an example of patience and perseverance. The egrets are normally farther away, but this day we were lucky to be able to watch one close to where we were walking. It was less patient (maybe more hungry) than the heron and was constantly moving along the shore, eventually ending up in a little area by the rocks. This photo was taken as he spotted a fish, which he caught a moment later.
melinda anderson photography 