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…

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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

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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.


 

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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!

 

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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

Melinda3 Comments

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.

 

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Roofline Abstract No. 3- Homebound

This is the third in my series of roofline abstracts and was not taken on a photo trip like the other two. This is a multiple exposure, multi-layered image from photos shot from my own driveway. Since March, I have missed trips to Alaska, Minnesota, and southern Arizona- as well as several likely California trips, so it’s up to me to find (or make) photo opportunities where I can. Unlike many others, I have not suffered during the pandemic- but I am getting eager to experience some new places beyond home.

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