Five

This row of trees seems to stand guard at the gap in the mountains at the nature center. In browsing through other photos of this area, I noticed everyone seems to take a photo of these same trees. They are somewhat ragtag and gawky looking, but there is just something about them!

At sunset, everything seemed to have a rosy glow.

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I did another edit in black and white, but couldn’t seem to get the effect I wanted. Then I added a teal color layer and a texture, which gives it a snowy look. Just playing!

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Moving Trees

I shot this photo in Eagle River, Alaska while out for a walk with the family. Yes, the blur was on purpose; I knew intentional camera movement was one of the upcoming topics for my photo club. I want to do more of this- the results are somewhat unpredictable, but fun!

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At the Rookery

Last week in my photo class I overheard someone mentioning a path by the rookery- and I interjected, “What rookery? Where?” It turns out that deep in a grove of cottonwoods at Willow Lake there are huge old trees containing enormous heron, egret, and cormorant nests. Although I am sadly lacking in bird knowledge, I love to take photos of them- and the idea of a rookery close by was impossible to resist. A few days later, Lonnie and I found the right path at the lake- and we were there!

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As we entered the area, we could hear wingbeats and gutteral squawks overhead before we even saw the nests- which are impossible to miss. I don’t think I managed to convey the enormity of the nests in the photo below, but you can get an idea of how numerous and high up they were.

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In the first tree, there were 10 or 12 herons perched on nests or branches and occasionally flying around.  The next tree was packed with cormorants actively nest-building. We didn’t see egrets, although we heard they were around. It was an amazing sight!

I think this is the first time I’ve ever photographed herons from below- probably not a wise place to be.

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Stay tuned for more rookery photos tomorrow!

Leaf Happy

Last week’s walk down Mt. Vernon Street yielded some fall photos as well as all the photos of Halloween decorations.  I think I should post them sooner rather than later, because this week’s big storms may have blown many of the leaves off the trees.

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Constellation Trail

We have miles and miles of trails yet to discover here in Prescott. Saturday, we took a short walk on the Constellation Trail, which winds by the Granite Dells just outside of town. Because my husband is still in recovery mode, we stopped after a half hour, but really enjoyed the trails and scenery.

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