Snow!

Snow. Snowstorms. Snowflakes. Winter.

Well, it IS that time of year in Michigan.  And it IS much better than looking at brown leaves, brown and gray tree trunks, brown weeds in the woods, and dormant grass.  It also means that skis and snowshoes can come out of their hiding places soon!

So LET IT SNOW!

Like hands reaching toward the sky, viburnum leaves catch snowflakes within their outstretched foliage.

 

The porcupine grass becomes heavy with its headdress of snow.  

I love to photograph porcupine grass during every season, but wind is the “grass” photographer’s enemy!  The wind during the snowstorm played with the “porkies”, making it difficult to capture a clear shot!  *click for larger image*

Happy New Year everyone! May you be Blessed with good heath and happiness!

Love to all~

Judy

All text and images are copyright © 2002-2013 and are the exclusive property of Judy Johnson (unless otherwise indicated). All Rights Reserved. All Images are protected under United States and International copyright laws. None of the images on this site are in the Public Domain.

 

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Winter?

Is it still winter in Michigan?  Sometimes we wonder!  The calendar tells us it is, but Mother Nature is playing some tricks on us!

We had two snowstorms last week that gave us about 5 inches of snow.  It has been bitterly cold, with nasty winds.  Our temperature has been between 9 degrees F to 30 degrees F, not counting the windchill.   Today our temperatures soared to about 45 F and our snow is gone!  The sun was out and there was a definite feeling of SPRING in the air!

Winter?  Where are you?

Here are some photos I’ve taken over the past few days:

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In the photo above, you can see Porcupine Grass up close and personal.  The seed head/tassel caught a lot of snow in our last storm.

 

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Once in awhile the male and female Cardinal will come to our feeder.  Usually they are ground feeders, or will eat from a flat tray-style bird feeder.  Here the female eats with a Titmouse during a windy snowstorm.  Actually my husband took this one when I was not at home.

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I’m crazy about clouds!  I liked the look of these.  They looked very intense at first, and then they opened to show blue skies, while the sun rimmed the clouds with light.

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I thought the colors of this sunset were lovely.  Pinks, oranges and blues splashed through the skies.
I liked having the spruce as a deep contrast on one side too.

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Ahhhh love those berries/crab apples…whatever they are!   That spark of red is so vibrant and just about the only color we have left in the yard in this season!

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Ending with the sunset, like a soft pastel chalk rendering in the Heavens.   It never ceases to amaze me….the colors that can be produced;  the tints and tones bouncing off clouds in the atmosphere.  Magical.

Have a great day!
Judy

All text and images are copyright © 2002-2012 and are the exclusive property of Judy Johnson (unless otherwise indicated). All Rights Reserved. All Images are protected under United States and International copyright laws. None of the images on this site are in the Public Domain.

Is that really a snowflake?

Note…  I had three photos on my draft but they would not upload to the actual post.  I tried for 40 minutes to reload them and downsized them to a thumbnail.  They still would not load.  I am very frustrated.  This has happened before.   Has anyone had a similar problem?  

Hello blog readers!

We’ve had warm temperatures, rain, freezing rain, sleet, golfing weather and high winds but not much snow!  We are far behind our annual snow totals for this season.  It concerns me for our beautiful Freshwater Seas….our Great Lakes, that surround our state of Michigan.  The lakes depend on moisture, such as rain and snow to keep their water levels up.  This low-snow year is not boding well for our lakes.  We need much more snow to ensure higher lake water levels.

Today we awoke to a snowstorm.  All the trees were covered with white “frosting” and the flakes were falling from the sky at a heavy rate.  I have a quest to try and catch snowflakes on my photos, so I set my image speed high and went outside.  The wind was furious and the snow whirled around me.  But I was able to capture some snowflakes.

About 3 hours later, the sun came out and the skies turned blue with puffy white clouds.  I can’t tell you the last time we saw blue skies like this!   In Michigan we say: “If you don’t like the weather…wait a minute, and it will change.”   I have a feeling Michigan is not the only state that takes credit for that quote!

Blue spruce

The Blue Spruce stands tall and mighty against the wind, protecting birds from the elements.

 

Good night! Sleep well…
Judy

All text and images are copyright © 2002-2012 and are the exclusive property of Judy Johnson (unless otherwise indicated). All Rights Reserved. All Images are protected under United States and International copyright laws. None of the images on this site are in the Public Domain.