Winter Wanderings…..

“If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant.” ~ Anne Bradstreet

On the day before the first day of spring, I thought I’d post just a few photos of winter in my woods.   I always feel peaceful when walking in the woods.

After a heavy snowfall, that turned the world into a fairyland……
*click on image to enlarge*

The winter woods.

The spruces stand tall..

Winter leaf…  A fall leaf shows strength and perseverance as it clings to a branch through the long winter months.  I made this photo into B&W, then brought the leaf color back.

 

 

Foggy winter morning…  Sometimes fog greets us on winter mornings.  I’m always trying to capture fog!

Thanks for viewing my post!  Happy Spring!
Judy

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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.

 

Snowshooz!

We finally got enough snow last weekend for snowshoeing.   I was so excited to strap on my “shooz” !

My snowshoes and me trekking through the woods.

The snow was not as deep or as fluffy as I’d like, but I figured this might be my only chance this year!

A beautiful day in the woods...

It was a lovely day to be out.  It was so peaceful. The only sound I heard was the swoosh, swoosh of my snowshoes, and the occasional bird call.

Animal tracks.

Lots of animal tracks criss-cross our yard in the snow.  Deer, rabbits, squirrels and turkeys are the most common ones.

The end of a nice walk.....

Now that I’ve enjoyed winter, and finally used my snowshoes….there’s just one more thing I want to do!

Beach babe!

Time to hit the Beach!  😉

Thanks for visiting!

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.

Les Belles Fleurs L’hiver (beautiful flowers in winter)

Hello great blog readers!
I’m ready for spring!  If we can’t have spring let’s have some nice, deep snow!  I haven’t had a chance to cross-country ski or snowshoe yet.  It has been a different kind of winter for our whole country!  The south is freezing and the northern ski slopes are struggling for lack of snow.

I’m controlling Mother Nature today and I declare it’s SPRING in my house!
I like to buy inexpensive bunches of tulips at the market in the winter.  It brings color into the house and it brightens a dreary day.
Plus….it gives me something else to on which to practice my indoor Macro shots.  I’ve taken photos of all the pens, boxes, plants, lamps, paperweights, coasters, floors, candle holders and plates in the house already, so this gives me some variety! 😉

The flowers of late winter and early spring occupy places in our hearts well out of proportion to their size.
–  Gertrude S. Wister

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 ~And just a reminder from Mother Nature that winter isn’t over yet…..we got 2″ of snow overnight. 😉

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Have a colorful, happy 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.

 

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.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Winter

This photo was taken shortly after sunrise, after a 10″ snowfall in November.

The woods, usually dank and dark, become illuminated with the increasing sunlight.  The sun brings warmth and love to our world.

“Hatred paralyses life; love releases it.  Hatred confuses life; love harmonizes it.  Hatred darkens life; love illuminates it.” 
~Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Let us all follow the wisdom of the great Martin Luther King.  Let your love light shine onto others; give the gift of unconditional love and chase the darkness of hate away.  Hate does not belong in a world filled with love~ ❤

❤ Judy