Tulips and I-don't-know-what

I'm just having so much fun with this macro lens. I'll put up a couple from my trip to the beach, next.

Photographs from Elsewhere

Not my photographs, but photographs nonetheless. Here are the links:

Russians photographed by Russians I especially love the ones of the church on Trinity Sunday and of the Cossack standing on his horse.

13-year-old eagle huntress (in Mongolia) This is both cool and beautiful.

Daffodil Portrait and Other Stuff

 I discovered the macro lens setting on my camera! The first day I had a chance to go out and experiment with it-- just a couple of days ago-- was aMAZing. It was like getting a whole new camera!

The temple, in the rain, at sunset. I guess I could have cropped out more of the parking lot, but I still really love this photograph.

And, as always, a tree portrait.  This is from the day I walked to school in full hiking gear, because we weren't getting another snow day and the paths really weren't clear yet and I just didn't feel like driving in the snow. Also, I thought it would be fun. Which it was. The best comment I got was from a fellow teacher: "You look like you are dressed for somewhere FAR more interesting than here." (For the record, in my hiking backpack I had stowed some professional clothes, and I changed right after I got to work.)

MORE snow...

My main job these days is that I work as a student aide at a school which is reasonably close to my home. We have now completely run out of snow days in our school district. I'm pretty sure we're not the only ones in Maryland to have done so.

No matter what havoc it plays with the school schedule, however, snow makes for a darn pretty walk to school. I'm usually in danger of being late and therefore in a hurry on the way there, but on the way back I take my time and take the longer, prettier way. These pictures are from the walk home.

I've taken to checking the temperature before I set out. I find that at 14 degrees, it's actually pretty nice; I don't get so overheated by the time I get there that I spend the first half hour at school sweating and then the rest of the day chilly, because my clothes are damp. 11 degrees, on the other hand, makes me wish I had a ski mask.

Coming home, of course, the temperature is warmer. This is nice because being as how I'm not worried about being late, I walk much slower.

Yellow River, Sunrise

I drove from Maryland to Utah just after Christmas. I stopped in Indiana to visit with cousins; more of this later (probably; that's the sort of promise I'm likely to break unless reminded). Suffice it to say, it was lovely and restful and peaceful, as I had expected it to be, but it's still always nice to have expectations like that fulfilled.

By the time I left Frank and Susie's at 6:30, I was already feeling a little worried that I was setting out later than really necessary. Not only was I attempting to get from the Northern- middle of Indiana to the middle of Nebraska in one day, but I was trying to outrun a storm. In this latter point, I did not succeed; I hit some of the worst winter driving conditions I've ever seen, in the middle of Iowa.

As I crossed the Yellow river, I thought to myself how incredibly beautiful it looked. I reminded myself that I was not long on time, but it only took me about three seconds to realize to myself that these sorts of situations are exactly why I carry my camera, so I turned the car around, crossed the road very carefully (two-lane, non-divided highway; speed limit 55 mph, as I recall), and took a few shots. The only thing that allowed me to do this was the fact that there were not, at that time of day, just too many vehicles on the road. I did make sure that I was only on the bridge when I was certain that I had enough time before the next vehicle got there to get off the bridge before it got on. Still, my sense of self- preservation quickly kicked in, and I was back to the car in under five minutes. Also, my fingers were beginning to be numb. When I got back in the car, its fancy-dancy thermometer said it was seventeen degrees. That was the point when I figured I had probably balanced practicality with my desires for artistic expression just about perfectly.

Still more with the treegazing

I managed to get out for my walk before work yesterday, and given how close we are to the Winter Solstice and what time my job starts, I was of necessity out before the sun was up. This meant that I was a little bit cold, but man! that sunrise was beautiful.

This shot (the one below) in particular makes me realize why some cultures have thought that the souls of trees must look like beautiful young women.

Snow and Ice

The public schools got a snow day about a week ago; it was LOVELY, and I got all my laundry done! Hooray!