Daily Image - Dec '22 Archive

Christmas Eve For this year's Christmas offering I've once again procured an image off the internet available for use to do a better job of depicting that first Christmas setting. A physician wrote the following roughly 2,000 years ago and I know I can't improve on what he wrote so I provide same. His description of living conditions at the time prompted the image selection. In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) Everyone went to their own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem, the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. Merry Christmas Everyone For those of you interested all the shows are now up; they are downloadable should you so desire.

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28 Dec 22 #3. There was no mailing of number four as we were without power and internet for almost 14 hours on Monday; it was quite the storm! Back-up generator gave us power but not internet; one main cell tower was also down for several hours. We don't bury the wires out here as it is said to be too expensive but having service crews out 24/7/365/year after year apparently isn't. When the new visitor center was built at the Paradise side of Mt Rainier it offered a small area in which one could view the scenery as opposed to the one they tore down which sat higher up and offered a 360 degree view through windows that went obviously all around. Progress I guess. Anyway, you can now walk directly out of the new building onto a nice patio area which has as its center a set of stairs that starts you on your walk up to enjoy the mountain. It is a nice walk although not as handicap accessible as the older walk for the initial hundred feet or so. Today's offering is what you can see as you begin the climb. You don't have to go more than a half mile before seeing some spectacular views and as the trail has a gentle slope it isn't hard to walk, even if you have some health restrictions. The most challenging aspect is just finding a parking space. After that it's pretty much a piece of cake. This is what the camera captured but with a polarizer of course. Stepping Out Nikon D70; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 200; 1/250 sec @ f / 8.

29 Dec 22 #2. It being the final Theatrical Thursday of 2022 I thought we'd go with something creative and Jan's choice as well. Among the things I really miss living out here where we do is the abundance of Historical National Parks on the east coast with Plimoth Plantation and Colonial Williamsburg being the top two. During the 18 years we spent back east in either PA or MD, we made several visits to both parks but Williamsburg more often than Plimoth. One trip to Williamsburg was to experience an 18th century Christmas. The oldest continuously-in-service church in the U.S. is, I believe, Burton Parish and we (I) wanted to attend the Christmas Eve service to listen to all that old 18th century music. It was to be a BIG part of the trip for me. To my utter disgust all the music performed that night was some awful 20th century crap. A real bummer. But other than that everything else we experienced on the trip was a total delight and so too for all our other visits. On our last visit there in 2005 we came up an individual who was talking about armament in that period and he was showing what he used as well as what was carried on his steed. Now this was more of a show that we had bargained for as the horse was as animated as was the speaker. Immediately reminded me of Francis, the Talking Mule. As the guy would talk the horse would begin to move his mouth as though he was mimicking the presenter. The presenter would start to talk and the horse also; speaker would stop and so to the horse. This went on for some time. The shot for today is that of the speaker having turned his back on the horse and the horse giving him a piece of his (horses) mind. It was one of the funniest things we ever saw. Hopefully the capture sufficiently displays the situation. This is what the camera captured. Outlined Nikon D70; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 200; 1/500 sec @ f / 9.

15 Dec 22 Our second highest mountain - Baker - has as I've been sharing a lovely lake - Picture Lake - to entice you to visit. Our highest mountain - Rainier - not to be out done, also has a lovely lake - Reflection - to entice you to visit. Mt Rainier's lake doesn't have the seasonal color that makes Mt Baker's lake so attractive, but it has its own beauty and certainly is one of those spots that should be on everyone's bucket list when visiting our highest mountain. Today we are looking at the reflection of Mt Rainier in Reflection Lake. There is no way for you to know this, but this is how Mt Rainier looked in the fall of 2006, 16 years ago; today there is substantially more snow on it. Over my almost 8 decades of life it has been interesting to see how the snow levels change from time to time. Although this is an early evening shot, the best time to try for a flat lake and mirror like reflection is early in the morning somewhere around sunrise or late in the evening before sunset. The lake isn't all that deep and it is fun to walk along the shoreline looking down into it to see the fish, which you are not allowed to catch, and other interesting objects. There are actually several lakes that make up the spot called Reflection Lake and so the correct name might more appropriately be Reflection Lakes, but the main lake, the one in today's offering, is the one that most everyone shoots and calls Reflection Lake. You can actually walk all around it but such behavior is discouraged due to those in control always wanting to preserve it for others. But time it right and you can enjoy it from all angles. This shot is taken from a parking area about 10 feet away. With such ease of access, the view is available to one and all. This is straight from the camera. Reflecting Nicely Nikon D200; 24 - 70; Aperture Priority; ISO 400; 1/500 sec @ f / 9.

30 Dec 22 #1. And so we come to the end of another year. Today's mailing is the 4,148th since the inception 17 years ago and the 247th for the year. Thought I'd finish off on a high point - literally - and share another image from Mt Rainier. It's also macro / close-up Friday so this is an attempt at combining both with what I'll claim is a close-up of a crater. You'll have to be the judge as to whether or not it is too much of a stretch. Thought I'd throw in a little info on the mount as well. Rainier is the highest of the Cascade Range peaks strutting 14, 410 feet above sea level. No other mountain on the continent exceeds it in total bulk of rock masses, number of active glaciers (26), or extent of base. It is believed by geologists that it was at one time 2,000 feet higher but that additional 2K feet was lost in a volcanic blast that created a 3 square mile crater. From that three cinder cones, Columbia Crest the central snowy dome, Point Success to the south, and Liberty Cap to the north, grew together to create the surrounding rim. Captain George Vancouver "discovered" the mountain in 1792 and named it for a fellow naval officer, Peter Regnier, now spelled Rainier. The view I'm sharing today is of another crater much lower down on the southeast side of the mountain not too distant from the visitor center. You can look at it and totally miss it if you aren't looking critically. The rim of this crater isn't fully in the frame but you can identify it at the top where it "meets" the snow. Follow it around clockwise with the bottom edge of the cone out of sight at 6 o'clock, then continue clockwise around to roughly 9 o'clock (that edge is also out of the frame) and then back to the top. The valley to the right of that tall evergreen will provide you with some idea as to its size and depth. For perspective, if there were a naked ape walking along that rim he would barely be identifiable. I don't know the name of this crater but I'm sure it has one and a local member of the Mountaineers could tell me. This is what the camera captured. Craters Nikon D200; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 200; 1 /750 sec @ f / 8.

12 Dec 22 With the Christmas holiday theme engulfing just about everything we encounter, I thought I'd look for something natural that might fit in with that theme - commercial, not religious unless you stretch it a bit - and chose a hillside in autumn dress that reminded me of the colorful lighting on most of our Christmas trees. It's a long way from a lit tree but I do believe you can use your imagination some - it is the holiday season - and find a wee bit of resemblance. This is a shot of the hillside in the Tumwater Canyon which forms one of the boundaries of the Wenatchee River. There are spawning Steelhead in the river just out of sight at the bottom of the frame. But they aren't real sharp, you mostly see just the dorsal fins protruding above the water's surface, or shadows of the fish in the water so I didn't include that aspect. So have a peek, perhaps you'll see even more in your mind than just a brightly lit tree. This is what the camera captured. Celebratory Nikon D70s; 195mm macro; Aperture Priority; ISO 200; 1/200 sec @ f /8.

01 Dec 22 Our sole visit to see Bryce Canyon consisted of an evening and a morning, neither of which provided us with anything dramatic to see - meaning in addition to the hoodoos. This collection from the web will make the statement more clear. But just being there is an awesome experience. The myriad of trails going down into the giant natural amphitheaters is overwhelming and I need to get back there to spend a few days just exploring along with perhaps getting a few inspiring sunrises and sets. This is one park Jan wants to visit again and walk along the trails. We likely need to it sooner rather than later as it is getting more challenging to do these kinds of things. Today's offering is of the early part of the sunset the one evening we were there. This is what the camera recorded. Overview Nikon D300; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 400; 1/250 sec @ f / 5.6 with the D300.

13 Dec 22 Thought I'd go with one today for those of you who enjoy stream fishing. As the years move from one to another, the areas fed by the Skagit river are prime for observing fishermen of both the feathered and waders types. We used to visit the Marblemount / Rockport areas of the Skagit yearly during the period of the Bald Eagle counts hoping for a good shot or two of Bald Eagles. But as there is a much closer location with far more birds year round we don't make that trip on an annual basis any longer. It is still a beautiful place to visit, and I like to go there when the weather is such that the likelihood of finding nice icicles is high, but it is also nice for some dramatic mountain shots. I've shared several of the latter over the years. On occasion one gets to watch a few brave souls wade out into the river to fly fish although it is more common for fishermen to float the river than wade into it. Today's offering is from a location where the river is generally shallow with lots of spaces for the fish to hide and rest. These two gentlemen were just beginning their time in the water as we arrived so I grabbed a couple of frames before they walked out of view. You can simply imagine the sounds of the water as it was crashing into the rocks and bumping up against the fallen timber. With the screeching of an eagle or two you just can't get a more restful environment. About the time of the year to return there if for no other reason than to get out of the bustle of the season. This is straight from the camera. Better Than A Day at the Office Nikon D300s; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 200; 1/200 sec @ f /10.

16 Dec 22 Having had a near death experience one New Year's Eve on the original Lake Washington floating bridge back when Jan and I were dating (two vehicles traveling at 60+ mph in the same lane heading toward one another) I've since made a point of not being out on New Year's Eve, but have resorted to doing things on the 31st that frequently involve something along the lines of photography. A couple year's prior to moving here we made just such a trip up into the Skagit looking to shoot eagles and anything else interesting we might come upon. The eagle aspect was a bust, but not so the trip. At one point as I was walking on what was probably the highway end of a private road, I came upon a couple of potholes filled with frozen water. Nothing much surprising there you are likely thinking being as it was winter. But one of them not only had a nicely designed pattern in the ice, but appeared to have been growing hoar frost at the edges of each little ridge in the ice. It was almost as if the ice was reaching up to the heavens. I gave some thought to switching to a macro lens and just playing with the "frosty" stuff to get some really interesting shots but as I was in the middle of the road near the highway, the highway being icy and wet with more traffic that I desired, I passed and just did a few close-ups. So for this Friday's macro close-up I'm sharing my favorite of that group of icy close-ups. Zoom in some and have a good look at the frost. This is what the camera captured. Reaching to the Skies Nikon D300s; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 200; 1/500 sec @ f /10.

20 Dec 22 #9. There are two times a year when one can get some spectacular images of the moon arising over the city of Seattle; one in in June when you are looking south and it is generally a shoot from Kerry Park, and the other is in January looking east, best captured from West Seattle. I led several group shoots to do both during the 6 years we lived in Ballard and each was an adventure in that you never knew what the weather would give you nor the responses/attitude of the participants. The Kerry Park shoot is probably the greater attended of the two if for no other reason than the temps. June nights are generally mild but January can produce some very chilly evenings. The January shoot has a couple of big advantages over the June shoot in that there are far fewer shooters jockeying for the "best" spot and you get a bonus pre-show performance to boot. The sun sets around 1700 in January and it is well on its way to getting dark but if the weather is clear you generally experience an afterglow that directly lights the fronts of the buildings along the waterfront section of the city. The show lasts between 15 and 20 minutes before it fades and the surrounds get nicely dark in preparation for the arrival of the main attraction, the moon. But the pre-show can be as rewarding, sometimes more so, than the main event. Today's offering is a snap of the pre-show. It is never the same so one can shoot it for several days each year and annually as often as desired. If you live in the greater Puget Sound area and haven't tried your hand at this I recommend you give it a try; I doubt you'll be disappointed. Anything around 100mm focal length is the perfect lens. This is what the camera recorded although I did a bit of noise reduction. Pre-Show Activity Nikon D300s; 18 - 200; Manual; ISO 200; 1/6 sec @ f /10 on a tripod.

08 Dec 22 Although the World War II Memorial in D.C. opened two years before we left the area, I was not aware of it and thus never visited it. I had been to all the other war memorials but somehow missed this one. Of all of them, my favorite is the Korean War Memorial; it is one that can leave you with a very queasy feeling as you walk through it, ESPECIALLY it you visit it at night. I've shared a few images of it in the past. In 2012 I made a trip back to D.C. to attend a software program conference and had the privilege of staying with a former neighbor who was an advanced photographer who turned pro after retirement. He took me around to several places I had missed during our 8 year posting there among which was the WWII memorial. Oddly, even though the memorial had been open and dedicated since 2004, there was still a large amount of construction ongoing which made photography a bit of a challenge. I took a lot of shots the morning we visited among which were a couple of pano attempts. What I'm sharing today is a 20 frame pano of one half of the memorial. I'm standing dead center on the side of the memorial the faces the Lincoln Memorial and panning from left to right. The opposite side of the memorial was cluttered with workers and construction equipment. Other than the compositing, this is what the camera captured. One Half Nikon D300s; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 200; 1/800 sec @ f / 7.1.

07 Dec 22 I spent a week in Juneau, AK in Sept of 2012; it was 5.5 days of downpour and 1.5 days of quasi decent weather. Took off on that full day to see what I could find interesting hoping of course for bears. Saw one rapidly cross the road at a distance and one near the Mendenhall Glacier tourist center sleeping under a bridge next to several beer cans and wearing a tracking collar. Took a few shots of that bear because I didn't think anyone would believe me but none of them are DI images. What I did find I think worth sharing is a shot from the Mendenhall Glacier viewing area. The shot in the link above is far better than mine but then apparently so was the weather on the day it was taken. The Mendenhall glacier is a very interesting river of ice located just 13 miles outside the city, easily accessible by foot, bike, vehicle, or any other way you desire. When I was there it had a very interesting display on climate, not the world is going to end in 10 years stuff, but one that traced world temps as far back as the authors felt they could reasonably access showing the cyclic nature of climate. It's probably no longer there but it should be if it isn't. This was the basis for their discussion on what is happening currently to the Mendenhall. In the last several decades it has been rapidly receding while just a few miles away a sister glacier, whose name I've forgotten, is advancing. All very interesting; both of these glaciers are part of the 1,500 square mile Juneau Icefield. Extending from Taku Inlet to Skagway, the icefield is the birthing ground of 38 major glaciers, including Juneau's Mendenhall. The icefield is estimated to be around 3,000 years old, but it is in a constant state of renewal (advance)and retreat, depending on each year's dosage of snow. Of even more interest is that as the Mendenhall retreats those studying it are finding articles of prior modern human habitation that have been hidden under it indicating that the glacier hasn't always been where it is currently. Should you happen to visit Juneau, do go see this glacier. Other than some contrasting enhancement, this is what the camera captured. Receding Nikon D800; 24 - 70; Aperture Priority; ISO 400; 1/640 sec @ f /10.

06 Dec 22 Well, it seems that the move to gmail worked successfully; I've heard back from about 50 of you, many of whom I haven't heard from in over a year. Let's see how long this lasts. Going back to Hurricane Ridge again for today's offering, this time at the very beginning of fall before the colors change. This is a shot taken from approximately the same area of the parking where I took the shot I shared yesterday, but panning across the entire range of the mountains as opposed to looking in a general compass direction. This version gives you a much better perspective of how the mountains are arranged and you can see where one of the major rivers whose name I'm forgetting runs in the valley between the two leftmost rows of rock. Lots of hiking and skiing trails down there to entertain you and plenty of wildlife as well. If you are in to day hikes this is a spectacular part of the country in which to stretch your legs. This is what the camera captured albeit a 9 frame pano. Valley View Nikon D300s; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 200; 1/500 sec @ f / 9.

19 Dec 22 #10. The drive across the top end of WA state is called either Hwy-20 or the North Cascades Highway. You can pick the name you prefer but one gives you a better idea of what you will experience as you drive along it than does the other. The road has mileage markers place every so often that are nothing more than 4x4 posts that stick up about 30 inches above the ground with a mileage number painted on them. The placement as far as I can discern is totally random. They are nothing special, but they do serve to let you know where things are. One of my favorite locations is at milepost 100 which has a nice parking area, couple of picnic tables facing the Skagit river maybe 15 feet away, great view for watching the eagles when present, launch area for rafting, and across the highway a beautiful little farm that butts up right against the mountains. Whenever you are there that little farm is a potential for some nice photography, sometimes breathtakingly so. You can't get the shot I'm sharing today any longer as the barn is now down on the ground or at least it was the last time we visited. It may by now just be a memory. On occasion you get the weather putting on a very nice show and on this day it was thus. The morning had been heavy fog, something you know I like to work with; by noon it was rapidly breaking up. You'll notice a wee bit of blue in the sky; 30 minutes later all this beauty had dissipated and we were left with nice blue sky and a few clouds for interest. But the fog was gone and so was the atmosphere. This is basically what the camera captured save for the crows which I added for interest. Breaking Up Nikon D300s; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 200; 1/160 sec @ f / 6.3.

05 Dec 22 Set out Sunday evening to send out the DI mailing only to have the email provider tell me that my account was no longer accessible due to my login/password that I've been using right along are not correct. Of course they offered to let me reset things after sending me a message confirming I have an account with them. . . . . . still waiting for that message. A few years back we made an early spring trip to Hurricane Ridge to take a visiting friend up to experience the Olympics close up. We walked a few trails, watched the deer but not the antelope - the goats didn't show - play, then spent some time in the vehicle feeding the ravens dog biscuits and watching them stack them up to 5 high before flying off only to return after a period of time for more while we waited for sunset to occur. We were unfortunately a bit impatient and didn't wait for it to fully happen, don't remember why but a mistake as it often is - might have been something about our stomachs thinking our throats had been cut, but did stay long enough to get some nice early sunset shots. What I'm sharing for today was among my favorites. The sun had reached a position such that it was directly casting a beam of light on one sole evergreen in a small area of hillside which had yet to get sufficient warmth to melt all the snow. It didn't last long, perhaps a minute or so, but it was rather eye catching; an example of why you stick around as long as the sheriffs will allow, even if your tummy doesn't concur. This is what the camera captured. Moving Through Sunset Nikon D300s; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 200; 1/1,250 sec @ f / 7.1.

22 Dec 22 #7. For many years one of the most impressive sites in YNP to visit was Grassy Spring on the Upper Terrace of Mammoth Hot Spring. Today's offering is a shot of the location taken in 2019. As of 2021 it was all gone looking like the white material at the back of the image. In the meantime the area just out of view over the edge top center is starting to look like what you see in the foreground. And the area some distance to the right out of the frame is also. The area is in a state of constant flux and one never knows what you will find when visiting. Sometimes it can be a very pleasant surprise and other times not so much. But that's the fun of visiting the park and no matter how many times I visit every time it is a different experience. Couple that with weather systems that can be totally unpredictable and you can count on each day providing for an adventure of some kind. It's no wonder that this is America's most visited park. This is straight from the camera. Going Going Gone Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 200; 1/400 sec @ f /11.

26 Dec 22 In the 17 years that I've been producing the Daily Image mailings I've shared another's work just once. Today's mailing doubles that number. The photographer is Dr Howard Clark, a very good friend and the individual who introduced me to the Gaithersburg Camera Club, the best camera club I ever joined. Howard lives up at the top end of the street where we lived in Montgomery Village. We met one day when I was out in the street trimming my lawn edge with a pair of hand trimmers. Why I was doing such a silly thing started a discussion that eventually led to discussing my newly purchased digital camera - a Nikon D70 - and that led to him inviting me to the camera club. One of the best conversations I ever had. Howard joined me last spring to do a few days in Yellowstone. On one particular day we were both roaming around Mammoth Hot Springs generally following one another - to some degree. We both shot Mound Spring at different times, but we never got around to sharing what we got. Over the weekend Howard shared with me one of his shots of that thermal event. Without a doubt, I think what he shared is the best shot I've ever seen taken of any thermal event in the park, and that includes Prismatic Spring. I was so impressed with the shot that I asked his permission to share it with everyone. He agreed and that's what you are seeing today. I hope you appreciate it as much as I do! This is an edited photo using ACDSee Ultimate 2022 but I can't give you any info. TP-Sh-OF-Focus Canon EOS RISO 1,250; 1/320 sec @ f /18.

02 Dec 22 For this Friday's macro / closeup I've selected a closeup shot of a grape vine from a local nursery. With the wind and (snow in some locations) we've experienced this week almost completely stripping the trees of all their leaves, I thought something colorful would be a good choice so the selection of grape leaves in autumn dress was an easy one. This particular vine was very colorful to start with so after bringing out the best of the capture I proceeded to make 13 variations. This particular one was Jan's favorite and, as her choices seem to resonate well, I've elected to share it. The manipulation simply added the dark outlines, it didn't change the colors. One of the things I truly miss from the right coast is the many vines of bright colors that decorated fences and walls wherever we went. Now I mostly have to visit nurseries hoping to find a plant here and there. This is straight from the camera save for the conversion using the Topaz plug-in Glow 2. Outlined Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 200; 1/250 sec @ f / 9.

14 Dec 22 Hard to believe that next Monday is the start of the 10 day countdown to the end of the DI mailings for 2022. Today we go back to Picture Lake for another look at the beautiful hillsides. Even though we were dealing with a significant amount of smoke, the lighting was nice and the colors vibrant. A little software work and most of that smoke isn't too bad and a little contrast enhancement really brings out the colors. The lakes and connecting stream are just over that hill, center middle of the frame. On days like this it is hard to call it quits as each step brings just a little more beauty into view. Right about now I'd like to be experiencing same in our neck of the woods. Other that attempting to remove the smoke and a wee bit of contrast enhancement, this is what the camera captured. Just Over the Next Hill Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 800; 1/500 sec @ f / 9.

23 Dec 22 #6. For this Friday's macro / close-up we return once again to the farm store in Chimacum for some close-up fun with a knuckle head pumpkin. This specimen was still retaining some rain water on one portion of its top. The stem had been cut so short that it looked like it was arching over as in a rocket launch. There was just a hint of light striking the stem such that it was giving off a very light reflection which is visible at the bottom center of the shot. As soon as I saw it I knew it would one day be a DI mailing. After getting rid of all the competing material so all that remained was pumpkin I took it into the Topaz plug-ins Glow 2 and Impression 2 and made 15 different creative versions. This is one of them and Jan's pick of the entire group of 16. As mentioned above this is mostly creative. Outlined Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 400; 1,1250 sec @ f /6.3. ====================================================== As you may recall from some of the previous mailings for roughly 25 years we used to put on a Christmas party extravaganza which included about a month of Jan's food preparation and a slide on sound photo show. We no longer do the party but I've continued the shows; then 35mm slides, now totally digital. Each year I do 3 or 4 with 4 planned for 2022. I've now completed 2 and uploaded them to the Creative tab of the blog. One more should go up late tomorrow and the 4th in a few days. If such would be of interest to you they are available to watch and /or download. If you forget the link just click on the Creative tab on the blog where I post everything.

09 Dec 22 One of my all time favorite animated shows, if not the favorite, is "How to Train Your Dragon," but then, I'm a pushover for anything dragon. We collected everything in that set of movies and still have most of them, a couple having been lost over time which we haven't been able to replace. While we were out walking her Majesty this morning I happened to look down at just the right moment to see a salamander in the road that was rather fixed in position with its head cocked upward as if looking to the stars. My first thought was this is where they got the model for Toothless. With temps in the low 40s during the daytime it isn't the time of year when one expects to see salamanders but there it was. I thought it might be a good subject for a closeup image so we picked it up and brought it home putting it is a very small terrarium with some bark, leaves, moss, and stick to provide it a temp home. This afternoon I took it out and placed it on the studio table and tried my hand at getting a few images without unduly disturbing it. It stayed where I placed it so I didn't have to bother it much. This macro shot I'm sharing is my favorite of the group and I think it makes for an appropriate subject for this Friday's macro / close-up. As far as I can determine, this is a Northwestern Salamander, Ambystoma gracile, but I wouldn't be willing to put any money on it. Whatever it is, they are very common in our neck of the woods and we see them frequently. This is straight from the camera. Son of Toothless Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 640; 1/60 sec @ f / 9 with full flash.

21 Dec 22 #8. Our first 2 snowfalls of the month were just a hint of frosting on the trees and ferns, just enough to tease but amounting to nothing more than perhaps an eighth of an inch. Not so this time around. Overnight we got a solid 4 inches - I know, nothing compared to what those of you east of us get, but enough to snarl things around the Puget Sound area - that left everything looking beautifully clean and inviting. I waited long enough for the roads to be safe, actually a lot longer than necessary and too long to fully accomplish what I wanted, and then accepted the invite and headed to the marina area of Poulsbo. We had a similar snow 3 years ago and I got some nice shots of the location and I wanted to try improving on what I got back then. Had l left maybe 90 minutes sooner that might have happened. It didn't, but I still got some stuff I thought worth sharing. Today's offering is very similar to that shared 3 years back, however, this time around the wind was making its presence known blowing snow all around so this shot is taken through the snow. It looks very different from one taken with fully clear air. The two flags will give you an idea as to what the wind was contributing. If you live locally, you might try your hand at shooting this in the next couple days since the temps are slated for the mid 20s to mid teens. This is straight from the camera save for the removal of a big ugly crane alongside one of the finger piers. Sport'n the Blues Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 250; 1/640 sec @ f / 9.