Daily Image - Jun '22 Archive

06 Jun 22 Back to Silver Star, MT and the Jefferson River for today's offering. Our stop there was during early evening and the weather was playing with us and the sunlight. At times we were in rain showers and at other times we had some reasonable light. I love storm light as I think it makes for some striking images. I'm not exactly sure what it is doing to provide for the drama it does, but whenever I can shoot in it I try to take advantage of the opportunity. At the moment I took this set of frames it was in between the rain drops and the best of the light, so I've played a little bit with contrast to try and make it look like what I wanted. At the far left side of the image is a large tree, I think it may be some kind of oak, that always catches my eye when I shoot there. I walked down to it and took some shots of the landscape with it as the main player but I think this pano shows it off a bit better as it puts everything in perspective. The road is about 50 feet behind me and the Jefferson at this point makes an almost 180 degree turn making the land directly across the river appear as an island but it isn't. About 1/3 of the way into the photo it bends again to the left and continues on it's meandering path. While we were shooting no fish made their appearance as we could have easily seen them in the water as it was less than a couple feet deep and quite clear; likely quite cold as well. Again, the mountains in the background are the Tobacco Root mountains; the lands between them and the trees in the foreground are all vast ranch lands. No matter the time of year you visit, this is a spectacular location. If you are traveling east via I-90 to visit the Rockies/Yellowstone I highly recommend you consider this route as opposed to the one more commonly taken due to signage. This is a 6 frame pano. Other than the compositing and a small amount of contrast enhancement, this is what the camera captured. In Storm Light Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 500; 1/800 sec @ f /11.

07 Jun 22 The "towns" of Nevada City, MT and Virginia City, MT lie just a couple miles apart. The two of them formed the core of the Alder Gulch diggings, the richest gold placer deposits ever discovered. While Nevada City was a bustling town when formed in 1864, the population was down to just 160 people by 1869 and was virtually deserted by 1876. In the 1940s and 1950 an individual named Charles Bovey moved his collection of old west buildings that he had collected from across the state to the city. Nowadays the "town" is host to 108 authentic gold rush era buildings, 14 of which are original to Nevada City (my favorite is the barber shop which can be seen from outside the fenced town area) and serves as an open air museum providing elaborate living history reenactments giving visitors a taste of life in a gold rush town. We've never had an opportunity to take any of this in as it opens for the summer after our spring visits and closed before our autumn visits. Connecting Nevada City and Virginia City is a railroad known as the Alder Gulch Short Line which runs parallel to the road. It only runs during those same summer months the town is operating but the station is often open to peruse in the off season. There is a rail yard associated with the line and several cars, many of which need serious restoration, that are available to photograph but you can't go inside any of them. The ride between the two cities takes you via a working placer mine where you can try your hand at getting some gold. The image for today is of the Nevada City ticket office for the railroad and also of a few of the cars. It was rather dark and stormy when we were there so I've taken the liberty of giving the shot a little life. This is a four pane pano. I've added a bit of "structure" to the scene, brightened the colors, and corrected some perspective problems. Main Street Station Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 500; 1/500 sec @ f /11.

09 Jun 22 A few yards behind me at the location from which I took the shot for yesterday is a small pond that is home to various waterfowl. Mostly Mallards and Canada geese, but I have on occasion seen other kinds of ducks. Frequently during our spring visits there is a little ice scum on the surface, but on this visit there was more than usual. The image isn't representative of what we saw the evening we were there, as it was the same stormy conditions as I showed in the previous two mailings, but this picture didn't work well with that dark stormy evening light so I've brightened it up some; it was already past seven so the light was rapidly diminishing. The scene reminded me some of being in Antarctica with the ice breaker Polar Star arriving in McMurdo Sound cutting a swath through the ice to open the sea for the summer. This time there were 4 ice breakers, all Canada geese, doing the work. You can get an idea as to the depth of the pond by observing the left most goose who is standing upright as opposed to the other three who are cruising. Note that some of the swath previously made are starting to freeze over for the night. Since the geese are around both times of the year - May & September - when we visit I do believe they reside here year round, like those 400+ we had on Lake Whetstone when we lived in MD. If you visit Virginia City take a gander - pun intended - at the pond; it might be worth it. Other than the brightening of the scene, this is what the camera captured. Breaking the Ice Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 500; 1/250 sec @ f /11.

08 Jun 22 We've purchased our tickets, boarded the train, and made our way all the way to Virginia City with narry a bandit attempting to rob the train to separate us from our gold. The Virginia City end isn't as interesting as was that in Nevada City but it does boast better accommodations and dining. There is also a nice pond with several species of water fowl to entertain us situated directly behind from the spot where today's was snapped. (This image is displaying far darker on this mailbox than it is on the graphics box so if it appears very dark on your screen I suggest you brighten it up some . . . to taste of course.) We'll visit it tomorrow. As you look into the scene Nevada City is directly behind that tallest tree a mile or so down the road. To the right where the road curves up and out of the frame is the bottom of the hill that is Virginia City. The building with the chimney on the left is the ticket office for the train. Unlike that in Nevada City, there is no museum inside. With evening rapidly descending upon us and still about 2 hours out from the condo we didn't spend much time in Virginia City but we did take several minutes to play with this beginning of the sunset. From here we climbed the summit of the mountain behind the city stopping once again to take in the end of that sunset while overlooking the Ennis Valley, the triptych set I shared last week. Like the shot I shared yesterday, I've played with the contrast a bit to get what we were experiencing while watching the sun set. The Other End of the Line Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 500; 1/800 sec @ f /11.

01 Jun 22 With the B & W out there, we now have a look at how it actually looked to us as we stood in the middle of the pullout and watched the show. I had intended for there to be more of the picture than there is but dummy forgot to look down and notice the two shadows encroaching the scene, that of the SUV and me, so I had to cut off a fair portion of the foreground. Where the white contour at the bottom meets the foliage is where the parking area ends and if you go further you will drop some before encountering a wire fence. Beyond that it is a big drop. A bit more detail is available in this color version and you can see a little sun light illuminating a portion of the valley as well as a few miles of the Madison river; both in the right hand third of the image. Same as before only no manipulation. 15 pane pano. With a Setting Sun Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 500; 1 / 640 sec @ f /11.

02 Jun 22 So we wrap up the triptych set of three with today's offering, one requested by a member of this mailing list. Nothing more to add to what I've written previously so I'm keeping it short and simple. Just as yesterday, same info as provided in the first mailing but this time with conversion using the Topaz plug-in Impression 2. Tapestry-Like Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 500; 1/640 sec @ f /11.

20 Jun 22 In the past I've shared a shot or two of deer sitting in the yards of people's homes, occasionally from around here but more often from some of the lovely homes in Sequim facing the Straights of Juan de Fuca. Always find such setting to be rather pastoral. And to some degree a bit common. I believe I've usually referred to such settings as being yard art and oddly enough always reminds me of the Crosby, Stills, Nash song Our House which contains the line "with two cats in the yard." I've always seen that as two stone lions adorning the property somewhere, maybe on the porch if the house had one. Today the yard art to which I'm referring is a bit more esoteric in that most individuals won't have experienced it. Walking out of the condo on any given spring morning or evening one is likely to encounter some larger than life yard art in the form of American Bison. Today's image was taken that first morning we went exploring and it was taken about 12 feet from the door of the condo and about 10 feet from mamma and baby. As you can tell from the shot mom wasn't very concerned about our presence and baby was enjoying a full belly of warm milk but watching mom for any indication that it might not be nap time. About a minute later he laid his head between his shoulder and hip and had a little snooze while mom kept browsing. There aren't many places where one can enjoy this kind of yard art. This was basically the daily fare, morning and evening, during our 10 days at the condo this May. I'll share one or two more images of the gentle giants hang'n out around the community in the next several weeks. Other than some cropping this is what the camera captured. Yard Art Nikon D400; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 200; 1/320 sec @ f /11.

13 Jun 22 Ten miles north of West Yellowstone the Hwy-191/Hwy-287 pair (same road) splits with Hwy-191 continuing north through the far western edge of the park and Hwy-287 heading west towards Ennis. At the juncture or split depending on which way you are traveling - to or from Yellowstone - there is a large parking area that I believe is there for holding sand for road maintenance during the winter season. While I've never seen sand piled at this location, I have at other similar locations. The area by Yellowstone is situated near a nice little stream called Cougar Creek but like the sand we've never seen a cougar there either. This would be our first stop our first morning out and it was one of those times when the sunlight was playing well both with the mountains and the ground cover. Fresh snow on the mountain peaks, deep blue sky with multiple cloud types, deeply colored sagebrush, and bright orange willows. Truly a beautiful start to the day. The willows should be bright orange but it will depend on your screen's calibration. We spent about an hour playing with the colors and shapes and I even managed to misstep in the sagebrush and end up on my tush. Fortunately neither me or the camera suffered any damage other than to the ego; could have been much worse. The creek takes a sharp left just outside the right hand edge of the image and then meanders along eventually joining the Madison I believe, although I've seen no signage so stating. If the far distance on the right you can see a few dwellings that sit near the shoreline of Hebgen Lake. While there is nothing suggesting such, this can be a nice location for a picnic; you just need to walk a little distance past the creek and find a spot in the sagebrush. Other than a bit of contrast enhancement, this is what the camera captured. Lacking The Cougar Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 200; 1/500 sec @ f /11.

14 Jun 22 Leaving Cougar Creek we drove a couple miles stopping to take in the frozen Hebgen Lake. This was the largest ice cover I had ever seen on the lake although I've seen it with ice many times, but never this much!While many areas of the lake are situated such that you can't see the edge, at one of the locations - the one for this shot - clearly shows the shoreline and you may notice that the lake is substantially down in volume which has been the case for the past three years or so, each year a bit lower. With the rains this past weekend the lake is now full to the brim once again and the engineers at the dam are releasing a large amount of water to keep it from flooding the nearby homes. Makes me wonder what the flow looks like at the bend in the Madison just below the dam where we always see folks and often their pooches fishing. Looking at the orange willows you can see how far the lake had receded; as of today it is now up to the edge of that snow patch by the willows. Interesting how things cycle. This is a two pane panel. Other than a little cropping and a wee bit of contrast enhancement, this is what the camera captured. Frozen Over Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 200; 1/640 sec @ f / 9.

15 Jun 22 Hebgen Lake for those of you not familiar with it is the result of damning the Madison River. The dam, Hebgen dam, built in 1914, created a lake that runs for 15 miles and which basically ends right outside the park. At its widest point it measures 4 miles. So it is a substantial body of recreational water. Continuing on along Hebgen Lake Road we stopped next at a location immediately below the dam. At this point the river makes almost a 180 bend and in the process has "created" a small island. Just out of view a half mile or so beyond the little red building (center of the image) are situated a couple of well known fishing lodges. This part of the Madison is highly prized for the trout that are native to the waters. This was my only visit to this location in a decade of visiting that there hasn't been one or more fishermen, often accompanied by their dogs, casting their lines in the water. Another of the firsts during the visit. While we were there the dam was releasing quite a bit of water and although it was moving quickly on the far side of the tiny island it was not doing so on the near side. You can get an idea as to how low the river was when looking at the near side of the island. I doubt that it was even a foot in depth. All that is now changed, as well as the lake being returned to normal level, according to a couple friends who live nearby. The willows in this part of the Yellowstone ecosystem are interesting in that they are reddish-orange year round as it is the bark that is the color. I have no idea as to the color of the leaves as I've never seen them leafed out. I'm guessing green in the spring and yellow in the fall. Either way they are just lovely and provide a nice accent to any location in which you find them, always near water. If your monitor isn't displaying these bushes in the red hues you might consider getting it calibrated. Traveling between Ennis and West Yellowstone you will pass right by this location. Other than removing a couple distracting elements this is what the camera captured. Too Low Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 200; 1/320 sec @ f / 9.

16 Jun 22 Back to where we were standing for the taking of yesterday's offering. This time we are looking across the river over the top of that small island and then to the far bank. It took a few minutes before I noticed what appeared at first to be a couple of mated pairs of Canada Geese. I watched them for quite a while as they did their things, mostly eating, at opposite ends of that grassy area very near the top of the image. Then, without apparent provocation, two of the geese engaged in battle for what appeared to be the right to mate with another. Didn't see any of that type of activity but the behavior of the two who were fighting was strongly suggestive of such. I followed the activity from the beginning of the engagement till the looser flew off at which point everything quieted down and the remaining geese got together. This frame is one at which the battle was almost over with the victor in the water and the loser about to take flight. Another first. You can see the faster water I mentioned in yesterday's missive between the distal side of the island the the goose in the water. Didn't have a "birding" lens on the camera so I've severely cropped the capture to give the birds the needed prominence in the scene. Just never can tell what you will experience if you are just patient and observant. No fishermen, but a great show courtesy of the birds. This is straight from the camera save for the severe cropping. To The Victor Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 200; 1/200 sec @ f / 9.

21 Jun 22 I'm thinking all of you are familiar with the folded information brochures telling you about each individual park in our national parks system that are given you when you enter each park. I generally keep one from Yellowstone on the desk for our kitchen computer, the one I often refer to as the mailbox. One side of this brochure lists several of the animals and birds you may encounter in the park. Most everything on this Yellowstone version seems logical to me except for two birds, the Trumpeter Swan and the White Pelican. Somehow neither of these birds seem like they belong living where they do, especially a pelican which I've always associated with salt water - meaning sea level - and warmish to warm water which doesn't freeze over and isn't at 7K feet. The swans I regularly see in the Firehole River but I've never seen the pelicans inside the park. That said, we've seen them in other locations in MT and I've seen them regularly on Henry's Lake, located in ID, about 20 miles west of West Yellowstone. The quickest way to see them is to take the Island Park road off Hwy - 87 and just drive along the shoreline. It is a residential area so it is best to keep such in mind but the road is open at all. The image for today was taken just a mile in off the highway and it is in a location with a nice parking and viewing area. The afternoon I took this shot there was a good breeze blowing and the feathers on the birds heads were quite active. There were perhaps 3 dozen birds total with about half of them just paddling around while the others were moving from a location on our left to various places on our right. As the lake comprises roughly 6,000 acres, there is room for lots of birds as well as several kinds of trout. Hard to see the fish, but the birds are a real treat. Definitely worth being on your list of places to visit when in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem. This is straight from the camera with the exception of a little straightening. Paddling With The Breeze Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 400; 1/1,000 sec @ f / 9.

22 Jun 22 We were looking at a few pelicans yesterday floating on Henry's Lake which surrounded by a community called Island Park. The road into into Island Park goes through some serious woodlands before breaking out onto the northwestern edge of the lake. The road is a bit deceiving in that it isn't much of a road but it serves some nice to very upscale homes. Wouldn't mind living in that community as it has some magnificent views, great fishing and water/ice sports, and is home to lots of wildlife, especially moose. Don't think we'd be up for a pet moose like some of those folks who have them in Alaska, but I do think we'd enjoy having them wander over the property now and then, especially in the spring with a calf or two. As you begin the drive into Island park you are left with the feeling that any of the local wildlife might just step out onto the road at any moment. This is especially so in the fall during the rut for the moose, elk, and bison. Drive just a bit beyond the woods and you are greeted by several species of song birds, Mountain Bluebird and Swallows in particular. On the lake itself can be found a myriad of waterfowl. Turning around 180 degrees from where I shot those pelicans (recall the old adage, after you've taken the shot you want, turn around and get the shot you missed) I was looking back into the woods. The light was somewhat more subdued than it was over the lake making for a more somber appearance but it resulted in the willows really showing off. It was still much more winter than spring and virtually none of the trees had even started to show hints of green, so the reds and oranges of the willows were really impressive. With snow on the ground - it snowed four of our days there - the woods looked rather unwelcoming although I'm certain we would have enjoyed a stroll through them. In all likelihood we would have, might even have traveled further in to scout for moose, but the SUV was really acting badly so we left to look for some vehicle support. As I was working with this image I felt that it looked a bit lonely, so I added the geese. Otherwise, this is what the camera captured. Rear View Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 400; 1/1,250 sec @ f / 9.

23 Jun 22 If you take the West Yellowstone entrance road into the park, it ends at Madison Junction 14 miles east in WY. The names seems odd until you understand that this is the beginning of the Madison River, which is formed when the Gibbon River and the Firehole River join forces. The Gibbon River, along with Gibbon Falls, is named for Colonel John Gibbon, U.S. Army, who participated in the 1872 Hayden Geological Survey of Yellowstone. The Firehole River got its name from the early explorers due to the steam rising from the water's surface as it cursed by sections of the geyser basin where both Old Faithful and Prismatic Spring - to identify just two of the biggies - are located. The two join to form the Madison River which eventually becomes part of the Missouri River. Both the Gibbon and Firehole are relatively small rivers but they are also rather shallow so they give the appearance of being much larger than they really are. Both falls, Gibbon and Firehole, look like huge amounts of water are flowing over them but that just isn't the case. Both are a bit deceptive but also very lovely. If you turn south toward Old Faithful from Madison Junction you almost immediately cross over the Gibbon River (you could easily wade across it) and take a bend and travel up a few hundred yards to a branch in the road that takes you along the Firehole River Drive. Most visitors simply drive past it. Near its end is the Firehole River Falls with a small parking area and a nice viewing area that is becoming less so as the trees alongside the road are making it harder and harder to get good views. Drive a little further and you reach the beginning of the falls. Here you can walk a short distance and then out onto the the rocks where you can take in the crest. It's easy and fun to do. When all this area is closed for weather, as it was during our visit, you can drive a short distance further heading south to a none descript parking area on the west side of the road and climb up a small hill - 10 feet maybe - or just walk around its base, and from there see the river for quite a distance upstream on your left and downstream on your right as it bends and twists between some large boulders before reaching the crest. This spot lets you get right up to the edge of the river where you can see how shallow it actually is. As I've written previously I don't think the spring melt had actually begun while we were there and as a result the river was quite low. The brownish water you see in today's image is the result of the water churning up the bottom of the riverbed; look upstream where the water is running slower due to its greater width and note that the water is blue rather than brown. This is a 20 frame composite which I've cropped for composition and then filled in the blank areas left after cropping. Otherwise, this is straight from the camera. River Run Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 200; 1/200 sec @ f /9.

27 Jun 22 Among Jan's favorite attractions in Yellowstone are the bubbling mud pots. There are two marked locations and perhaps others that are only accessible with a long hike but I don't know of them. The more challenging of the two sets, but in my opinion the far more interesting, is called Artists Paintpots and is located roughly half way between Madison Junction and Norris Junction, a distance of maybe 22 miles from West Yellowstone. To see these pots of mud you have to walk about a half mile in from the parking area and then climb a moderately steep but short hill. The mud pots are located at the top of the hill. This area was not affected by the local flooding and is open to visit. The other option is a single pot of mud located along a boardwalk in the lower geyser basin which is wheelchair accessible. It is the larger of the two areas and is far more crowded than the other. To reach this one you drive to Madison Junction and head toward Old Faithful; it is roughly the same distance from West Yellowstone. However, due to its proximity to Old Faithful and being a part of the three popular geyser basins, it is generally very crowded and finding a parking spot can be challenging but not as challenging as finding one in the midway geyser basin which contains Prismatic Spring. For today's offering we are looking at a portion of the mud pot in the lower geyser basin. I've severely cropped the original to bring attention to just one section. Every time I see these pots of mud I am reminded for some reason of the Rogers, Dixon & Elgin 1961 song "A Hundred Pounds of Clay" sung by Gene McDaniels that made it to #3 on the charts. Take a moment to look the image over closely, there is a lot going on. Better yet, view it at 100% as that will help to better display some of the activity going on in the frame. The colors of the mud on the sides of the pot should be on the red side; if not, your monitor isn't showing you the true color. The mud is sloppy in the spring and you get the best show of bubbling and splattering mud; in the summer the pots tend to dry up and what you see is more of a gurgling without the explosive blasts of mud from bursting bubbles. Quite entertaining to watch in the spring, not so much so in the fall. This is a very small section from the original. Other than a bit of contrast enhancement, this is what the camera recorded. Fun with Mud Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 200; 1/1,000 sec @ f / 9.

30 Jun 22 One last look at the greater Excelsior Geyser area. Today's view was taken a couple feet from the end of the bridge that takes you across the Firehole River and then up to the boardwalk. You need to zoom in to 100% or so and move around the image a bit to get the full implication of what you are viewing. At the bottom of the corner of the bridge you can observe that the pink brickwork that was erected eons ago has failed to contain to flow of water from the geyser and it is coursing over the bridge; never ever seen that before, another of the firsts on this visit. In addition to that obvious stream of gushing water there are two more streams further back bringing boiling water to warm the Firehole River. This process continues for a few hundred yards upstream. You get an idea of how fast that water is moving not only from the turbulence but also from the blurring of the water near the bridge. Of course 4,000+ gallons an hour is a lot of water but you don't truly appreciate it when it is dispersed over such a wide area. However, when driving along the Grand Loop road alongside the river in this section of the park between the Midway and Upper Geyser Basins and passing all the runoff you get a much better appreciation of where all that water is going. All the drainage from the geyser dumping into the river in such a short distance raises the temperature almost 29F. As a result the Rainbow Trout grow faster and spawn later than they do in other parts of the river. A beautiful section of the park, there is a lovely area for opposite the parking area next to the river for relaxing and picnicking. If you have limited time, this is the one geyser basin I would visit. This is straight from the camera. Gushing Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 400; 1/640 sec @ f / 9.

29 Jun 22 The run off area of the Excelsior Geyser is broad and provides for the ability of the geyser to shed that 4,000+ gallons of water an hour. It is also hot providing for a large array of thermophiles to thrive. As I've written before several times, different colored organisms reside in different water temps, so you get a nice set of colors. As you start up the pathway to the circular boardwalk you walk parallel to the closest section of the runoff area. In today's offering you are viewing that area from the edge of the pathway. This drain field extends perhaps a hundred yards distant and at a width of maybe 20 yards. Lots of area for that discharge. The steam making for a surreal look at the top is from the geyser about 100 feet distant to the upper right hand corner of the image. As you walk past you are treated to the constant babbling of that flowing water. There are a couple benches along the way for those who might like to just sit back and be mesmerized by it all. I think it would be a grand way to spend an hour or two were it not for them being on the wrong side of the path allowing for all to pass by in front of you. Further north in the Norris Geyser Basin the benches are on the walks such that others pass behind rather than in front of you. A good work project for this site would be to move those benches to the other side. This is straight from the camera. Run Off Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 400; 1/800 sec @ f / 9.

28 Jun 22 The first thermal feature you encounter as you make your way around the boardwalk in the Midway Geyser Basin is Excelsior Geyser which, due to its not having erupted since 1985 when it did do for 46 hours continuously, is now commonly referred to as Excelsior Geyser Crater. It is a massive 200 x 300 crater of boiling blue water that constantly discharges more than 4,000 gallons of it a minute into the Firehole River. Although it is considered dormant these days, in the 1880s it was quite active with the eruptions exceeding 300 feet in height. As you begin your walk from the parking lot and cross the Firehole River to begin the short climb to the boardwalk its runoff will be parallel to your path where it has created a large area of drainage where you can see lots of brightly colored thermophiles. Since the water is boiling it is always steaming when we visit in the spring and fall and I've never actually seen all of it, but rather just pieces now and then as the steam blows to and fro. I imagine in the heat of summer the steam is greatly reduced and you could get a nice view of it. I've never shared any images of it due to the steam hiding most of it but on this last visit I was able to get a frame or two I thought worth sharing. This is one of those few good shots from the far end of the crater. You get a sense of the color of the water, the boiling action, and the associated steam. The boardwalk stroll takes you around about 1/4 of the crater and as you can see you are right on the edge of it. On the far right hand edge of the frame in the middle you can see how the park is being managed with most of the road parking areas being blocked from usage. Under the current management it is getting harder and harder to enjoy your park. This is straight from the camera. Blowing in the Wind Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 200; 1/640 sec @ f / 9.

03 Jun 22 It's the time of year out where we live that the lupines are putting on their annual show. We have a few in the garden but our neighbors just down the road who own Fat Turnip Farms have a large section of them and that's where I grabbed this shot. In the past I've shared shots from a nearby hillside on local tribal land but those on that hillside are just purple and a few yellows. The farm has them in many colors and some are even multi-colored as is the one being shared for today's Friday macro / close-up. This one has a somewhat violet exterior of the petals with a deep blue interior. You can see it all in this one capture. I made 13 versions of this image and what I'm sharing is one of two Jan liked best. Generally speaking her selections have fared well in the past. This is straight from the camera save for a wee bit of cropping and of course the conversion to a creative look using the Topaz plug-in Glow 2. Outlined Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 800; 1/1,000 sec @ f / 9.

10 Jun 22 As some of you know, Jan's favorite bird(s) are the crow and/or raven. We often have a discussion as to which is which - we both have our "correct" definition - but either way our property has a number of them, both inside and out. In addition to those occurring outside she has casts, drawings, imitations, etc. We actually have them committing murder. Shortly after moving in to our present abode my sister pointed her to a fountain that consisted of a bowl with two ravens sitting on the rim with their lower bills opening and closing to let the water flow. It was quite nice and we had it on the porch near the front door for years before the birds got old and died. Now they are bronzed and sitting at the front edge of the landscape guarding it from all intruders, except for the deer and bear. Kinda like the angels baring the entrance to the Garden of Eden except they aren't angels and the garden is anything but Eden. For this Friday's macro /closeup I'm sharing a shot of the two guardian ravens as they sit somewhat hidden doing their thing. The original capture didn't do them justice so I added a little interest. I took the original, removed a couple distractions, added a wee bit of contrast, and then converted it using the Topaz plug-in Impression 2. Turnerized Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 200; 1/320 sec @ f / 9.

17 Jun 22 Our part of the world experiences its lowest low tides this week of June and similarly during December. In June they are during day light hours and something you can go see while in December they are late at night and not generally visible, at least to the naked eye. Once a decade or so the planets line up such that we experience extreme low tides, and this is one of those years. As you may recall, tides are measured against a "standard" level called Mean Lower Low Water (MLLW), a measurement made by averaging the height of the low tides at a specific area over a 19 year period. ( The summer when I was in attendance at U S Naval Academy I believe we were taught that the East Coast used Mean Low Water (MLW) while the West Coast used the MLLW terminology. ) So a plus (+) tide means the number of feet above that MLLW number while a minus (-) tide means the number of feet below that MLLW number. Today we had a -4.1 tide which is an extreme low tide for here and means that the inter-tidal zone seabed, normally under 30 fsw, was dry and we could walk on it. Which is what we did. An approximate 2 hour drive from here is found Salt Creek Park which is on the cliffs above the Straights of Juan de Fuca. There is a steep set of stairs that allow you to get down to the "beach" which isn't what you might call a beach at all being almost entirely composed of rocks . . . . BIG rocks. But when the tide is out you can make your way across them. We left a sunny abode Thursday morning with a forecast of virtually no chance of rain and traveled to the rain shadow (rain free) area of Sequim/Port Angeles to encounter, you guessed it, rain. But having driven that far we decided to make the most of it. And for most of it the showers abated. So for this Friday's macro/close-up - I'm stretching the close-up aspect - we are looking at a bank of algae (seaweed) that would normally be totally under water plus an over hanging tree to give it all some perspective. LOTS going on here and if you look closely you may even see an open green anemone. Back when we were first married, and I was in undergrad school, I did a lot of diving in this kind of water; this shot displays some of what I used to see but it was far more dramatic and much more beautiful under water than it is above it, if that tells you anything. I do miss that activity!!!!! The image has greater impact if you move back 3-4 feet from the screen. Other the removal of some distractions, this is what the camera recorded. Reaching Out Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 500; 1/400 sec @ f / 9.

24 Jun 22 Prior to the decimation of the sea star (starfish) population in 2013-14 due to sea star wasting disease, our local intertidal zone waters were teeming with invertebrate life. Following that disastrous die off, the waters have been far less populated with the type of marine life so abundant prior. "The disease was thought to be a virus, but currently, there is evidence that points to bacterial infection resulting from an imbalance in the sea star’s microbiome (microorganisms in a particular environment). A proliferation of bacteria on the surface of sea stars leads to reduced oxygen, which essentially causes the star to suffocate. While this “suffocation” is not transmissible star to star, the bacteria are. Decaying stars exacerbate the situation by providing even more organic material for the bacterial communities to flourish. Impacts vary by species and site conditions, and there is still a lot to learn as more information becomes available." Each year since we have returned to the areas we used to enjoy combing to find a very slow but consistent return of what had been lost. Prior to the die off we used to see something in the neighborhood of a dozen different species of sea star, now we just see one or two. Likewise, we used to see sea anemones in shades of red, pink, cream, blue, green, white, and yellow. One I don't ever recall seeing around here is a green one. Last week as we were slip sliding over the rocks during that -4 tide we were both surprised and delighted to see many green ones. That was a first but unfortunately the greens were the only ones we saw. Nevertheless, that was a treat and I took several different shots of them. For this Friday's macro /closeup I'm sharing a shot of a single specimen. Wanting to make sure I could cut through the glare off the surface of the water, I made sure to take along a polarizing filter. When I went to put it on the lens I realized I had brought the wrong one, so my attempts to get a strong glare free image were somewhat hampered. Fortunately this shot turned out reasonably well. Would have liked to have removed the trash on the inside of the specimen but I wasn't about to stick my hand inside that critter and take a chance on getting seriously stung. I supposed I could have removed it in editing but then it wouldn't have been fully accurate. Other than a little bit of contrast enhancement to better show off the design of the critter, this is what the camera captured. Green Anemone Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 1,000; 1/125 sec @ f / 9.