Posts from the ‘Photos’ category

Sky Blue and Grass Green

I don’t know what they are calling the Crayola crayon colors for the blue of a clear blue sky or the bright green of new spring grass, but I can picture the box of crayons…you know that big box of 64 with the sharpener on the back of the box. And I can smell that new crayon smell…

Yesterday afternoon the vivid blue of the sky and the bright green of the new grass (hay and alfalfa) – with the mountains and trees and houses – this sea of blue and green on my road home – it reminded me of those bright, clear colors and a brand new box of crayons.

Road Home

Road Home

Road Home

Road Home

Road Home

Heat Wave

I’m writing this on Saturday evening just after 8 p.m. and it is 75 degrees fahrenheit – a bit above normal by 10-15 degrees! This is the third and warmest day in our Montana Spring heat wave – tomorrow is to be cooler and by mid-week we are forecast to be 10-15 degrees below normal.

But today and yesterday – like summer and Karl and I walked early. Friday we walked at the State Park by Flathead Lake.

Karl at Flathead Lake

Karl is on a rocky area that will soon – maybe tomorrow (Monday) be covered. The sudden warm temperatures are melting the mountain snow pack and filling the rivers and streams that feed Flathead Lake.

Karl at Flathead Lake

The rocky shore above will be under water soon also.

Yesterday morning we walked at the Historic “Trails to Rails” walk in Somers, Montana – a walk/bike trail starts in Somers and ends miles away west of Kalispell. We walk a short bit of this asphalt trail that has view of the mountains and on a clear day, when the lake is at normal height – Flathead Lake.

Somers

I love this little “barn”? – the color of the wood, it’s narrow tall shape against the background – it is a pretty structure to my eye.

Somers

I think it is funny that Karl gets so excited when we make the turn that leads to this trailhead. It is an asphalt path and is fenced in – much more citified than our typical walking places. It is a walk, though, and maybe just the variety is intriguing…

Somers

Somers

Headed back now, the “hill” is the village of Somers.

On the drive back home I stopped to take some photos. The foothills had that shadowy look that I love and I hoped to capture it. This implement barn caught my eye also.

My favorite…

Skywatch Friday … Northern Light

Skywatch Friday which is hosted by Tom Wigley on his blog Wiggers World

Northern Light…not “lights” – I would LOVE to get a photo worthy of posting of the Aurora Borealis, which I have seen only once…but this post is about Northern Light which at my latitude of 48 North means sunrise at 5:50 and sunset at 9:11 and another month to go until the Summer Equinox so sunrise is ever earlier and sunset ever later until at the equinox there is light in the sky as late as 11 p.m. and as early as 4 a.m. … really, we have no need for Daylight Saving Time here – enough of the daylight already!!!

**added Note on 5/17 Northern Lights are the Aurora Borealis…I am using “Northern Light” to refer to the extended daylight we have in the north during the summer… sorry for any misunderstanding, I probably shouldn’t have capitalized it either…

But, yesterday morning very early and me, too impatient to get a tripod, but looking at a beautiful dawn about to happen, well, see for yourself…

North Light

North Light

North Light

North Light

North Light

North Light

North Light

And much later yesterday – 8:45 p.m. U.S. Mountain Daylight time – the setting sun with no clouds to block its rays, shines on the top of the trees casting them in gold…

North Light

North Light

North Light

And a bit of follow up… Mental Pause Mama and my friend Kris identified the bird in the Pond Post as a Yellow Headed Blackbird. See the original post for more….

The pond

Some photos of a different type for today, Sunday, the day of rest. These come from the pond adjacent to the soccer fields in Whitefish. The soccer fields, baseball diamonds, a housing development, a condo development, North Valley Hospital (brand spankin’ new!) and multiple medical and dental specialists offices now exist in an area that used to be marshy, wetlands. They believe they have taken care of drainage issues… The pond and some surrounding wetland acreage is home to birds, ducks and whatever other critters like Montana and marshy wetlands. It is a pleasantly noisy (bird, frog, etc.) and pretty pond. Below is what Karl and I saw on Friday when we walked here between appointments I had in Whitefish.

***note added…I need help identifying the bird. I thought it was a type of warbler, but now in my house (YEA!!!) and I did find my bird book but on flipping through did not find this bird. I’m in the throes of getting settled so will take more time later…unless someone can identify for me. The photos are 2 different birds – one has more read red on the top of its head. They were about the size of a robin. And the bird of prey – I’m not positive whether that is a hawk or a golden eagle. My impression when I decided to try and get a photo was that it was an eagle because of it’s size and manner of flight. Help, please!

***5/15/2008 addition Mental Pause Mama and my friend Kris identified the bird as a Yellow Headed Blackbird. Additionally, Kris and my neighbor Mikee are the deciding votes for Osprey as the ID for the bird of prey…a difficult id as I did not get accurate color in the photo. An interesting note is that Kris reports that the local newspaper ran a color photo of a Yellow Headed Blackbird that also had a red and orange “tinge”…anomaly of light or real color ????

Pond

Pond

Pond

Pond

Pond

Pond

Pond

Skywatch Friday

Tsannie (commenter annbb) of The Tombstone Chronicler invited me to join Skywatch Friday which is hosted by Tom Wigley on his blog Wiggers World

***edit 5/9 7:45 a.m. Mountain Daylight Time: I’m not sure of the “rules” or more gently, the “customs” for Sky Watch Friday. Thought I should disclose that these are not SOOC. I use Photoshop and/or Lightroom to boost color, correct white balance and/or exposure, etc. I have learned a lot about my camera settings from using the software and vice versa and sometimes I love the SOOC shot and leave it alone, but I also love playing for effect.

My skywatch Friday photo has been in my photostream on the right of the blog but never part of a blog entry.

Sunset

Taken on April 9, 2008 just south of Tontogany, Ohio – rural Bowling Green. Sunset. I boosted color and contrast with Lightroom.

And an extra – taken last night on the evening walk by my home – Snow squall in the mountains. Just north of Bigfork, Montana.
Me and my Karelian Bear Dog, Karl – camera on a nearby stump…

SnowSky

Contrast and color boost with Photoshop CS3.