Cloaked in fog

R was back in the hospital again this week for a few days (fine tuning) and so not many opportunities to take any photos. BUT--I stopped early one morning at the park and caught the early fog and misty reflections on the lake.
I loved this assortment of leaves and textures and colors on the top of one of the picnic tables...

Slow and smooth

Today it was sunny, and dry, so R and I had one last outing/expedition before he goes into the hospital tomorrow. Since the weather was right, we decided to go waterfall prowling. I know of a good one RIGHT on the road, so I could just hop out and shoot while R waited in the car and watched. One thing about all the snow up in the mountains--the melt-off waterfalls are going to be wonderful this year! I love waterfalls, and when I can slow them down--perfection!!

This is from a couple of days ago--another little one, but charming nonetheless. I had to get down on my knees for this, since most of the visible area was under tree branches, blackberry vines, and foliage. Worth the contortions, though.

Trying textures

I actually found some filters in my oh-so-elementary editing program, so tried a couple of them on this photo. This is the original.
This is with a cross-hatch conversion. I like the way this emphasizes the peeling paint and old feeling of the bird house.

This is a chalk drawing conversion. It reminds me on a very puny scale of the wonderful work that Kazz does.

Drip drip

It's been wet...too wet to go outside, so this is my view from inside. I was really happy with the way the screen showed up in the refraction in the drops. We are supposed to have a few days of dry(er) weather, so hopefully I can get out a little bit.

Textures

Pine cones...

Ready, and Set to Go

Ready, Set, Go

Due to the mess the weather has made of the mountain passes (mudslides and avalanches), all the major passes have been closed for several days. The semis line the freeway near our house, waiting for the pass to open so they can get rolling and get back to work. Although you can't read it, the sign in the photo says "Pass Closed".
(This morning the roads were clear enough to allow traffic through the pass, and now the shoulders are clear, and commerce continues.)

Water everywhere

Was it just Sunday that I was talking about the new snow coming? Well, it came--about 8". But now--Holy-Noah-Build-An-Ark, it is raining like there's no tomorrow. We've had 3 3/4" so far today, and it's still raining hard. Flooding all over the place, even in our little town. The three major mountain passes are closed because the massive amounts of rain are causing avalanches. Even the road work crews are being evacuated. The rivers are high, and it is too wet and risky to go anywhere. Ah, winter in the Northwest...

So, here are some wet shots I took inside...

Just wanted to see what it looked like in B&W--I like it. It reminds me of mercury...

Snow bird vacancy

The other day I was whining because our unseasonable snow was melting. The weather gods must've heard, because we got a new dump of about 6", and there is supposed to be another storm blowing through here tonight. This is SO unusual for the Pacific Northwest; usually this time of year all we see is rain, and more rain, followed by more rain. I am enjoying the snow to the hilt; comes from growing up in Michigan where we got immense amounts every winter.

This poor bird house is almost too covered to entice anyone inside.
(Don't know why this looks darker on Blogger. It isn't this dark on my computer...any ideas or suggestions as to the reason?)

Smooth and Dreamy

Swung by the falls today and took a long exposure of the top of the falls. The water is low enough now that you can see the different channels that form the top. When the river is high, none of these show. I am just entranced with smooth, dreamy water, and love being able to get the falls when they are low. When they are gushing, there is just too much to slow down.

Dumpster Divers and Pests

When I was out running errands this morning, I heard a rustling in the trash can next to the sidewalk. Pretty soon, out popped an opportunistic dumpster diver. Hey--no tourists equal no treats, so he figured out real quickly that he could get in and out of the trash can pretty easily. Plus, it HAS to be warmer and dryer in there!!

And this is literally a drive-by shooting (although I WISH it had been with a gun!). These are part of the local herd of elk who prefer the yards in our neighborhood. Yes, they are majestic; yes, it is exciting to see them--IF they are in someone else's yard! I had to grab this quickly as I slowed the car down and hoped I didn't slide off the road. Sorry about the quality...moving car and early morning overcast light don't make for a good exposure combo.

Beauty Under Ice

All oour lovely snow and ice is almost gone, after several days of rain. Managed to capture these a couple of days ago before the ice was completely gone. Doesn't that ice make a great texture?