chucks thoughts

2007-01-04T19:49:00.000-05:00

High bush cranberries, through the winter these are an important food source for the local bird population.
I took this image on New Years Eve on another grey winter's day. This has been one strange winter so far, we've very little snow and we have had much milder than normal temperatures. Can you say "global warming"?
I haven't yet been ice fishing, I don't trust the ice, soon though.
Here's hoping 2007 brings health and happiness to all.
Keep your shutters shuttering and your flashes flashing and may your batteries forever hold a charge.

Gone hunting

2006-11-07T19:18:00.000-05:00

"All I want to do is sit and enjoy the sunshine but noooooo; these kids want more food, more food!
I tell you, a mothers work is never done."
LOL

A proud parent

2006-11-05T13:19:00.000-05:00

I've been watching this eagle's nest for about five years now, eagles mate for life and return each year to the same nest until one of them dies. In this image we see only one chick but there were two, as per usual. I was in my boat taking this shot hand held with the 70-300 mm lens. Considering the waves were rocking my boat I am quite pleased with how this shot turned out, I have another I'll share in a few days.

Lawn Ornament

2006-11-03T17:11:00.000-05:00

Well, I've been traveling the back roads of my neck of the woods for many years. Every now and again I find something that just makes me shake my head. This image is an example. The way the grass is clipped around this truck makes me think it is being used as a lawn ornament. The dealer insignia on the side of this thing is from a dealer that has been out of business for probably twenty years or more.

2006-10-30T18:13:00.001-05:00

A snowshoe hare, A.K.A. a cute little bunny. This was shot about three weeks ago, if I were to photograph him today he'd be white as snow.

Blue Heron

2006-10-29T09:29:00.000-05:00

At more than a metre tall the great blue heron is Canada's largest heron. These guys are normally quite shy but this fellow decided to co-operate with us. These two shots are the same bird, in fact I shot an entire gig of images of this bird!

We had about 6-8 cm of snow overnight with more to come, as a result, I'm indoors today finally processing some of this summers photos. There are hundreds (thousands?) to label and categorize etc. In the coming weeks I'll try to get some of the better ones here.

Local History

2006-10-10T20:04:00.000-04:00

It is hard to describe this image so I'll just tell you a story instead.

This past Saturday I went back to my roots to spend some time with my sister. She still lives in the small town where we grew up, like many towns in Northern Ontario this town had it's share of characters. One such character was "Red" the trapper. Red would much rather be in the bush than in town but he had to have supplies in order to live. Apparently he would buy his canned goods etc. and have someone drive him to the end of the road. Red would then wait for the driver to leave and cache his supplies under a large tree before going about his business on his trapline. My sister and I decided we wanted to find the site of this cache, we had a good idea where the end of the road was, all we had to do was find a big tree right? Well, it was easier than I thought it would be. After reaching the end of the road we started looking, after only a few minutes we spotted a large red pine tree (below) where we began our search. Sure enough, it was the right tree! Dug into a large mound of earth he would store his goods among the roots of the tree. He was quite secretive about the location of his cache and unless one knows where to look it would be easy to walk right past it, He would store his furs there ( beaver, mink, otter, what have you) between trips to town. I would have loved to have gone inside but, is that really the right thing to do? We chose to leave it as we found it, undisturbed. Rest in peace Red, your secret is still safe.

BTW folks, as you can see the road no longer ends at this point but the tree and the cache are still standing.

Fall foliage

2006-09-19T18:34:00.000-04:00

Autumn is progressing nicely here in Norteastern Ontario. These maple trees will soon be dormant until next spring when once again they will explode in a rush of green.

A rant

2006-09-18T19:53:00.000-04:00

I have a couple dragons for you today. Dragonflies that is. I was fortunate to capture this guy as he was hovering near a pretty little pond, one of the places I like to go to get away from the craziness of the world.Sadly, the craziness sometimes takes over. Case in point, the latest news from the Middle East. Four more Canadian soldiers lost their lives today to another suicide bomber. This time the attack occurred on soldiers who were giving candy to children. What kind of society kills it's own children? Animals maybe, but not civilized people! My question though is this; What the hell is Canada doing there in a combat role in the first place? This country hasn't been in combat, it seems to me, since the Korean conflict! Our armed forces are peacekeepers and we're damn good at that. this is the role we should be in. Our military, quite frankly, is not strong enough for all out war. So why are we there? Because Prime Minister Stephen Harper lives in George Bush's back pocket! It's time this man grew a spine and said no to George. We should be there helping, but not in this role.
Having said this, I am damn proud of all the young men and women who are over there laying it all on the line so people like me can sit back in my comfortable home and write whatever crazy thoughts come to my head. Trouble is, this kind of thinking makes my head hurt, maybe I should go chase some more dragonflies. I think that is my role in the world.

A Forest?

2006-09-15T06:21:00.000-04:00

No, this is not shot from an airplane, it's not a forest of pinetrees. It's moss of course. I think we all need to learn to enjoy the small things in life.

September

2006-09-12T06:00:00.000-04:00

These images were taken on labour day.In a week or two, as nature prepares for the coming winter, the bush will be alive with colour! Reds, orange, yellow and gold. Another season of photo ops.

Making the best of a rainy day

2006-09-04T08:38:00.000-04:00

When nature gives you lemons you make lemonade right? So what's a photographer to do when nature gives him a rainy, dull, gray day? Look for something the colour of a lemon!

No goosebumps.

2006-09-01T16:26:00.000-04:00

In an attempt to not give anyone goose bumps (Sorry ndiginiz) I thought today I would take a short break and just sit and relax for awhile. This pond is certainly a good place to get away from it all. Sit here for awhile, lose yourself in the reflections.After a short time your problems will seem to fade away, at least, for a while. Join me won't you, here, let me pour you another cup of coffee. Ahh yes...this is the life........

Garter snake

2006-08-30T06:32:00.000-04:00

This guy almost got himself run over! I managed to swerve and avoid him. In appreciation of this he decided to pose for a few photos.

An old home

2006-08-29T06:07:00.000-04:00

This is just an old home I found during my latest back road journey. I love taking drives down these old roads, you just never know what you're going to find.

Grouse

2006-08-27T21:13:00.000-04:00

This grouse is safe for now, but soon it will be hunting season and he is liable to end up on someone's dinner table. I'm guessing that this fellow is a young one, it appears to not yet have all it's tail feathers.

Red Fox

2006-07-14T11:04:00.000-04:00

Spotted this guy and stopped my truck in the middle of the road. He wasn't too concerned about me at all.
Nature photography is all about missed opportunities, after snapping this shot he spotted, or heard, something in the grass behind him. A great shot would have been a shot of his hunting tactics, fox often jump straight up and come down on top of their prey. As I said, I was stopped in the middle of the road and as the fox was preparing to jump there was traffic coming up behind me. Ah well, one day the shot will come.

Eagle

2006-07-09T19:47:00.000-04:00

I've been watching an eagle's nest each year for about five years now. This regal lady was just leaving after bringing food for her two chicks. I think I'm going to like this new lens of mine.

Gull

2006-07-07T11:32:00.000-04:00

I've been playing around lately with a new lens, The AF Nikkor 70-300mm. So far I'm quite pleased, I'm able to get shots from far away like this gull, I like the separation between subject and background here. It will also focus down to 37" for near macro images. It's been a fun week!

Oh

2006-06-21T19:34:00.000-04:00

Part two of the scavenger hunt, The theme for this shot was "Oh" Trying to interpret the word Oh was easier than I first suspected. I was stepping into a garden shed when this little guy caught my eye. Almost stepping on him I said Oh. There you have it, interpretation done.

Canada

2006-06-19T18:51:00.000-04:00

I am taking part in a photo scavenger hunt with a couple of photo buddies, this shot, to me, represents Canada. It's a beaver of course. An animal that really helped to shape this nation.

a rose

2006-06-03T14:29:00.000-04:00

Not all of the pretty flowers are growing wild. This rose is the latest addition to my back yard and it looks like it will be a nice one.

Another Trillium

2006-06-02T16:10:00.000-04:00

A pink version of a trillium.

Trillium

2006-05-30T19:49:00.000-04:00

It was 30 degrees today with a humidex of somewhere around 40. I decided to search out some shade in the bush. Unfortunately, the blackflies had the same thought. These miserable little critters were so thick I thought they were going to pick me up and carry me home.
I was hoping to find some trillium, although in my mind I thought I was a couple weeks early. I thought wrong! These flowers, like most everything this year, are about two weeks ahead of themselves. As a matter of fact, some of these blooms are already starting to fade.

No Trout

2006-04-03T06:53:00.000-04:00

I came across this old house a week ago, it looks like I'll be able to get up closer after the field has dried some and explore this property, There appears to be several buildings here, all with a story to tell.
Well, my trout fishing was a bust yesterday, The river that we had planned on fishing is starting to break up. I'm sure that had we been able to jump across the water that was near shore we would have been able to fish safely all day. Sometimes though, discretion is the wiser move. As if to prove that point there was a story on the news this AM about some people that needed rescuing from the frigid water of a nearby lake. It amazes me every year that people who have lived with these conditions all their lives and should know better, yet, they continue to push the limits. Fortunately no one drowned but they were lucky. The water under the remaining ice is very, very cold and it takes only a few minutes for hypothermia to set in.
The good news for me is that I did get to spend a day in the outdoors with my son-in-law and grandson. Always a good thing to do.

Log Cabin

2006-04-01T06:53:00.000-05:00

Well, it's the first of April and it's pouring rain! That is good news as it will help melt the snow that still remains in my neck of the woods. There is still probably a metere of ice left on the lakes and that means tomorrow, weather permitting, will be a day of fishing with my son-in-law and grandson, Here's hoping for lots of trout for supper tomorrow night.

Today, for your viewing pleasure I present to you this wonderful old log cabin, complete with bathroom facilities....in the front yard.

Fishing

2006-03-28T19:49:00.000-05:00

Getting in a little late season ice fishing. In the body of water these folks are fishing I would guess that they are catching Northern Pike and maybe the tastey Pickeral a.k.a. Walleye.

Fence

2006-03-24T19:23:00.000-05:00

While I was shooting the barn series last week I came across this lovely fence.

Barns, Last Of The Series (Maybe)

2006-03-22T18:49:00.000-05:00

Hopefully this shot looks very old as that was certainly my intent. I'm sure some of you are getting tired of my passion for old buildings so I'll put these on the back shelf for now.

Red Barn

2006-03-18T16:42:00.000-05:00

This barn is not quite as old as some of the others here but I love this
photo, The credit does not belong to me though, This shot was taken during
an outing with my sister, Maggie,who is my best friend and often my photo
buddy, this shot is hers

Barn #3

2006-03-16T18:45:00.000-05:00

As the title suggests this is the third in the series. Needing opinions here, while I like the composition with the barn and the tree but, did I leave a little too much sky?

Barn #2

2006-03-14T08:38:00.000-05:00

I've been driving passed this barn for years, finally I stopped to take a few shots. I would love to be able to get a little closer and get a feel for the character of this building, before it falls right over.

A Barn , First In A Series

2006-03-13T08:01:00.000-05:00

Well, we've had some nice weather the last week or so and I've been able to take advantage. On the weekend I drove some of the back roads in the area.

Spring Reflections

2006-03-11T10:06:00.000-05:00

Howdy folks, well it's been a few days since I've got anything up here. I am a little tired right now. I've been "between careers" since being downsized in late November. Well, this passed week I had an opportunity to spend three days working in a local sawmill. It's a huge change for me, I had spent the last few years behind a desk and going to such a physical job I am a little sore right now, Hopefully this job will grow to something permanent, it won't take too long to get into shape.
In the meantime, spring is slowly progressing, some of the snow is starting to melt and the roadside ditches are filling with water. I was attracted to the reflections in the water here. This shot was taken on Tuesday, the day before the sawmill job.

Marg's Log Cabin

2006-03-07T09:29:00.000-05:00

This is the view from "Marg's Log Cabin Restaurant" A great place for a light lunch or a full meal, and some friendly conversation

Door

2006-03-06T10:23:00.000-05:00

This is a door to an old cottage. I was attracted to the grain in the wood as well as that lovely patina.The bottom shot is just a tight crop of the original, as such I have no larger version available.

Canoes

2006-03-05T11:55:00.000-05:00

These canoes seem to be waiting for a time when they will again feel the rush of water against their bodies. Waiting to hear the sploosh of paddles, and, waiting for the excitement of not knowing what adventures await, just around the next bend in the stream.

Birch Tree

2006-03-02T08:37:00.000-05:00

A lone Birch tree, it won't be too long now until this guy gets his leaves back.

Hometown

2006-03-01T09:02:00.000-05:00

This is the small town where I grew up. Many years ago.

Dying Tree

2006-02-28T08:25:00.000-05:00

Finally, I managed to get outdoors with a friend. It was a nice bright sunny day, we had to deal with a nasty windchill but I did manage a good amount of decent pictures.
Today's shot is certainly not the prettiest picture, but I wanted to post it because it is very interesting. This is another jackpine tree and it will soon die, it has had most of it's bark peeled off. You may ask "What kind of vandal would peel bark off a tree?" Not a vandal at all, just a porcupine who needs to eat.

jackpine

2006-02-25T09:31:00.000-05:00

Even the Jackpines are dressed in their finest winter clothes.

Snowy Path

2006-02-24T11:50:00.000-05:00

I often complain about the cold and snow, but the fact is, I would live no where else in the world. There is nothing quite like walking down a snowy path with the snow crunching under your feet. Especially when there is hot chocolate and a bon fire waiting at the end of your walk.

Winter Sunset

2006-02-23T08:39:00.000-05:00

A sunset is the winter doesn't quite make me feel as warm as sunset in the summer.

Snow

2006-02-22T09:45:00.000-05:00

I love the peacefulness here. This shot was taken severel weeks ago and there is a LOT more snow now.

Barn

2006-02-20T08:24:00.000-05:00

Colourful Trees

2006-02-18T15:19:00.000-05:00

Howdy folks, I've been busy the last couple days and haven't been able to visit many blogs, but that will change soon. this is another shot from the autumn.

Golden Road

2006-02-17T08:37:00.000-05:00

We've been dumped on by the snow again! Agghhhhh!
This is a shot from October of last year.

Canada Thistle

2006-02-16T08:09:00.000-05:00

Once again a non-current photo. I think what happens in Canada is, come February we are a little tired of the cold and the snow so our minds naturally gravitate to warmer times. At least that's how my mind works.
This is a Canada Thistle(Cirsium arvense) A European introduction, it's flower head is about 2.5 cm wide. They grow all over the place.

Bumblebee Moth

2006-02-15T08:23:00.000-05:00

Yesterday John was asking if the extreme cold can freeze our fuel. In a word, yes, if you happen to have some water in your gas (petrol). There is an additive we can buy to put in the tank to avoid freezing. It's called gas line anti-freeze. Sounds like a good name eh? I beleive it's methyl hydrate.
Most people in the winter like to keep the tank as full a possible, this helps to avoid any condensation forming in the tank. In addition, occasionly door locks and the like will freeze up on us. It's fun!!

This picture is a bumblebee moth taking nectar from a yellow hawkweed. This shot was taken July of '04 and I remember following this guy around a gravel pit for at least an hour trying to get him to sit still long enough for a shot at him.

Frosty

2006-02-14T08:18:00.000-05:00

Howdy folks, well we hit -30c overnight. These passed few nights will be going a long way towards curing the slush problems on the local lakes. This particular shot was taken last October.

Grouse

2006-02-13T07:56:00.000-05:00

This ruffed grouse is not as fat as he appears. He has his feathers all puffed up against the cold.

Water Lily

2006-02-12T08:06:00.000-05:00

Another archived image for you today. I like the water drops on this one.

Still Chilly

2006-02-11T15:06:00.000-05:00

This is a different river than yesterday's shot, the flow here is a little slower freezes every winter.

The Pike River

2006-02-10T08:03:00.000-05:00

It was cold this morning, - 27c when I got out of bed. It is sunny and is a pleasant winter's day.

Winter Is Too Long

2006-02-09T08:22:00.000-05:00

I have no decent current photos, so to the archives I go.
This is a young mallard duck who really thought I couldn't see him.

Another Grey Day

2006-02-08T09:11:00.000-05:00

I want to go fishing! Somewhere within that red circle is my fishing hut where I should be ice fishing. Problem is, between shore and my hut there is slush, roughly knee deep! All that snow we've had the last few days is on top of that slush, insulating it, keeping it from freezing.

Footprints

2006-02-07T08:24:00.000-05:00

Well, we've survived the snow storms of the weekend, apparently there is more on the way.
Really though, it's not so bad. Living here you just learn to deal with it. There are certainly lots of people in this world that face worse conditions than me. In the meantime, like goes on, as it does for the small critter that made the tracks above.

We Need The Snow

2006-02-06T11:51:00.000-05:00

We had a wee bit of a snowstorm! My wife took these shots Sunday morning. Today, Monday, we had almost that much again! Honestly, I couldn't get out the front door. The back end of my house is higher off the ground and we were able to escape that way.
I've titled this "we need the snow" because really we do, until recently we have not had near as much as we should for this time of year. The snow is what replenishes our groundwater come spring, it's all a part of the the cycle.

The shot at the top shows a good idea of the depth of snow. Down the driveway there you can see our car, and, behind that is the wife's school bus!

BTW I seem to have caused some confusion this picture is not current, it was taken last August.

The Clouds Are Speaking

2006-02-05T09:05:00.000-05:00

I can't explain my attraction to the sky, but, there is definitly something there.

A Splash Of Summer

2006-02-04T08:27:00.000-05:00

It's the dead of winter here in Canada, There is a storm warning in effect. We are a few days into February, the shortest month. Really though, this seems like the longest month of the year. February is like the peak, once we get through this month we know it's downhill to spring and then on to warmer days.
In February I often think ahead.

Not much processing in this one, some cropping to get the clouds where I wanted them, and, as usual, just a small bump of saturation.

Colours pt 3

2006-02-03T09:45:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, Roger asked about post processing. Fact is, I do as little processing as possible. There is the obvious of course. I usually shoot RAW so I need to convert that before I do anything. Also slight exposure adjustments, white balance etc. Other than that, occasionally I’ll tweak the saturation, sometimes sharpen things a bit, play with levels or curves. To me subtlety is key.

Often I like to do things in B&W.

Sometimes I’ll get a bit “artsy” and go all hog wild. Like the spot colour here.

For today’s shot, I upped the saturation and used a slight unsharp mask.

This will be the last from this building for the time being.

Colours pt 2

2006-02-02T07:43:00.000-05:00

Yesterday Ana wanted to see some more of the building. Your wish is my command.

Colours

2006-02-01T08:36:00.000-05:00

An old building that holds many memories for me.

Pinecones

2006-01-31T08:40:00.000-05:00

Sunday was very dull day. I find the trick on a day like that is to get up close.
This is a detail of a jackpine tree.

Nature takes over

2006-01-30T08:30:00.000-05:00

Yesterday in his blog Davd had a shot of an old crane. He mentioned a tree that was growing in and around the boom. Well folks, it goes to show, no matter how hard we try to control it, nature will eventually take back what's hers. The photo above shows a tree "taking over" a fence. The tree is actually growing around the wires and as it grows the fence is being lifted. The shot below is a closer view.

Spring Flowers??

2006-01-29T08:26:00.000-05:00

Just an old wooden barrel that someone has recycled for a different purpose.

Butter'n'eggs

2006-01-28T09:00:00.000-05:00

Obviously this was not taken recently. These guys won't be blooming again until around July or August.

Cranberries

2006-01-27T08:52:00.000-05:00

One more view of the cranberries from yesterday's post. Looks like a pleasant weekend coming up for me here in the North. Hopefully we'll find some interesting shots for you.

A Little Different

2006-01-26T08:43:00.000-05:00

Something a little different for me today. Looking for opinions on this. Be honest!

Tall Grass

2006-01-25T08:41:00.000-05:00

A simple image of some snow covered grass. Not sure what this grass is called, it stands about 7-8 feet tall.

Snowy Lake

2006-01-24T08:20:00.000-05:00

Red

2006-01-23T08:57:00.000-05:00

Well, I spent some time at the cottage this weekend hoping to do some ice fishing. We do actually take part in this activity although, as stated Saturday, we much prefer summer fishing. Anyway, conditions just didn't allow me to take my snowmobile out on the lake. There is slush everywhere. Our winter has been far too mild this year and we need a few days of -40 temps to tighten things up for us.

If I can't fish for the weekend I can still go for a short walk to see what I can find. This rather precariously balanced bucket certainly caught my eye.

What's wrong with snow?

2006-01-21T08:35:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I put up a photo of a snow covered lawn chair. In my description I taked about waiting for the snow to melt. In her comment Heidi said,

"Chuck?!? What is wrong with the Snow? Enjoy it as long as you have got some! Snow is a bit slippery, true, but it makes for such good pictures me thinks!"

Well, my response is the above photo. My wife, in silhouette, and I love fishing from our little boat. That's hard to do this time of year when the ice is 3-4 feet thick.

She is absolutely right though, if you've any doubts about the beauty of snow. check out Heidi's blog. This is a lady who knows how to photograph the snow.

Waiting for Spring

2006-01-20T08:33:00.000-05:00

Just like me, this chair is waiting for the snow to go away.

Tiny Beauty

2006-01-19T07:58:00.000-05:00

A pair of damsel flies.

The River

2006-01-18T10:59:00.000-05:00

This is the Blanche River, near where it exits Round Lake. Shot was taken a few weeks ago on one of our very rare sunny days.

Stir Crazy

2006-01-17T08:25:00.000-05:00

This time of year here in Northeastern Ontario the predominant colour is white. I sometimes get a little tired of white, day after day after day. So today I thought I'd cheer things up a little with some green and blue, yummy.

Cold Drift

2006-01-16T08:32:00.000-05:00

It was pretty cold out this weekend so I didn't get a lot of pics. This was one of them. I found the shape of this snow drift to be interesting. Snow is a tough thing to capture, any hints would be appreciated

The Simple Things

2006-01-14T09:50:00.000-05:00

The madness that is our world sometimes drives me crazy. I find that the only thing to do is to step back, take a deep breath, and forget about the world for awhile. This little guy isn't worried about paying bills, or getting the latest cell phones or the newest, biggest TV screen. He doesn't worry about who to vote for in the election. No, all he wants is a handful of peanuts from me. And in return, he lowers my bloodpressure.

Snowy Field

2006-01-13T07:56:00.000-05:00

The Naked Tree

2006-01-12T12:01:00.000-05:00

Just a big old tree with no leaves on it.

Rust

2006-01-11T08:31:00.000-05:00

There's just something about rust isn't there?

Cattails

2006-01-10T08:22:00.000-05:00

This shot is for a friend of mine who like cattails.

Rose Hips

2006-01-09T10:56:00.000-05:00

The background is a little busy here isn't it? Still, It's blurred enough to be not too distracting. Any thoughts on that?

Blue Sky

2006-01-08T14:28:00.000-05:00

We actually do get blue skies in January.
People who know me personally know that I am not a fan of winter. There are two undeniable truths about winter in Northeastern Ontario. When we do get a blue sky it is a deeper blue than we see in summer. This shot was taken without a polarizing filter and the blue was not enhanced in post work. In fact all I did in post was to crop it a wee bit. Secondly, when we find a splash of colour in the winter it really seems to pop. You'll see an example of that tomorrow.

A Frame

2006-01-08T09:32:00.000-05:00

This shot is also from the archives. I love the aframe inside the aframe.

I managed to get outdoors yesterday. It was another dull flat light kind of day but I will share a few photos from that drive. But the big news is the sun is shining right now, It's a little chilly so I need to be careful with the equipment but I am going out the door as soon as I am done this.

Cold Jackpine

2006-01-07T09:14:00.000-05:00

Brrrrr! 'nuff said

Reflections

2006-01-06T08:27:00.000-05:00

Some days all a person needs is something to help them just drift away into nothingness. This is such a shot. Just stare at this picture for awhile and see where it brings you. Let your mind go wherever it goes............enjoy

Misty Lake

2006-01-05T16:15:00.000-05:00

I've been in a bit of a photographic slump lately, call it the winter blahs I suppose but it's been tuff getting out there and finding things to photograph so I'm back in the archives again. Not that this is a bad thing. The whole purpose of photography is the capability to go back to a time and place that pleases me. This shot certainly does that for me, It was taken early in the morning from the front deck of my cottage. There's nothing better than being the first out of bed and just sitting, sipping that first cup of coffee, and watching the world come to life.

red berries

2006-01-04T15:10:00.000-05:00

Well it's still pretty grey outside, I'd like to know where our clear, cold super blue skies of January are. Actually, the weekend is looking promising if we can believe Environment Canada.
Anyway, I thought I'd dig through the archives today and give you a patch of colour. This was shot sometime in the fall.

LONELY TABLE

2006-01-02T13:34:00.000-05:00

Walking along a quiet lakeshore yesterday, I came across this obviously well used picnic table. This was a nice little bonus for me as the lighting was again very dull and finding a decent photo was a challenge. Add to that the dissapointment I felt when I discovered 8 inches of slush on top of the ice. So much for ice fishing on this day.
Soon I hope to get out on the lake and capture something interesting with the camera. Have a good day folks.

Calendar

2005-12-31T11:27:00.000-05:00

THE MONTREAL RIVER

I've had people tell me this is a calendar shot and while I am not so sure of that it is one of my personal favs.

This was taken from a bridge on Highway 65 between Matachewan and Elk Lake ON.

Frost

2005-12-30T13:12:00.000-05:00

Earlier this morning I posted two shots that were taken yesterday. I made mention of how cold I felt as I was taking these shots. Well, this morning I woke up and it's quite a bit colder this morning but the sky is nice and blue. It's pretty much what a late December day should be in this part of the country, about -18c when I got up this morning. When I looked out the front door I was greeted with this......

This one here at the botom is simply a tighter crop of the first. Enjoy, and bear in mind that shivering was created by nature as a way to keep warm so shiver away.

A grey day

2005-12-30T08:42:00.000-05:00

Sometimes in the winter you just don't get the light you are really looking for. So, you wait, hoping for a change in the conditions.
Find a nice restaurant to have lunch. In this case we were in the small town of Matachewan, which is where I grew up. Lunch was at a place called Marg's Log Cabin Restaurant.
On the shores of the Montreal River there is a wonderful view of the river, above, the food was great, and the company was even better.

The shot below is another view of the river, taken from just across the road.
This is an example of what you can do in poor light conditions. Don't try getting something that is not there, there was no colour to be had, so why try? Make a B&W image. I think this shot feels cold, I was facing North here and there was a pretty good breeze coming down the river. Brrr! Of course the picnic table is simply waiting for a warmer time, waiting to once again hear the laughter of children as they play in the water. Let the countdown to spring begin.

Welcome

2005-12-29T11:34:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the blog, this is the first entry here so please bear with me. I thought I would start with a classic winter scene. A large spruce tree which had produced a lot of cones the previous summer. All comments and critigues are welcomed