Forest Path 

When the spring comes, the Mountain Laurel blooms. In the beginning, it is just a batch of Pink Nubs, but soon those nubs become delicate Flowers. And, at last the woods are bathed in Pink . 

My local park has a great selection of native animals on display. The park is great for families to walk around and have a picnic on. Here are some photos of Eastern Kangaroos, Red Kangaroos and Emus.
The Eastern Grey Kangaroo (Macropus giganteus) is a marsupial found in southern and eastern Australia, with a population of several million. Although a big Eastern Grey male typically weighs around 66 kg (145 lb.) and stands almost 2 m (6 ft.) tall, the scientific name, Macropus giganteus (gigantic large-foot), is misleading, as the Red Kangaroo of the semi-arid inland is larger.
The Red Kangaroo (Macropus rufus) is the largest of all kangaroos and the largest surviving marsupial. It is found across mainland Australia, avoiding only the more fertile areas in the south, the east coast, and the northern rainforests. Red Kangaroo's legs work much like a rubber band. The male Red Kangaroo can leap in full force approximately 9.14 meters in one leap. Males grow up to 1.8m (6 feet) tall and weigh up to 187lbs . Females grow up to 1.1m (3.6ft) tall and weigh up to 77lbs . Tails can be up to 1m (3ft) along.
The Emu, (Dromaius novaehollandiae) is the largest bird native to Australia. It is also the second-largest extant bird in the world by height, after its ratite relative, the ostrich. The soft-feathered, brown, flightless birds reach up to 2 m (6 ft) in height. The Emu is common over most of mainland Australia, although it avoids heavily populated areas, dense forest and arid areas. Emus can travel great distances at a fast, economical trot and, if necessary, can sprint at 50 km/h (30 mph) for some distance at a time. They are opportunistically nomadic and may travel long distances to find food; they feed on a variety of plants and insects.

Eastern_Grey Baby_Red Big_Red Emu_1 Emu_2 Emu_3  

Tiny ice forest on edge of heated bird bath
    ~~Frosty Edge_2
Two views of hoar frost on kitchen window
    B&W~~Frosty Window_1
    Colorized~~Frosty Window_2

One of the things I particularly love about cemeteries beyond the quiet and solitude is the fact that, being Hallowed Ground, nature is allowed to flourish in a way that, in most places, it cannot. With a single exception, they represent my city's only urban forest areas. Needless to say, the cemetery is a great place to go to take in some Color and enjoy the way the Shadows Fall in the golden Autumn light.

I was on my way to the funeral of a friends father, in beautiful Forest Lawn Cemetery and I had arrived quite early....

Statue 1
Statue 2
Statue 3 Statue 4

I thought they were lovely...hope you like them!
Comment welcome!

Blessings!

We took a trip to the high country yesterday. Went to Tuscarora State Forest and into the Hemlock Natural Area and walked the Bear Pond Trail.

To get to this hidden spot you need to drive on 4 miles of Gravel Road to get to Hemlocks Natural Area.

It didn't take long to get Cindy On The Bear Pond Trail.

This is a very small sampling of what we saw.
Acorn
The Bear Pond Trail
Woodpecker Tree
Downed Log
Web
Fungus
Hairstreak Caterpillar

Though there are black bears in this area, we were not lucky enough to come across one, but we did get lucky and saw a Bald Eagle soaring overhead.

A top notch day for sure.

A stroll through the woods on Saturday revealed a forest floor of fabulous fungi. I apologize if there are too many, but I couldn't choose.
Ant Umbrella
Ant Umbrella 2
Crater
Don't Eat Me
Forest Chair
Glowing Orange Mushroom
Where are Frog and Toad?

I love landscape photography! Somehow when ever I have tried to record the beauty before me, the results are flat and uninteresting!

With time and a rare case of patients I tried again.

Where: Yorktown Battlefield NPS
Scene: Forest and open fields.
The Results

Not being totally convienced on my success...comments, helpful hints and ideas welcome!

With my wife driving, we left San Pedro on our way through Long Beach.  For some reason, I recalled how the Sailors of World War II, Korea, and Viet Nam eras would no longer recognize this area.

Leaving San Pedro we approach the Vincent Thomas Bridge which will take us to Terminal Island, once home to a major Navy Base.

As we leave the opposite side of the Thomas bridge, we have a view of what used to be the Long Beach Naval Station.  Now just a forest of huge cranes and  shipping containers.  Nothing is left of the Base, the dozer blades took everything.

Leaving Terminal Island, we travel a modern bridge, where as late as 1960 we crossed on a pontoon bridge, sometimes taking hours.

Dropping down onto Ocean Ave., now home to upscale hotels, restaurants, and high rise apartments and condos, where Sailors once pulled liberty, spending most of their time at The Pike, a famous amusement park, now gone, existing 1902 - 1979.

Ocean Ave., where The Pike was once the number one attraction, but now gone  along with the Sailors who used to be a major source of the local   economy.

In place of The Pike, condos like this one, with view decks, offering panoramas from Catalina Islands to the Hollywood Hills.

Likely the most famous landmark of Long Beach is the Villa Rivera, built in 1928 as an elegant residence for people of means, now worn and seedy, but here wrapped in canvas as the French Gothic building undergoes complete inside/outside rennovations.

I hope that Sailors of yesteryear and others who have not visited Long Beach in several years will enjoy this bit of nostalgia.  

We had a long drive today from Estes Park to Boise, ID.  I am tired.  I tried the last two nights to download pictures and the connection would not let me.  See how this works.  Most of these are from Wild Bill Hickcocks Ranch in Nebraska, and the storm is from Estes Park, CO.
Cody Window
Trying to Hide
Storm Coming

We saw a lot of forest fires this evening as we came into Idaho.

The mattresses are burning. The streets are lined with car husk, the wind whips through them carrying the smell of fried catnip. Wild Dingos roam the alleyways searching for food, and some where a baby is crying. Glass crunches under my sneakers as I walk. This is my home, these are my streets, this is my city. The city of Warren.

It wasn't always like this. Long ago before the burning mattresses and broken glass men like my father kept these streets safe. He fought and died to protect us from this hell. I am a Pumpkin Head, though we don't call ourselves that anymore. Now that we've been placed in this ghetto where no one cares. Back before the Pigs and the Man took over Warren we were more than just poor wrecks huddled in the darkness. We were a proud, successful people, with our own businesses and shops. We practically built Warren with our bare hands, brick by brick. In '87 after the "Great War" Thousands of us migrated into the city and made it our home. Now we call ourselves Punk'n's and lower or heads in shame. We lost our pride and our city to thieves and murderers who call their selves elected officials. Most of our young can't even finish school, putting food on the table is more of a priority now. Most my age run in gangs, fighting over their corners of the ghetto. Drugs and poverty have all but ruined my people. My father tried to stop this from happening but he was gunned down less than a block from our home when the Man came in with his Bears and Block Heads. The day my dad died they lit the first mattresses on fire and they've been burning every since. They say when the Man is brought down and all the bears are beat back to the Old Mountain, that the mattresses will stop burning. For now the thick black smoke ain't going no where and neither are we.

I'm on my way to work. I flip rat burgers down at Warts. I work the swing shift because of the curfew. If any Punk'n's gets caught outside the ghetto after midnight then it's off to the poky. The Blocks'll rough a kid up to for doing nothing but walking home. I was caught once the squares almost bashed my brains out. I had to lay out of school for a week. But I'd rather fight a gang of Block's  than one  Bear. People around here always talk about how my dad once fought two Bears all by himself.
I wave to Miss Johnston hanging out the window of her apartment. She spits black tar at my feet and grins. you see some people in the ghetto (especially the kind with fur instead of green skin) like to say my father is the one who caused all this. Had he not fought back against the man and quietly excepted the fact that the poor people in this city were being marginalized and made even poorer than they already were, that we wouldn't be trapped behind these burning mattresses. They would rather just be looked down upon than stepped on they say. What they don't realize is that if my father hadn't fought back then we none of us may even still be here.  Their afraid that if we were pushed outside the city we'd team with the monkeys in the forest and tear down that ridiculous wall they've put up.  
The Old-Heads know this and they've looked out for my family every since dad was killed. Like Mr. Wart who I work for, he always hates it when I call him that. "Call me Sarge!" he says. The old Boar and my Pops fought side by side on the Ab. It's just me and Mom and my little sis Bree now. Sometimes I worry about her falling in with one of the gangs in the neighborhood, like the Vines or the Rap tors. Ma says not to worry, but Bree didn't have the favor of knowing Pa like me. He wouldn't have wanted her growing up this way either. Pumpk'n's killing Pumpk'n's for nothing. I try to keep my pop's memory alive for her. It's hard sometimes trying to carry my family and finish school. I feel like I'm doing too much for a kid my age but not enough for the times.
At least I have my friends to hang out with and take my mind away. My best bud Mikey and his gal Maggie. Of course theres my number one girl Velveeta. Next to Bree and Ma she's the most important thing in my life. We have a pretty god time here and there. Mikey has been my best friend since we were little sprouts. Our dad's fought together on the Ab only Mikes Dad got caught and instead of killing him they just locked him out of the City up on the old mountain. He used to work at Warts till he got canned for sleeping on the job. Mikey keeps me laughing and I couldn't get along without him. Maggie's pretty outrageous too, she's a dog but hangs out in the slums with all us Punk'n heads (even though her parents own a brownstone in the new district).  You don't find a lot of her kind down here but if ask anybody -especially her- she's one of us. And it's more than just the spikes and 'hawks. She's the only one who can keep up with Vel. Violet Cinclare Rassiberri but we just call her Velveeta, cause she's the cheesiest! The names stuck since we were sprouts. Vel's the best thing that ever happened to me. She was my rock when Pop's was killed . Crazy as loon no one can hope to put a hold on her but if I have my way one day she'll be my wife and we can raise little seedlings of our own. Hopefully not in this stinking ghetto.
If I had one wish it'd be to end this segregation and restore Warren to one city with no wall around it. Kids my sis's age don't even know what it was like before and most my age are starting to forget.  And those that do remember don't talk about it much. They mostly hang there heads in shame if they live on this side of the mattresses and if they don't...Well I don't talk to them much. Mom says I worry too much about the past. "That was then-this is now" she says. I think she's worried Bree'll turn out as hard-headed as me. Old Sarge though tells it like it is that's why I like him. He remembers the good old days and don't mind talking about'em like they were good and not something to regret. I  don't even mind that he spits when he talks or that e's alway chomping down on some tattered cigar butt. His big tusk jutting out and food all stuck to his fur. Mom ask after him a lot but for some reason Ole' Sarge never can make it by. I think the ghettos bring up too many of the bad memories.  

"You're late." Sarge barks.

"No I'm not man, be easy." I reply

"Yeah! You are! The Clock reads 4:04" He said pointed at the grease covered time piece hanging on the wall. "The Man done went and moved up time again."

"Shit biscuits! How was I supposed to know?" The man has a tendency of pushing the clocks forward to suit his needs. Never bothers to tell us little people.

"Don't matter. You're late is all I know. Don't let it happen again kid."

"Yes sir." I grumble as I tie on my apron and get to work.

There's no way I could have known about the time skip, I won't watch the bloody tube unless there's news pertaining to the ghetto. Which there never is. Most of warren likes to pretend we don't exist. Just sweep us under the rug and quietly live on our backs. I don't dare try to argue with Sarge the last Punk'n that tried ended up tossed out the back door on his head. Mikey's still smarting from that one.  It's about to be the evening rush as it is.
They file in noisily from their jobs around the diner. Construction workers, businessmen, hustlers and pimps, all sorts come through the doors and I bust my hump flipping rats and shoveling catnip burgers out the window. My hand gets numb from popping the bell.  After nine hours I finally slow down enough to get started washing the dishes. Then it's a quick mop and out the door to the train. Gotta run sometimes to catch beat the curfew, but tonight I'm just too tired. I can't even put my jacket on I just draped it over my shoulder and drag myself down Market past Moleswerth. I stop and look stare in the window at all he gadgets I could never afford. I stare extra long and hard at a pair of pink slippers. The kind ballerinas where all slick and shiny. Not for me of course, but for Vel. Her birthday's coming soon and I hope to have enough saved up to buy'em for her.  Before I realize it I hear the train coming and I turn to run into the tunnels.

In a few weeks, we are heading off for two weeks in China. This will be our first return since bringing Anna home in August of 2001. I am planning on doing some podcasting and blogging while we're on the road, showing the sights and sounds of China along with some observations. I have created a personal blog for this purpose. Today I created a test podcast. I took a photo excursion out to the Woodrill Scientific and Natural Area.

I've included the link to my blog below. I would sincerely appreciate having folks at Photographica help in testing out the podcast. There is a link for comments. I'd love to hear how it works for you on your system. I also encourage you to subscribe to the blog/podcast if you are interested in getting the updates from China. I'll also post some stories here as well.

You might find that you need to download the free Quicktime Player from Apple to view this podcast. I have included a link to Apple's Quicktime site below.

http://web.mac.com/tomnorthenscold/iWeb/China

http://www.apple.com/quicktime

We will head East out of Springfield, Oregon up the McKenzie Highway and hang a right and head South on Forest Service Road 19 for about 30 miles. Not to worry, it is an old haul road and is paved all the way. Now hang a left and head North on  Road 1958. It is a good rock road and was used as a haul road back in the 60's when they were logging up there. Take the first dirt spur road to the right after you pass Crossing Way. It is the road that went up to the landing where the hauled the logs up the hill and stacked them for loading onto the log trucks. Now Open Your Eyes  and look around. Your view is to the North East. The three largest mountains from left to right are the North, Middle and South Sisters. (The South is growing every day due to pressure build up. She is a sleeping volcano.) You can see two other peaks to the left kind of over the top of that tree in the foreground. They are Mount Washington and Jefferson.

I know the midday lighting wasn't the best to shoot in and I am going to get back up there when we have some good sunset lighting and reshoot this. I also want to shoot it when the thunderstorms are brewing over there.

OK... sorting and thinning is done. Time to play in the digital darkroom.

While in North Carolina I was lucky to visit this beautiful place.Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest is one of the finest example of old growth deciduous forest in the eastern USA..And to nature lovers like myself feels almost like sacred ground or something..Again playing with my new rebel slowing down the shutter speed to get some "motion"in the water..Thanks for looking and have a good week everybody!Joice Kilmer Memorial Forest

until I get tired of these.

These were taken at, or around, Petrified Forest National Park, in northern Arizona.

Vacation pictures

And, yes kitzi, the thumb is our camping rig.

Plus, a bonus: This is for sadwaitress, I title it, 'Bath Time'

For the last few weeks here in Florida, we have had many forest fires appox 150,000 acres statewide. The upper winds carry the smoke and the lower atmosphere keeps it close to the ground giving the impression of fog. Its hard to breathe and smells like 10,000 campfires.
Normally you can get a clearview Sun and this is the same view last week PICT0017 PICT0032.

Its cleared up where I live and so the birds have come back out. Here is another shot of my woody2  :)

We have all seen it , the reflection of sunlight off of a meandering river, sparkling and hypnotic or the tree shaded path through the forest at dusk with silent penetrating beams and fantastic shades of the light dance on the forest floor, this is the realm of fairies and elves. The scent of damp moss in the dark corners keep you from straying off the path ,you turn in the sunlight and they watch you from unseen parts ,curious and afraid. The forest is getting darker now ,you can hear the sound of laughing and music very faintly all around. Next you awake and rise from your bed and make a pact with yourself to find and photograph natures beauty in all its shapes and forms

Periodically, my wife and I have to get out of the house. We took an extended weekend, part of which involved several hours at the Whits Sands National Monument (adjacent to the White Sands Missile Testing Range) near Alamogordo, NM.

The Scale of the desert is awesome (a word which seems  over used - mostly by folks who are overwhelmed by the unremarkable - however, I think it actually fits in this case).

Even on a smaller scale, the details of the 275 square mile White Sands dune field offers photo opportunities that are unparalleled.

And, when you're not focused on the vastness on one hand, or the details on the other, there are always phenomena like the Dust Devil my wife pointed out to me while I was trying to take it all in.

For what it's worth, on the technical side, the originals of these images were deliberately underexposed by about a stop and a half to avoid burning out the details in the white sand. In editing, I made minor adjustments in PS levels for the final images. Oh, yeah .. did I mention that I used a polarizing filter as well?

The five day, extended weekend "walkabout" yielded some three hundred images, including the Salt River Canyon, Petrified Forest and Painted Desert in Arizona as well as the "Gathering of Nations" in Albuquerque, NM. Some of the images will survive my amateurish editing and get posted. Stay tuned. It may take a few minutes ... I'm gainfully employed.

Brand new pictures for the current challenge from the Black Forest Germany, I hope you'll like it.

ISO 100
ISO 64

Snapshot    Close Up