Trilliums & The Final Countdown To Spring

Color Photography

Hello Friends! Tonight’s feature image is titled “Red Trilliums 1”. If you would like to purchase a copy please use the contact instructions at the bottom of the page.

In just four days Winter 2019 comes to a close. Well, as far as the my Google Assistant is concerned anyway. Every day the sun continues to rise higher in the sky than the day before. Historically we still have a few cold days ahead but that in no way chills my excitement for return of a green forest, the explosion of colorful blooms and the buzzing of bees. We all get excited when the crocus makes it’s appearance in the early stages of spring but that’s only the beginning. Deep in the shady spots of the mountain the lush green leaves of Trilliums are waking up and pushing back the litter. You don’t really notice them at first. Then suddenly they are everywhere! The showy bloom is a rich burgundy that really stands out as you travel through the Appalachian Mountains in Spring.

One of common names for Trilliums is “Birthroot”. I’m told that in the old days that a special preparation of the root was used to induce labor. On the other hand, it could be that it shows up right about the time that livestock begins to have babies. (Always seek advice from a certified expert before taking an herbal remedy.)

There are white varieties of the flowers here as well but as the season progresses the red ones do fade to a pure white.

We still have about a month or so to go before the Trilliums come out but it is one of the things that I have looked forward to seeing all winter.

Update:

The first official day of Spring is March 20th. My next post will examine how I got it in my head that it was only 4 days.

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Hope Shines Through

Color Photography

Hello Friends! Tonight’s feature image is the lighthouse on Summersville Lake. If you would like to purchase a copy please use the contact instructions at the bottom of the page.

Old man winter continues to rage on. The old saying is that if March comes in like a lion then it goes out like a lamb. The lion is definitely roaring. In his latest antics old man winter 2019 has covered the main road with a landslide.

Have no fear. The state road workers came with heavy equipment and large trucks and have already reopened the road. So what’s this got to do with tonight’s feature image? The lamp in the lighthouse came out of the old airport beacon. When I was a child that same light would flash into the window of my bedroom and light up the room enough for me to see that I was safe. It’s very fitting that the lamp now shines from a symbol of hope. For those who may be wondering it’s not the lighthouse from my logo but it was at least part of the inspiration for my logo.

When I first started my blog one my main goals was to be a source of peace and hope in a stressed out world. I wanted to be a lighthouse on the internet. So even though March seems to be coming in like a lion and the way seems blocked I choose to focus on the positive and look for my beacon which casts it light against the storm. As I write this the clouds have already broken and the stars hang like gemstones in the sky. The small stream in my yard has somewhat receded. And of course the road is open. All in all its been a good day in spite of old man winter and his childish tantrums.

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Some Days Are For The Birds

Color Photography

Recently the warm weather allowed me to get out for a few minutes and visit the bird feeder at my dad’s house. Dad goes all out for his little feathered friends. The TV is on but he has his binoculars pressed to his face looking out the window at all the activity in the chestnut trees on the edge of the yard. The term “yard” is kinda used loosely at dad’s place. In general it’s any place where you mow plus just under the trees where the woods begin. As we observe the feeding dad recounts the events at the feeder over the past few days. He hasn’t actually named these birds out loud but he knows all of the species and individuals who frequently visit his yard. He tells me that the Common Flicker in tonight’s feature image is the boss of the yard and how he even challenges and keeps at bay the murder of crows that are larger and outnumber him. He talks about the covey of mourning doves and how one always lands on the feeder and tosses food down to the ground for the rest of them. A Pileated Woodpecker swoops in as dad talks and lands on a dead limb of a hickory tree. He hits the dead wood like a jackhammer and sends wood chips flying everywhere in his search for insects living in the wood. ( I tried to get a nice shot of the Pileated Woodpecker but he’s far too camera shy and took flight as soon as I stepped outside.) Dad has one mortal enemy at his bird feeder and surprisingly it’s not the squirrels. It’s a mob of Common Grackles that have run the bluebirds out of his yard and have even overwhelmed the Flicker on occasion. The former Marine came out in dad’s eyes when he postulated on how to defend his songbirds from the Grackles. A few minutes later he softened a little and said that God had a place for the Grackles too. Most of shots from the window didn’t really turn out well and so I put my wilderness stalking skills to work and began to ease myself closer to the feeder. Most of the birds scattered at first but soon the chickadees returned. Small and agile the chickadees figure they can be gone with a mouthful of food before the human can react. I remained as motionless as a stone until they began to ignore me. As soon as the others saw that I wasn’t chasing after the chickadees they also returned. Then finally the Flicker decided that it was time to let me know that this was his feeder. The others gave way to him as he came in for a landing. He dug into the seed mix and found the one he wanted. Then he flew directly at the camera so fast that I couldn’t adjust the focus. He pulled up at the last moment and landed on the branch above me. Few a few minutes he seemed to play peekaboo by popping out from the tree with the nut in his beak. Finally he tucked it into his hiding spot on an upper branch.

Common Flicker hiding a nut in a tree branch

I watched him repeat this stunt a few times before I went back inside to visit with dad some more and share the photos with him. I’ve been told that some days are for the birds but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. I want to encourage you to spend some time birding. The songbirds not only bring much needed beauty to the dull winter climate but also share their beautiful songs and impart a little peace to your morning.

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A Few Minutes Of Peace In A Natural Sanctuary

Color Photography

Hello Friends and thank you for your support of my page. Tonight’s feature image is titled “Sanctuary” and is available for purchase by using the contact instructions at the bottom of the page. This image is also available in black and white.

The cove of Cathedral Falls is quiet. The only sounds are the peaceful songs of the birds and the trickling of the water cascading down the rocks. Ripples emanate across the pool at the base of the cascade. Crayfish scoot about in pool and hide among the painted sandstone rocks. I take in the moment breathe in the oxygenated air at the bottom of the falls. Looking up towards the break in the canopy I notice the butterflies who seem to float down on a sunbeam and come to rest on a clump of moss for a drink. It’s a warm day and I take off my sandals and clip them to the snap link on my belt. The stone bed of the creek is worn smooth by the flowing water and a few crayfish dart out as I wade in. The water is only ankle deep but is a little cold at first. A glimmer catches my eye as I wade through. Bending over for a better look, I discover a shiny new penny. And it’s even heads up. I started to reach for it but had the second thought that maybe it’s a wish penny tossed into the pool by a child. I’m not superstitious but I suddenly felt like I was betraying the hopes of someone who made the wish and moved on leaving the penny where it landed. I’ve no need for any extra luck today anyway. All I really needed was a few minutes of peace in this natural Cathedral to seek some inspiration.

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Keeping The Wonder

Color Photography

Hello Friends and thank you for your support of my blog! Tonight’s feature image is titled “Outpouring” and is available for purchase by using the contact instructions at the bottom of the page.

I don’t really know the history of the stone wall with it’s waterfall cascading down just outside of Charlton Heights West Virginia but it’s one of favorite places to stop and catch a moment of peace. The old stone wall looks like something that could have been left behind by forgotten civilization. In my imagination I can clearly see an Indiana Jones type adventure cautiously entering the nearby cave. ( visible on right of the panoramic)

I have to admit that more than once I’ve been tempted to gear up and see if there’s a deeper level of the cave with any ancient artifacts hidden away right under our noses. However, having grown up around miners I’m well aware of the dangers of a roof collapse or that it’s possible to simply step out of the breathable air deep underground and become an artifact myself. In my wild imagination I can see an Adena architect leading his tribe as they construct the wall. Or, perhaps the cave was a mine where chert and flint were brought up out of the Earth’s depths. Perhaps later on people used the cave for shelter. Pocahontas herself traveled this area and it’s possible that she camped in this cave with it’s nearby water source. Maybe it’s better not to know. The old saying goes that “the unknown is always more grand than the truth.” Maybe it’s better in some cases to have the wonder and mystery to inspire our dreams than it is to be anchored by the mundane. An unsolved mystery can inspire multiple stories with a variety of roots and outcomes and that might be the real reason why I have not looked inside the cave or climbed up to peek over the wall. Maybe I want the mystery to endure.

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