Appalachian winter – Page 12 – LLOYD'S LENS PHOTOGRAPHY LLC

Remembering Wintertime Camping

If you are interested in a copy of tonight’s feature image purchase instructions are at the bottom of the article. 😊

The big chill of 2019 in full swing tonight. I look out my window at the crystalline world that surrounds me and thank God for my warm home with it’s gas heat. I thank God for the modern conveniences and the large bed with a deep pile of blankets. I haven’t participated in deer camp for several years but I do have memories camping in the winter climate. It wasn’t as cold as is this year but there was more than one occasion when the temperature was down in the teens at night. I remember one night in particular, when I was out with an ROTC group that we dug ditches to sleep in. Because we got down below the frost line we didn’t freeze. Being out in the extreme cold is certainly an experience that will test your will. It’s not something that I recommend unless you are well prepared and you’re only a few feet away from a warm shelter. Aside from sleeping in a ditch I would try to get out of wind by trying to find a spot that’s high enough up out of valleys that the cold air doesn’t settle down on top of my camp but not so high that the mountain doesn’t buffer the wind. Finding thick fir trees is also a good place to get out of wind.

I’m sure that you’ve seen the memes that advises people that “if you’re cold they’re cold” that raises awareness about pet safety in cold weather. Pets are family too and as such they’re adapted to live in the conditions we live in. Which means a warm fire and good shelter. But what if the rolls were reversed? What if we were suddenly thrust into wild on a cold night? Well, we’d need to adapt ourselves to do what the wildlife does to survive.

1. Community. Herd and pack animals rely on each other to keep warm. They keep the young near the center in order to provide the most shelter.

2. Burrowing. Foxes, chipmunks and some birds escape from freezing cold by digging below the frost line like I mentioned earlier.

3. The den. Beavers and squirrels make nests of thick piles of brush to stay nice and cozy. There’s a right way and a wrong way to do this.

This kind of thing is a young person’s game. The older I get the less need I have to challenge myself. I’ll take a warm fire and cable television over a frozen landscape any day.

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Tonight’s Feature Image is titled “Standing Against The Cold”and is available forpurchase by using the Contact Form onmy website. ( justclick on the the bell below)

(Note, I do not share or sell contact information. EVER)

4X6 is $5.00

5X7 is $10.00

8X10 is $15.00

Some cropping may be necessary for certain sizes.

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Snow Day!

Color Photography

The second polar blast of deep winter is just a few days away. It’s normal for us get a couple of these from late January to mid February and not uncommon for early March. As a kid I would always be excited to hear about a winter storm warning on the news because that meant the possibility of a snow day. Now, for some of my readers who live in warmer climates I understand that you may not fully appreciate the art of the the snow day. Have no fear, I will guide you through it. 😉

First, as soon as the morning alarm goes off you need to jump out of bed and run to the window. Do you see snow? If it’s snowing heavily then that’s a good sign but it’s not a snow day yet. Next run into the living room and turn on the news. In the old days the weatherman/girl would read the list of closed schools but today the list just scrolls across the screen or you get a notification on your app that school has been called off. Once you’ve confirmed that your school is on the list you’ll need to have a talk with mom and dad. Be mature, if they suspect that shenanigans are afoot you’re going to wind up with a babysitter. If you have access to a little brother or sister now’s the time to help them with breakfast. It’s important that mom and dad see you as capable of taking are of things. Once mom and dad have left the house in your capable hands you should spend the rest of the morning under you’re favorite blanket watching cartoons with your dog and younger sibling. Cartoons in the old days usually lasted until mid morning. In my case that’s about the time that a grandparent would make an appearance. If it was my Grandfather then there’s a chance that sleds will be hooked up to the tractor and the shenanigans are about to begin. More than likely he’s been out all morning preparing the sled run by packing the snow with the tractor tires or creating a path to pull us all over the farm. By lunchtime the ride is over and everyone goes inside for hot Cocoa and a toasted peanut butter sandwich. The rest of the day is spent alternating between sledding and cocoa until it’s time for mom and dad to come home again. Missing a day or two of school due to snow didn’t really make a difference in my education however an extra day with my Grandfather is an experience that enriched my whole life.

Tonight’s Feature Image is titled “ A Snow Day In Muddlty Creek”and is available forpurchase by using the Contact Form onmy website. ( justclick on the the bell below)

(Note, I do not share or sell contact information. EVER)

4X6 is $5.00

5X7 is $10.00

8X10 is $15.00

Some cropping may be necessary for certain sizes.

I’m also available for portraits by appointment. Use the Contact Form or message me on Facebook.

Daydreams Of A Legend

black and white photography, digital art

About tonight’s feature image, this is the same clump of willow trees that I have been photographing in different seasons for almost a year. I processed several versions of the photos but decided that the blue of the selenium filter gave the best feeling of a cold winter day. The image title is simply “The Wading Willows In January“.

The spray from Kanawha Falls seems to freeze in the air on this cold January morning. The wading willows seem to be wandering out of the mists as if they are on their way back to shore. The scene takes on an otherworldly feel that’s right out of Tolkien’s Middle Earth. If not for the soft whine of the turbines belonging to the hydroelectric dam it would be easy to forget that Route 60 was just a few steps away. Still, I have to wonder if there’s a monster lurking in the icy depths below. Not some “Devil Fish” of folklore with tenticals such but a real world monster. Every body of water has a legendary fish that’s more than just the one that got away. In my area it’s usually a catfish that’s large enough to swallow a man whole that live at the base of dams and bridges. Occasionally someone sees a V shape in the water or spots one near the surface. I’ve met at least one person who showed me an expensive fishing pole designed for fishing the ocean surf that was snapped off at the base and the hook was pulled out straight. They say that when the water is up that the really big ones come looking for new hunting grounds around the stumps and logs that are inaccessible otherwise. It would be great to rig up a big fishing pole with just the right bait on a day like this. Perhaps I could build a small fire to keep warm and settle the monster catfish issue once and for all. However, the real world need to be on time for my day job pulls me away from the quest and the really big one gets away again.

Tonight’s Feature Image is titled “The Wading Willows In January ”and is available forpurchase by using the Contact Form onmy website. ( justclick on the the bell below)

(Note, I do not share or sell contact information. EVER)

4X6 is $5.00

5X7 is $10.00

8X10 is $15.00

Some cropping may be necessary for certain sizes.

I’m also available for portraits by appointment. Use the Contact Form or message me on Facebook.

January’s Crossings 2

Color Photography

Old man winter howls in rage. His icy breath blasts across the three rivers bringing the deep chill that always comes in the last half of January and early portions of February. As I walk up the track towards the perfect spot to get my shot I’m assailed with tiny bits of ice. Somewhere off to my left I can here the panicked call of a female cardinal. She can’t seem to find her mate and she’s very worried. Instinctively I glanced down towards the direction she’s calling just in time to see something bright red drop from a twig in the underbrush. My heart sinks because the river is up and the male has fallen close to the edge. But I can’t see where he landed. The female is really freaking out now and I began to look for a way down. It’s a myth that if you touch a bird that it’s mate will reject it. There was one other time about fifteen years ago when I scooped up a stunned make cardinal out of the street and sat it gently in a safer place. As soon as I stepped away his mate flew too his side until he felt like flying home. I saw them together many times afterwards. I began to head in the direction of the place where this one fell but after just a few steps he burst forth into the sky like a rocket and rejoined his forever beloved. When he appeared the female’s calls seemed to change from panic to cheering. As they sheltered together under the overhang of a roof it occurred to me that sometimes all you need to be strong is someone who believes in you. Once assured that all was well with the cardinals I returned to shot. The old trestle bridge stood there unshaken by old man winter’s morning tantrum. Perhaps it too merely needs someone to believe in its strength in order to stand against the storm.

Tonight’s Feature Image is titled “January’s Crossings 2”and is available forpurchase by using the Contact Form onmy website. ( just click on the the bell below)

(Note, I do not share or sell contact information. EVER)

4X6 is $5.00

5X7 is $10.00

8X10 is $15.00

Some cropping may be necessary for certain sizes.

I’m also available for portraits by appointment. Use the Contact Form or message me on Facebook.

January’s Crossings 1

Color Photography

The winter winds whip across the three rivers as the steam rises up from my morning coffee. The wintery scene makes me feel like I’ve woken up inside if a snow globe. If not for the fact that I’m on my way to my day job I’d engage the four wheel drive and just idle my big blue truck through the Appalachian Mountains looking for magical places to just sit and watch the snow. The mists and snow seem to merge together as I begin to set up the shot making it look as if the other end of bridge disappears somewhere beyond the known world. For a moment I’m tempted to call off from the day job and allow my inner child to explore the frozen wilderness.

I know that if I travel beyond the bridge and up Gauley Mountain there will be frozen waterfalls with long icicles hanging from the painted sandstone cliffs. There will be little alcoves formed by snow covered bent trees that bright red cardinals play in. Across the forest floor squirrels bounce from tree trunk to tree trunk trying to remember where they stashed their acorns. It was just about that time that the real world recalled me from my daydreaming and I eased my big blue truck back onto the main road.

Tonight’s Feature Image is titled “January’s Crossings 1”and is available forpurchase by using the Contact Form onmy website. ( just click on the the bell below)

(Note, I do not share or sell contact information. EVER)

4X6 is $5.00

5X7 is $10.00

8X10 is $15.00

Some cropping may be necessary for certain sizes.

I’m also available for portraits by appointment. Use the Contact Form or message me on Facebook.