When the leaves disappear, subtler natural forms start to emerge. This twist of grape tendril caught my eye on my way up Taft Road.
Panasonic GX8, Olympus 60mm macro lens, ISO 800, f/7.1, 1/800″ exposure
Early ice and reflected sky in one of the beaver ponds along Taft Road.
There’s quite a growing complex of beaver ponds along Taft Road now. Cold temperatures have started to close the open water, and the beavers are working overtime (if there is such a thing in beaverland…) to gather enough food to make it though the winter in their lodges bound by ice.
Panasonic GX8, Lumix 14-140mm lens @ 46mm, ISO 800, f/9, 1/500″ exposure.
Intricate frost crystals grow on rugosa rose leaves in the chilly morning air.
Nikon D600, Sigma 105mm macro lens, ISO 800, f/16, 1/400″ exposure
Many years ago, Robin pulled a red oak sapling out of the woods and planted it at the edge of our front yard. It’s now about 25′ tall and one of the showcase trees on our property (despite being decapitated in 2014…) This time of year it’s leaves look like they’re rusting. They cling to the branches well into the winter with some not dropping until new leaves push out in the spring. There are quite a few dried leaves from last season still on the branches…
Panasonic GX8, Lumix 14-140mm lens @ 46mm, ISO 800, f/5.2, 1/640″ exposure
Four of the Taft’s Jersey heifers don’t seem to be paying too much attention to the view along Shaker Mountain Road.
Panasonic GX8, Lumix 14-140mm lens @ 46mm, ISO 800, f/13, 1/100″ exposure
Late season chicory sports a fringe of frost.
Nikon D600, Sigma 105mm macro lens, ISO 1250, f/13, 1/60″ exposure.
We planted two tamaracks in our front field a few years ago, and they’re doing quite well. This time of year, these deciduous conifers turn a brilliant yellow-gold before dropping their needles. They’re one of the last brightly colored trees in the fading fall.
Panasonic GX8, Olympus 60mm macro lens, ISO 800, f/8, 1/200″ exposure.
We put our bird feeders back up the other day and the usual suspects are coming back. It took the chickadees about 10 minutes to discover the feeders. A pair of evening grosbeaks showed up yesterday. We used to get great flocks of grosbeaks in the winter maybe 15 years ago. In recent years, however, they’ve been quite scarce. I’m not sure why that is, but is was nice to see the pair yesterday. I wonder if they’ll stick around.
Panasonic GX8, Lumix 100-300mm lens @ 286mm, ISO 800, f/5.6, 1/500″ exposure.
A long shutter exposure yields colorful results as leaves swirl slowly in a small pool near the Camel’s Hump Nordic Ski Center.
Panasonic GX8, Olympus 9-18mm lens @ 16mm, ISO 100, f/16, 8″ exposure.
John Hadden Photography 