Aug. 24, 2019

Sunflower field

July 26, 2019

Today was spent closer to camp, we started by hiking the Lakeside Trail around High Knob Lake.

Kodak was happy to go in and out of the water

Then we visited the High Flag Recreation Area overlooking Norton, VA for a picnic lunch

Norton is a Bigfoot Sanctuary city, locals call it a Woodbooger

and explored a bit

we spent the next couple of hours driving forest service and dirt roads looking for hidden camp spots or whatever else we could find… this trail dead-ended and required a 10 point turn around

The woods are full of these flowers, maybe an upside-down Cheetah Lily

 

Next up – going to see Once Upon A Time in Hollywood

July 24, 2019

Another day in the Jefferson National Forest and the Falls of Dismal

We had the place to ourselves, we hiked up the creek, explored the rocks and I swam around to see if I could jump from the top (I couldn’t) This is a great spot on a warm day to swim and picnic!

The afternoon was spent packing up camp to move further west, getting stuck behind an accident and waiting for Lifeflight (which circled and left) setting up a new camp, and visiting High Knob Lookout Tower for the sunset.

Love

I always tell my students, when photographing a sunrise or sunset, turn around and photograph what is being illuminated by the light!

April 18, 2019

In class demo of close-up photography

and Macro Photography

May 17, 2018

I had some time before tennis to walk around the yard with the macro. A daffodil bulb almost ready to open.

Spider

July 24, 2017

Still had the macro lens on, so this dragon fly was next. I had to take the extension tube off and this is still more than 1:2, so really more a close-up, than a macro photo! (It kept flying away when I tried to get to macro distance!)

June 26, 2017

Sam’s flower growing in last year’s garden in a bucket.

March 30, 2017

Dogwoods are blooming.

Jan. 1, 2017

2017 started with a hike through the trails at Carolina Beach State Park. One of my resolutions this year is the #52hikechallenge – to average one hike a week during the year.

Hike #1 of the year, a big loop hitting almost every trail in the park, 2 hours and 40 minutes and ~6 miles. We had two goals:

Sugarloaf Trail, leading to Sugarloaf sand dune, a 55 foot tall dune used on navigation charts since 1663 for river pilots on the Cape Fear River.

Someone left a rope swing.

and Flytrap Trail, searching for wild Venus Flytraps – thanks to the eagle eyed Clarks for finding a pair of them –

just a cactus, but cool to see it with fruit in the “wild”

 

On the way back to the start, we saw a bunch of buzzards in the woods – there must be something there – so we investigated….

a fresh coyote

fox

feet and ears

?

We debated why so many remains in one spot. Choice 1 – Park employees dump road kill here. Choice 2 – Park employees kill problem animals and dump here (but if the fox was suspected of rabies, seems unlikely) Choice 3 – We have entered a VERY BAD place.

Before heading home, we headed back to the beach and just watched the ocean. Welcome 2017!

Sept. 23, 2016

Needed a POD, and I own a 50mm f1.4