Friday, December 03, 2010

waning days of a darkness...

or at least that's how i like to think about it, as we count down that last few weeks until the solstice and things start to turn around again.

dark sky

another recent walk, down by the river estuary. i love looking at all the spent plants and flowers, stark and bare. i think only recently have i noticed how much beauty they have in their own right, separate from summer's bounty. the pale yellow and golds of many stalks are surprisingly warm against the generally grey sky, and their architectural shapes are so pronounced.

silhouettes by the water

unfortunately, i forgot my telephoto lens at home for this trip. the estuary is full of birds at this time of year: many kinds of duck and geese, gulls, bald eagles, and occasional herons and trumpeter swans. i will definitely bring it next time - perhaps this weekend? - so i can get some good shots of the wildlife. i have a good bird book, and i think i know many species, but there are many ducks i am unfamiliar with. maybe that will be a goal over the winter, to learn a few more. looking at some of their wonderful plumage, it also gives me stitching ideas...

dormant

gartley bay

the sky, as usual, was threatening. i think that's just a common state for this time of year. they are forecasting a bit of sun for tomorrow so hopefully i can find a bit of it to warm me up. then again, sun in winter usually means a cold day around here, so once again i'll be bundled tightly - all except my fingertips, which generally get numb holding my camera!

stars

hope you have a bit of sunshine for your weekend too! i think there'll be some crafting and baking too, along with a visit with my sister and mom as it is the former's birthday tomorrow. (after which, i can share what a made her!)

2 comments:

kate said...

Every winter I mean to get a bird book for all the visiting water birds.

Lovely post.

Tara said...

Like you, I'm really noticing how pretty the spent flowers are. I have a patch of cone flowers in our front garden that I probably should cut down but I just really like looking at them. I also think their tall stalks will make a nice contrast against the snow when it arrives.