Reconnecting with nature through hiking, camping, and paddling
Earlier this month I visited Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. Nearly all the west facing rocks had large icicle formations on them. On my way out of the park I decided to stop and get some photos of the icicles. Since it had been above freezing they were all slowly melting.
By Roman standards this small shrine inside Santa Maria della Consolazione is pretty unimpressive but when we peeked inside the church the lighting on the statue gave it a truly holy feel.
I’m not sure what this guard was protecting in the Vatican but the doorway looked impressive enough.
Long after the sun goes down traffic continues moves along Via Luigi Petroselli in Rome, Italy.
The last two slices of watermelon, bathed in the light of the kitchen window.
This Five-Lined Skink frequently hangs out near the gap in this brick wall. I see it quite regularly and was able to get close enough to take a few good photographs. Five-Lined Skinks are common in Central Virginia. You can usually find them on old logs or on rock piles. They never seem to stray far from good hiding places.
The trees, silhouetted by early morning fog, make the houses seem small and almost insignificant. A neighbor’s porch lights offer the only evidence anybody else might be awake. Within an hour this scene will be transformed into a more familiar arrangement. It might be months or even a year before it looks like this again.
Stella enjoying a raw hide bone on a sunny patch of carpet.
This American Robin was searching for breakfast in my backyard when I took this photograph. My mother always used to tell me robins were the first sign of spring. This photo was taken in early February. Granted I live 100 miles south of my childhood home but I am still always surprised when I see robins in the winter months.