Reconnecting with nature through hiking, camping, and paddling
Looking over the gunwale of my canoe I’m struck by the peace, quiet and stillness of the scene. My paddle, the clouds, trees and even power lines are all clearly visible in the slow, calm water just inches below me. Continue reading “A Simple Gift Over The Gunwale”
Most of the Rivanna River is like this. It’s a fairly slow, shallow river. The bottom alternates between sandy and rocky portions without much mud or silt so the water is very clear. There aren’t many people on the river particularly during the week. Continue reading “Solitude On The Rivanna”
This post was inspired by Brenda of A Meditative Journey with Saldage. When I saw these ferns they reminded me of the type of image she frequently posts. That being said, I’m sure she would have done a far better job with them than I did.
I wanted to capture contrasts in this image. The bright sunlight filling the upper right corner of the frame versus the dark shadows of the stones. There’s also the serene, softly moving ripples on the water contrasting with the smooth but fixed and solid stones.
Sometimes we can find our duality in the simplest places. Without hard there is no soft. Without bright there is no dark.
Sometimes being a morning person pays off. I took this photo during a trip to the beach last August. I noticed the cloud bank that night and thought it was a shame the clouds probably wouldn’t be there at sunrise. To my great surprise, the clouds barely moved overnight! I awoke before dawn and watched this amazing sunrise slowly transform into morning.
This Little Wood Satyr alighted on some vegetation just ahead of me as I hiked through a marshy, open forest. The strong, direct sunlight really lit up its wings.
These three elk bulls relax at the edge of a meadow. With velvet still on their antlers they seem like three friends, just hang out together. Once mating season begins their will definitely be more rivalry between them.
This Pearl Crescent butterfly rests peacefully in a bed of white and yellow flowers. According to “An Instant Guide to Butterflies” by Pamela Forey and Cecilia Fitzsimons, male Pearl Crescents patrol their territory and will fly at other butterflies and insects.
Wild Daisies grow along an open trail on a late spring morning in Central Virginia.
This Mourning Cloak butterfly stops to rest and feed in a patch of tiny, purple wild flowers. I encountered it while hiking with a friend this spring in the Great Dismal Swamp near Suffolk, VA.