Reconnecting with nature through hiking, camping, and paddling
This daisy fleabane was blooming along a hiking trail in Shenandoah National Park at the end of May.
Knowing “bane” loosely means something that is hated by or makes something’s existence more difficult, I thought fleabane was an interesting name for a wildflower so I looked it up. Folklore has it these plants can be dried and used to keep fleas away. That explains the name.
When my friend and I reached the bottom of Dark Hollow Falls I decide to challenge myself a little. I switched to a 50mm prime lense, rather than the two zoom lenses I had been using all morning. My challenge was to only shoot with the prime lense for the rest of our hike.
When we arrived at this spot I immediately found myself frustrated because I couldn’t frame the entire waterfall with a 50mm lense. It was simply too big and we couldn’t get very far away from it. Knowing my wide angle zoom would easily frame the scene only made the whole situation more annoying. Sticking to my self imposed challenge I started looking for different perspectives and ended up with this. I am absolutely certain I would not have taken this photo if I was using the lense I normally shoot with.
Sometimes forcing yourself to do things differently can lead to different ways of seeing things.
During the walking part of my commute through Old Town Alexandria I kept my eyes open for vivid images. Normally I walk on the same side of the street as Traditions De France so I pass right by without really seeing it. Viewed from across the street it really does make for a vivid image.
The bees in Shenandoah National Park were busy pollinating blackberry blossoms growing along the Dark Hollow Falls trail when I was last there.
On the way to Dark Hollow Falls, in Shenandoah National Park, I noticed this tiny “island” of wildflowers and moss growing in the stream.
If you click on the image you can see a much larger version of it.
The other side of the building on the right is a lovely little downtown restaurant. It’s funny how quickly the scene changes when you walk half a block, around to this end of the building. Despite the litter and trash, I like the lines, the flow and the contrast of this image.
If you click the photo above you can see a larger image of it.
The first few years I had a bluebird box in the yard it remained empty. Then, just as I was thinking of taking it down, a pair of Eastern Bluebirds nested in it. Since then we’ve had bluebirds nest in the box every year, producing multiple broods. The female pictured here is feeding one of the juveniles from the first brood of this season. If the past is any indication we should get at least another two broods this summer.
The water lilies were in full bloom at the Virginia Museum Of Fine Arts (VMFA) on Mother’s Day.
This rusty piling seems out of place among the old wooden posts.
People often assume this bird is a Red Headed Woodpecker. The confusion is understandable as the Red Bellied Woodpecker’s head is red on the top and back. By comparison the Red Headed Woodpecker’s head is red on the top, back, sides, and front. If you happen to catch a glimpse of this bird’s stomach you’ll see the red patch for which it is named.