Tiny Little Beautiful Buds !

Have a Happy Weekend ~

And Now For Something Completely Different

Waiting

impatiently

for Spring ~

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Snow in the Mountains

The weather was closing in

  within minutes I was engulfed

in a magnificent snowstorm ~

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A Late Afternoon Paddle-About

The Canadian Geese have arrived

at the wetlands

A bit late this year but as always

a wonderful sight to see ~

Softly

Softness and light

Happy Valentine's Day ~

Strength

  Reaching toward the heavens

with beauty and strength

~

St Francis Mission

On the open prairies just north of us

is this beautiful mission

St Francis Xavier

established in 1838

~

Have a wonderful Sunday !

Of Yesterday

This old one room schoolhouse sits quietly in the countryside

From chalkboards to school desks to artwork on the walls

so much remains intact

Like everyone just upped and left

When I discover these abandoned treasures   

I take only photos

and leave everything as I found it

  ~

Remainders of the Day

In 1980 Mt St Helens erupted with such force

it devastated over 150 square miles

of pristine forest in just 6 minutes

The total energy output was equivalent to

400 million tons of TNT

This fascinating casualty of that day

sits precariously on the bank of Coldwater Lake

which was born of the volcano

~

I live in the valley below Mt St Helens

here in Washington State

Tiny Signs of Spring

The Pussy Willows are slowly waking up

I dream of Spring

~

Lofty Escapades

I can't help myself

I just have to explore

nooks and crannies

high and low

~

To Pause and Reflect

Spiritually calm

 otherworldly quiet

One cannot but 

 pause and reflect

~

Coldwater Lake

Mt St Helens

Washington State

~

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Weekly Top Shot

Fly Like An Eagle

Into the future ~

The Magnificent Bald Eagle

x2  

Daydreaming

Find a little time

to daydream

 ~

A Walk in the Park

Hope you have a happy weekend ~

' Tis the Moon I See ~

and the weekend on yonder horizon ~

A Parting Gift ~

Heading home I turned to see

the clouds had parted

revealing Mt St Helens and

the Toutle Valley below ~

Flying Free

Proud and Strong

Trees in winter are so boldly beautiful ~

Coldwater Lake Revisited

Drove up to Coldwater Lake Saturday

at the base of Mt St Helens

It was so clear and crisp and still 

Well worth the semi-treacherous road conditions ~

Misty Mornin'

Hope you're having a wonderful Sunday ~

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Peaceful Paths

We all seek them

May we all find and walk them

Have a joyful weekend ~

Lakeside

These trees were all leaning towards the lake

It's amazing they don't fall over, and into.

I'm really having fun playing around with HDR

I love the depth and clarity it gives an image ~

Ravage and Renewal

The forest slowly returns ~

A Mountain in Recovery

 Mt St Helens erupted in 1980

blasting away the north face

along with its beautiful peak

For over 30 years we've watched the mountain

and surrounding wilderness slowly recover

I'm in awe of nature ~

Shades of Gray

Parallel Worlds

I love playing with reflections

especially when the sun is shining ~

Somewhere ~

Shadowland

Have a happy weekend !

Winter Blues

We had a foot of snow here

Gorgeous !

Then it started to rain and

bye-bye snow in the lowlands

I'll trek up to the mountains

for snow photo ops ~

A Sprinkling of Sunshine

I've been silently visiting many of your blogs

as I'm often unable to leave comments.

I can at some but not others.

Hopefully Blogger will fix this soon ~

Away From the Things of Man

A morning walk

and I'm ready for (almost) anything ~

Dusk

I used Topaz Adjust to add an HDR effect to this single shot image.

I love the Topaz series, its possibilities are endless ~

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Wintering Over

I love playing around with HDR. It adds depth and clarity to most images. I try to stay in the natural realm, though I can get carried away. 

Quiet Waters ~

Some have asked about my techniques, and I'm flattered!   I'll attempt to pass along some of what I've learned, from so many of you.
   I shoot in RAW and use Photoshop Elements 9 and Topaz (the bundle) which I love.
I mostly shoot in HDR (high dynamic range).. but not always.  I'm still learning what to shoot which way. 
HDR is taking three (or more) photos of the same scene in three exposures (-2, 0, +2) to create a single image.   I use Photomatix Pro for processing, tone-mapping.  
I shot this image in HDR and processed it pretty much straight forward.

A Walk in the Park

Lake Sacajawea

and more gorgeous weather ~

The Blue Door

What lies behind ?

  Wishes Hopes Dreams

 If we but free the mind ~ 

Afternoon Walk at the Wetlands

Like so much of the world

our winter has been very mild so far

I wouldn't mind a teeny-tiny bit of winter ~

Where Time Forgot ~

Remains pristine ~

Monday Monday ~

It's a bright new day ~

Hope yours will be a good one !

Incoming

Canadian Geese

Making their happy noises ~ 

A Winters Pause

Have a happy weekend !

Rain Forest Dreaming

To wander and wonder

and be ~

The Hush of Winter

The wetlands

quietly waiting for Spring ~

Tired and Worn

But the stories it could tell ~

Tumultuous

  I love the sound  of 

rapidly moving waters ~

Quiet Time

A quiet walk

refreshes the mind

and soul ~

Fresh and New and Wondrous

A fresh new year

 of wonders to explore