Sky Watch - Canadian visitors

This was one of three waves  of Canada Geese that flew over Tuesday as the sun was setting. I think they were heading to farm fields east of Frederick to bed down for the night. These shots were taken at a shopping center, but I have also seen large groups over our house. They were squawking loudly, seemly an argument about where to go. Canada Geese are in the area year round, but during winter the numbers increase greatly, hence my conclusion that these have come south for the winter.

Header Challenge - Contrast

Kathy chose contrast for this week's theme. There are lots of subjects for the theme: old/new; fast/slow; hot/cold; large/small. But I like contrast in photography: light/shadows, contrasting colors. This is probably because I have some colorblindness - the light pastels all seem to turn to gray. My choice for header for this challenge is simple in color. New Year's night we had an inch of sleet. The next morning I was drawn to some of the grass leaves that managed to not get buried.

Three other images considered (the blue jay is my Lew's pics header) this week for the challenge.

I also like to play with the contrast in an image. Often enhancing the contrast of an image with PhotoShop reveals hidden details or adds interest. This shot is from January 8, 2013.

 No adjustments

 

 Contrast +40

 

 Contrast +80

Our World - Taco soup

Marianne made a double receipe of taco soup yesterday to put in the freezer. It is one of our favorite winter meals. Pull 2 pints out of the freezer, heat, add a little cheese and serve with fritos or crackers. The recipe is on Marianne's web site Taco Soup.

 

And yes, we had some for dinner! 

Sky Watch - Winter skies

Cold weather tends to clear our skies of (or bring us snow laden clouds). These are shots earlier this week, before we got a dusting of snow last night.

Header Challenge - Skyline

Skyline was my choice for the hearder challenge this week. For me a skyline image needs some visual interest in both the sky and the ground below, though one aspect may dominate and make a beautiful image. For my headers I prefer a horizontal image, as I also prefer that the beginning of my post be visible without scrolling. The above image was taken December 22 with the idea of using it as a header. it is the view of downtown Frederick from Baker Park.

 

I  would crop this one below the clock to use as a header. This spire has appeared on my blogs several times, but not from this view.

This one also became a header for my other blog, Lew's pics. And below is a possible header of a winter sun setting over an empty baseball field.

Our World - Winter?

The dogwood does set its buds in the fall, but the forsythia and iris seem to have missed the weather reports that it is not spring. Temperature is 27 F as I post (11 PM EST), but the weather folks are saying our first blast of artic air is arriving tonight and temperature will be below freezing until next Monday with possibility of snow on Friday.

 

Sky Watch - Return of the sun

After a lot of gray days, we have the sun again this morning. The much predicted snow storm stayed down south in Virginia. Images below are January 13 and 17.

Header Challenge - Winter sunset

Going

Stewart's theme for this week is "Winter's setting sun" and on January 8 the clouds parted and allowed me a few shots of the setting sun. To see the other headers, click on the links at the top of my sidebar.

Going

Gone!

Our World - Foggy

 Not our usual winter weather - warm, foggy, light rain.

(Cold is on the way!)

Sky Watch - Sunrise and clouds

 

Sunrise on January 10, 2013

and a cloud bank in late afternoon.

Header Challenge - White linens

The challenge this week is "linen". The Christmas stuff was packed away, not to reappear until December, so I chose white linens for this header challenge. 

 

But to show we are not always monotone, here are four samples of our placemats. Also note that the striped placemat at the bottom of the image below appears in my new header on Lew's pics.

 

Our World - Winter white

The Christmas stuff has been put back in storage and Marianne has redecorated the mantle with a winter white theme, including the snowy owls.  

 

Sky Watch - After the snow

Header Challenge - Let it snow

Craver said "let it snow" and it did snow across most of the northern part of the US. The pictures here were taken December 24, 26 and 29. I first planned to use the above image of the nearby farm in snow. But I liked the close-up of snow and water drops on the windshield of our van (taken from inside). There are a few more snow pics on my Our World post Tuesday. Use the links in my sidebar to see the work of the other challengers.

Our World - A little snow

We have had snow three times in December and a white Christmas. It was only a couple inches each time and did not cause major problems (as was the case further west). Above are snowflakes and water drops on the windshield, seen from inside our van. Below are two shots looking across the field behind our house and one night shot of the snow falling.