Saturday, February 28, 2009

improvise


improvise, originally uploaded by Lizzie~Belle.

It was very pretty in the woods today, if a bit slippery due to icy paths. This was near the stream crossing in the wildlife sanctuary at Stanley Park. It was nice to get out, but I think I'll wait until the ice recedes before heading back there.

Friday, February 27, 2009

sharp


sharp, originally uploaded by Lizzie~Belle.

It's quite warm for February today, putting me in mind of spring. So of course there is snow in the forecast for this weekend. ;)

This rose is from last August, in the rose garden at Stanley Park. As the sky grows greyer, a little color is always welcome.

Thursday, February 26, 2009

swoop


swoop, originally uploaded by Lizzie~Belle.

Golden grass contrasts with bare trees at Grandmothers' Garden in Westfield this afternoon. It was nice to see the sun, and it was quite pleasant out for a change!

Monday, February 23, 2009

standout


standout, originally uploaded by Lizzie~Belle.

Yesterday's slushy snow didn't amount to much, but it looked pretty piled up on these red branches at Pine Hill Cemetery. Today it's frozen solid, but I did see daffodils poking out of the ground, so spring is definitely on its way!

Sunday, February 22, 2009

winged hourglass


winged hourglass, originally uploaded by Lizzie~Belle.

Experimenting with different angles and closeups: this is from the sundial at Grandmothers' Garden in Westfield yesterday. I love the curves, the texture of the raised design and the rust, and the bit of ground partially covered in snow visible at the top.

Saturday, February 21, 2009

outline


outline, originally uploaded by Lizzie~Belle.

An oak leaf leaves an outline of itself as the ice around it melts.

Friday, February 20, 2009

yellow explosion


yellow explosion, originally uploaded by Lizzie~Belle.

After snow, rain, hail, and ice yesterday, I thought a little forsythia would be welcome. This was taken at Stanley Park in May, 2007.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

the road ahead


the road ahead, originally uploaded by Lizzie~Belle.

Yesterday's sunset was another lovely one. I took this out the window of my car, going west on Route 57 in Agawam. Talk about riding off into the sunset! :)

Monday, February 16, 2009

promise


promise, originally uploaded by Lizzie~Belle.

The promise of spring resides in this magnolia bud, in the rose garden at Stanley Park.

In a couple of months, it'll look like this:

hello there

Sunday, February 15, 2009

bubbles


big bubble, originally uploaded by Lizzie~Belle.

Some of the puddles down at Stanley Park today had bubbles rising up through the mud.

They would come up as little bubbles:

fizz

Then they would start to merge into larger bubbles:

air flowers

bolster

bloop

Then they would pop, and the whole thing would start all over again.

Yes, I am easily amused. *g*

Friday, February 13, 2009

splash


splash, originally uploaded by Lizzie~Belle.

From the archives, and updated: a new crop of an older photo I took in Grandmothers' Garden in Westfield, when leaves were green and water was unfrozen.

I love the way water droplets lay like jewels in the folds of this Lady's Mantle, and how the large one in the center magnifies the creases like facets.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

convocation

convocation


On a day like today, I really can believe that spring is on its way. It's a lovely 56 degrees here in East Longmeadow, and it was delightful to get outside for lunch. So much better than the single digits and 'teens we've been having so much of this winter!

I'm sure we'll get more cold and snowy weather, but soon we'll be looking for things like these grape hyacinths popping out of the ground.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

nice article

Digital Photography School has a nice blog post today about taking good pictures with any camera, which is something we've been talking about lately. Here is the money quote:

"The real difference between an average photo and an amazing photo, is the photographer, not the camera."


It goes on to give tips on how to get the most out of the camera you have, including reading the manual, take your camera with you everywhere you go, and more.

I have no illusions about being a great photographer, but I've learned the limits of my camera and how much I can push them. Yes, I take a lot of pictures that are nothing special, but once in a while I get one that I really love.

pollen

Sure, I wish I had that Nikon with the 18x zoom and image stabilization, but I do pretty well with my little old Kodak Easy Share. It's an old friend that I can depend on for most of what I need.

Monday, February 09, 2009

feasible


feasible, originally uploaded by Lizzie~Belle.

I caught tonight's sunset from the South End Bridge on the way home from work. Traffic was actually moving, which is unusual for rush hour, but I stopped just long enough to stick the camera out the window and snap a quick one. We haven't had a lot of really nice sunsets this winter.

Sunday, February 08, 2009

reveal


reveal, originally uploaded by Lizzie~Belle.

Another nice day today! Wow, two in a row, and on a weekend to boot. Maybe Mother Nature feels badly about all the lousy weather we've had this winter.

This lovely scene is in the wildlife sanctuary by Stanley Park in Westfield, where the paths are still snowy, but the river and streams are thawing nicely.

Saturday, February 07, 2009

bold


bold, originally uploaded by Lizzie~Belle.

Finally, a nice day! I walked to downtown Westfield, wandering around and looking at the architecture. This is the spire of St. Mary's Church.

Friday, February 06, 2009

butterfly


butterfly, originally uploaded by Lizzie~Belle.

This morning's 10-degree weather is making me long for summer all the more. Days of flowers and butterflies, and green grass, and short sleeves.

The light at the end of the tunnel is within view, though. In a month, we'll be looking for signs of crocuses, and watching the buds swell on the trees.

Thursday, February 05, 2009

Honored

Mary Carey, of the lovely local blog AboutAmherst, has bestowed upon me an honor by giving me an award!



I'm touched! The rules say I must pass it along to five worthy bloggers, providing links to each and back to the original post. Three of the local blogs I read have already won (AboutAmherst, Exploring Western Massachusetts, and in the valley), but I'm going to give it to them all again because they deserve it. If you haven't already, check them out!

Next, to Mike Dobbs' Out of the Inkwell. In the interest of full disclosure, Mike's a coworker, and fun to geek out with on SciFi movies & TV. His blog is full of interesting stuff, from movie reviews to local news.

Last but not least, to Heather Brandon's Urban Compass. Heather does a great job of covering local politics, in both Springfield and her new home in Hartford.

There are a lot of great local blogs, and you can find more of them on BlogNet.

Thanks, Mary!

deliver


deliver, originally uploaded by Lizzie~Belle.

Wonderful ice on the downspout out behind the building where I work. It's very cold today, but the sun is strong enough to melt the snow on the roof, redelivering it as ice here.

Monday, February 02, 2009

someone's been busy


someone's been busy, originally uploaded by Lizzie~Belle.

While walking through the woods yesterday, I heard the distinctive call of the Pileated woodpecker. I never caught sight of him, but I found evidence of his passing on a tree along the path.

holes

Just under the tree, wood chips littered the snow.

litter

chips

That's one industrious bird!

Sunday, February 01, 2009

exes


exes, originally uploaded by Lizzie~Belle.

It was a beautiful day for a walk today, so I headed down to Stanley Park and the wildlife sanctuary this afternoon. This is inside the covered bridge at the park. Today is the ancient festival of Imbolc, or Candlemas, which marks the halfway point of winter. Spring is only six weeks away!