Itchy

The itch has begun.

This time of year, when everything from the ice on the creek to the temperatures on the thermometer began thawing, I get itchy to paddle up the creek in the kayak. And that's what I did yesterday.

The paddle was not a photography expedition (which my paddles often are) but just about getting out in the fresh air and believing spring is on her way. I did, of course, bring the camera (Well, what would you expect? What if a wood duck had nestled up the creek or the otters were fishing on the lake and I didn't have my camera?) and although there was no animal wildlife moving around the area, the ice on the creek entertained.

This is not  my typical nature photography photograph. My concentration is often wildlife or landscape, but these marco shots of the ice formations on the creek provided some wonderful snapshots. I especially love the color tones.

Jack Frost's days are numbered and I am not sad about that.

 

The Last May Day in May

As May turned into June, the monarch butterfly and wild calla lily were out to show their support for the upcoming summer solstice. Everything and everyone in the Northwoods is ready for summer fun.

So Wild

Sometimes I get into a funk and I get frustrated because I am not seeing the wildlife that I set out to see, so when that happens I grab my macro lens (which I still have yet to completely understand) and just concentrate on the smaller things Mother Nature offers.

Spring is a wonderful time to grab the macro lens. So much is growing, blooming, turning green...and my favorite part of using the marco lens is that it typically requires me to dig my toes in the dirt and really appreciate the smaller things.

Now call me a nerd, but I also really enjoy not knowing what I am looking at and having to head home and dive into a reference book to figure it out. Wildflowers a tad bit more tricky to figure out than birds ;o)

I didn't need the guidance of my "Wildflowers of Wisconsin" book to know the first photo is a trillium, but I did need it for the other three shown here; however, after posting this I realized I forgot my notes giving proper identification of these flowers. So until I get those notes, just enjoy the pretty wildflowers.



What Kind of Trout?

The spring wildflowers here in northern Wisconsin are not in full bloom yet, but I would guess by the end of the week they will be.

This is a yellow trout lily. I have never seen it before last Sunday. It reminds me of the glacier lily in the mountain regions of Montana. So, pretty. (and really rather tiny...if you are not looking you will blink and miss them).

"Not Real Green"

It's March. The month of transition from Jack Frost to Sunshine Spring. And March can suck. You can get 24 inches of snow one weekend and 70 degrees + sunshine the next. Lucky for the residents of northern Wisconsin this past weekend was springtastic!


Mother Nature is all about celebrating the tiny victories. Such as seeing the snowbanks melt into the creek and having GREEN show. But as my husband says, "It's not real green. It's last year's leftovers." I don't care. It's green and not white. I gobble-up leftovers.


I call these little lichens Ogar Ears (they look like Sherk's ears in the movie Shrek), but they are actually called Pixie Cup lichen.  They are composed of algae and fungus, found on rotten logs and moss-covered forest floors. They look like the name implies--a tiny cup a 1/2 inch high. Legend says they were used by wood fairies to sip the morning dew from.

Welcome, Spring. (No matter if you are new or used!)