Frosty Hemlock

Hemlock with a heavy cover of frost.

I hope that I'm not the only one for whom Christmas is coming way to fast.  I was somehow convinced that I still had two weeks.  My husband broke the bad news to me similar to the way he would approach one of the horses if they were loose....with great caution and trepidation.

I'm looking forward to getting the Charlie Brown tree in the house this week and the decorations unpacked.  The beautiful wreath that my husband got from a friend is finally hanging and we were blessed with a bit of snow.  It's going to be hard not spending Christmas Eve with my Grandpa Joe after 38 years of doing so.

Merry Christmas to all my blogging friends!

All You Need Is Love

I don't know about you.  But there is something wonderful about being with the person that you love, on the land that you love while doing something that you both love doing.  Mr. Weingartner has grown so accustomed to the camera that now he rarely bothers to scowl at me.  He has accepted that it's just coming along as an extension of me.   

Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!

Stumped with Wadsworth

O hemlock-tree! O hemlock-tree! how faithful are thy branches!
Green not alone in summer time,
But in the winter's frost and rime!
O hemlock-tree! O hemlock-tree! how faithful are thy branches!
-From The Hemlock Tree by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

I wonder if the little Hemlock that has sprouted in this spot has any sense of the of the tree that once stood where it is now growing?  Maybe.  Maybe not.  But I like to believe that it does.

Mighty may it grow, protected as it is by what remains of it's predecessor.

Fuzzy Cow Belly

This week at Sunday Stills the challenge was to shoot with a change of perspective.  Then post one good photo and one bad.  Sometimes a photo is neither good or bad and it's up to you to pick which shot you like best.  When Im shooting I always think...'get the shot'.  Then look for the shot within the shot or the new perspective or angle.

I shot the above photo first.  I liked the sun position and the opportunity for flair and I had a bit of a soft spot for 923 here...she was very curious about my camera.  I liked the photo and the angle but thought that I should change my position and see what else I could capture.

For the 2nd photo I just moved over from where I was standing (apron 10-12') and closed up the space between us with the zoom.

Once I got home and had a chance to look at both images on the computer I was happy that I took the time to take the 2nd image.  I'm not sure which one I like better.  For me I think I like the 1st maybe a tad bit better.  I like the way her body is leading my eye right back into the frame towards the light.

Which do you prefer and why?

Big Blue Silo

Blue Sky Over Kemland Farm in Volant, PA

Fall Thistle

Dried Thistle at Dusk

Serendipity at Kemland

Serendipity at Kemland Farm

Surprises wait just over the horizon.   I was waiting for the Combine to make another pass at Kemland Farm in Volant, PA this past Sunday so I could get a picture of the sun setting over the back of the machine and floating into view comes this ballon.  At first I felt a stab of jealousy, for what a wonderful evening to be floating in the clouds.  Then I was thankful as they came lower and closer to be given the opportunity to take this shot.  Serendipity is a photographers best friend.

Skywatch Friday around the World.

Blue Skies Forever

Fishing on the bass pond.

I love water shots.  They are great opportunities to let your eye roam around and see the image within the image.  Thanks to Skywatch Friday

Autumn Visit To The Woods

Autumn Visit To The Woods

Something so incredible happens when I head out into the tiny patch of woods that is left on the farm.  It always feels as if I could walk and sit and think forever here.  Sometimes I go without my camera just to take the opportunity to soak in my surroundings to sit and view this marvelous bit of creation without having to do any actually creating myself.

On the walk back to the house I have simultaneous conflicting emotions.  Sad...that I can not morph into an animal and live my life scurrying up and down the oaks, burying acorns and getting ready to hibernate for the winter.  Happy...that my muse has lead me to just where I needed to go to recharge my creative energy and enjoy the creation of higher power.

Peace be with you.

Heaven Is A Bass Pond

Skywatch Friday


Can you picture the Large Mouth Bass jumpin' and the Barn Swallow's diving?

The sun going down and the mist starting to roll in here on a little slice of heaven in New Wilmington, PA that I call home. Come on out and join me sometime for picture taking, Bass fishing or a glass of wine and a quiet chat....I would love to have you!

Snow Storm Cleanup

Saturday the 6th of February

So if your in the United States...you know that were getting absolutely hammered with snow here in Pennsylvania. I'm not complaining, at the farm we just deal. Keep the roofs clear buy standing on loader buckets and scrapping them off with long handled brooms. Our little 'sugar shack' is a snug home. The commute to the office is a short walk thanks to hubby plowing me a path to the barn and office.

It does make for tricky internet and phone connections. And 60,000 homes in Pittsburgh are still without electric (since this past saturday) according to today's news. Brrrrrr....it's got to be cold in those houses. Hopefully they will not have frozen pipes. Pennsylvania is in a state of emergency but all is well out here in New Wilmington.

Winter Poo

Life in Pennsylvania sure is interesting.

Today for your viewing pleasure I'm presenting two photos. The first is a weeds. That's right folks....weeds.

And the second, well I'll let you see for yourself....

Poo! Or more correctly some type of animal scat. But we're gonna call it poo.

Now I'm sure that you want to know why in the world I took the time to take these pictures (and I'm sure more than a couple of you are wanting to know why I got so close to poo).

I'm test driving a new lens. How exciting, right! And I wanted to see what it could do and shoot stuff with the old and the new and compare. Especially sharpness which I thought was a problem on my old lens (and it is).

Fine your thinking....so go ahead and test drive (shoot)....but why poo (and for that matter...weeds)?

Well (and I can't believe that I'm going to admit this)......I'm genuinely interested in the poo. I didn't set out to be. But once I saw it I was curious as to whether it was Red Fox or Coyote scat. And it was as good a place as any to experiment how close I can get with the lens.

And the weeds. I was working on Depth of Field...and how sharp I could get the individual blades of grass to be. And seperating moving grass in the forground from the moving grass in the background. And yowser can the 70-200 2.8 focus fast. Like scary fast. Like I have to get a grip....fast! Needless to say....I can't wait for polo season to start. It's a whole need world with this lens.

The weeds....really it's some sort of grass....I'd like to know if it's native and what kind it is. Now that I took the picture and have been looking at it....it would be nice to have a name for it.

Oh and the poo.....I have no idea what kind of animal left it. I'm going to submit it to the poo picture place run by Cornell and find out. It's a free service. They keep the photo (they are more than welcome to it) and we dear bloggers get to find out what critter is living on the back 50!

Day 36 - Fluttery Surprise

I can not decide between the 3 Photos...so I'm posting them all.



The every lovely Monarch Butterfly.



Make that a pair of Monarchs!

Which photo is your favorite?

Day 30 - A Walk In The Woods

My first attempt at zooming while exposing. Have you ever tried this before? Any tips?

I'm thinking that I need to set the camera on something stationery and maybe slow the shutter speed down a little more. The little squiggles of light are funny looking. Not really sure what to do.

It was very fun to come back and look at these attempts on the computer though. I Can not wait to get out there and try it again.

P.S. Sorry I have not been by your blogs. I have a wretched cold and the computer screen just makes my head and eyes throb. I'll be by soon. I miss everyone!

Day 2

365-2.JPG, originally uploaded by Pa Wild Woman.

Quercus palustris aka Pin Oak (Swamp Oak)

I love Pin Oak...Mighty Oaks that get big and have such a unique form with descending, lateral and ascending branches all on the same tree when young. They are just a fantastic tree!

Not to mention that they keep the squirrels well fed through the winter!

Tough Lil' Cuss

One thing I love about Jack Russell Terriers is there tough as nails attitude. I mean nothing will deter them. NOTHING! Take for example Charlotte's missing eyebrows in the above photo. That was due to this little guy in the bottom photo. That is a groundhog. The photo was not cropped....I was close. And not by choice.

Check out those big honkin' teeth. They chatter them together when under attack. I'll assure you that does not make a Jack Russell scared. Quite the opposite. It creates an uncontrollable blood lust in them.

I love tough. I do. But I wish you could teach a Jack the difference between tough and fool hardy. By the time I located Charlotte, went back to the garage for a shovel and pair of sharp lopers to cut undergrowth. Over to the Sugar Shack for boots, a long sleeve shirt, and gloves. And hacked my way into the old fence row and mess on the property border...she was in a fine frenzy. The Groundhog was chattering for all it was worth. Charlotte was bleeding profusely from the mouth where she was bit on the tongue. Not to even mention the abrasions from above the eyes.

Charlotte's on the mend. The Groundhog? Well he definitely didn't die that day. The hole he was working on is abandoned. I'm not sure if he will come back to finish it. Maybe once the path I had to cut is filled back in. But the Groundhog thought he won. You should have heard the ungodly sound he made when I finally grabbed onto Charlotte and pulled her out of the brambles. It was like a victory cry. I ways rollin' my eyes thinkin' he should be thankin' me for savin' his cotton pickin' lil' life.

Chasin'

Danaus plexippus aka Monarch Butterfly

I had forgotten how random the flight pattern of butterflies are. Sunday night I followed this fluttery friend for a good 20 minutes before she found a snack to her liking and settled in for a good 30 seconds. What a wonderful way to spend part of God's day.

How are the Butterflies doing this year where you live? I have not seen many around the farm this summer.

Fishin' The Pond

We have two ponds here at the farm. The 'perks' of having to irrigate! This handsome bass was caught in the bigger of the two by my Grandfather this past Saturday. This was his second cast of the evening. This big bugger struck the ol' top water lure hard. And he was not happy about being reeled in either.

The niece caught the most fish...we finally let her put this one in the bucket so she could watch it. Little known fact....Bluegill really enjoy cheese curls!

No fish were harmed in the making of these pictures....all were released happily back into the pond. Snaps were taken by Sisterella!

Leesburg Falls

Are these seedling hemlock?  I really have not a clue....Far Side are you out there?  We grow Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) here at the nursery and we start with 2nd year 2x sheared (2-2).  So they are already substantial and woody.  

Perseverance.

I love how things morph in the woods.

Mum and I went for a hike with the dogs in the woods.  Leesburg Falls to be precise.  Hmmmm, why no pictures of the falls.  Why no pictures of the dogs.  Why no pictures of Mum.  Well....Tami and her camera were not syncing at all.  Not sure why not.  But yikes...the pictures were rough.  And It's a shame because the Hemlocks were gorgeous and the light was great.

Next time I go back I'm taking the 35mm SLR.  Film folks.  Maybe I can get a good shot.

But the hike, the company, the view were wonderful.....you'll just have to take my word for it.