Midlife by Farmlight

Craving Color

2012-02-11T06:00:00.000-06:00

Yes, I am. Here’s some color from last fall.

Marigolds

2012-02-10T10:25:00.001-06:00

Here’s some bedraggled color from back in November…

Sunrise Today

2012-02-08T11:17:00.001-06:00

Not many colorful sunrises lately so I was glad to see one this morning.

Thanks for stopping by! Visit Skywatch Friday to find sky photos from around the world.

Barn Charm

2012-02-06T18:48:00.001-06:00

Photo taken a couple years ago along highway 150 south of Decorah in northeast Iowa…

Thanks for stopping by! Vist Bluff Area Daily to find more Barn Charm photos.

Reusable

2012-02-06T06:00:00.000-06:00

Recycled photo from last summer…

A Flower Painting

2012-02-04T06:00:00.000-06:00

For some winter color, here’s a snapshot I took last fall of a painting-for-loan at the Pella Library…

Obviously, I failed to get the artist’s name in the photo. Sorry about that---it was unintentional.

Unkempt

2012-02-03T11:28:00.001-06:00

Skywatch Friday

2012-02-02T18:40:00.001-06:00

A sunrise from a few weeks ago…

Thanks for stopping by! Visit Skywatch Friday to find sky photos from around the world.

Coneflower

2012-02-01T13:47:00.001-06:00

Today is cloudy and drab, so I searched last summer’s photo file to find something colorful.

Its a coneflower, spruced up with a touch of dry brush and sandstone effects.

Barn Charm

2012-01-31T04:00:00.000-06:00

A late afternoon drive-by barn shooting…

Thanks for stopping by! To see more Barn Charm photos, go to Bluff Area Daily Blog.

New Calf

2012-01-30T04:00:00.000-06:00

Recently, a red and white Holstein calf was born here at our farm.

Her parents are black and white Holsteins that have some red and white in their ancestry. I wish she would stay this color, but we’re told she will look more black and white as she gets older.

Skywatch

2012-01-27T04:00:00.000-06:00

Afternoon sky from a couple days ago…

Thanks for stopping by! Visit Skywatch Friday to view more sky photos or submit one of your own.

Snow Dune

2012-01-26T04:00:00.000-06:00

Was walking around yesterday hunting for snowdrifts to photograph. Found this one which almost reminds me of sand dunes I saw out West many years ago.

Snowy Branches

2012-01-25T04:00:00.000-06:00

A couple mornings ago there was snow all over the tree branches. This photo has the “dry brush” effect applied to it.

Barn Charm

2012-01-24T09:26:00.001-06:00

Thanks for stopping by! To view more Barn Charm photos or submit your own, visit the Bluff Area Daily blog.

Snowflakes

2012-01-23T04:00:00.000-06:00

After it snowed the other day, I attempted some snowflake photos. This first one was taken with the Nikon 55-200mm lens:

And, this close-up shot was taken with my newly-purchased Opteka macro lens attached to the Nikon 18-55mm lens:

Ever since I was a kid, I’ve wondered how it is that snowflakes always have six points. There’s a scientific explanation, of course, but its fun to just wonder!

Shadow Shot Sunday

2012-01-22T07:45:00.001-06:00

From last fall…midday shadows at the Cordova Tower near Red Rock Lake in Iowa…

Thanks for stopping by! Visit Shadow Shot Sunday 2 to view this week’s shadow photos or submit your own.

Photo Edit

2012-01-21T04:00:00.000-06:00

Was about to delete this photo yesterday but then decided to work on it in Photoshop…

Ended up upping the contrast, adding the ink outline effect and a canvas texture. Just for the heck of it.

Looks like a fall scene, but actually is from earlier this month.

Skywatch

2012-01-20T04:00:00.000-06:00

Sunrise scene from a few days ago…

Thanks for stopping by! Visit Skywatch Friday to view more sky photos or submit your own.

Its Cold Out

2012-01-19T04:00:00.000-06:00

Here’s a photo from a few mornings ago…

Yesterday, our weather was sunny, but very cold, so I stayed in the house except for doing calf chores. Its the time of year for catching up on reading.

Fern

2012-01-18T04:00:00.000-06:00

Am not in the mood to traipse around out in the cold outdoors with the camera, so here’s a photo I took last summer.

I wish I could say this fern was growing in the yard here on our farm, but actually it was along the trail at Effigy Mounds National Monument near Marquette, Iowa. As I get ready to click “publish”, the thought crosses my mind that the green of this fern will clash with the green background of this blog, but that’s the way it goes.

Barn Charm

2012-01-17T04:00:00.000-06:00

The sign reads “Livery Stable”, but it looks like a barn to me. It is located at the Motor Mill historical site in northeast Iowa. This photo was taken last fall.

To find more Barn Charm photos or submit your own, visit the Bluff Area Daily blog.

Hooray for Snow!

2012-01-16T04:00:00.000-06:00

Because we now have snow, how about some snowy photos!

This first one was taken through a window of our farmhouse. The summery green of the yew fronds looked almost tropical to me…

Here’s a morning moon being stalked by frosty pine tree branches..

And, lastly, here’s some icy-etched coneflower heads…

Shadow Shot Sunday

2012-01-15T04:00:00.000-06:00

A shadow shot from autumn of 2008…

Visit Shadow Shot Sunday 2 to view more shadowy photos or submit your own!

Before & After

2012-01-14T04:00:00.000-06:00

The other day when snow was finally in the forecast I quick took this snapshot of some squiggly soybean rows…

Now with snow on the ground, the same rows look like this…

Creek Photo Edit

2012-01-13T04:00:00.000-06:00

This first photo scene was taken out of the second photo…

Photo taken during that golden hour mentioned a couple posts ago.

Skywatch

2012-01-12T15:00:00.000-06:00

A sunrise scene from last week…

Thank you for stopping by! Visit Skywatch Friday to view skies from around the world or add your own photo to the list.

Snow At Last

2012-01-12T10:04:00.001-06:00

Exciting news! A few inches of snow blew in overnight leaving mini-drifts and random artwork…

Golden Hour

2012-01-12T04:00:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I needed to run an errand and decided to try make it coincide with the “golden hour” when slanting sunrays of late afternoon provide wonderful lighting for photos.

This rusty old bridge seemed to match perfectly with the trees beyond.

Wolf Moon

2012-01-11T04:00:00.000-06:00

January’s full moon is called the “Wolf Moon”. It glowed bright in the western sky yesterday morning.

I took the first photo with the 18-55mm lens and then switched to the 55-200mm lens for this next picture:

I don’t have the right equipment to snare a good close-up moon shot, but it was fun trying!

Barn Charm

2012-01-10T04:00:00.000-06:00

Snapshot taken a few years ago near Blairsburg, Iowa. I drove over there to look at wind turbines and also found this round barn.

Thanks for stopping by. Visit Bluff Area Daily blog to find this week’s Barn Charm links.

January Scenery

2012-01-09T04:00:00.000-06:00

Snapshots from a couple days ago…

“Why blog these scenes?”, you may ask…

‘Cuz there ain’t much else to take photos of around here this time of year…

Shadow Shot Sunday

2012-01-08T06:55:00.000-06:00

Here’s a snapshot taken in springtime a couple years ago. The painting on the shed doors is a winter scene, however.

Visit Shadow Shot Sunday 2 to find links to more shadowy photos!

Morning Pink

2012-01-07T04:00:00.000-06:00

The southwestern sky as seen on my way to the barn yesterday morning:

To the southeast it looked like this:

A few minutes later the sun climbed completely above the horizon and the pink tones disappeared. The same clouds were still there but were only gray in color.

Loadin’ Up

2012-01-06T04:00:00.000-06:00

Late yesterday afternoon found us loading up the old 630. Its headed to the repair shop after fainting dead away at the sight of our neighbor’s shiny new John Deere tractor the other day. (See blogpost of two days ago.)

Also packing up to leave the farm was our college son, signaling that the holiday season is now officially over. I made sure to send along any remaining Christmas cookies and snacks. We don’t need them around here anymore, that’s for sure.

Skywatch

2012-01-05T15:03:00.000-06:00

This morning, a frosty sunrise here in Iowa…

Thank you for stopping by. Visit Skywatch Friday to find this week’s list of sky photos.

Another New Lens

2012-01-05T04:00:00.000-06:00

The previous post was about the wide-angle lens I bought recently. It cost around $15. I also purchased an Opteka 10X Macro lens for about the same price. Nancy at A Rural Journal had mentioned using that lens so I decided to consult Google to get more info, expecting it to be expensive. What a pleasant surprise to find that this macro lens was very affordable! I immediately ordered it (from Amazon.com), along with the wide-angle one.

Here’s my first attempt at using the macro lens which screws right onto my Nikon D40’s Nikkor 18-55mm lens. This little building sits inside a snowglobe and is less than one inch wide:

I also discovered that the wide-angle lens will screw onto the macro lens and had to find out what results could be achieved with that combination. You have to get really close to your photo subject. The windmill on this little Dutch ornament is about one inch tall in real life:

I’m looking forward to using these lenses next spring and summer when the wildflowers are in bloom!

New Lens Meets New Tractor

2012-01-04T17:05:00.001-06:00

This afternoon our neighbor drove in to show off his brand spankin’ new tractor. He had ordered it last summer and then was allowed to watch it be assembled at the John Deere Waterloo Tractor Works in November. Pretty cool.

I will use the image of this gleaming green machine to demonstrate how that wide-angle lens I mentioned yesterday works. This first photo was taken without the wide-angle lens. My Nikon D40’s regular lens was set at its widest setting, 18mm:

While standing in the same spot, I attached the wide-angle lens and took this next picture, still at 18mm. Vignetting does occur.

This next photo was taken with my camera’s regular lens set at its closest range (55mm), without the wide-angle lens:

With the wide-angle lens attached, the same shot looks like this:

They even let me climb up into the tractor. Wow, the cab was so clean it was almost scary!

Over on the side sat this cute little “command center”, looking for all the world like an electronic toy!

The engine was idling and you can see that we were using 0.6 gallons of fuel per hour. We were traveling at 0.0 mph, and this tractor has a grand total of 4.6 hours on it. When you’re looking to purchase a used tractor, instead of asking “How many miles are on it?”, you ask, “How many hours does it have?”

Fresh From the Cold Outdoors

2012-01-03T17:33:00.000-06:00

One minute I was packing Christmas ornaments away and the next minute I was running outdoors in the cold to try out my new Digital Concepts 0.45X wide angle lens. It’ll be good for landscapes and sky shots, maybe.

I say “maybe” because I really don’t know that much about camera lenses. I ordered this very inexpensive wide angle lens from Amazon.com. It screws right onto my general-use Nikkor 18-55mm lens. I’m hoping to add some excitement to that rather ho-hum lens which came with my Nikon D40 camera.

Barn Charm

2012-01-02T18:05:00.000-06:00

Corn crib charm…

I snapped this photo a few years ago. The large corncrib, which no longer exists, sat along Highway 18 east of West Union, Iowa. Look closely and you’ll see that the structure was “4-Sale”. I hope someone bought it to recycle the old lumber.

When I was a kid we had a corncrib similar to this one. Ear corn was stored in the sides of the building and shelled corn was kept in bins that were in the center above the drive-through area. When the crib was empty, we had fun playing hide-and-seek in there.

Please visit Bluff Area Daily blog to see more Barn Charm photos.

A goal I have for 2012 is to take more photos of aging farm buildings. Barns and sheds are being demolished right and left around here. There was a neat old red barn down the road from us that I was thinking of photographing for Barn Charm, but just the other day my husband mentioned that it had been torn down recently. Me and my camera had better get busy!

New Year’s Day Sunrise

2012-01-01T15:23:00.001-06:00

Hopefully its a kickoff to a great year!

Shadow Shot Sunday

2011-12-31T10:44:00.001-06:00

Looking forward to spending time in the new year!

This is the first time I’ve participated in Shadow Shot Sunday.

Yesterday’s Drive-by Shootings

2011-12-30T17:21:00.001-06:00

Yesterday, we took a spur-of-the-moment trip to Des Moines. As we zipped along in the pickup, I randomly aimed and shot. From I-235, its pretty much impossible to get a clear view of the entire state capitol building, so I zeroed in on the golden dome only.

My husband and I chuckled over this “Admobile”---a moving billboard! (We don’t get off the farm very often, so it doesn’t take much to amuse us.)

Unexpected circumstances took us past the Marion County courthouse in Knoxville.

And, near the Des Moines Airport, we saw this plane which appeared to be just sitting there in the air, not moving at all. I’m not kidding. Apparently, it was waiting patiently for its turn to land.

In case I don’t blog again until 2012, here’s hoping you have a Happy New Year!

Skywatch

2011-12-29T08:45:00.000-06:00

Photo taken on the day after Christmas…

Thanks for stopping by! Visit Skywatch Friday for the rest of this week’s links.

TV Channels

2011-12-28T04:00:00.000-06:00

Its yesterday afternoon as I type this and I’m sitting here watching The Green Glove on the TV channel called This TV.

Here’s the description of This TV from their webpage:

This TV is a free premium channel that brings you award winning films, box office hits, cult classics, retro TV series and all your favorite Hollywood stars! Whether it's on satellite, your local cable provider, or your over-the-air digital signal, it doesn't get better than This!

We get it free via over-the-air digital signal. When I was a kid, we received only three TV channels---ABC, CBS, and NBC. Nowadays, out here on the farm we get 16 channels, all for free! Much of the time, our TV is tuned to one of the three PBS stations.

Barn Charm

2011-12-27T04:00:00.000-06:00

An old barn in our neighborhood…

Thanks for stopping by! Visit Bluff Area Daily blog to find this week’s Barn Charm photo list.

Recipes

2011-12-26T04:00:00.000-06:00

Happy day-after-Christmas! I have no photos to blog, but am posting links to two new recipes I made to include on the food buffet for the last two days. One is Cranberry Fudge. The other is Celery Hazelnut Salad, in which I substituted dried cranberries for the dates and used cheddar instead of blue cheese. Normally, I don’t try new recipes very easily, but was happy with these two!

Greetings of the Day

2011-12-25T04:00:00.013-06:00

Hi, Santa!

Bye, Santa!

Sunset

2011-12-24T04:00:00.000-06:00

Wouldn’t you know, I had to do some last minute shopping yesterday, the day before Christmas Eve. Christmas Eve Eve, that would be.

While driving home from town, I kept glancing at the evolving sunset, hoping for a possible photo opportunity. By the time I pulled into our farm driveway, the sky looked like this. Happy Christmas Eve to you!

Snow!

2011-12-23T04:00:00.001-06:00

Obviously, the snow was waiting to fall in a timely manner---on the first day of winter!

I took this photo yesterday morning on my way to the barn. You can see a couple of farm yardlights still aglow in the distance.

Skywatch

2011-12-22T15:23:00.000-06:00

A colorful sky from earlier this week…

Thanks for stopping by! Visit Skywatch Friday to see this week’s sky photos.

Another Painting

2011-12-22T04:00:00.000-06:00

Happy first day of winter! Yesterday was so short, I couldn’t find any time to take photos, so here’s another painting from the Pella Library.

There’s no signature, so I don’t know if it was done by a famous painter or not.

Dairy Air

2011-12-21T04:00:00.000-06:00

This photo was taken yesterday. Sorry about the derrieres pointed this way. I didn’t have time to wait until the heifers decided to turn around.

We have a bald eagle in the area. That white speck up in the trees in the background might be him or her. Either that, or its a plastic sack caught in the tree branches.

Yesterday afternoon I made two double-batches of biscotti to give to friends. I’m not including a photo of the biscotti as I never care for the pictures I take of food. Click this sentence to go to the recipe. You don’t have to be a coffee drinker to enjoy biscotti…it can be dunked in hot cocoa, too!

Barn Charm

2011-12-20T04:00:00.000-06:00

Seen along a highway in Fayette County, Iowa…this barn wearing a quilt block charm!

To see more barn photos, visit Bluff Area Daily blog.

Tree Trimmer

2011-12-19T04:00:00.000-06:00

On that same snowy March morning mentioned a couple days ago here on the blog, I also saw this tandem tree trimmer at work.

Actually, its sound caught my attention first. While taking photos of the green bridge, I could hear a clattering commotion in the distance and had not a clue what it could be. When I got to the railroad track I found out!

Rubber Ball Sunset

2011-12-18T04:00:00.000-06:00

Look out…its bouncing your way!

This photo is from last week. The day had been gray and cloudy, but in late afternoon the sun made a brief appearance. It reminded me of that song, Red Rubber Ball.

Cat From the Past

2011-12-17T04:00:00.000-06:00

Ho-hum…still no snow, so here’s another photo from a previous winter, January of 2010. This cat was sitting on a milkcan by the door. His face seemed to plead, “Please take a picture of me.” Which I did.

This cat is no longer with us, so I’m happy to have this reminder of him.

Getting Ready

2011-12-16T04:00:00.000-06:00

One minute, there were no decorations in sight, and a few minutes later….voila!

All I did was tear myself away from reading blogs, ran up to the storeroom and grabbed a knickknack or two plus a few pre-lighted Christmas trees to make it look like I’m sort of in the holiday mood. It was necessary because our two college children will soon be arriving home for the holidays. The laundry needed to be completely caught up, too, so the kids can have exclusive access to the washer and dryer for a few days. And, a big batch of cookies needed to be baked---not Christmas cookies, but simply the oatmeal-chocolate chip ones which are the everyday favorite around here.

Skywatch

2011-12-15T14:00:00.000-06:00

A sky view from midday on December 5th…

Thanks for stopping by! Visit Skywatch Friday for more sky photo links.

Snowy Bridge

2011-12-15T10:15:00.000-06:00

Here’s another snapshot from the morning mentioned in yesterday’s post. The date was March 26, 2008, by the way, so this is actually an early spring scene!

Red bows would make this snow-frosted green bridge look mighty festive! Hmm…I wonder if I could Photoshop some bows into the scene? Oh, that suddenly reminds me of the Colorforms I loved to play with when I was a kid! Anyone remember those?

Wishing for Snow

2011-12-14T04:00:00.000-06:00

On this rainy December day I’m wishing for snow, so here’s a scene from a few years ago when we had some.

How well I remember the morning this photo was taken. I was out driving around because my son had called from school to say he’d forgotten something and asked if I could bring it to him. Good thing I took the camera along, too. Big, gloppy flakes of snow were silently falling, providing great atmosphere for taking photos.

Mama Pig & Piglets

2011-12-13T04:00:00.000-06:00

Here’s another snapshot from an old photo album. When I was growing up, we farrowed pigs twice a year, in June and in December.

How well I remember the wiggly, wriggly, squealy piglets!

Round Barn

2011-12-12T04:00:00.000-06:00

Yesterday’s post prompted me to unearth an old photo album to find this scene from the farm I grew up on:

I snapped this for a 4-H photography project, probably in 1970. Taking pictures was a whole different ballgame back then. Relatively few photos were taken as film was usually used quite sparingly. The round barn was built in the early 1920’s. It was badly damaged by a tornado a few years ago and had to be torn down. I regret never taking any photos of the barn’s interior up in the haymow. The roof’s wooden support structure was quite amazing to see.

This post is linking to Barn Charm at the Bluff Area Daily blog.

Sledding Scene

2011-12-11T04:00:00.001-06:00

Here’s another painting from the Pella Library:

I’ve never parachuted or bungee-jumped or even skied, but I have ridden a speeding sled down an ice-covered hill, in the dark, no less! The experience was simultaneously exhilarating and frightening! And, very stupid. It was back when I was maybe twelve years old. A winter storm had left an unusually thick coating of ice everywhere. After evening chores, I took a sled out to a snow-drift-covered field and went hurtling down the slope. The sled picked up some serious speed and I held on for dear life. I hadn’t told my parents what I was doing, so, if I’d have been knocked unconscious, they’d have found me frozen out there in the field the next day.

Doing a Link in a Comment

2011-12-10T04:00:00.000-06:00

You may already know how to do a link within a comment box, but in case you don’t, here are the instructions:

1. Type <a href=”

2. Copy the web address you want to link to. (To copy, right-click on the webpage address at the top of its page and then right-click on the word “copy” in the box that appears.)

3. Paste the web address right next to the quotation mark. (To paste, right-click next to the quotation mark and right-click on the word “paste” in the box that appears.)

4. Type “>

5. Type the phrase that you want to appear as the highlighted name of the link.

6. Type </a>

This is how it would look if I were doing a link to my blog:

<a href=”http://midlifebyfarmlight.blogspot.com/”>Midlife by Farmlight</a>

Midlife by Farmlight would then appear as a highlighted link when the comment is posted.

Your assignment, should you accept it, is to do a link in a comment to this post!

Cats Pose

2011-12-09T04:00:00.000-06:00

They noticed me stalking them with the camera… …and, agreed to pose for a prim and proper portrait…

…as long as a silly shot was part of the deal, too!

Skywatch

2011-12-08T15:12:00.000-06:00

Sunrise yesterday at our Iowa farm…

Visit Skywatch Friday to find the rest of this week’s links.

Round Building

2011-12-08T04:00:00.000-06:00

On Tuesday I decided to go Christmas shopping. I took the camera along in hopes of finding something halfway interesting to post on the blog. While driving across town from one shopping area to another I remembered that there used to be a round barn in the vicinity and wondered if it was still there. It used to sit along the main route through town but that road had become a dead-end a few years ago when a new four-lane was constructed.

A quick detour down the dead-end street showed me that sure enough, the round building is still there, though not part of a farm anymore. And, someone has added artwork to fit all four seasons!

The Astronomer

2011-12-07T04:00:00.000-06:00

Here’s another photo of a painting I saw at the Pella Library. Thanks to a Rick Steves travel show about Paris, I actually know something about this painting. It is The Astronomer by the Dutch painter, Johannes Vermeer.

It was painted in 1668 and is on display at the Louvre Museum in Paris. A related painting by Vermeer is entitled The Geographer and can be seen here.

Street Scene

2011-12-06T04:00:00.000-06:00

Here’s another painting from the Pella Library.

It might be a street scene from Holland, as Pella was founded by Dutch settlers. I don’t know the name of the artist.

Borrowed Scene

2011-12-05T04:00:00.000-06:00

There was wintery weather forecast for yesterday so I was hoping to have a snowy photo to put on the blog today, but, alas, the snow amounted to a barely visible dusting. Rather, I’m posting this photo of a painting I saw at the Pella Library a couple months ago. (The artist’s name is H. Hargrove.)

Amongst the bookshelves there were framed prints donated for library patrons to borrow and hang on their walls for awhile. A nice idea, I thought, and you may be seeing more of them on the blog if the scenery around here remains un-photoworthy.

Family Picture

2011-12-03T04:00:00.000-06:00

Miss Kitty and her current brood…

Skywatch

2011-12-01T18:49:00.000-06:00

This photo was taken earlier in the week. Thank you to the jet airplanes for contributing to the scene!

Visit Skywatch Friday for the rest of this week’s links.

Capitol Building

2011-12-01T04:00:00.000-06:00

A recent trip to Des Moines offered opportunity for a drive-by shooting of the state Capitol.

I’ve toured the golden-domed building on several occasions, the first being a class trip in sixth grade. We trooped up into the rotunda and cupola that time, amazed at the dizzying view. In subsequent years, I accompanied my own children’s sixth grade classes as they toured there, also.

New Arrival

2011-11-30T04:00:00.000-06:00

On the way to the mailbox the other day I found an oversize parcel being delivered!

The tractor is not new, but will be new to us. The arrival of farm equipment is always a momentous occasion, so I was happy to have been carrying a camera along on this walk to the mailbox.

Colorful Spirea

2011-11-29T04:00:00.000-06:00

Last spring when I planted this Magic Carpet Spirea bush its leaves were yellow-green. During the summer, it was covered with lovely tiny pink flowers. Throughout autumn it colorfully competed with its neighbor, the Burning Bush. This photo was taken yesterday. I wonder how long the color will last.

Photo of the Day

2011-11-28T06:00:00.000-06:00

With Thanksgiving over with, I should be thinking Christmas thoughts. Instead I fret over which photo to post on the blog today. The weather is cold and windy, so I chose a warm-looking scene from back in mid-October: I need to somehow get in the mood to start holiday baking and decorating. It sort of goes against my grain, though, as I’d rather just curl up and read books this time of year. Or, sleep.

Skywatch Friday

2011-11-24T17:41:00.000-06:00

These two photos were taken around the same time last Sunday afternoon, looking in opposite directions.

Visit Skywatch Friday for the rest of this week’s links.

Greetings of the Day

2011-11-24T06:00:00.009-06:00

Happy

Thanksgiving!

I don’t have any Thanksgiving-type photos to post. Instead, I searched through the font list to find one that seemed sort of Thanksgivingish. "Old English" it is, because the Pilgrims came from England.

Just a Leaf

2011-11-23T06:00:00.002-06:00

Just a single leaf lying there, colorful enough to be noticed.

Bittersweet

2011-11-22T06:00:00.001-06:00

Here’s a tangle of Bittersweet we saw on the autumn drive mentioned in yesterday’s post.

Almost looks like a snowbank in the background, but its actually fluffy white clouds.

Busy Week Ahead

2011-11-21T06:00:00.000-06:00

Last Friday was cold and blustery, so I busied myself indoors at the computer, pre-publishing blogposts for this busy Thanksgiving week.

I wished to go back to the day this photo was taken, in mid-October when my husband and I enjoyed an autumn drive in the hills of northeast Iowa.

Last Hurrah

2011-11-19T06:00:00.000-06:00

From a couple days ago, one last glimpse of the Burning Bush’s autumn finery.

These leaves fell off the next day after this photo was taken.

Skywatch

2011-11-18T06:00:00.000-06:00

Thanks for stopping by! Photo was taken earlier this week. Visit Skywatch Friday to find more links.

Different

2011-11-17T06:00:00.000-06:00

This Burning Bush leaf obviously marches to a different drummer!

And, there’s nothing wrong with that!

Barberry

2011-11-16T06:00:00.000-06:00

I’m amazed at the autumn colors still to be found around the yard here in mid-November! This Barberry bush branch poses next to an intriguing rock I found in the field a few years ago.

JD 630

2011-11-15T06:00:00.000-06:00

On a sunny day back in early October I snapped a shot of the John Deere 630:

As of last week, this reliable old tractor is slumbering in the shed shadows for the winter.

Late Bloomer

2011-11-14T06:00:00.000-06:00

This late-blooming coneflower’s color simply does not fit in. Shades of November brown and gray are currently all the rage!

Burning Bush Berries

2011-11-12T06:00:00.000-06:00

They look a little bit like Christmas lightbulbs being held in place by purple clothespins!

Bird Nest

2011-11-11T09:27:00.000-06:00

By now, most of the burning bush’s leaves have fallen off. Yesterday I noticed this tiny bird’s nest near the center of the bush:

I’m thinking it might be a Goldfinch nest.

Skywatch

2011-11-10T14:00:00.000-06:00

Welcome! Here’s an early morning scene from mid-October…

Visit the Skywatch Friday website to find links to sky photos from around the world!

First Snow

2011-11-10T06:00:00.000-06:00

Yesterday morning I was greeted by this scene:

By early afternoon the snow had disappeared. Amazing how this maple tree is tenaciously holding onto its leaves. Or the leaves are clinging with great determination. Which is it, I wonder?

Teacup Clock

2011-11-09T06:00:00.000-06:00

Earlier in the fall, I saw this clever clock in a shop in Pella:

Someone was really using their noggin to come up with such an idea. Just now, after typing the word noggin, I decided to looked it up in the dictionary. Amazingly enough, noggin also means “a small cup or mug”! Plus, it can mean 1/4 of a pint, probably the amount of liquid in a teacup!

Leaf Donation

2011-11-08T06:00:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I raked up a big pile of leaves and donated them to a good cause.

Bedding for the calves!

Wishing

2011-11-07T05:00:00.000-06:00

Can you guess what I’m wishing for?

A big blustery blast of November wind to blow these leaves to kingdom come! Shouldn’t be too much to ask for since I recently read somewhere that the old Saxon name for November is “Windmonath”, which means “wind month”!

Dogs, Cats, Leaves

2011-11-05T06:00:00.000-05:00

Yesterday morning, upon stepping out of the house with my camera, I found:

Lefty eagerly approaching, followed by Buster sporting his “Viking Raider” look…

Unidentified cat contemplating voyage across sea of leaves…

Cat known as Dinky slinking across farmyard (with fall rye growing in background)…

And finally, Miss Kitty, who decided to wink and shake her head at the exact same moment I pressed the camera button!

Wind

2011-11-04T06:00:00.000-05:00

Who has seen the wind?

Neither I nor you:

But when the leaves hang trembling,

The wind is passing through.

Who has seen the wind?

Neither you nor I:

But when the trees bow down their heads,

The wind is passing by.

---Christina Rosetti

Skywatch

2011-11-03T16:37:00.000-05:00

Early morning at our farm in Iowa. (Photo taken 10-20-11.) I liked the hint of pink color in the clouds.

Visit Skywatch Friday to find the complete list of sky photo links.

Lingering Colors

2011-11-03T06:00:00.000-05:00

Yesterday morning was definitely November-like, dark and chilly.

Trees are quickly becoming empty and colorless, though autumn hues linger on in Marigolds and the Burning Bush.

And, a little bit of Cosmo color clings to life.

Texture Attempt

2011-11-02T06:00:00.001-05:00

I see alot of really cool texture work on blogs, so yesterday I decided to try and learn how to do such a thing. I searched online and finally found instructions I could fathom. Besides having a photo I wish to texturize, I found out that I also need a texture photo to apply over it. For that, I headed outdoors with the camera and snapped a variety of scenes, from rusty barrels to dusty farm machinery to cement blocks.

Following instructions I had found for applying a texture using Photoshop Elements, I overlayed these two photos with the rusty barrel photo. First is the last Cosmo of the season (with a marigold bokeh) and secondly, a worn out Coneflower with a weed in the background.