Day 120: April 30, 2010

Windows 

I had to go to UT (University of Toledo) today to fill out paperwork that will let me get my stipend for the grant-funded program I got into that starts in June.  Free tuition and a stipend - woo! PhD level coursework - gulp!

I liked the juxtaposition of architectural styles in this shot even though it is a bit busy.  I didn't even realize I'd captured the reflection of the building behind me until I uploaded it to my computer.  The UT clock tower can be seen through the modern walkway connecting an older building (on the right) with a newer one.  The clock tower is visible for miles and is a well-recognized symbol of the university.

Day 119: April 29, 2010

Pollinator

Walked down to the neighbor on the corner to shoot their blossoming tree and flowers.  There were tiny bees buzzing around in near-constant motion.  Finally managed to capture this little guy in the middle.  I like the shot without him, but he adds a little something extra.

Day 118: April 28, 2010

More Oak Tree

Time got away from me today - no time to shoot.  This is another one from yesterday - not as sharp as I'd like, I was focusing more on the light from the setting sun and the composition.  I need to take more time and set up the tripod, especially on breezy days!

Day 117: April 27, 2010

Shadows, New Leaves, and a Bird!

The oak trees have new yellow leaves/seed pods and I liked the contrast of the yellow against the blue tonight.  However, after I uploaded this pic to my computer I noticed the shadows the setting sun made with the branches on the trunk and if you embiggen the shot you can even see a little robin on one of the branches! I didn't even know it was there when I took the picture!

(Also - what did Blogger do it's picture uploading interface?!  I mean it works, but I'm not sure why it needed to change!)

Day 116: April 26, 2010

Cloudy Sky

The rain is gone and the sky is blue again.  The clouds made a nice contrast today.  I shot this quickly while my daughter ran into the library to pick up some books she'd requested.

Day 115: April 25, 2010

Raindrops on Tulips

The fog never completely lifted but turned into rain.  It rained off and on the rest of the day.  After dropping my daughter off at her watercolor class at the Toledo Museum of Art, I noticed a long row of these bright pink tulips edging the drive along the parking lot.  The rain had let up momentarily, so I took a quick picture.  I like the textures and details visible in this shot.

Day 114: April 24, 2010

Images in the Fog

I did not take any pictures Saturday - the day simply got away from me.  Instead I deliberately did two different photo shoots today to make up for it.  The first one resulted in these images (the second resulted in Sunday's post - the one after this).  

This morning I awoke to incredibly dense fog.  I couldn't see much beyond the flag that hangs from my front door.  By 11 am, the fog had lifted somewhat, but still hovered thickly in low places.  I went to see what I could see in a small park in my neighborhood.  At the entrance (at the back of the parking lot behind the Knights of Columbus hall), was this communications tower, surrounded by a square of fencing topped off by barbed wire.  I liked the way the top of the tower seems to disappear into the mist.  This photo is squeaking in under the (barbed?) wire for Monochrome Weekend.

The photo below is of the "sledding hill" in the same park.  I swear this hill was ten times taller 30 years ago!  Kids still drag their sleds here in the winters as it's the only place to go sledding in the neighborhood.  It's harder that I thought to capture the effects of fog.  This is something I want to research more about and try to improve on.

Day 113: April 23, 2010

Zoo Tunnel

Every time I go to the zoo, I say "I miss the tunnel!" This is the preserved entrance to said tunnel - while it's no longer used to get zoo visitors safely from the parking lot to the zoo grounds underneath Anthony Wayne Trail (a 4 lane, divided highway), I assume it's still used to get to various pipes and sewers.

The tunnel was dank and dark - a concrete lined hole in the ground with no ramps - strollers were lifted by strangers down the steps (and then up the steps on the other side).  There was minimal lighting - yellow and flickering.  Water dripped from the ceiling onto your head and there were often puddles to dodge.  Once you got over your fear of the tunnel as a kid, it became the BEST part of the zoo - a wild echo-chamber to run through yelling at the top of your lungs!  It was a little freaky in the middle when you could look up the ventilation grate and hear the cars whizzing by at 50mph on top of your head.  It smelled weird.  It was loud (every kid under 15 was yelling just to hear their echo and every mom was yelling at them to stop and slow down).  But it was THE TUNNEL!

The parking lot is still across the "street" from the zoo, but it's much bigger (and nicer) now and is connected to the main zoo by a covered foot bridge OVER the street.  They've also added more animal exhibits on the parking lot side of the zoo, including the new African Savanna area.  It's all very modern and new and clean but I still miss the tunnel!

Day 112: April 22, 2010

Happy 40th Birthday Earth Day!

Today is Earth Day! Earth Day was born the same year as I was!  Our school celebrated in a big way - complete with cake! I took about 80 pictures of the kids, but once again, since I don't have their parents' permission, I can't blog them here.  The only pictures from today without kids are of the cake!

Day 111: April 21, 2010

A Little Birdie Told Me

One of the neat places at the Toledo Zoo is the Aviary.  While some birds are behind glass or behind netting or wire screens, there are several areas in which the birds fly free.  Each area is populated with birds and plants from a particular area of the world.  These rooms are filled with filtered sunlight and a wide variety of birds.  They are FAST birds, however! Tricky to get a good picture of them!  I captured this little guy as he stopped for a drink at a bowl placed on the ground.

Day 110: April 20, 2010

Pink and Blue

I have no idea what these flowers are - they could be "weeds" for all I know. They are one of the first things to appear in spring and bloom all at once.  They are about 12-15" high with these delicate blue flowers.  If anyone knows what they are called, please let me know!  Last year (my first spring in this house), they were all blue.  This year, they are all blue but one. There is one pink blossom smack dab in the middle of a sea of blue and green.  

Day 109: April 19, 2010

Let's Go Fly a Kite...

This is from the new children's area at the Toledo Zoo called Nature's Neighborhood.  They tell all the children to meet their parents at the kite if they get lost.  It's visible from anywhere in this area of the zoo.  It's quite stationary but gives the illusion of flight.

Day 108: April 18, 2010

Blossoming Trees

We went to the Toledo Zoo today - my daughter had an interview to become a volunteer Zoo Teen and we took advantage of the decent weather to enjoy the zoo afterwords.  I took dozens of photos of animals, but very few came out well - I only had my kit lens with me and no tripod.  But the zoo does have a lot of gardens as well and all the trees were in bloom.  The tree blossoms were a variety of colors, from the pink above, to the white and red of the photos below.  

Day 107: April 17, 2010

Green Leaves and Blue Sky

The only pictures I took today were of my new Godson at his Baptism!  And his twin brother. And their sisters.  But, since I won't post pictures of anyone without their permission (or their parents' permission) and since I forgot to ask my brother.... you get a picture I took yesterday!

Unfortunately, yesterday's weather didn't stick around, but it's SO nice to see green everywhere, I'll take the chilly days too.

Day 106: April 16, 2010

Reflections of Spring

Took a walk in Sylvania's Harroun Park today - can't believe I've never been there! I want to back and spend more time exploring all the paths.  Everything is green and the frogs were chorusing.  There was evidence of much flooding everywhere and the creek was running pretty fast.  Some of these trees are marked with a white dot of paint - hoping that doesn't mean they are slated for removal.

I really like what is happening just under the log in the picture below - this was a very shallow amount of water - it's hard to tell what's above water, what's a reflection, and what's a shadow.

Today's post is inspired by Weekend Reflections.

Day 105: April 15, 2010

Sunset

I actually took this one last night on my drive home from Ann Arbor.  Don't worry - I pulled off US23 and found a parking lot first!  The combination of clouds, jet contrails, trees, and sunset colors combined in a really compelling way for me.  I simply HAD to stop and take a picture.  While I do take my camera with me everywhere, I don't have my tripod in my trunk for some reason.  I need to rectify that - the light was fading fast and the shot probably could have benefited from a longer exposure.

Day 104: April 14, 2010

Functional Art

Popped up to Ann Arbor today for Scrabble night.  It was still light enough out when we were finished for a quick stroll around the block to take some pictures.  This is a bike rack, believe it or not!  They are all over the downtown Ann Arbor area.  I liked the way the setting sun made the shadow on the sidewalk.

I took some shots of the Fairy Doors and architecture in the area as well, but will save those for another day.  I missed the Fairy Door Walk on Easter Sunday but really want to find them all soon and get better pictures!  Although the website has done a good job of it already: Ann Arbor Fairies.

Day 103: April 13, 2010

In the Pink

These were outside school today - I just can't resist photographing all the colorful flowers after such a long, gray winter!

Day 102: April 12, 2010

Table of Pain and Health

This is the treatment table at my Chiropractor.  Essentially, you stand on it, put your face down onto the clean paper, and hold on while the table is tilted to be parallel with the floor.  The Chiropractor then adjusts your body as needed, ice is frequently applied, and off you go.  The treatment isn't particularly painful - at least not for long, but I'm often achy and tired in the hours following an adjustment.  However, the long-term benefits are truly amazing - it really is worth it! 

I snapped this pic quickly while waiting for the Chiropractor to come into the room.  He knew right away that the pain I've had in my chest that my GP thought was pneumonia (and wasn't) was actually a sprained/dislocated rib caused by coughing for the past 5 weeks.  I just can't shake this virus, consequently I was a couple of weeks late for this appointment - boy did I need it!  I know I'll feel so much better tomorrow!

(I've always been a bit afraid to ask what the other table with the padded cuffs is used for. Heh.)

Day 101: April 11, 2010

Daffodil

The daffodils have finally started to bloom, but so far they are pretty disappointing.  Walking around my neighborhood, these seem to be par for the course, however.  Hopefully more will bloom this week!  Tried it in monochrome as well, as part of Monochrome Weekend.

Day 100: April 10, 2010

Blue Flowers

These Hyacinth are growing in my neighbor's yard across the street.  I love the shades of blues and violets in the blossoms and the way the sun is hitting them.  Woke this morning to a raging migraine so didn't get out to the park as I'd hoped.  Hopefully tomorrow I'll feel up to it!

Day 99: April 9, 2010

The Result of Rain

Two days ago, this area of the yard had short green shoots. After yesterday's rain...suddenly everything is in bloom!  The setting sun made some of the leaves almost transparent, but this shot didn't quite capture what I wanted. 

Day 98: April 8, 2010

Flood!

This is the creek that runs behind Northview High School which is just down the street from my school.  I had been up at school tutoring and preparing next week's lesson plans (spring break? what spring break?) and stopped to get this picture on the way home today.  Normally the creek is much, much narrower and there are actually banks!  It's hard to see just how fast the water was moving, but it was frighteningly fast!  I knew we got a lot of rain yesterday, but this is an insane amount of water.  On the plus side, the grass is really green!

Day 97: April 7, 2010

April Showers Bring...April Flowers!

I almost missed these little guys yesterday.  I doubt I would have ever seen them hiding amongst the bushes if I hadn't been out in my yard looking for things to photograph.  Good thing I took an extra shot yesterday - it's been raining all day today.  But that's OK - it will make the flowers grow!  I spotted lots of new buds and blossoms through the raindrops today - can't wait to get out there and get some pictures when the rain stops.

Day 96: April 6, 2010

New Leaves

Everything's blooming and growing with the unseasonably warm weather we've had lately.  Our neighborhood is overrun with ground bees - an especially large colony this year.  Yards are dotted with what look like ant hills at first glance - mounds of sand with holes at the top.  Upon closer inspection, one can see hundreds of small bees swarming around the holes! They are EVERYWHERE in my large yard - prohibiting most outdoor activities there.  I inadvertently captured one of them in this shot! It's pretty blurry so I'm guessing it was in motion when I shot - they seem to be constantly moving, never landing.

Day 95: April 5, 2010

Creative Legacy

There's a little cemetery that can only be accessed from within Secor Metropark.  From the dates on the tombstones and monuments, I believe it was the first cemetery in that area - many of the dates are completely worn off the tombstones.  There are also newer memorials in the "modern" style - flat rectangles of marble flush to the ground.  I was much more intrigued by the ingenuity and creativity displayed by many of the early settlers in the area, such as the little log cabin above.  The wife's name is on this side of the roof - the husband's was on the other side.  I can only wonder if their home resembled this memorial.

The one that caught my eye as I drove past and compelled me to drive in for a closer look is the "tree" below.  It's not wood - it appears to be ceramic or stone.  The family name is on this tall (maybe 3 meters?) tree with smaller "logs" scattered around it with the names of the man's wife and (I assume) children. 

I found it touching and quite interesting to see these tombstones from long ago - made me really wonder about the first European settlers in the area - who they were and what their lives must have been like.

Day 94: April 4, 2010

Easter Eggs

My daughter colored the eggs herself this year - I especially like the Charlie Brown egg.  I'm glad that 13 is not too old to get excited about an Easter basket filled with candy and trinkets.

Day 93: April 3, 2010

Yellow Blossoms

We always called these Honeysuckles growing up - I'm not sure they are true Honeysuckles but they grow like weeds around here and are always among the first things to bloom.  They bring a welcome shot of color to a mostly drab landscape this time of year. 

Day 92: April 2, 2010

Monochrome Reflections of a Swamp

I ventured out to Secor Metropark today to see what was blooming.  I had the car windows down as I drove slowly through the park and was drawn to this spot not by the sights of the trees standing ankle-deep in swampy water, but by the choruses of frogs calling to their mates and woodpeckers grabbing a bite to eat.  The air reverberated with their staccato beats.  I stopped the car to attempt to find the source of either sound, but had not luck - and I was NOT about to wade out into the leaf-littered flood plain.

However, I quickly saw the potential in the reflections of the trees in this temporary pond.  I really like how the leaves are visible through the water in the darker reflections of the tree trunks.  This part of Ohio was once known as the Great Black Swamp - and this photo clearly shows why!  The ground was quite spongy around this small area and there were numerous other spots identical to this one throughout the park.

I couldn't decide which color-scheme I liked better - desaturated (top photo) or my attempt at sepia tones (GIMP has no pre-set for sepia).  So you get both!  And I'm also killing two birds with one stone and listing this entry over at Monochrome Weekend AND Weekend Reflections! Go check out both sites - they're both awesome!

Day 91: April 1, 2010

No April Fool's - Spring is Here!

The buds are out - the ground bees are swarming my yard, and we had all the windows in the house open today.  Spring has officially arrived!  I'm choosing to ignore the extended weather forecasts calling for colder temps and snow flurries.