Wednesday, April 6, 2011

DECISIONS, DECISIONS


Yesterday's stiff breezes that caused the yellow daffodils on the hill to nod, and kept the wind chimes under the eaves ringing, settled after the arrival of dusk. It was still and almost silent when I took Moon-the-Dog out at bedtime last night. The only sound was the sibilant whisper of the river hurrying along. Unusual, because when the river's at normal level, water dashing and sloshing through the big riffle in front of the cottage produces a constant dull roar—a sort of friendly white noise that is both soothing and reassuring. A lack of sound means the water is high, as is indeed the case after heavy rains on Monday. High enough to cause the stream to lose its voice, though this time around not high enough to be worrisome.   

Overhead, stars glittered in the clear night sky. In the west, glimpsed through a lacework of sycamore branches, a sliver of moon rode the obsidian darkness like a platinum canoe. 

•   •   •

This morning it is cloudy once again, very dark off to the west-southwest, and at the moment looks like it could rain. The forecast, however, claims no rain and calls for partly sunny with a high of 63˚F, plus a repeat of yesterday's gusty winds. But I'm skeptical. I'd hoped to spend at least a couple of hours poking about a nearby woods in search of wildflowers to photograph. The reduced light is no problem for getting good images—in fact, I'd rather shoot under an overcast rather than bright sunlight; though breezy conditions make macro photography of spring's delicate blooms frustrating. But I'm not especially keen on getting wet, or slogging through mud afterwards—and that's not even the worst of it since wildflower shots regularly require a kneeling or flat-of-the-belly angle. 

Sooooo…I suppose I'll wait and see what the weather does later on before deciding what I'm going to do. Yet I'm well aware that a dozen years ago I'd have gone anyway, regardless of the prospects of rain or the possibility I'd have to wallow around in the cold mud for my shots. But today, I'm just not in the mood for such messy and uncomfortable semi-amphibious photography. Doubtless another sign I'm turning into an old wuss.     
———————  

13 comments:

The Weaver of Grass said...

An old wuss? You? Oh no, you'll never be that Grizz - just a big more cautious. Love the little brown job in the photo.

Gail said...

HI GRIZZ_

Beautiful picture and lovely visual writing that brings me right to you - seeing, hearing, feeling every moment. "Thank you"
Love Gail
peace.....

Kelly said...

hehehe....you made me laugh. When I went to Fort Ancient late Sunday afternoon I found a bit of that mud. Later I told Rick I like photographing the early spring wildflowers because I spend most of my time lying on the ground (which is relaxing to say the least)...but then when I get home, cleanup isn't as fun because have to spend a bit of time in the laundry room! :-)

p.s. loved this sentence "High enough to cause the stream to lose its voice," --it's a great description.

AfromTo said...

Well to save your knees from low flower photos-I would have thought the training of Moon the dog(&his ground level stature)to snap a few for you would have happened a while ago.Or maybe just a collar Dog/Cam to capture his view of the world?

Grizz………… said...

Weaver…

I'm not sure you're right, there being a fine line between caution and cowardice, but thank you just the same for your vote against my potential wuss-hood.

That LBJ is a sweet-voiced song sparrow on my front patio.

Grizz………… said...

Gail…

I like painting those word pictures…especially when someone enjoys seeing (reading) them. That means the alchemy is working.

Hope spring is creeping into your corner of the land…

Grizz………… said...

Kelly…

Among a lot of outdoor/nature shooters I know, this worm's eye view approach is commonly referred to as "wet belly photography"….for obvious and literal reasons. You're decades away yet—but just between us, I'll tell you it gets harder with age. :-)

BTW, II'm really enjoying your series on Adams County.

KGMom said...

Oh, I recognize the signs. There comes a time when in the weighing of decisions the impulsiveness of youth loses to the careful caution of esteemed age. Decision making is more tempered.

Anonymous said...

hey I feel left out-I didn't get a response.A

Grizz………… said...

KGMom…

You're right, doggone it…but I don't like the necessary reasons behind this shift.

My biggest issue with flat-bellied photography nowadays is getting my sore-backed self back into an upright position afterwards. There have been times when I thought my next of kin are just going to have to dig a hole right here and bury me where I lay…'cause I believe I'm here to stay.

Grizz………… said...

Anonymous…

Sorry if I left a comment of yours out…but here's the deal.

I don't mind anyone lurking to their heart's content, reading without commenting, or commenting under a nom de plume. You can be as anonymous as you like. And you're just as welcomed to this riverbank as anyone.

The problem is, I receive perhaps 25 comments per week signed "Anonymous." These are invariably links to some sort of sales site—Viagra, gambling, porn, etc.—which I have no interest in personally or promotionally, and don't intend to give space or access to, or they simply rant and rave and make no sense or in any way appear to connect to anything in the post. Thus I have to monitor and approve all my comments before they appear here. I pretty much trash all Anonymous comments on sight.

So…you can email me at the address listed on my main page (macscribe etc. etc.) and tell me you still want to sign your comments as Anonymous but you'll add some other word, name, letter number, symbol at the end, and I'll look closer at my Anonymous-signed comments before trashing them and post yours. Or, just give yourself another name and sign it that way.

I don't want to exclude you. But you'll have to work with me here. Fair enough?

AfromTO said...

Sorry I signed it A but forgot to put AfromTO so hey where's my response?:)

Grizz………… said...

AfromTO....

Oops! That'd be my mistake. I published your comment, then missed it when I replied to others played at the same time. Then, to add to my mess-up, I mistook your anonymous for another anonymous from whom I've received what may or may not have been a legitimate comment recently. Sorry for the mixup.

Now, to answer your comment...a Moon-cam might be a pretty good idea as to lower angle shots, but getting a shot of what you wanted rather than what she was interested in at the moment would be nearly impossible. Moon is sort of a 60lb Jack Russell terrier. High energy (though age is slowing her down), investigating this then that then something else at full speed, a tendency to dig at a moment's whim, and an IQ higher than about half the people working on post graduate degrees.

I'd get shots, but she'd get to pick 'em.