Janet Brien's photos with the keyword: story

My daily walk is more than just exercise to me. By starting the morning with an invigorating march, I energize my spirit for the day and jump-start my body by getting my lymph and blood flowing. These walks are therapeutic and allow me the time to reflect on anything on my mind. They are also a great way to listen to audio books. To top it off, exercise is fun and feels wonderful! Essentially, it's a vital and important start to every day! Stepping out into a frigid 28 degrees morning, frost twinkled at me as I made my first lap down to the gate. I could see that the frosty filigree was back on the metal tubes that form our gate and I leaned in close to appreciate the cool formations scribed by the frozen moisture. I would return with my camera on my next trip down. Time to see if I could capture that lovely frost for Pam to enjoy! However, at the very top of the hill I spied the tall stand of teasel and glanced at them as I walked by. I'd been keeping an eye on one in particular because it kept yelling for attention. At the base of the stalk was a particularly large leaf that put on a show, although it was nothing special at first, sitting in the shadow of the hillside. But once the sun crept over the top, rays of light would hit that leaf and turn it into a glowing golden flag, complete with marvelous texture and shape. I struggled. On the one hand, the artistic side of me said, "Take the picture, it's super cool and amazing!" But the other side of me said, "If I present this image, most people won't have any idea what it is and will not like it!" Every day I saw this leaf and the battle raged on. Finally I decided that this unique and beautiful sight should be immortalized and if people didn't understand it, well, that's just the way it would be. I did take pictures of the frost! But the frost laughed at me and said, "You silly girl. Trying to take a picture of our tiny, delicate lacing without a proper flash or tripod will be an exercise in FAILURE!" LOL, I got a couple of pictures that were blasé passable, but not at all what I had hoped for. I chucked all of the dozens of images. But of the dozen pictures I took of the teasel leaf, four stood out, and here you see the winner. Pam, I hope that you enjoy this natural glowing flag! Like you, it is incredibly special, unique and glows with warmth. I hope that your day is a bright one my dear! *big hugs* Explored on 11/21/2018, highest placement, #17.

Please see our new group, Pictures for Pam , we would love to have you! You may read the latest news of Pam`s recoverery here (11/9/18): www.ipernity.com/home/christine.bentley ------------------------- Yesterday began with a rough start but this morning I was happy and looking forward to my day. Just above freezing and without the odd, icy wind, I didn't bother with a second sweater and was perfectly comfortable as I stepped out into the crisp gleaming sunlight. Pausing to stretch my calves and thighs, I noticed that my neat line of little white rocks had been pushed around—perhaps by an investigative nose or beak of some sort? I had my suspicions. The most likely was mulled over in my mind while I put the displaced pebbles back on the slab with the others. Striding down our gravel road, I was soon met by the suspected critter's calling card on the drive, exactly in my path. I wrinkled my nose and stared down at the small but offensive pile. Our rural property is home to a huge variety of wildlife and one of them is a very rude—in my opinion, anyway—fox. This guy—or gal?—is bound and determined to make it known that this territory belongs to HIM and I'd better not forget it! Since I don't seem to be getting the memo, nearly every day I am faced with yet another present along my path. Mumbling amusedly under my breath, I returned the joust with one of my own. Clearly aiming for a message of "I have no respect for you!" I gave the old heave-ho to the strategically-placed berry-filled dropping with a side-of-the-shoe fling and sent the poo flying into the weeds. Sheesh. I shook my head and grinned at the reality: I have been arguing over property rights—with a FOX—for nearly 10 years now!! How ridiculous and wonderful! I couldn't help thinking about the most outrageous message left for me just a few days before. My husband walks laps on our driveway too, and just for fun, he picks up colorful rocks and tosses them in a pile next to my rock slabs. I will often change out some of my pebbles with a few he has found on his walks, but I only need 13 stones so his growing pile of many dozen sits mostly unused but appreciated. The other day I went to put a pebble in place and suddenly goggled at what I saw. The fox had left its dropping DIRECTLY ON TOP of Steve's pile of rocks!!! I spluttered! I gasped! I may have even yelled an expletive or two in disbelieving amazement! Why, that was the most blatant "F_ _ _ YOU!!" that I'd ever seen a wild animal direct at me. Or…I wondered…could it have been left for Steve specifically? After all, that pile of rocks smelled of Steve, not me. The fox merely nosed my pebbles, choosing to leave its usual present on the road for me. And also, Steve only just recently began walking up and down the drive, so perhaps the fox was trying to say, "ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! BEGONE!" Who knows. I decided that the best thing to do would be to just remove the message and ignore my mad desire to hunt the devil down and throttle it vigorously before letting it go with a warning of my own, "CUT IT OUT YOU DISRESPECTFUL CURR!" Turning my thoughts to my dear friend Pam, I figured she'd enjoy this tale because she has wildlife tales of her own to share. I was pleased that I already knew the picture I'd be taking for her today so after my walk, I grabbed my camera, walked up the hill beyond our house. I came to a stop at the dried army of teasel which began its formation where I stood and marched in a thick column down to our big meadow. What a formidable sight and wonderful to appreciate from seed to dried stalk, at all times of year and in any weather. Teasel never disappoints and is an outstanding photography subject for beginner and advanced alike. I had a classic image in mind, showing off several beauties with the sun behind to make them glow. Moving around here and there, I looked for background elements at the right distance to create just the right effect. Not sure of exactly what would look best, I took a couple of dozen images with various apertures and different cropping potentials. In the end, one of the first choices turned out to be my pick and not the close-ups of three I'd expected. My choice shows a hint of the massive number of teasel along with a foreground trio, and a background which shows the colorful autumn colors blended with teasel and oak bokeh. It was a wonderful surprise when I cropped this image down to size and was presented by this delightful view. I was reminded of the joy of capturing an image that I didn't consider as an outcome and was so happy I was lucky enough to get it! Hoping your day is a nice one, Pam, and know that you are in my thoughts with warm wishes headed your way in a stream of healing and affectionate virtual hugs. Explored on 11/13/18, highest placement: #36.

Please see our new group, Pictures for Pam , we would love to have you! You may read the latest news of Pam`s recoverery here (11/9/18): www.ipernity.com/home/christine.bentley ------------------------- A heaviness of heart greeted me this morning and the familiar disinterest in doing anything swirled about me, pulling me down into the usual gloom of the past months. Wrestling with this specter, I shrugged my shoulders in determination to overcome my low spirits. And so I got ready for my daily walk like usual, but today I really piled on the garments, annoyed by the cold that continued to bite into me every day now. Tee-shirt topped by thermal long-sleeve, then my very warm, fluffy sweater and of course my trusty, pill-covered blue fleece. The final touch of gloves, scarf, and hat, sweaters zipped up tight, conjured thoughts of "A Christmas Story"…perhaps I wasn't so armored that I would fall over like little Randy, but the amusing image forced me to crack a grin. Progress. I stepped out the door. I was met by a bracing wind today which totally surprised me. Our mornings are almost invariably still until the sun was quite high in the sky and I wondered what this tree-rattling weather meant for the days ahead. Though it was nearly 34 today and warmer by 8 very discernable degrees, the gusting wind laughed at me with a knowledge that it would feel even colder. So it did, but happily, my bundling had worked and I was quite comfortable for once! In fact, I actually grew so warm after a few laps that I was forced to remove my hat, scarf, blue sweater AND my gloves! What a change!! Thank goodness, because I was really tired of returning home with ice-cubes for feet, face, hands and leg surfaces. Tackling my low spirits took some doing and as you must know, it's very hard to be creative when feeling down. But as I walked, I forced myself to look for things that Pam might like. My blue mood had me questioning everything. "I have taken pictures of everything I see a thousand times. I've posted pictures of this, that and those things too. Nobody cares about my stupid pictures. I'm wasting my time." On and on it went…and I just kept looking and tossing my negative feelings aside as I was able. Heading into my fourth lap, I bent down and neatly placed a white pebble on the other rock slab, arranging it in a growing line of stones while the pile of rocks on the other side slowly diminished. Next to the rock slabs was my smart phone and headphones and I picked them up. I love to occupy my walks with a podcast or story, it's such a nice way to experience a book or radio show. It also passes the time nicely, distracting me from the relentless drudgery of walking up and down my driveway a baker's dozen every day. Turning to continue my walk, I returned to the Larry Niven story, "Dream Park," and was quickly immersed in the clever Westworld-like yarn. I noticed that my mood was improving, and I was able to finally see some things that Pam might think were cool. Noticing a familiar rust-colored weed that stood bracing itself against the wind, I was reminded of what I used to call it, "Indian Tobacco." I now know that it's actually called "Curly Dock," but it's hard to remember after a lifetime of calling it something else. Without stopping to look closer, I knew this would make a very nice picture for Pam to see! When I was finished with my walk, I got my camera and made my way back to the Curly Dock. It was a good choice for today because, despite the wind, I knew I'd be able to get some good macros. The stalk is fairly rigid and I'd surely get some shots in between the gusts. At a glance, Curly Dock is an unusual, interesting plant with its deep ruddy color and texture. However, the visual prize of this plant can only be seen at a nose-close distance, and so I busied myself taking many pictures to ensure that at least one would come out crisp and detailed. Experience has taught me that wind and even just a badly-timed breeze will ruin your pictures, so it's best to take lots at various distances, apertures and angles. In the end, I tossed about 15 duds, saved a few, but the image I'm sharing for Pam was just what I was hoping for! Detail, clarity and good lighting show off Curly Dock's wonderful clusters of seed-and-calyx. Aren't they wonderful to see? :) Pam, I know you will appreciate this image of tiny treasures, and wouldn't it be fun to be momentarily very small so that we could gaze up at these lovely forms, hand-in-hand and staring transfixed? Nature brims with countless wonderful sights like this and I'm so glad that you love these hidden treats as much as I do! Feel better soon! :) Explored on 11/12/18, highest position: #29

Please see our new group, Pictures for Pam , we would love to have you! You may read the latest news of Pam`s recoverery here (11/9/18): www.ipernity.com/home/christine.bentley ------------------------- I began my day with an unfamiliar lightness of heart, and a grin tugging at the sides of my mouth as I stepped outside into the biting cold of this lovely sunny day. I'd bundled up in my bedraggled but favorite blue sweater, knitted brown scarf and its matching scarf, but decided on a heavier pair of gloves today. It was time for my thicker, soft black suede ones to replace the lighter duty nylon ones I'd been wearing to this point. Looking at the thermometer I cringed..."26.5 degrees?! WOW!" I thought it was interesting that I'd donned my heavier gloves without knowing just how cold it was today. The temperature had been inching downwards in the past week and it was definitely getting quite cold. In fact, I've been needing a warm shower to warm up after my walks, because no matter how much heat I'd generated during my brisk 1.25 hr walk, my extremities could not keep up with the frigid temperatures. That's cold. I stretched my legs for a few minutes and then headed down the drive, taking a look at my pile of white rocks as I passed by. To keep track of my "laps", I have 13 little white pebbles that I move from one large stone slab to another as I progress. I learned long ago that I am apt to forget the exact number because my mind is distracted by my thoughts or by the story or podcast that I am listening to. With my pebbles, I am free to let my mind wander without needing to wonder about the number of laps I have walked. Making my way down our uneven, gravel road that leads to a chain-locked metal gate, the road beyond ferries an infrequent stream of vehicles back and forth from the secluded hills beyond to the small but growing towns of Medford, Grants Pass, Ashland and White City. I hate the noise of the cars and trucks, but though there is more traffic now than when we first moved here about 10 years ago, it's still very tolerable and not a constant din by any means. I noticed that there wasn't much frost today despite the cold, which I thought was interesting, since it's been quite frosty on previous days. My breath filled the air with clouds of dragon's vapor as I trooped down to turn-round at the gate and head back up the hill. Thoughts of Pam filled my mind and I hoped that she was doing ok. I smiled again from ear to ear this time, filled with the effervescent delight of an excited child. My eyes had snapped open once again and as I had hoped, my plan was working--and so quickly too! By picking up my camera again, and taking pictures of images that made me want to share them with my friend, I'd awakened my creative eye again. Suddenly I was thinking about light and shadow, contrast and shapes, interesting sights that invariably showed themselves to me like beacons amidst the drab, dry scenery around me. Yesterday's photo turned out as I'd hoped and I was tickled that, even though I hadn't taken pictures for quite some time, my abilities were truly like that of riding a bike. How fortunate I am to be able to pick up my camera and take pictures that please me, even after a long break! :) After a few laps, I approached our gate and I noticed some lines on the metal. Looking very closely, I could see a very fine filigree of frost, so delicate that the mere touch of the sun would melt this beautiful etching. I exclaimed out lout how lovely and unusual this subtle frost was, and thought about trying to get a picture. I could see that the sun was making its way upwards and rays of brilliant light were about to touch the gate. Yes, I would get my camera, but no, I doubted I would get that picture, even if I ran all the way up to the house and back. That special sight would likely be just for my eyes today, but I was so grateful that I noticed, for the memory of that delicate filigree would stay with me. Grabbing my camera at the end of my lap, I returned to the gate, but I could see halfway down the hill that the sun had indeed lit up the slate-grey pipes and I would not see any frost there when I arrived. No matter--because I believe that things are meant to be, and it was for me to have my camera with me, but frost on the gate was not my subject for the day. I did confirm what I already knew--the perfectly dry gate hid any signs that a fairy's wand had touched the bars in the early hours. Heading up the hill, camera in hand now, I opened my eyes with the alertness of a hunting cat. I looked for that sparkle of light, a silhouette that caught my eye, the magic of early sunbeams passing through the leaves and casting warm light upon everything it touched. I saw a few leaves that got my attention, but gazing through my camera lens, could see they were not quite right. Then I saw a leaf suspended on some weeds, and though it was not lit up by the sun, I knew that if I walked around off the road and to the other side, that leaf might very well explode into an image of nature's stained glass. My face beamed as I made my way around, and sunk down to take the picture that you see here. As luck--or meant-to-be--would have it, that leaf was suspended on weeds that were just far away enough from the grass and weeds nearby to give me the most gorgeous bokeh in the background. Lovely separation without any need to remove anything from the background! In fact, this image is about 99% Straight Out of the Camera! How lucky is that?! :) Pam, I hope that you like your picture today, it was a wonderful find and because of you, I have once again found my light. Loving you muchly and thinking of you so frequently! May this day find you feeling better than the day before my dear! Explored on 11/10/18, highest placement #54.

One of the cool things about mushrooms is how unique they can be up close. Towering above them, mushrooms appear nearly identical to one another, but through a macro lens, the differences are distinct. I think this one looks like an umbrella, nestled against a trio of grass blades.

To me, mushrooms are forest fairies. When I find them, each comes with its own wonderful story. Take this trio, for example.... I was wandering around our lower forest on Halloween 2014, when I thought I heard the tell-tale tinkle of laughter. Trained to instantly freeze at the sound, I slowly peered around the tree in my path. Another tinkle and a pair of whispers gave me a direction to look, and...there they were! A family of mushroom fairies, out for a autumn stroll. I resisted the urge to giggle at the antics of the child, who was taller than his mother, but very lanky indeed. Bouncing from pebble to stick to lump of moss, this baby moved about on an invisible cushion of air. "Shhhhhh," said the smaller of the adults in a high-pitched squeak. That would be the mother, I mused to myself, and my eyes flicked to the tallest, who looked about warily but with confidence. "Little One, you must keep quiet...you never know what might hear you." Undeterred, Little One's gay laughter tinkled up to my ears and he continued playing among the forest's undergrowth. Suddenly, a Stellar's Jay flew past and landed on a tree nearby, cawing noisily and puffing its feathers to show the world who was boss. In a flash, the three mushroom fairies moved to the protection of a stump and pulled together into a protective group. I saw my opportunity, raised my camera and took their picture while they looked on in stunned amazement. With a grin and a wave, I slipped away to leave them in peace. See what I mean? There are stories with every mushroom I find... :)