Gilford Tanner Bridge

First time kayaking 2012

While kayaking on Salt Marsh Pond, we came across this old canoe with an eye painted on it.  We also saw a wood duck, great blue heron, canada goose, mallards, and some painted turtles sunning on a log.

It was a beautiful day and it was great to get back out on the water in a kayak.. such peace.

Working with macro settings again and light.. Love these crocus with the light shinging through and the yellow stamen..taken in my friends' beautiful garden.

Night Sky over Opeche Lake

Happy Easter

My friend and her daughter put together this deliciously, creative salad..as part of Easter Dinner.   How could you not enjoy a salad as fresh looking as this;

Wonderful dinner followed by a beautiful evening sky;

Turkey Vultures are baaack

I know this sounds strange, but I love to see Turkey Vultures soaring through the sky.  I think they are beautiful, with their large wing span, floating, dipping, and circling on air currents.  And they do provide an environmental service by consuming dead things that other birds would not touch.  Their digestive system takes care of toxic stuff.  And see for yourself.. arent their wings, outstretched wonderful?  I caught these turkey vultures circling over Lakeport end of Opeche Lake during the late afternoon, and with the late afternoon soft, glowing, light enhancing the wings.

Fishing

On Sunday, I took this shot near the Lakeport dam. 

 

I've decided to stop doing Project 365.  It is challenging and I have enjoyed participating in it.  Another time I may try to participate in it again.  Thank you all for viewing my blog and hope you will continue to although I will be posting less often.

Wood duck at Paugus Bay

Day 90;

A great morning for taking pictures.  I was so surprised to see a wood duck swimming around near the dam end of Paugus Bay.  I saw the silhouette of the wood duck first, started taking pictures and as the morning light warmed up, I could see the distinct markings on this duck.

working in black and white

Day 89;
  Somethings work better in black and white.  This probably should have a duck or frog or some other element.  I do like this scene better in black and white than in color.

Cat enjoying the fire

Day 88;

Blue flowers

Day 88;
    I love blue flowers.. Saw these today in my meandering;

Daffodil

Day 87;

Canadian Geese and Ring necked duck

Day 86;
      think duck on right is ring knecked - fouind at pond near laconia airport

The 3 Amigos

Day 85;

While walking today, came across the masked mauraders.....:)

Candelabra of sticks

Looking for Black American Duck? Common Male Merganser? ?, please scroll down.

Day  84;
  
     Found this interesting candelabra at a restaurant today.  The candelabra was made of sticks and had a birds nest on it.

Black American Duck? Common Male Merganser? ?

As I was driving north today, I drove down route 113 in Holderness looking for the Shovelers at Carns Cove. I didn't find the cove, and didn't see the shovelers but saw the following water fowl:
I have looked online to try and identify these waterfowl, but cannot.  If you have any ideas, please comment below.
Thank you                         Is this an American Black Duck?

On the way home, I stopped at this large man made pond in Wentworth and saw the following:  I know one is a mallard.  Could the one with the dark head and mostly white body be a common male merganser?  I am not sure about the duck with the mostly white or all white head is, behind the mallard.  Could it be a hooded merganser?    Not sure from this distance.  I couldn't get close enough to get a better shot.

Below:  2  more pictures of the same black and white fowl, side and back view.

This is as large as I dared to enlarge these photos without distorting the picture too much.

Could these 2 pictures be of a common male merganser?

The eye

Day 83;
So I said I would post something different and here it is.. while I was driving through Holderness, I saw this horse farm.. took some pictures.. If you look in the eye, you see reflections of the fence and a reflection of me.

Below is a picture of the farm.   I don't like the telephone type poles in this picture.

Pink Sky

Day 82:
   Not too many pictures to choose from tonight.  Went walking after work and out to a Play afterwards.
This morning on way to work, I did notice the pink clouds and reflection on Paugus Bay. 
I can see I have been posting a few sky pictures.. will try to vary a little more.

Foggy morning over the lake

First daffodil

Day 81;
     Warm weather... 80's today.  The first of my daffodils opened up.  This plant faces the south side of the house so it gets the most sun.  Buds on my clematis, chives are green and growing, other bulbs are continuing to erupt from the ground. Oh I wish that I had put in more bulbs.   Other herbs made it through the winter.  Hopefully this year I will actually use them in some recipes:)  I love chives on baked potatoe.

Bokeh 2

Day 80;
     Eating out with friends.. was trying to figure out what to do for Project 365 homework.. Saw some lights on indoor plants and tried bokeh.. it worked.  Took a few of shots to get something in the foreground in focus.. 

 

The bokeh in this picture remind me of little round braided rugs. 

Spring Bulbs

Day 79;
   Spring has arrived in my garden:  My first crocus.  Probably about my only crocus.. I am seeing fewer coming up in the garden.  I believe that the bottom plant is a hyacinth.

The Docks

Day 71;
  An early morning shot of the docks.

Honey bee

Day 77;
     Beautiful day today.... warm enough to open the crocuses in this church garden.  Lots of bees collecting honey.

Self Portrait

Day 76;

   This may be the self portrait I stick with.  Thought I had wanted a sunny morning, but think I like this cloudy day, still day with reflections in the background. 
   I will take more pictures tomorrow.

Updated:  The picture below is the one my photography instructor liked.  I liked this picture as well, but thought it was not a good self portrait, because I thought I had to have my face showing.  this picture is me relaxing, enjoying the early morning peace and quiet, enjoying the water, enjoying nature.
Update 2:
When I thought my face should be showing for a self portrait, I took the second picture below and thought that this side angle would work and thought this the best picture of those.  My sister in law thought I looked sad in the second picture with the side angle... you know, I do too.... I was trying not to smile, I was trying to look off into the landscape.. I was trying too hard I think.
  I really do like the first picture with the back of my head to the camera.. there is space between me and the reflection.. its not so crowded.. this first picture is more relaxing to look at I think.  I love sitting out here early in the morning,when it is quiet and peaceful and the sun is coming up.

                   

Angles

Day 75;
      Havn't taken too many pictures today.. pickins' are slim.. but I edited this one below..
 I have been doing a lot of thinking and planning in my mind for a self portrait - the last homework assignment for my last day of  Photography class - due on Monday..  I'm hoping to take the shot sometime this weekend and it would be great if we have a sunny morning..will try and post it afterwards..  

Color, Shape and Texture

Day 74;  
    I happened to be in the area of the Laconia Mill this afternoon. I took these shots from the outdoor patio type area next to waterfalls from the dam.  This area always pulls me in with its lamp, tables and chairs, small gardens, brick footbridge over a dry bed, and of course the water.  You are very close to the water here.  As I was taking multiple shots of various subjects, I didn't realize that I had gotten this berry near the top, in focus with the light bouncing off the top.  I like the contrast with the metal.
   A great cloudy day for reflections - in the second picture.   From where I was standing at one point, I was looking at the water and saw reflections of the tree, the lamp that arched near the top, and part of the building and wheel workings of the mill in the corner.
   In the third picture, is the large twisted part of the vine contrasting with the straight metal.  There is another vine that is twisted around a metal trellis but have yet to come up with a shot that does it justice. These vines get so large.

Red Berry

Silhouette

Texture

Glass

Day 73;
   Dinner at Hectors with friends.  I tried to use the photoshop on the white that is next to the glass, but was not successful at this time so left it alone.  I'll have to study up on it.. too late tonight. I liked the bokeh effect in the background of the small round yellow shapes.

Shining light

Day72;

   I saw this light shining through the long narrow hole in the clouds, reflected onto Paugus Bay this morning.

Sunrise on Paugus Bay

Day 71;    
    The sky was georgeous, could not help but take some pictures.  The pictures do not do the colors justice.  There was another picture I thought about stopping to take on my way to work.. but didn't.  Next time, I will try to take that shot instead of telling myself next time..... 

Can you identify these water fowl?

Here are some water fowl I took pictures of on my way home today.  There were 2 large black birds in the water.. have never seen something like this before.  Also curious about the black and white ducks.  I think the last one is a common merganser.
              In answer to my question of identification and friend emailed me:  Apparently the black water fowl are American Black ducks and the ones in the second picture below are common male mergansers.. to me they look so different than the common female merganser, which is in the third picture with the reddish head and crest.  Its amazing how many different varieties of birds and markings there are.  There were 3 common male mergansers and this one female in this one area in Ashland on Sunday, in back of the Thret Shop that sells violins, guitars, and other instruments.  The American Black ducks were also in the same area.