Pattern and Detail

I have been very busy this school year.  In October alone I presented fifty-two classroom programs.  Unfortunately, being this busy teaching about the outdoors means that I have a lot less time to explore the outdoors than I would like.  So instead of sharing new photographs I am exploring some of my old images, searching for patterns and details.

 

Standing in the middle of the river...

I have been looking back at my photos from past years to find something interesting to share and I came across a set of images from 02 February 2009.  I remember taking these photographs because of the unique circumstances.  A few days earlier, on January 27th, I had visited the Chippewa Watershed Conservancy's Sylvan Solace preserve. 

I remember the temperature on January 27th was very cold for Mid-Michigan.  Looking at weather records for that date show a low temperature of about -5 degrees Fahrenheit at 9:00AM.  I snow-shoed from the parking area along the River Loop.  Even with the cold air temperatures, the river was flowing freely with only a little ice along the edges.  Because the river was warmer than the air temperature, vapor was rising up and condensing in the air over the river.  Some of it was forming hoarfrost on trees along the river.  A mostly sunny sky made for some nice pictures.

I took several pictures and an idea formed in my head.

Little Details

Back in February I wrote a post called "Big and Small" in which I wrote about noticing both the details and the big picture.  I thought I would show some more photos of the little details that I have noticed over the past few months.  The first five photographs were taken on a Summer trip to Maine.  The remainder were taken locally.  They all represent some of the small things that we fail to notice.

Harebell - Acadia National Park, ME (July 2013)

Lichen and mosses - Acadia National Park, ME (July 2013)

Eastern Hemlock and lichen - Acadia National Park, ME (July 2013)

Seaside Goldenrod - Acadia National Park, ME (July 2013)

Dewdrops on spiderweb - Cadillac Mountain, Acadia National Park, ME (July 2013)

Willow leaves in the Little Salt River - Shepherd, MI (October 2013)

Switchgrass - Saginaw Chippewa Academy Garden, Mt. Pleasant, MI (September 2013)

White Water Lily - Mt. Pleasant, MI (August 2013)

Birch Trunks - Mt. Pleasant, MI (August 2013)

Milkweed Leaf Borer - Mt. Pleasant, MI (July 2013)

Dragonfly - Mt. Pleasant, MI (July 2013)

Fern and Skunk Cabbage, Mission Creek Woodland Park, Mt. Pleasant, MI (June 2013)

Swamp Buttercup, Mission Creek Woodland Park, Mt. Pleasant, MI (May 2013)

Red Maple leaf - Mission Creek Woodland Park, Mt. Pleasant, MI (June 2013)

Dandelions - Mt. Pleasant, MI (June 2013)

Green Stinkbug - Florence Maxwell Preserve, Winn, MI (June 2013)

Dutchman's Breeches - Chipp-A-Waters Park, Mt. Pleasant, MI (May 2013)

Ferns - Chipp-A-Waters Park, Mt. Pleasant, MI (May 2013)

Green Frog - Chipp-A-Water Park, Mt. Pleasant, MI (May 2013)