Piperbarb's 2013 Project 365

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piperbarb

Senior Member
3-4-13:

Okay, today was not a very creative day, but I did start going back to the gym for some long needed exercise. I did have my camera with me so once I parked my car, I took a photo of the sign. Weird, I know. I did take it through the windshield because it was windy, cold and damp outside. It's a rather sad excuse for a photo. :)

063 PF Sign-130304_01.jpg

The second photo I decided to put in is a little more interesting, or at least may be as time goes on. One of the local nursing homes has decided to move from their current location and build nearby. The nursing home has gotten flooded twice in recent years: once in 2008, and again in 2011 after hurricanes Irene & Lee. At its current location, the nursing home is right next to the Susquehanna river and is definitely in the flood plain.

No, I have no intention of going there :) , but I thought it might be interesting to chronicle the development and building of the new facility. It will be pretty easy to do because I have to drive by the location every day to & from work. They have been taking soil and bedrock core samples lately. The "thing" under the blue tarp is a core sample drill. They will start building once the weather breaks and the ground thaws.

I stopped and took this photo on my way to the gym. Both this photo, and the first photo were taken using my D7000 and AF 35mm f/2 lens. I'm not normally a wide angle lens user, but decided to get out of my lens comfort zone. I do like using prime lenses.

063 Future Vestal Nursing Ctr Location-130304_01.jpg
 
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piperbarb

Senior Member
3-5-13:

My poor, sad looking hyacinth now stands up proudly I moved it, gave it something to lean on for a few days, and wow, it's an almost upstanding plant citizen. And it smells wonderful, too! :)

064 Hyacinth-130305_01.jpg
 
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piperbarb

Senior Member
I noticed last night that it was starting to get very fragrant. I was hoping it would still be among the living by the time I got home from work today, and it was! There is another one also growing out of the same bulb. Hope it survives.
 
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piperbarb

Senior Member
3-6-13:

I started these guys from seed about a year ago. There are actually five of them, but I thought the top view was rather interesting.

Ouch!
065 Cactus-130306_1.jpg
 
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piperbarb

Senior Member
3-7-13:

It has been a rather damp, dreary day today, but I did manage to get outside for a few minutes after I came home from work. I walked around the house, hoping to see any indication of spring. I really didn't find much, but this is it. I took this in my backyard. The sky was rather grey and I felt like the light, totally dreary. Okay, the grass is showing a glimmer of green.

The Dreary Before Spring
066 Bridge-130307_1.jpg

On a different note, I took this photo of Jenny when I came back inside. I think she felt like I did. Bored, dreary, and waitng for spring.

I'm Bored
066 Jenny-130307_1.jpg

I processed both of these using Corel Aftershot Pro fro Linux. It worked out very well. I have just started playing with Aftershot Pro. I wanted something that worked on both Mac OS X and Linux. I think I found my solution. If I need really special tweaking, I have Photoshop on my Mac.
 
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piperbarb

Senior Member
2-8-13:

Although the sun did come out after I got home from work, I was too beat to want to go out and take any photos. It has been an insane place the last two days. Anyway, I did get a bird photo today.

All in a Row, Almost
067 All in a Row, Almost-130308_1.jpg

I have had these little hand made glass ducks for a long time. I just couldn't resist.

Tomorrow is supposed to be nice, partly sunny and in the low 50s. I plan on taking some photos tomorrow outside. Yay!
 
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piperbarb

Senior Member
3-9-13:
Today was an absolutely beautiful day. Blue sky, sunshine, no clouds. We have not had a day like this in quite a while. I went out at about 11 to take advantage of the weather. Later, when I took my walk, I took my camera and the dog with me. Definitely worth it.

We all know that March if maple syrup month, or anyway, tree-tapping time. My one question is, what ever happened to those galvanized cans they used to use?
Sap Tap
068 Sap Tapping-130309_01.jpg

The bracken on this tree is quite amazing. I had to use my 55-200mm lens to get it. The bracken was also way up high on the tree. I did crop this photo.
Shelving
068 Bracken-130309-Cropped_01.jpg

This is an old surface well, although still has water in it, it is no longer used. The water table in the area of the well is pretty close to the surface.
Wishing Well
068 The Well-130309_01.jpg

When I came home, I noticed this really cool lichen growing on a fence railing in the backyard. Lichen has always fascinated me. I really do love my AF 105mm micro-Nikkor... :)
The Group
068 Lichen-130309-01-Cropped_01.jpg

The Colony
068 Lichen-130309-02-Cropped_01.jpg

Later, during the afternoon, I went for my usual walk with the dog, and took my camera. I am very glad I did. This barn is on a property with a house that has been abandoned for about 25 years. The property has been for sale on and off during that time. No one wants to buy it. That is just weird. Anyway, I decided today was the perfect day to get a photo of the barn. The first is the barn, itself. The second image is the same barn with the in-camera color sketch tool.
Seen Better Days
068 Barn-130309-02_01.jpg

068 Barn-130309-CS_01.jpg
 
nikonpup

nikonpup

Senior Member
i like the color sketch, to me it looks like a doorway to a far place. 1st one, a nice old barn with a door in the back.

I had to lookup "bracken" i had not heard the term b 4. A large course fern. What i see i call fungi/fungus.
 
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piperbarb

Senior Member
nikonpup said:
i like the color sketch, to me it looks like a doorway to a far place. 1st one, a nice old barn with a door in the back.

I had to lookup "bracken" i had not heard the term b 4. A large course fern. What i see i call fungi/fungus.
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I learned that such fungus was called bracken. Who knows, it's probably a regional thing, calling such fungus brachen or bracken.
 
Marilynne

Marilynne

Administrator
Staff member
Super Mod
Contributor
Plastic buckets are way cheaper than galvanized. I doubt they last as long though.

I agree with Ron, I like the color sketch barn.
 
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Rick M

Senior Member
Nice shots Barbra! Yes the plastic is cheaper and loaded with PBA's. It's all about the money. It can be labeled as 100% natural and full of chemicals.
 
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piperbarb

Senior Member
Rick M said:
Nice shots Barbra! Yes the plastic is cheaper and loaded with PBA's. It's all about the money. It can be labeled as 100% natural and full of chemicals.
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That's what I was thinking. I still like the galvanized cans. Also, I saw a bunch of trees with tubing connected to a large plastic tank and a vacuum pump nearby. I know they are using vacuum pumps to suck out more sap quicker. That cannot be good for the trees, that's for sure.
 
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piperbarb

Senior Member
3-10-13:

It was a nice enough day with the sun in and out behind the clouds all afternoon. I decided to take a walk around my neighbor's pond. My feet are still damp from this afternoon's slog, but it was fun. It also gave me a chance to talk with my neighbor. We discussed the neighborhood bear that neither of have seen but have seen evidence of its existence (tree scratchings, scat, paw prints), and other local fauna, such s turkeys, red & grey fox, the porcupine, and of course the local back yard bandits, racoons.I love cattails, especially when they are poofing out.

My neighbor's pond still has ice on it but you could see what was left of last year's cattail grass.
The Pond
069 Burke's Pond-103010_01.jpg

I like the different textures of the cattails as they poof out (or whatever you call it).
Last Year's Model
069 Cattail-130310-01_01.jpg

These guys were hanging out right along the edge of the pond.
Disarray
069 Cattails-130310-01_01.jpg
 
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piperbarb

Senior Member
RockyNH said:
Very nice Barb! I like photos of Cat Tails, various reeds etc.. Yours are Tops!

Pat in NH
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Pat,

Thanks. I find them really interesting. I think I spent about a half hour walking around the pond, looking at different cattails. They are just neat. The weirder looking, the better. :) It was windy today so I had to get them between gusts.

I think they are an ignored plant. They don't have a lot of color, but the patterns and shapes can be very interesting.
 
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