Sun Chasers

Now I know what the term "Sun Chaser" means. No it is not a young girl in a bikini trying to get some "rays" on a hot day! Tonight as the sun was setting, I went out to see if I could get some photos before it went down all the way. I had to hurry and "chase" the sun from one location to another. Down the road on County Road E is an old town hall where the windows face the west. I have been waiting for a long time to be able to get just the right shot through the windows at sundown. Right next to the Town Hall is a barn where I was able to get a sun silhouette. Then I got in the car and traveled west until I could get a few more shots before it was too late. This week end is Easter and our attention is not on the sunset, but the sunrise. It is indeed the beginning of a new day and new life in Christ! Much better than any sunset!

Lost in the Woods

What do you do when you are lost in the woods? What else - Take pictures! Yesterday, I realized that I needed to get some exercise, so I took a walk at the Trego Lake Trail on River Road. I have walked this several times, but this time I decided to go just a little further. Usually I go as far as I can handle and then turn around and go back the same way I came. I found a "short cut" that I thought would save me a little time. In the end, a 30 minutes walk turned out to be 2 hours. Later I found out that if I skipped the short cut, it would have taken me right back to where I started. With tired legs and a little stiff, I learned my lesson. It wasn't a total waste, because I was able to take a few photos of the woods.  Part of the reason I took this walk was to spend time with the Lord in prayer. I guess He knew I needed extra time to reflect!

Area Barns with Character

For the past few week I have trying to find barns in the area that I could take photos of. I am not looking for the clean, pristine, beautiful modern barns. What really excites me is the old, rustic barns that are falling apart and barely holding together. What I consider exciting about these old barns is their "character" and their "history". I am sure that every barn has a story to tell and I would love to find out more about their history. These barns also have a special patina or coloring that you will not find in the newer barns. Every one is unique and special - a lot like us. God designed each of us uniquely and we all have a story to tell. We all have "character" in our own ways. I am not sure about the old and falling apart thing, but we are all beautiful in God's eyes.

Trego Eagles

Even though today was misty and dreary, I decided to go around the block to see if there was anything to take photos of. I finally gave up and headed for home going south on Highway 53 toward Trego. Then I saw it - an eagle having lunch on the side of the road eating road kill. I made a quick u-turn and pulled over just past where the eagle was. This eagle was pretty scroungy looking with wet and ruffled feathers. As I pulled over, the eagle saw me and headed for a tree on the other side of the road. He stayed in that tree for what seemed like forever and let me photograph him. He was waiting very patiently for me to leave, so he could go back to his lunch. Even a ruffled feathered eagle is a beautiful creature. They are one of God's most majestic and glorious birds.

Swan Lake Photo Shoot.

One of the winter "hot spots" around here for photographers is Clear Lake, Wisconsin. Because of a nearby factory the waters in the park lake do not totally freeze and this draws a group of swans that stay for the winter. There are also a few geese that hang around. Today was a perfect day for a photo shoot. After I parked the car by the side of the road, I climbed over the guard rail and went down the ditch until I was just a couple of feet from the water. It ended up being a great place to shoot. At first the swans squawked and started heading to the center of the lake, away from me. But after awhile, their curiosity got the better of them and they came very close to shore, while I just stood their and clicked one picture after another. Within 45 minutes I managed to take about 550 or more pictures. After post production on the computer, I narrowed it down to about 70. Of all the ducks that God created, the swan is one of the most fascinating and beautiful. It is hard to take a bad photo of a swan in a lake.
   My personal favorite is the last one with the swan shaking his head.