IN THE FIELD: A MONTH APART ll

So far this year this country has seen the whole gamut of weather. Good and bad. Some areas have had a relatively normal spring and summer. 

Other areas not so much. There have been forest fires, tornados, rain, flooding, hurricanes, and in much higher elevations some snow.

Where I live we have seen more good than bad. Although, we did at times have an over abundance of rain and when the rains finally cleared out, we received a fair amount of sunshine. So most farmers crops grew like weeds.

Back in late spring and early summer I had taken a few photos of a nearby farm. I posted them a few entries ago. The first photo showed the fields ready for planting and the second photo showed that corn and soybean crops had been planted and were growing nicely. The photos in this post were taken in mid August and then again in mid September. In the second photo the corn, which is about seven feet tall, is ready to be harvested and the soybeans which are the green plants in the foreground will be ready to harvest any day now. 

I wonder what comes next…fallow fields or maybe winter wheat. And then snow. Time will tell.

 

 

 

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IN THE FIELD: A MONTH APART

 

In this part of southeastern Pennsylvania there are small towns and communities surrounded by farms. Interspersed among these farms are more farms. Corn, soybeans and wheat are the primary crops grown here. Most farms also raise various grasses which are grown for hay. Dairy farms are also prevalent. Whole milk and some wonderful cheeses are produced and sold in small co-ops. Organic veggies along with grass fed beef and pork can also be found in these small stores. And the eggs, oh the eggs…yummm!

On the way to and from work I often see folks out working the fields. And yes, they are up before sunrise. Watching the transition from fallow fields of late fall and winter, to lush crops of early spring and summer, for me, is a sight to see. Man and nature working together to the best of their abilities.

The farm in these photos is quite close to where I live. Literally about seven minutes away. I will be visiting from time to time to document the changes through the seasons.

These two photos were taken about one month apart this year. The first was taken on May 1 and the second on June 5.

 

INSPIRATION AND ASSIGNMENTS: TREES A SECOND APPEARANCE

I enjoy living in an area where there are distinct seasons. The scenery changes often enough and sometimes rapidly enough to have different visuals almost on a daily basis.

The photo of the lone tree illustrated in the previous post was taken on June 5 of this year. The photo of the same lone tree in this post was taken on May 1 of this year. 

And in a few weeks time, the corn that has been planted in the foreground fields will be so tall that the tree will not be visible from this same vantage point.

Ya know…looking back, I wonder if I should have reversed the order of photos/posts. Oh well.

 

 

 

 

 

INSPIRATION AND ASSIGNMENTS: TREES

I have a special affinity for trees and it doesn’t matter what species of tree I may be looking at. To me they are all special. I honestly think my love for trees started when I was a young boy. My parents planted a Scarlet Oak in the front yard before I was born. Scarlet Oak trees are pretty fast growers and by the time my younger sister and I were able to climb nearly to the top, it was already taller than our house. Granted, it was a ranch style house and we were still youngsters, it was still big to us! My sister and I spent many a day playing in the tree. Mom always knew where to find us. Oh, by the way, the tree still stands in the front yard of our childhood home. It’s at least 60 feet tall now. Maybe taller.

Now several (well, many) decades later my love for trees continues. Whether it is through photography, woodworking or just visual enjoyment. And lately I have been doing a little exploring around the community where I live. Looking at trees. The area is nestled in a wide valley, surrounded by small and a few not so small family run farms. This area has been farmed for hundreds of years and most of the farms have been handed down over many generations. Though sparsely populated, in town there are two gas stations, a grocery store, a couple of small eateries and a few small shops. And tree lined streets. Yup, there are two.

Back to the trees…

Dotted among the farmland and rolling hills carved out by glaciers centuries ago, are groves of trees that have been untouched for a couple of hundred years. And then…what I find puzzling…are the lone trees some farmers leave to grow in the middle of their fields. 

Maybe they let them grow out there in the middle so some shade is provided for relief on a hot summer day. Or maybe, just maybe, the farmers leave the trees in the middle of their fields just because. I like that reason the best. 

Ya know…I would think that farmers are pretty well-read. So the quote that follows may be familiar to them. Just because…

“The tree which moves some to tears of joy is in the eyes of others only a

green thing that stands in the way. Some see Nature all ridicule and deformity, and some 

scarce see Nature at all. 

But to the eyes of the man with imagination, Nature is Imagination itself.”

William Blake

Letters

1799

 

 

 

 

 

IN THE FIELD: Well Wadda Ya Know

 

I walked out my front door this morning and looked to my left and this is what I saw! Just a few hours ago this was a bud waiting to open.

The back story to this Iris is kind of interesting. My Mom had acquired this variety of heirloom Iris many years ago. When she moved from her home to a town-home, we dug a bunch of the rhizomes from her garden and planted them in her new garden. About ten years ago we divided some of them and transplanted them from her garden to ours  at our old house. About two years ago when we moved to temporary digs while our new house was being built, I dug as many of the rhizomes from our garden as I could and put them away in storage. Apparently I didn’t tend to them properly and they all dried up. Drat.

Mom to the rescue again. Last fall I was digging Iris rhizomes again and transplanted some from her garden to our new garden in front of our new house. The results have been amazing. I think I have found the perfect spot for them to flourish.

IN THE FIELD: Weekend Weather

The weather here has been pretty gloomy for the last couple of weeks. It is either raining, or foggy, or overcast. In fact the weather forecast is for all of the above  the entire weekend. It’s not all bad news though. With these conditions, the light has been perfect for photography.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

IN THE FIELD: Rain and Tulips

It’s been raining off and on for the last several days…and will be for the rest of the week.  I figure that’s no reason to put the camera away just because its a little damp outside.

There are several reasons I like to play with the camera on rainy days and in inclement weather. The light is more even with no contrasty shadows. And there is usually no one else around except for other dedicated or what some folks would call crazy photographers.

Ok I’ll admit it wasn’t actually “raining” when I took this shot. It was kind of what I call “Maine rain.”  Maine rain is in between a soaking rain and heavy fog. The fog/mist is heavy enough to get everything that is not covered…good and wet.

If you are going to be out in this kind of rain, it’s a good idea to use some kind of protection for your camera and lens. I could be something as simple as a plastic bag you get at the produce section of the grocery store. Or something made specifically for cameras. I like to use a rain sleeve from OP/TECH USA. Super inexpensive and they work.

IN THE FIELD: WELCOMING COMMITTEE

Last fall I planted a bunch of spring bulbs along the walkway that leads from our driveway to the front door. The original plan was for 100 or so bulbs to be planted among the cherry laurels and holly bushes growing in the garden beds.

As luck would have it, the company we were going to order the bulbs from was having a buy one-get-one sale on several varieties and colors. And believe it or not, the varieties we wanted were on sale!

Oh darn.

And then, I was in the local hardware store and I just happened to see these purple tulips on sale. Had to get them…two packages.

It turns out I planted over 220 spring bulbs to add a bit of color figuring that would make a pretty good statement.

The plantings included grape hyacinths, daffodils and multiple types and colors of tulips.

This grouping nearest the driveway started to open this past weekend.

IN THE FIELD: HAPPY FIRST DAY OF SPRING!!!

 

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IN THE FIELD: Coming Soon!

It’s been cold and snowy for a lot of folks this season. After all, it is winter. We still have quite a bit of snow on the ground and according to the calendar, Spring is right around the corner.

As much as I enjoy winter, I really can’t wait for warmer weather. So I decided to look through the archives to find a reminder of the up and coming season. I chose this shot which I had taken while on a shoot for a local country club last Spring.

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