Swans in Winter Light

On a mild Winter's Day, mated Swans glide effortlessly on the pond on a late Winter's afternoon at Cave Hill Cemetery in Louisville. Points of light reflect on the water. Waves gently ripple atop the water as the Swans move about. The golden light casts its shadows across the lawn. What a serene Winter scene. ENJOY!

Favorites Series - Wisteria

Wisteria's purple blooms are so beautiful. Wispy and winding they hang off of the Wisteria tree in large bunches. When I see a Wisteria tree filled with bunches of blooms, a magical feeling comes over me. Several years ago on a sunny April afternoon, I visited Cave Hill Cemetery in Louisville. Cave Hill is on the National Register of Historic Places and is definitely a 'must do' stop if you visit downtown Louisville. There is a beautiful lake, gorgeous architectural gardens and headstones and landscaped lawns everywhere. Ornamental trees and bushes thrive throughout the entire grounds. I love Wisterias and decided this image would be perfect for my Favorites Series.

On a side note, it isn't often that I can say I haven't been out to take photographs for a good while. In this case it's been about six weeks. No sooner had I gotten over bronchitis than I had to have some major dental work, two root canals and two crowns. I thought I had escaped ever having to have a root canal especially after hearing all of the horror stories about them over the years. There have been more people working in my mouth in the past week than I think there have been in my whole life. Thankfully, that is behind me and Spring is upon us. ENJOY!

Oh Kentucky!

As I sit and write this post, I am officially a Tennessean, a resident of the Volunteer State. It bears mentioning here that I will miss my Bernheim Arboretum with its gorgeous bushes, trees, lakes and drives. And the Bluegrass Region which was right out my back door with only a 40 minute drive and Cave Hill Cemetery with its gorgeous landscapes and ponds, and on and on I could go.

Yet, here I am in a whole new environment with countless possibilities. There are many a river and lake around me literally. Just down the road is Percy Pierce Dam and the lake, and north of me is Old Hickory Lake and then there's the Stones River and the Cumberland River. Did I mention quite a few wildlife refuges in the midst of middle Tennessee. And that Great Smoky Mountains National Park is an hour closer to me now.

As I settle in and attempt to stand in the middle of my kitchen trying to determine which drawer or cabinet I put this in and that in, I write this note to all of my faithful friends and tell you there are new images on the horizon. That I am sure. And so I leave you with this image of a Mallard Duck floating aimlessly on the lake at Cave Hill back in late Fall. Dare I mention as I was moving my life, boxes and furniture all on Saturday, I did so in the midst of a gorgeous overnight snowfall in Louisville with every twig, branch, bush and lawn totally covered in beautiful fluffy white snow. Sadly, there was no time to stop and snap an image. However, I truly believe God blessed me with that scene as a reminder that wherever I may travel, I will always find beauty in the landscape. ENJOY!

The Beautiful Mute Swan

Last Winter in early January I spent a few hours at Cave Hill Cemetery, located in downtown Louisville, photographing the beautiful lake and a pair of Mute Swans that make their home there. The Swans are such graceful, beautiful creatures and watching them as they moved about the lake side by side, always staying within a few feet of each other, was heartwarming

There are so many aspects of Cave Hill I will miss as I soon make my way South to Nashville. Yet, I realize there are many new adventures waiting for me in Nashville. Percy Pierce Dam, the Cumberland River and Old Hickory Lake are just a few of the areas I plan to explore.

As many of you are aware if you live in the States, there is a fairly good sized storm making its way across the United States tonight heading northeast and yet a second storm will be moving through the Ohio River Valley later this weekend. Everyone travel safely. ENJOY!

Reflections, Cave Hill Cemetery

Several times a year I visit Cave Hill Cemetery which is located in the center of the city of Louisville. Cave Hill is not your average cemetery. It is actually a Victorian era cemetery and an arboretum and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. There are over 120,000 people buried in the almost 300 acre cemetery with a signicant number of military as far back as the Civil War. It's an amazing place to visit. What I enjoy about this cemetery is not only the ornate headstones with their architecture and the sculptures adorning many of the headstones, but the many sizes and shapes. Some are large enough to be small houses. Did I mention the individual mausoleums scattered everywhere throughout the cemetery. Their fascinating, every one.

I visit Cave Hill Cemetery to see the beautiful ornamental trees and bushes of every variety imaginable which grow throughout the acreage. Spring is gorgeous with all of the flowering trees and bushes and flowers. Fall is just as beautiful with reds and oranges and yellows everywhere. This year my visit was a tad late and most of the foliage had fallen.

After driving through the entrance of the cemetery, I followed the map I had up on my iPad, and made my way to the back of the cemetery where a small lake sits hidden away from most visitors. A large limestone cliff butts up against the lake on all but one side. I had hopes that there might be a photo op there and as luck would have it, I was right. A beautiful tree covered in yellow leaves hung over the lake. Even better was the diffused light as the sun was hidden behind cloud cover which allowed for some beautiful reflections on the water.

Before I leave you, I might add that if you live anywhere in the central or northern United States, you have snow on the ground or are getting snow this week as we are here in Kentucky tonight. Fall has given way to Winter, in mid November no less, which is not typical, but not surprising after the Winter we had last year. I hope this finds you safe, warm and nestled warmly on the sofa with a warm drink in hand. I leave you with this parting thought. I did not want to become up close and personal with the 'polar vortex' but obviously I didn't get a vote. ENJOY!

Yellow Iris

Spring is slowly awakening here in the Bluegrass State. As I drive the countryside, patches of yellow Daffodils dot the landscape. The grass is slowly greening. Spring breezes bring warmth where winter's cold winds once blew. Buds stand ready to burst forth from every branch of every tree.

As I step inside each shop, fuzzy yellow ducks and chicks greet me with smiling faces. Speckled eggs and brightly colored Easter baskets are piled high on the tables. Faux grasses stand at the ready in their bright pinks and yellows and purples. Chocolate Easter bunnies and speckled eggs fill the shelves waiting patiently for candy jars overflowing.

Bygone days come back to me now of Easter's past. Bonnets adorned with flowers and long ribbons stand ready and waiting. Patent leather shoes shiny as glass sparkle in the bright sunshine. Soft pink pinafores with freshly ironed creases hang in the closet. Church bells soon give way to dinner as smells of Easter ham waif in the air. Harbingers of Spring surround us. Sorry to have been away for a bit. Such a busy schedule. ENJOY!

Fall, Cave Hill Cemetery

Cemeteries are not a frequent stop when I plan a weekend of leaf peeping. However, this weekend was at 'peak' color for Fall in the Bluegrass State.

And gorgeous Fall color was at every turn of the many winding roads as I wove my way around Cave Hill Cemetery today. From one end of the cemetery to the other I drove the main route and, at times, got a little lost on the many side roads. It was to be expected what with the reds, oranges and yellows that are on display throughout the beautiful cemetery. The car just seemed to want to turn at every side road. It had been many years since I had visited Cave Hill at the peak of Fall color. What a treat. Now if I could just figure out the name of this gorgeous tree with its long vines laden with golden yellow leaves. If you happen to know, you must share. ENJOY!

I Love Tulips

I added a tad bit of Comic Book from my Picasa software just to give this image a fun effect. ENJOY!

Flowering Wisteria

Today was very overcast with rain moving into the area. I decided while there was still a degree of light left to check out the flowering trees and bushes at Cave Hill Cemetery. There were beautiful white, pale pink and dark pink Dogwoods everywhere. To my surprise I discovered a Wisteria tree which I hadn't noticed on previous visits.

And as luck would have it, it was flowering. There are so many beautiful flowers that I love and enjoy photographing like Tulips and Sunflowers, but the Wisteria is special. The Canadian Geese were out in full force around the ponds and the lake. Nest building surely is on the menu with Goslings due to show up later this Spring. Hope you're able to get out and about this weekend and enjoy some of the beautiful flowering trees. ENJOY!

Stretching, Mute Swans

It has been fun working with and posting images over the past few weeks of the pair of Mute Swans I captured recently at Cave Hill Cemetery, which is situated in the heart of Louisville. The cemetery itself is huge and houses many, many well known folks, the least of which is Colonel Harlan Sanders of KFC fame. It's a beautiful cemetery with the most gorgeous headstones and mausoleums, not to mention the greenery, trees, flowers and shrubs.

The day I took these images the sun was flooding the beautiful white feathers of this pair of mated Swans as I walked toward the pair at the far end of the lake. In order not to totally blow out the feathers, I softened the image. I swear it was as though this larger Swan was stretching out and posing just for the camera. And that was ok with me. It is sleeting here in Louisville tonight. Hope it doesn't accumulate. ENJOY!

Swan Song

Some photos are born out of nothing. This is one of those photos. It was created out of sheer determination to take the stance of a beautiful Swan and make it even more beautiful.

I hope you like it. It's my 'Swan Song' so to speak. I'm on deadline with the magazine for the next week or so, but I'll try to keep posting often if you promise to leave me a comment or two. ENJOY!

Mute Swans, Cave Hill Cemetery

Yesterday I posted an image featuring a White Mallard drake I captured along the lakefront at Cave Hill. Prior to taking that image, I had walked over to a pair of Mute Swans which had swam past me. My original reason for visiting the cemetery yesterday was specifically to capture a few images of the Swans. It was a chilly 45 degrees with a slight breeze as I followed the Mute Swans making their way from the farthest end of the lake over to where I had parked. As they swam right past me, I snapped a few more images not knowing if they'd be that close again. They floated aimlessly to the far end of the lake close by, where you can literally walk right into the water, it's that shallow.

As I approached the mated pair of Mute Swans, I wondered if they were the same pair that I visited many years ago. Knowing they weren't, as too many years had passed, I stopped short to capture this image of the afternoon sunlight and the ripple pool the Swans had created. No sooner had they reached the end of the lake as they began their preening process. Such magnificent and beautiful creatures and as graceful up close as they were from a distance. Obviously, this had been their home for quite some time and visitors were no distraction to them. I could have reached out and touched them, but I follow that unspoken rule all photographers carry with them in the back of their mind. You've heard that saying the sum of all the parts equals the whole. Well, adding the parts of this story together equals two mated Mute swans and their story of a love affair that goes on. A tad bit of texture and a border were added to this image. Hope you like it because, after looking at the end result, I decided a little fanfare made for a perfect fit. Have a great Sunday. ENJOY!

White Mallard Drake

As I walked along the lakefront at Cave Hill Cemetery earlier today, this one Duck kept flapping his wings and making a commotion. So after photographing the Mute Swans farther down the lake, I stopped to take photos of this 'noisemaker'. After closer inspection of this particular Duck, I realized he wasn't like all the other common Mallards. White body with black feathers mixed in and a black bill.

I snapped some images and decided I'd research it when I got home which I did. After 'googling' online the best I could figure is he's a White Mallard, and a drake as opposed to female. Apparently, Mallards mutate and white is one of those mutations. Let's be clear here, I am by no means an expert on waterfowl identification. But the only photos or information I found indicated this was a White Mallard drake. I have to admit I love a challenge so trying to figure out what type of Duck this little guy was was a bit fun. And I typically go through this process several times a year with various images. One reason I tend to put myself through this laborious process is I actually learn quite a bit about the species along the way. It's pretty much dead of winter now as I'm sure most of you are feeling the effects of, however, if there is snow, mountains, a beach, anything close to where you live, consider yourself lucky. In northern Kentucky, in the dead of winter, there just isn't all that much going on. At least it gives me an excuse to visit some nature spots close by I don't get to that often. Have a great weekend all. ENJOY!

The Best of 2012

The year is quickly coming to a close. With a mere several weeks remaining in 2012 and, what with two major holidays at our back doors, I thought it fitting to take a quick look back at 2012 in photos. So many gorgeous flower images came to the forefront as I attempted to create a collage that I felt compelled to feature just flowers in the first Best Of collage and leave the nature and landscapes for another collage later. Featuring images taken from The Great Smoky Mountain National Park in Tennessee to Cave Hill Cemetery in Louisville, Kentucky, to Bernheim Arboretum & Research Forest in Clermont, Kentucky, to Mustatatuck National Wildlife Refuge in Seymour, Indiana, I give you The Best of 2012. ENJOY!

Holly Berries

In Spring you don't expect to find berries like these, but there they were growing fruitfully on this holly tree in Cave Hill Cemetery a few weeks ago. The comic book texture in my Picasa software gave this whole image a warm, fuzzy feeling. Yes, I've been playing again. ENJOY!

Close Up of Peony

I love this close up of the Peonies I photographed Sunday at Cave Hill Cemetery. ENJOY!

Yellow Iris

A little bright and sunny Iris coming your way. I'm wondering if all the stiff winds that we've had the past week or two has this beautiful yellow Iris I photographed at Cave Hill Sunday leaning to one side. I know some of the flowers on my patio are so I'm guessing this could be why it's leaning also. Matter of fact, it'd be nice if the wind would let up for a while. About a month ago it was dangerous storms and hail every other minute. The past two weeks it's been wind. Is it possible I'm never happy? ENJOY!

Peonies, Cave Hill Cemetery

It was a really beautiful sunny day, although a tad chilly Sunday, but as I drove various routes throughout Cave Hill Cemetery, I kept passing clumps of Peonies blooming alongside the road. Finally, I decided to stop and take a few images. You know me, I can't resist flower images. They're one of my favorites. These white peonies are so colorful inside. You'd never know unless you looked deep inside, but luckily the camera does that for us. Today is the first day that I had a taste of posting with the 'new' blogger posting feature. Not convinced I love it. Although the only thing it doesn't do is give me a bit of space between my image and the copy under it. Perhaps a check of the spacing on HTML will take care of that. UGH. Here I go, blindly into bloggerland to see if I can fix it. If you don't hear from me for a few days, call the authorities and tell them to start a search and begin in BLOGLAND. ENJOY!

The Pond at Cave Hill Cemetery

Sunday afternoon turned out to be the best day of this past weekend to take a drive. So I headed over to Cave Hill Cemetery, an historic landmark situated right outside Downtown Louisville. Cave Hill is known for it's ornate and decadent headstones and mausoleums, not to mention the fact that it is a huge cemetery of approximately 200 or more acres in size. It also is the resting site of Colonel Harlan Sanders and his wife, as well as many famous Louisvillians. A close friend of mine was also laid to rest here many, many years ago.

After checking the largest pond near the main offices and finding too much duck feeding and visitor activity for my taste, I decided to check out some other 'wild' areas of the cemetery. I drove over to the military area where white headstones line several large hills and discovered this pond, sitting down at the bottom of a hill, with gorgeous Cypress trees and Cypress knees and beautiful yellow irises growing around the parameter of the pond. The whole scene was surreal and not something you would expect to find in the city, but there it was. So beautiful. Hope your week is off to a good start. ENJOY!