Mount Goliath Natural Area Revisited

Bright and early Monday morning, I went back to Mount Goliath Natural Area. Henry and I were the only ones there - so different from when I went with the event. When I was there before I had done some visualization and I had some images that I wanted to try. I also wanted to explore the area at my own pace and not have to struggle to find compositions without other people or their belongings in them.

One of the images I wanted to try again was the rows of mountains against the hazy morning colors of dawn.



This one is hard to get "right" because it is hard to get the distant mountains sharp in the camera. Also each day will have different atmospherics which either provide beautiful color and great separation or the sky will be clear and the mountains in the distance are not so well defined.









This mountain bluebird couple were doing their morning preening and allowed me to get fairly close.


















This chipmunk scurried around trying to get breakfast.





















This yellow rumped warbler finally perched near enough for me to get a photo.
















This snowshoe hare was very skittish. Most of the time, when I caught sight of him, he was already making his departure.










He did give me one clear shot. But most of the time, he was in a hurry, scampering through the rocks and around the bristlecone pines.








By myself, I was in no hurry, so I had time to examine the beautiful patterns in the bristlecones. The swirls of the grain and the knots in the wood offer an infinite possibility of abstract images. Amazingly the patterns also create face-like patterns.
My what a long nose we have . . . hummmm is your name Pinnochio?









Can't you see the old man smoking his pipe here? Come on . . . use your imagination!!!!!