Winter Fog,
Along the Huron River

Fog, it turns out, is basically a low-lying cloud, which explains why the hoarfrost on the trees I photographed below looked a lot like the ice crystals on trees 9,000 feet up in the mountains, which were wreathed in clouds. (Getting lost inToynbee? National park, on the Mount Rose highway, while back-country skiing—and nearly missing my flight home to boot—was all part of my winter holiday vacation. Those particular clouds happened to be taking a break between the storm that provided the snow for the skiing—the biggest storm in 15 years—and the 2nd biggest storm ever recorded, right after we left. Some day I'll have to post those pix, and the adventure of the flaky compass. But I digress.)

This shot is actually on the St Joseph-Mercy's hospital grounds.

I screwed up and missed the day when the ice crystals were a good 10mm long—the last time these conditions obtained, I hadn't learned to use the macro function on this camera, though I do have a very beautiful shot of a barberry fruit taken with my old, conventional Canon d-70, that I'd like to scan and post some time. Nevertheless, this was the second day of these morning fogs, and I knew I wanted to get pix: the wizard's company has moved to a new location, and that Wednesday was the last day he'd be riding along the Huron River bike path to go to work. The frosty, fairy-like conditions were just a bonus.

Goldenrod, probably canadanesis, a common native.

 

Striking, whatever it is...probably an invasive weed.

 

Branches make a nice pattern.

 

sumac, a native with striking red winter color.

 

teasle, a weed, but absolutely fabulous structure for winter interest.

 

Oooh, I managed symmetrical compostion, and a landscape to boot. (Okay, the original from which this is cropped isn't.) Now if only I could learn to hold the camera horizontal relative to the ground!

 

Doesn't this look peaceful? It's shot by the side of Huron River Drive, near where they're putting in the new bridge, and the road is narrow, nasty and noisy. Also by now, my fingers and feet were freezing because of the constant stops to take pictures.. Damp cold is the worst, and though I'm not one of those insane ice-bikers who ride on glaciers or at 45 below (at which point the inner tubes burst and the headset won't turn), I have ridden in temps as low as 5 degrees above zero. I figure that makes me a real icebiker.

 

This row of trees reminds me of Cartier-Bresson's wonderful photography. Much as I like these tree photos, I wish the hospital would plant a flowery meadow of native species instead of all that grass—it'd be soothing for their patients (not to mention us passers-by) more ecologically sensitive and cheaper to maintain (only needs to be mown once a year or so.) Ah, well...