Reflected

My friend Lori and I have been trying to get out for photos every couple of weeks. We're exploring new places each time. Last week, we headed up toward the Calverton Grasslands in hopes of photographing owls in the pine barrens. No luck this time.

We did learn that there are many trails out that way to be explored and we found a couple of beautiful ponds. I'm sure we'll return to watch for waterfowl as the seasons change. But in winter, the challenge is looking for beauty in starkness. This photo was my favorite from our last excursion.

Close-Up

On Friday, I took my first photo outing to the Planting Fields Arboretum in Oyster Bay, NY. As it's the dead of winter here, my exploration was limited to the two conservatory buildings on the property. The timing was perfect for the current Blogger Community Photo Challenge....Close-Up.

The bulk of the exhibit included orchids and begonias. I have TONS of flower photos but I find these so cool, I decided to show them as part of the challenge.



This is a remnant of a spent clematis bloom. I was fascinated by the perfect twist of these plumes...especially when you consider it originally looked something like this...



It's discoveries like these that led me to fall in love with close-up photography. I hope you'll visit the other participants (listed in the comment section at the photo challenge link above) and see what they've discovered.

Indie at the Beach

It's feline/furball Friday again...



During the winter, we can take the dogs to the beach for a good hard run.

Stop by Steven's to get the links to the other photo featured pets.