Monthly Archives: January 2007

Winter at Darby

Fallen snow, with tracks from a rabbit alongside Big Darby Creek in Franklin County, Ohio.

Hairy Woodpecker

The most widespread resident woodpecker in North America, the Hairy Woodpecker is one of the most familiar too. Forages by gleaning, probing, prying, scaling, tapping, and excavating. Has a size of 7-10 inches and a wingspan of 13-16 inches.

The photo is in the correct orientation, this woodpecker was walking upside down along the branch.

No Shadow of Doubt

Emilia and myself, or more exact, our shadows. A shadow is a region of darkness where light is blocked. A shadow occupies all the space behind an opaque object with light in front of it. The cross section of a shadow is a two-dimensional silhouette, or reverse projection of the object blocking the light. The closer to 90 degrees the angle between an elongated object and the direction of the light it blocks, the bigger its shadow. The smaller the angle between the direction of the light and the surface on which the shadow occurs, the longer the shadow is. If the object is close to the light source, the shadow is large. If the surface is curved there are further distortions.<br /><br />(<b><u>Shadow of a Doubt</u></b> is a 1943 Alfred Hitchcock film noir which tells the story of a young woman who thinks that her visiting uncle might be a serial killer.)

Tossed aside

After giving enjoyment for 30 days this Frasier Fir Christmas Tree is now waiting to be picked up by the refuse department and turned into mulch.

Birds in flight

Flock of seagulls (no not THAT one) at Hudson Beach in Florida. A windy, rainy day and using the 500mm Tamron lens resulted in this unique and interesting shot.

Great Smoky Mountains

Took a detour on the way back from Florida and visited the Great Smoky Mountains near Gatlinburg, TN. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the prominent feature of the mountains. It was established as a national park in the 1930s, and with over 9 million visits per year, it is the most-visited national park in the United States. The name of the area comes from the natural haze that often hangs over it. Hydrocarbons produced by trees and other local vegetation, as well as higher humidity produce a bluish cast to the sky. The culture of the area is that of Appalachia, and previously the Cherokee people. Country music legend Dolly Parton is from the Smokies, born and raised in Sevierville. Dollywood amusement park is nearby.

Floridian Sunset

Sun setting over the Grand Floridian Hotel at Walt Disney World. Emilia and I spent New Year’s Eve with friends in Florida.