Spring Arrives in the Woods

Tuesday was rainy and chilly but later in the afternoon the sun came out and I just had to grab my "big" camera and take some photos of the signs of Spring in our yard.

Many of us have fallen in the habit of using phone cameras for nearly all of our photography. The cameras in current phones are vastly improved over the earliest models and, as they say, "the best camera is the one that is with you." I have learned more about getting better phone photos from some online courses but I can't get some of the effects and clarity that I get with my Nikon.

It has been a long time since I pulled out my DSLR and I had fun shooting some close-ups of new leaves and flowers.

Several people have asked to see some more photos of our new home and garden.Things are just starting to green up and we are doing lots of yard work so I'll show more when everything is planted. Our property backs up to a large woods so in some parts of the yard we can't see any neighbors at all. This is the view from the driveway by the garage.

Speaking of the driveway - it is very long and we have a little bridge crossing a drainage easement/creek area. Once the leaves are fully out it will be hard to see the house from the street. We love the privacy but not the expense of having such long driveway plowed in the winter!

This is a view of the creek area - we have left it rather wild but have some plans to build a treehouse and make some paths for our granddaughter. You can just see the house at the top left of this photo.

Lots of the trees are oak trees and last Fall we had an incredible crop of acorns. Here are some that are still left even after the fall cleanup.

The original owners of the house built this elaborate pond and waterfall system. I like the way this photo captures the blue sky and trees reflected in the water. This will all be cleaned up and opened for the season next week. I am looking forward to that because we love to sit in the screened gazebo on the deck and hear the water - it's very relaxing.

I strung lights along the tops of the sides of the gazebo and they make it feel very cozy when it starts to get dark.

The forsythia bushes are still blooming but they will be finished soon.

The lilacs are just coming out. We want to plant some more of these (I hope the deer won't find them to be a tasty snack!).

There are lots of small pine trees that were catching the light yesterday after the rain.  Very feathery and delicate. I have plans to use some of these photos to make some digital scrapping elements.

This flowering tree is at the top of our driveway near the street. I took several photos but it was a bit muddy to get in really close. I cropped this image into a square but it left the street and some grass showing along the bottom and I think that is a bit distracting.

Then I cropped the image further to really highlight the blossoms with the background totally unrecognizable. Which version do you like better?

The sunlight was coming through the woods and lighting up some of the bright green new leaves. I stood in a spot where the trunk of the tree would give a dark background to show the cluster of leaves a little better. Sometimes just moving a bit or trying a different angle makes a big difference in your photo.

When the light comes through the leaves you can see the veins and patterns very clearly. I really like the bright Spring color!

This flamingo is in the garden bed near the house and side deck. It was in my husband's grandmother's garden and we love having it as a reminder of her.

This is the companion flamingo on the other side of the garden. I don't think they were every painted pink. I have started to take photos of many of the things that have been passed down through the family. I want to be sure that our children and grandchildren know the stories about some of the special family things we have in our home.

Things are different living here in the woods. We were used to living in town and being able to walk to shops and restaurants (or to the parade!).  Here I can go for a nice walk in the neighborhood but you need a car to do your typical errands.  It's a big change but we like it a lot.

The shapes and colors of Spring can be very inspirational. The changing of seasons is one of the things I like about living in the Northeast.  Just when you get tired of one season it is time for something new. 

I hope you are having a great week. I have some fun plans for this weekend to celebrate National Scrapbook Day! Are you planning anything special to celebrate?


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