Misty Mornings

 

I recently spent just over three weeks in the USA, road tripping, visiting family and friends. It was amazing and of course I didn't miss any opportunity to take my camera out.

The first part of the trip was in California, I stayed just outside of San Martin and Morgan Hill where I had great views looking west across the valley towards Mount Madonna. It was nice to stand and take in the view early in the morning before the heat of the sun burnt off the clouds that gathered in the valley overnight which provided a lovely gentle backdrop for the lone tree that stood on the nearby ridge. One morning I even got to watch a coyote hunting in the long grass in the field closest to the house where I stayed.

About an hour away was Santa Cruz and the third image today is from a photo that I took from the beach in front of the boardwalk. Although it was getting towards lunchtime and most of the sky was clear there remained a stubborn bank of low cloud clinging to the coastline just south of the beach creating another misty backdrop that is in keeping with the first two images above.

I have a lot of photos to sort through and share so be sure to look out for the next post.  

Pie Island and an Eagle

So the first two shots are of Pie Island viewed across Lake Superior from the boardwalk at Mission Marsh. It was just after sunrise and the face of the mountain has a rich glow and the lighthouse on Mission Bay also has an early morning glow.

I like the view from the boardwalk as it give a sense of scale and perspective but I also like the second "close up" shot because you can make out a little more detail in the landscape.

The third shot is of one of the small islands between Mission Marsh and the Sleeping Giant. I shared it for two reasons, firstly because on the sky, I love the layers of clouds illuminated by the rising sun but also because of the trees silhouetted against the sky and if you look carefully you can see a bald eagle perched in one of the trees. I had watched fly across the lake and take up this vantage point to fish for its first meal of the day.

More from Hilbre

Having made a brief detour to Birmingham for yesterday's blog, today I return to Hilbre Island for the shots above.  

The first is a view towards Flintshire across the River Dee with the Sun's rays piercing the clouds, and the others highlight the ripples in the sand around the island.

More from Hilbre tomorrow...

Mount Timpanogos and Deer Creek reservoir

 
Today's pictures were taken December 2012 in Utah.  Mount Timpanogos in the first picture is 11,641ft.

Deer Creek Reservoir in the following pictures was just beginning to freeze around the shoreline.  I took the final picture because as I was driving past I could see mist rising off the surface and in the distance it is possible to see a cloud forming.  

That day was also memorable for me because I saw a Bald Eagle perched on a fence post by the side of the road.  When I was choosing pictures for today I realised that at the top of the last photo I snapped an eagle in flight, I hadn't noticed it before today so when I spotted it (tiny as it is) I was quite chuffed.