Purple Thistle

Not the plant you want to walk into unawares.  Purple thistle has a love hate relationship with people.  If you look at the leaves you will notice that it is in the dandelion family.  The geometric shape of the receptacle, the way the spines porcupine upwards, and the way the spines catch the light all make for an incredibly interesting and beautiful plant.

Back For a Second Shot

 

This scene caught my eye on Sunday March 14th.  On arriving home I excitedly unloaded my  pictures to the computer to look them over.  The image was severely over exposed and I just had to come back for a second try.  This one isn't perfect but Photoshop made it look a lot better than the first set. I'll definitely revisit this spot many times.

A Very Wet Three Days

It never ceases to amaze me how vibrant a few days of rain can make an otherwise dry a dreary winter landscape.  As a photographer and frequent visitor to the Great Meadows area these new lush colors are a welcome change.

Spittlebug Nymph in March?

Could it be?  I searched possible causes on the web and the most common reason was due to spittle bug nymphs.  But they aren't due to hatch until May or June.  This tree was directly on the edge of the road and it looks like a car may have shaved a chunk of it off as it drove by.  I saw several trees with foam on them in the area though.

A Tree On A Tree

Some of the best pictures come when done on impulse.  You stop and pull out your camera.  You take the obvious shots first and then you experiment.  Without experimentation photography would be dull.

Seuss In The Meadows

When days get shorter and colder and you're longing for spring, winter becomes bland.  The browns, grays, and whites make for a dreary scene.  It becomes hard to find inspiration.  Sometimes it helps me to look for familiar symbols or shapes in the scenery.  Sometimes the randomness of it makes for an interesting picture.

Glass and Snow

From Sherman's Bridge on Sherman Bridge Rd looking northwest over Cat Rock Park on the Sudbury river in Wayland, Ma. on January 23rd 2010.  This is just southwest of Great Meadows but really I consider this as part of the area.  It's not infrequent to see a couple watching the sun set from this vantage point.