Category Archives: Winter

SNOW!! part 2

More snowy pics! I love my pictures from this weeks snow so much! And I took them all in my own yard. I often fall into the trap of feeling like I need to travel to far away locations to take great pictures, but sometimes I just need a new perspective on my everyday surroundings.

How does a light dusting of snow and ice transform bare branches into something magical?
  Until the last few weeks, the weather has been unusually warm, so these rose bushes still had buds on them.    Our pond actually froze over! I’ve never seen it so cold for so long here. Our pond has been covered with a thin layer of ice for the last week. It all looks so pretty covered with snow.Ice crystals and frost on the water’s surface.  Its supposed to be warming up today, which means my snow will be melting. A break from this cold will be nice, but I’ll miss it. I’ve loved taking walks in the snowy woods this week.

SNOW!!!

I get ridiculously excited about snow. At least I do now that I don’t have to shovel it. Or worry about the train being delayed and making me late. Here in Coastal North Carolina we don’t get snow very often, and this is the first time I’ve seen actual accumulation in the four and a half years we’ve lived here. Usually its less than an inch, and it melts quickly. In this storm we got about 3 inches, and it has started to melt, but its mostly stayed around for several days. Its been really nice taking the dogs for walks in the snowy woods, a change of scenery without leaving my property. And of course working from home means I don’t have to travel around on the dangerous roads. Of course, I did stock up on beer and cookies before the storm hit. That left me free to roam around the yard in my pajamas at 7:00 am to take pictures because I was afraid it would all melt.

I was hoping for some ice. We got some a few years ago, and it was really pretty. We didn’t get much ice this time, but there was enough to create these beautiful crystal covered branches.
This is a yaupon holly, a native plant that was used to make a caffeinated tea. There are several of them growing wild around our property. I love the bright red berries in the brown winter landscape, and I frequently bring branches into the house for decoration, but I think they look extra pretty with this light dusting of snow.How is your winter going? Do you love or hate snow?

Lake Mattamuskeet Wildlife Refuge and Swan Quarter Fishing Pier

Last year, I was taking a mini road trip around Eastern North Carolina and completely by accident found thousands of Tundra Swans in a marsh. Last week I packed up Jon and the Wild Bunch (our 3 German Shepherds) for a day trip to go see the swans on purpose. It didn’t work. It was windy, and not a single swan was in the same marsh where I saw them last year. Driving around we did see a few, from a distance. Not what I wanted though. But thats how it goes with photographing nature and wildlife. We still had a great day.

Lake Mattamuskeet Hunting Lodge. This was originally a pumphouse used to drain the surrounding area for farmland, and later a world famous hunting lodge. Its been unused for the last 30 years, but there are plans to revive it for a visitor/ education center.

A short hiking trail through a bald cypress swamp. I’ve loved these trees ever since I moved to the south.

Storm clouds approaching over the marsh.

On the way home, we stopped at another wildlife refuge, Swan Quarter, and walked out the really long fishing pier into Pamlico Sound.