Centennial Park - December 2014

I visited Centennial Park between rain showers yesterday and photographed the Canadian Geese. They were conveniently at the lake shore close to my favorite parking lot.

It is fun to title pictures…give the geese people-like personalities. What do your think of The Orator (below)? The geese in the water look like they are paying attention!

There always appears to be one Guard Goose in the flock.

When one decides to leave - there is often a Follow the Leader exodus.

And what about the strategy of the Big Stretch when they first get out of the water?

Centennial Lake in November 2014

I made a quick stop at Centennial Lake (in Centennial Park in Howard County, Maryland) on my way to an appointment this week after our first very cold weather of the season arrived. Most of the leaves had fallen off the trees but the reflections on the lake were still dramatic. There were a few intrepid souls on the path around the lake. None of them were sitting on the benches. It was a morning to keep moving.

The boat ramp are with the stones that extend into the water is one of my favorite vantage points. I took several vantage points. The angle of light makes a difference!

There were a few trees that retained some color. I wondered if it was the type of tree or the micro-climate along that part of the lake shore since so many other trees had dropped their leaves.

Closer to ground level I noticed some colorful vegetation closer to the ground.

As I drove out - I stopped to photograph a grouping of gingkoes. Most of the trees still held about half their leaves with the ones that had fallen in yellow drifts around their base.

Centennial Lake in August 2014 (part 2)

I posted about the lake and wildlife in part 1 of this post. The focus today is plants. At the very end there was a wasp on a flower of Queen Anne’s Lace. I found myself more intrigued by the bundle of blossoms before they opened and wondered how many of them would complete the process to seed before frost.

The Joe Pye Weed was past its best looks. In previous years I’ve managed to catch the large flower heads when they were at their most attractive to butterflies - but it hasn’t happened this year. It seems like none of the butterfly species are as plentiful this year.

The water lilies are not plentiful at Centennial Lake and they too are showing the wear of the summer. Some of the lily pads are already beginning deteriorate and there are few flowers.

This thistle may mature before the first frost but what about the bud beside it?

Some plants have already made seeds. The image below is of an amaranth and was captured with the 10x loupe.

All of the plants I photographed were in areas of the park that are not mowed frequently. They are mowed occasionally to keep them as meadows rather than young forests.

Centennial Lake in August 2014 (part 1)

The path around Centennial Lake (in Centennial Park in Howard County, MD) is a little over 2 miles. It has a mixture of lake views - from shady areas, through trees, and wide open meadow down to the water.

Even at 9 AM there are lots of different activities on the trail:  walkers (solitary, couples, and gaggles of chattering groups), joggers and runners (mostly solitary but a few pairs), an occasional biker. Some people were fishing from the shore or the lake; the ones on the lake must have had their open boat because the concession wasn’t open yet.

The morning had progressed enough that the birds were into their morning feeding rather than morning songs.

It was warm enough for insects to be investigating August flowers.

Somehow the people and wildlife was not making any jarring noise; the place sustains a natural serenity even with quite a lot of activity.

I will plan some early morning walks when there are autumn leaves.

Ten Days of Little Celebrations - August 2014

Noticing something worth celebration each day is an easy thing for me to do. The habit of writing it down reminds me to be grateful for these and a myriad of other things in my life. This month has been full of ‘little celebrations;’ here are my top 10 for August 2014.

The weekly pickup at the CSA. Somehow the pickup every Wednesday afternoon become something to look forward to….a celebration of the food bounty near at hand.

Weight. I decided to take off about 8 pounds and am thrilled that my diet/exercise plan I used a year ago to take off a pound a week...still works. I am celebrating the loss of over 4 pounds so far!

Tomatoes of any varieties are abundant in the CSA shares now. I find myself drawn to the tomatoes that are a change of pace from the traditional red one. Somehow the large yellow or purplish heirloom tomatoes seem extra special….worthy of continued celebration.

Fruit beety. This was on my celebration list last month too. I had frozen a batch I couldn’t eat right away - and I enjoyed eating it this month!

 Watermelon. I discovered that watermelon, mint, and frozen cucumber smoothies are one of my favorite summer afternoon treats…and it is even better because it fits on my weight-loss diet.

Home again. Being away from home for two weeks in late July/early August caused me to appreciate returning….a homecoming celebration.

Photography class. I celebrated the online photography class from several perspectives: the learning experience, a new source of courses, and as an activity I shared with my husband.

Symmetry and tiles. The Symmetry class I am taking on Coursera has led to other activities and I am still getting more ideas!  I am enjoying the course plus the historical books about tiles I found on the Internet Archive plus I’m going to take a local class on tiling to enable some creative projects! I’m celebrating the serendipity of it all.

Centennial Lake. My husband walks around the lake on mornings when the weather is good. I went with him last weekend and celebrated the place: the natural beauty, the wide diversity of people enjoying the path and fishing….and the prospect of seeing the leaves turn over the next few months.

Robin. The robin that has become territorial about my deck may be misguided….but I appreciate the bird’s presence. She has become part of the place.