Autumnal Photo Project: Random Photos and Abstracts

A handful of recent photos, including some abstract images.

Abstract: Lampshade

Abstract: Living Room Lights, Panned.

Leaf tucked into large metal flower

Gazing into the bottle

Bou surveys the yard from top of the deck stairs

Backlit trees in the neighborhood

Dusk with moon over Blacksburg

Cardinal in the rhodo hedge outside my study window

Coaster and water bottle.

Yew (?) berries

Dusk at Radford

Dusk at Radford, taken in front of McConnell Library looking toward Tyler Hall

Spring hike on ye ol' familiar War Spur Loop

Daffodils, itty-bitty leaves on trees, forsythia bursting out all over; yep, it's spring in our little part of Southern Appalachia.  And no better way to beat the latent winter blues than a romp on our old familiar trail, War Spur Loop.  We trekked up to Mountain Lake Wilderness on Sunday to hit the trail.

Verdant sward of a trail, awaiting further verdancy

The trailhead is about 3700" elevation, and often cooler than Blacksburg's 2300", so we donned our sweatshirts and fleece, but quickly removed them once we spent a few minutes in the warm, sunny mountaintop. It's still barely spring up there, with just a few things blooming. Here's a chronicle of the hike.

There wasn't a lot of spring color out yet, at least on the ground,and these red berries were easy to spot.

 The last vestiges of wintertime on War Spur, mingling with nascent spring signs, make for some interesting views. Since much of the trail runs on a flat mountain, you can see the ridgelines of the surrounding mountains through the trees.  Here's a set of layers, with the green laurel, the white tree flowers (never did figure out what they are) , and the distant ridgeline forming vertical lines, all framed between the brown leaves and the bright blue sky.

 Baby leaves just starting to come out. Color returns to the mountain! 

  Looking across the valley from the War Spur Overlook really shows how spring is slowly moving from the valley up the hillsides, with the patches of brighter green just starting to emerge in the lower elevations.

Barrie relaxes in the sun

A wake of turkey buzzards was flying around the overlook while we were there.  

Here's one in midflight.

NovPhotos: Day 3 - Misty New River, with Geese

As I drove into Radford this morning I could see mist rising above New River.  I drove down to the river and found these geese hanging out on both ends of the island that's just behind the Radford University campus.

Some Springy Photos (with geeky OED citation)

Springy : "1. b. Characteristic of the season of spring; spring-like."

I discovered this wheelbarrow full of avian domiciles parked in a front yard during a long walk around the neighborhood. I haven't followed up to see if any of these actually made it out of the wheelbarrow, or if this is some form of mobile cluster housing for birds. No evidence that any of these birdhouses are for your soul:


We saw this pair of rainbows last weekend after an afternoon thundershower. The view is from Flat Top Road between Boone and Blowing Rock, NC:


There it is! The end of the rainbow!


This indigo bunting lighted on the hedge beside a friend's house on the Watauga River near Sugar Grove, NC:

An Easter morning photo taken behind my mother's house in North Carolina:


And, finally, an enthusiastic Bou in our backyard, eagerly wanting to know what I'm doing with the camera:

There you go. A springy set. And now, as promised, "springy" from the OED:

springy, a. (from the Oxford English Dictionary)

1.

a. Growing in the season of spring. Obs.¹

1593 QUEEN ELIZABETH Boeth. I. metr. vi. 16 Nor seake not thou with gredy hand The springy Palmes [L. vernos palmites] to weld. [Cf. SPRINGINESS 2b.]

b. Characteristic of the season of spring; spring-like.

1860 S. WARNER Say & Seal II. xviii. 229 It was April now, and a soft springy day. 1936 N. COWARD To-night at 8.30 III. 85 Quite Springy out, isn't it?

2. a. Characterized by the presence of springs of water.

1641 BEST Farm Bks. (Surtees) 4 Lowe, moist, and springy groundes are the best to increase milke in an ewe. 1733 W. ELLIS Chiltern & Vale Farm. 262 It will greatly improve springy, or over-wet Grounds, if we first drain them. 1799 [A. YOUNG] Agric. Lincoln. 245 Many similar springy sides of hills are to be met with all the way to Ranby. 1853 Jrnl. R. Agric. Soc. XIV. I. 36 Occasional parts of the field were found springy and full of water. 1865 MRS. WHITNEY Gayworthys xxvi. (1879) 250 A huge, dry slippery log that lay over a springy spot.

b. Coming from springs. rare¹.

1653 W. BLITHE Eng. Improver Impr. 19 That thou maist goe under that..springie moysture that breeds and feeds the Rush.

3. a. Endowed with spring or elasticity.

1660 BOYLE New Exp. Phys. Mech. i. 27 Though the Air were granted to consist of Springy Particles. 1685 emem}" align="absbottom" border="0" height="14" width="26"> Effects Motion ii. 14 Which depends chiefly upon the Celerity of the springy Corpuscles of the Air. 1709 FLOYER Cold Bathing I. iv. 93 The Animal Spirits being compressed, are more lively, springy, and fitter for Motion. 1734 Phil. Trans. XXXVIII. 414 Her Hair was long and springy as that of a living Person. 1786 Med. Comment. II. 105 The tumor..was a little springy. 1817 KEATS Sleep & Poetry 95 A laughing schoolboy..Riding the springy branches of an elm. 1839 F. A. KEMBLE Resid. in Georgia (1863) 36 Moss..as light as horse-hair, as springy, and elastic. 1887 RIDER HAGGARD Allan Quatermain 67 A light but exceedingly tough native wood, something like English ash, only more springy.

b. Of the muscles or body, or of persons, etc., with reference to these.

1776 MICKLE tr. Camoens' Lusiad 454 Their springy shoulders stretching to the blow. 1822 SCOTT Peveril ii, He satisfied himself..that though her little frame was slight, it was firm and springy. 1837 Fraser's Mag. XVI. 367 The prompt equerry had led the springy coursers to the gate. 1871 L. STEPHEN Playgr. Eur. (1894) xiii. 324 His muscles feel firm and springy.

c. Elastic to the tread.

1797 COLERIDGE This lime-tree bower my prison 7 Friends, whom I never more may meet again On springy heath. 1875 W. S. HAYWARD Love agst. World 13 Away they thundered over the springy turf. 1886 Cornh. Mag. July 58 The stage is..very ‘springy’, a condition designed to help acrobatic performances.

4. Marked or characterized by spring, elasticity, or resilience: a. In general use.

1669 W. SIMPSON Hydrol. Chym. 93 The springy motion of the animal spirits. 1672-3 GREW Anat. Pl., Roots II. (1682) 82 The Aer being of an Elastick or Springy Nature. 1710 T. FULLER Pharm. Extemp. 249 It..roborates the Springey Tone of the Lungs. 1741 A. MONRO Anat. Bones (ed. 3) 171 In raising the Trunk, these Cartilages will assist by their springy Force. 1837 JAMES Phil. Augustus I. ii, There was a springy vigour in the atmosphere, as if the wind itself were young. 1888 RUTLEY Rock-Forming Min. 193 Then drive a needle, by a sharp, springy tap.., into the mica. 1893 Brit. Jrnl. Photogr. XL. 745 Resisting with all its springy power.

b. esp. Of the bearing or movements of persons or animals.

1818 Sporting Mag. II. 166 His attitude was springy, and ready for quick action. 1820 SCOTT Monast. xxxii, The springy step..reminded Henry Warden of Halbert. 1889 ‘R. BOLDREWOOD’ Robbery under Arms xx, Rainbow [a horse] sailed off with his beautiful easy springy stride.

March snowstorm in Blacksburg

An early March snowstorm brought 9 inches of snow to our house, closed work on Monday, and generally made for a beautiful Sunday and Monday. In like a lion, indeed, but an aesthetically pleasing one. Here's a photo essay of the snowstorm:

Early afternoon on Sunday, and we had about 1-2 inches of snow at that time. Barrie had just left for the store, leaving these tracks in the driveway.

By mid-afternoon the snow showed no signs of abating, with bouts of heavy snow. Here's Asta in the backyard in the heavy snow.

Oddly, we didn't light the tiki torches during the afternoon snowstorm.

Much to my surprise, it continued snowing all night, and we woke up to 8-9 inches in the backyard. I had to shovel the back steps a bit so that Bou and Asta could make it down to the yard. Here they are running back in after a brisk play session.

Monday morning, a clear sky, and lots of snow in the front yard.

The white "cloud" in the middle of the photo is snow blowing off the trees.

A handful of robins were sitting in the trees behind our house, all puffed up to keep warm. While taking this photo another robin streaked past these three.

Icicles on the back gutters.

Eastern Bluebird: FebPhotos Day 7

An Eastern Bluebird out for a midwinter spring outing in Blacksburg: