The Daily Joe

  Sunrise through pine branches Sometimes, it is the details that catch my eye: simple pine branches with just a few droplets on them with the sun rising in the background. It was too pretty to pass up. Early morning nature in detail.

  Stray wispy clouds after the sunset   This weekend, I walked out to our garage and looking over the neighbor's yard, it was past sunset, the wispy clouds were just ambling across the sky.  The faint, pastel colors were offset by one little dark cloud. I thought the scene was a pretty one.

  Sunset sky over the field and trees from the car Yesterday, I spent time with my oldest looking at cars at the local auto show and on our way home, I took a number of photo out of the car window (moving, on bumpy roads). Most of them weren't worth keeping.  This one, however, caught my eye with the edge of the outcrop of trees and the edge of the sunset just behind them made the photo.

  Tracks into the setting sun I was on time, when I left work last evening. But as winter wanes and spring is coming the sun sets later and later. I saw that the sun hadn't set yet and was placed, with the clouds, to provide a very nice shot.  The railroad tracks provided the leading lines and the sun provided the destination.

  Dawn breaking over the trees and field You've likely caught on that a few days ago, we had a truly awesome sunrise sky and I took full advantage of it.  I shot it from at least 3 different locations before it vanished in the light of day.  The yellow here is just as the sun was starting it's ascent. These skies are amazing!

  Morning clouds on fire reflecting in the pond Another morning on my way to work, the predawn sky was calling me as I drove past the farm.  The bright reds reflecting on the pond was just too much not to grab a few shots.  The wind was calm that morning, too, so the reflections caught the colors and trees.

  Clouds seem to be exploding with the coming sunrise Yesterday morning, on the way to work, I was running on time, but the sky caused me to take pause. The sunrise clouds were just fabulous.  This was the leading edge of the clouds and they seemed to be rushing to burst out from the sunrise.

  Misty morning at the edge of the woods  No real story on this except it was another "side of the road, on the way to work" morning photo. I see these many time and can't take them or run out of time. This one was a mystical morning where the mist was holding to the fields at the edge of the woods. 

  Creek through the woods with a faint pastel sky This photo was taken at our state park.  The day was dreary and raw. Not cold enough to freeze or snow, but breezy enough to make if feel freezing. The afternoon pastel sky gives the hint of warmth, but it was for show only. It did make for a pretty photo, though.

  Sunset at the old house We went over to our "old house" where my son and his wife are living last evening. It was a good time of fun, food and games.  This photo, taken a couple of years ago, just brought back a warmth I had for that home and that area. A much more rural and open area than were we live now. 

  Burnished sunrise clouds over the pines Yesterday morning, I had heard it would be a cloudy gloomy day. I left the house but saw a glimpse of color on the horizon. When I came to a clear spot, I saw the red color burning the edge of the clouds near the horizon. I stopped the car, jumped out and took no more than 10 shots. I then drove on to be near the creek hoping for reflections in the water. The colors were gone by the time I got to the creek (maybe 5 minutes) and in 5 more, the sky was clouded over. I got lucky.

  Sunset sky behind the tall trees   When I went to class earlier this week, I pulled into the parking lot just after sunset.  This view caught my eye and I had to try to capture the fading colors behind the trees.  It seemed the trees were trying soak in the last of the sunset, too.

  Just before the dawn at the tree farm Yesterday morning was another cloudy start to the day, but there was a break in the sky just before dawn.  I pulled off the road and got this shot over the nearby tree-farm and got the rolling hills in the background. 

  Sunset sky over the neighborhood  Some days ago, I was visiting my son at our old house and saw the colors in the sky and did my best to capture it.  I had to do some major editing as the colors and variance in light did not translate well in the camera - but the final effort was close.

  A cold quiet walk by the lake A cold walk by the lake is certainly exercise, but it can be so much more - you can experience inspiration, grandeur, beauty, nature, and sometimes, wildlife. Hikes in the woods, cold or warm, are worth it.

  Dawn breaking over the valley  I managed to catch the sun just peaking over the horizon amongst the early morning clouds. There is almost always a little mist in the valleys, especially in the mornings but this morning, it added to the mystery of this photo.

  Misty morning across the valley A little while ago - we were getting morning fogs almost every day. This photo was take one morning when the sky was starting to show the sunrise but the fog was still on the ground.

  Full moon over snowy trees   Last week - we got our first "real" snow of the year and, at least for the morning, it stuck around.  I glanced across the parking lot where I work and saw the moon over the snow-laden trees and got this shot. Not bad for an Iphone quick grab shot.

  Last snow in the field in the morning   The snow doesn't seem to last long any more. For the sake of driving, I'm not complaining but winter doesn't seem right without snow. I guess we'll see what the next couple of month's bring. In any case, we'll deal with what we get - and keep smiling.

  Early morning sky and pond reflection   Yesterday, almost all the snow had melted and there were no clouds in the morning - but it was still cold. This view over a nearby farm pond, in the morning colors of light caught my eye. The tree reflecting in the water was an added bonus.

  Covered bridge in the new fallen snow   We got our first snow of the year and I took a number of photos that morning, knowing it would not last. This bridge is always photogenic, but in the morning light, with the snow and the mist from the creek, it was almost perfect. I take photos from this spot (almost too) often, but the shots are always beautiful.

  Brief morning winter wonderland   Evening before last, it snowed over night. The weather person said that it wouldn't last as the day would be too warm.  This view greeted me on the way to work yesterday morning.  The snow didn't' last - but in the early morning, the soft pastel sky and and snow on the trees made it magical for a time.

  Mountain road in the afternoon  I took this photo a couple of weeks ago while visiting my Father-in-Law and went for a walk.  The road leading into the blue sky and the bright afternoon clouds just seemed too good to pass up for a photo. It also lends to the thought of the path into the new year.

  Power lines in the dawn sky A few mornings ago, I caught the pre-dawn sky and power lines just seemed to be transporting the energy of a new day out to the world.  

  Bands of sunset clouds This shot was from a week or so ago and when I reviewed it, the bands of clouds just seemed to flow across the sky and contrasted with the sharpness of the trees. 

  Morning fog so thick you can barely see the trees The fog was very thick yesterday a few days ago and and I tried my best to represent just how thick with this photo.  The sky was trying to show a sunrise, but the ground fog was so think you could barely see the trees or the hills.  I still thought it was pretty.

  Foggy sunrise sky When I left our house for work, yesterday, the fog was very thick.  However, I saw the sun trying to break through to the east. I found a spot on a rise which was slightly above the fog, so I stopped and tried to get a few shots of the colors through the fog - this was, by far, the clearest one.

  Sunset clouds over the valley We were on our way home from visiting my in-laws and my wife was driving. It was too late to catch the sunset, but as we drove through the farms, hills, and valleys, I was able to capture the colors in the sky down through the valley. You can see the lights from some of the farms in the valley.

  A sprinkling of sunrise clouds This photo, taken on New Years' morning is one that has posed a challenge to me. The dark of the trees wants to make the photo brighter so you can't see the delicate clouds.  That morning, I got the exposure right so you could see the clouds! A good start to the year.

  Late afternoon reflections at the pond Yesterday, we traveled a bit to visit my father-in-law and his wife to celebrate New Years. It's always a more relaxed time when we are with them without the rest of "kids".  It's not bad with the kids, just lots of noise and not a lot of personal time. In any case, I took a brief walk and this view greeted me in the late afternoon.

  The dawn of a new year. New chances and new challenges. This photo was taken some time ago.  However, I thought it represented my feelings on starting a new year.  There's the promise of the new day with the sun, but it starts out rocky with some water and bare trees.  There IS hope for better days, but we've all got our challenges to go through. Chin up, everyone, we will make it to spring and sunny warm days.