Scottes
18th of August 2004 (Wed), 19:53
I went into work this morning to help the IT guy get some stuff done. (Boy, I don't miss this stuff.) So I was planning on getting out early and decided to bring the camera to work to get some pics.
I ended up getting to work a little earlier than expected, and a little pond near work had a Great Blue Heron just sitting there in a bit of mist on the pond. So I pulled in, grabbed the camera, and did what I could to sneak in.
The mowed soccer field gave way to unmowed grass, which soon got knee-high. The dew was quite heavy, and soon after plunging into the waist-high marsh grass I realized that my shoes were soaked through, my toes were cold, and my pants were drenched all the way up to my pockets.
Unintentionally, I had become one with the dew.
But I was already wet - it was too late now - so I moved forward, squishing shoes giving me away long before the heron saw me through the mist. (You know by now that I have an amazing ability to blend into the landscape...)
The Great Blue heard me, and skittered a bit, so I pulled the mist around me and paused.
After a time he settled, so I moved forward, and he lifted his head at the odd squeaking-squishing sound. I paused again.
He seemed skittish - and far too aware of potential danger - so I parted the mist and snapped:
http://www.itsanadventure.com/postimages/Heron_8564.jpg
With another wave I pulled more mist around me, and waited on heron-time. A full 20 seconds passed while the mist enveloped my presence, and I backed away.
One heron, one mist, one picture.
And I was gone - leaving only wet footprints, and taking only dew.
So I never did get out of work early. A customer issue kept me there a little late, but not so late that I couldn't get out for some pics. I headed out to Great Meadows, my favorite place for red-winged blackbirds.
Alas, the ponds held no sounds or signs of my beloved RWBs - they are all long gone from this place. Even so depressed, I soldiered on, wading through the sounds of chuckling ducks and squawking geese and the occasional FedEx jet roaring overhead.
I passed the famous Tilting Duck Box (no yawning heron this time) and I came to a space in the marsh grass. I laid low, and spied some of those laughing ducks and a lone egret marching through the low water. The egret was distant, and the water was too low for the ducks to fully bob, so I knew no picture opportunity was here. After a while, I moved on.
I soon came to another space in the marsh grass, and spied a Geat Blue Heron not very distant. I quickly went to pull the mist around me, but there was no mist this late in the afternoon, so I ended up smacking myself in the face with a length of marsh grass.
The ducks laughed, a goose chuckled, and the heron flew off. Stupid marsh grass.
I walked on, dejected, depressed, and mocked by ducks.
Head held low, I walked along the dike, catching glints of something in the corners of my eyes. Something moving, buzzing about, and glinting in the low sun.
Heh. Dragonflies.
I set the beloved 100-400 to short focus, and began stalking some perty blue dragonflies. Well, I hunkered low, moving about to get...
Sorry folks. This drivel has gone on long enough, and the stories about chasing dragonflies are simply unbearable. The dragonfly pics have been moved to the next thread, which should make it to you soon, and the ridiculous banter removed. I can barely handle this farce about mist and dew, and I have no time for more of the same.
Thanks for your patience.
-The Editor
...and stooped down, as the sun was quite low by now, and snapped:
http://www.itsanadventure.com/postimages/SunsetDuck_8660.jpg
One sunset, one duck, and a lot of unpostable pictures this time.
I ended up getting to work a little earlier than expected, and a little pond near work had a Great Blue Heron just sitting there in a bit of mist on the pond. So I pulled in, grabbed the camera, and did what I could to sneak in.
The mowed soccer field gave way to unmowed grass, which soon got knee-high. The dew was quite heavy, and soon after plunging into the waist-high marsh grass I realized that my shoes were soaked through, my toes were cold, and my pants were drenched all the way up to my pockets.
Unintentionally, I had become one with the dew.
But I was already wet - it was too late now - so I moved forward, squishing shoes giving me away long before the heron saw me through the mist. (You know by now that I have an amazing ability to blend into the landscape...)
The Great Blue heard me, and skittered a bit, so I pulled the mist around me and paused.
After a time he settled, so I moved forward, and he lifted his head at the odd squeaking-squishing sound. I paused again.
He seemed skittish - and far too aware of potential danger - so I parted the mist and snapped:
http://www.itsanadventure.com/postimages/Heron_8564.jpg
With another wave I pulled more mist around me, and waited on heron-time. A full 20 seconds passed while the mist enveloped my presence, and I backed away.
One heron, one mist, one picture.
And I was gone - leaving only wet footprints, and taking only dew.
So I never did get out of work early. A customer issue kept me there a little late, but not so late that I couldn't get out for some pics. I headed out to Great Meadows, my favorite place for red-winged blackbirds.
Alas, the ponds held no sounds or signs of my beloved RWBs - they are all long gone from this place. Even so depressed, I soldiered on, wading through the sounds of chuckling ducks and squawking geese and the occasional FedEx jet roaring overhead.
I passed the famous Tilting Duck Box (no yawning heron this time) and I came to a space in the marsh grass. I laid low, and spied some of those laughing ducks and a lone egret marching through the low water. The egret was distant, and the water was too low for the ducks to fully bob, so I knew no picture opportunity was here. After a while, I moved on.
I soon came to another space in the marsh grass, and spied a Geat Blue Heron not very distant. I quickly went to pull the mist around me, but there was no mist this late in the afternoon, so I ended up smacking myself in the face with a length of marsh grass.
The ducks laughed, a goose chuckled, and the heron flew off. Stupid marsh grass.
I walked on, dejected, depressed, and mocked by ducks.
Head held low, I walked along the dike, catching glints of something in the corners of my eyes. Something moving, buzzing about, and glinting in the low sun.
Heh. Dragonflies.
I set the beloved 100-400 to short focus, and began stalking some perty blue dragonflies. Well, I hunkered low, moving about to get...
Sorry folks. This drivel has gone on long enough, and the stories about chasing dragonflies are simply unbearable. The dragonfly pics have been moved to the next thread, which should make it to you soon, and the ridiculous banter removed. I can barely handle this farce about mist and dew, and I have no time for more of the same.
Thanks for your patience.
-The Editor
...and stooped down, as the sun was quite low by now, and snapped:
http://www.itsanadventure.com/postimages/SunsetDuck_8660.jpg
One sunset, one duck, and a lot of unpostable pictures this time.