More rail trail shenanigans.
Sunday was my turn to work for our big sales tax holiday. For the past several years, with one exception, Massachusetts (aka Taxachusetts) has given folks the opportunity to beat the state out of some taxes to the tune of 6.25% for purchases up to $2500. Most furniture runs below that sum and we did ok, not great, but ok. Anyway, the point is that I had limited time so I just went to the rail trail which is close to home and allowed me a few hours before self-prep.
Although the sky was clear, we had experienced a cool night which created nice morning ground fog hanging over the water at Poor Farm Swamp. Both the following images have the same snag as the main subject, but the second has a couple of bird sidekicks for the tree.
First, a little drama…
And second, a couple of Kingfishers…look hard for number two, Andrew already knows 🙂
I know I said I would stick to chronological order this time, but I just can’t control myself. On the way in to shoot the fog, I came across this neat little bedewed bejeweled Meadowhawk. 
Well, so much for the latest episode of “What I did with my Sunday morning”. I hope to have another chapter soon. 🙂
Stephen Gingold Nature Photography Blog 
Nice series Steve. I like the foggy atmosphere. We don’t get much of that sadly.
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Thanks, Andrew. I am sure you get some weather that we lack…oh yeah, typhoons. 🙂
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Fond the rascal. Not easy onn the iPhone without zooming way in. I like the first foggy pic a lot and the jeweled dragonfly is a gem
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Thanks, Rod. I don’t even try to do things like that on my iPhone. I figured folks would see it but if I didn’t mention it maybe not. I didn’t realize it was there initially until looking for dust bunnies. 🙂
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I see a “boird” in the left tree at the top and another “boird” in the background tree to the right in the distance. It’s a way out yonder. I envy your foggy pics. Hardly any fog here except maybe a few in the winter. NIce shots of a swampy setting. The monochrome looks a bit eerie- nice effect.
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Thanks, Yvonne. I guess it wasn’t much of a challenge after all. We are fortunate to get these nice cool mornings that spawn the ground fogs. Anywhere that moisture sits in or on the ground give rise to the fogs. Of course, that also breeds humidity and, although pretty darned hot, I imagine your air is fairly dry also?
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No actually not dry for it is often hot and muggy. This region is considered, I think as temperate. Summer humidity is high. We just don’t have any ground moisture. Per weather bureau, it rarely dips below 25 degrees in the winter and not too often over 102 dgrees in the summer. But some summers it stays over 100 degrees for 2-3 weeks or more as it does every few summers. I’ve only seen fog in the fall and winter and it burns off really fast.
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It ain’t the heat, it’s the humidity. We get very humid here in the summer and, although rarely over 100, it does get in the 90’s for days on end and is pretty oppressive. I don’t think we could survive for long in TX.
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Reblogged this on Beatz kane Blog.
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Very moody 😉 It’s seems so long since I’ve seen fog. I love the name of this place Poor Farm Swamp, it conjures up all sort of things in my imagination. The dragonfly is superb, what a beauty. Great work as always Steve.
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Thank you, Empress L. Funny, it seems I walk around in a fog all the time…want some of mine? 🙂
I am not sure if it is just a name or if there was actually a poor farm located nearby. Amherst was at one time quite an agricultural town and the University was originally an agricultural college so at one time we had many farms, a few of which are still located near this swamp.
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Terrific results from a great morning out! I saw the two kingfishers!
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Thanks, Phil. Not that I needed too much encouragement, but I think I am emulating you by visiting the swamp so regularly. 🙂
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That’s a great dragonfly picture. I’ve never seen one like it (the insect or the photograph). Well done.
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Thanks, Steve. Early morning and a good dew from the overnight does the trick. The dragonfly can’t fly away when wet. 🙂
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I guess I should go out earlier in the morning than I’m wont to do.
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Love the monochrome shot, it has a dramatic almost spooky atmosphere. Very nice!
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Thank you, Sandra.
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At last a dragonfly that looks completely different. There are many beautiful dragonfly-pictures around, but not many that looks different than the others.
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Thanks, Bente.
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Great shots Steve tried a dragonfly this morning with pretty poor results, I probably need to get up a little earlier for them lol !!
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They are a lot more difficult as the day warms up. I know a few folks who are excellent at getting them in flight. My friend Andrew Hardacre who comments here does a really nice job. People who do birds in flight have a leg up on the rest of us flower photographers. 🙂 Thanks, Bernie.
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Not a bad way to spend a Sunday morning, even if you did have to go to work afterward. That dragonfly is pretty special…I like it very much!
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Thanks a lot, Greg. I don’t usually like to go out with a deadline, but it worked pretty well on this day.
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