10 on 10: Morning at Fall Creek Gorge

I think I have mentioned this before on this blog, but I have been pretty lazy about photography these days at home in Indiana. I just have not been getting up and getting out, choosing to sleep in on weekends and, often, not going any place further than my backyard. It used to be I would go to a state park or nature preserve at least a couple of times a month and hike with the family. Nowadays, it is harder to get the kids to want to take weekend day trips because they are older and prefer to use their weekends doing 'their thing' (not mine).  They complain that it is boring going to state parks because all I want to do is take pictures and there are no mountains and on and on. Well, I get it; I can only force fun every so often and sometimes the forced fun will have to be more what the kids might want to do rather than what I want to do.  (I will do the whole forced fun thing sometimes, though, because the kids need to spend time with me and my husband, too).

I decided over Labor Day weekend, I would take one morning, get up, get out and go on my own to one of my favorite places in Indiana: Fall Creek Gorge, which is also known as the potholes. I had not been there in many years despite it being such a lovely location. This is just a small nature preserve, but it has some of the most interesting natural features in Indiana. A sandstone cavern has been cut by the creek over many decades into 'potholes'.

I got up at about five am on Sunday morning, had coffee and breakfast (I don't do anything on an empty stomach nor without my morning coffee, so this was necessary) and drove over to the preserve, which is a little more than an hour away. I was all alone there at that time in the morning which made me happy--one of my biggest (and irrational) fears is that I will run into some stranger who will see me with my camera and tripod and think 'who the heck does she think she is?' .

It was not as if I was going at the very best time of year for this locale (spring will bring the most water and fall, better color), but since I was going somewhat on a whim, I had to take what I got. I was happy enough . . . probably simply because I got up and got out. (Oh and besides that, I was back home before my oldest was even out of bed!)

I hope to make this a bit more of a habit--get up, get out, see what I can come up with. (But not every weekend because I do enjoy sleeping in sometimes, too :))

Below are the shots I got from my morning trip--a little glimpse of some Indiana scenery.

***********************

The gorge and the potholes:

Water cuts through and cascades over the the rock cliffs. 

Water makes for interesting compositions:

Even though it is mostly dry at this point, the small waterfall up the trail is still pretty. 

This post is part of the 10 on 10 collaborative blog circle. Please follow the circle, starting with the talented Luciane.

August 10 on 10: Post Summer Vacation Let Down

This year, my post vacation blues hit me a little bit harder than usual and for the past couple of weeks, I have been feeling and acting grouchy. I know that I should not be that way because I am lucky that I even CAN take vacations. These feelings come down to wanting be somewhere that I am not--mostly physically because as nice as it is to live in the Midwest, I cannot say it has ever felt like my home. But, you know, time to snap out of it; get over it and accept; no more pity parties. I mean who wouldn't want to live their lives in their vacation spots; it's kinda why they are vacation spots, right? :)

For this month's 10 on 10 blog post, I have more pictures from the Adirondacks that I recently got around to editing. These are just random shots--no particular theme.

And then I have a just few from our other trip (another regular trip that we take) out to the lake houses that Dave's family owns on Lake Pend Oreille (pronounced Ponderay) in Idaho. I don't ever take a lot of pictures there because that trip always has more to do with visiting family and also working on the properties (nearly all of the building and maintenance of those properties is done by the family--including even the kids; it's a great experience and really quite fun even if it is labor intensive!) Here are a few photos of the lake and mountains. It is very different from the Adirondacks--the air is dry and the light is very clear and white (not something I am used to at all).

And here is one from back home, from the other day; I need to find my fun in focusing on the little things now that I am back home.

This is part of the 10 on 10 blog circle. Please follow the circle, starting with Connie Hanks.

10 on 10: Raquette Lake, NY

For the past 2 weeks, we have been on vacation in my favorite place: Raquette Lake, NY in the central Adirondacks. I have been coming to this place my whole life for vacations and it holds a special place in my heart. A few years ago, my family made a major life decision and bought a second house in Raquette Lake. I thought of it as an investment but as far as a financial investment, it is not a great one. (Honestly, it causes some stress and I would never recommend to anyone to use property as an investment strategy). It is, however, an investment in my spirit, giving me a tangible connection to a place I love. Someday, we will live here at least for a good portion of the year.

My kids love it just as much, especially my son. The moment we walk into the house for our vacation, you can see his tension release. He is in his element with all the physical, outdoor activities: hiking where you can actually go up to the top of a mountain (that is not going to happen in Indiana!), kayaking, paddle boarding (a new activity we all loved), boating and tubing, swimming, etc.

And of course, I love the photography.

The early mornings are often misty.

But the sun will start to burn off the mist later in the morning.

The lakes and ponds have many water lilies:

Lush, green ferns are everywhere:

Waterfalls run through the forests:

Many hikes have tall fire towers on the top and I have become braver each year, making it to the top of even some of the tallest (I have a fear of heights that I am working to overcome).

And sunsets can be spectacular.

We head back home on July 11. I am always sad to leave, but know we will be back to our second home as soon as we can.

This post is part of the 10 on 10 blog circle. Please follow the circle, starting with the lovely Kristina Rust.

10 on 10: 50 mm

For the past few weeks, I have been without my beloved 100mm macro lens. It is in the camera shop for repairs. It is the lens that almost always stays on my camera, especially when I am at home and do mostly macro work. I have been feeling at a loss. In addition, I have been working long hours at my job and have not been doing much photography at all. I considered skipping the 10 on 10 blog circle this month (see link to the next photographer in the circle at the bottom of this post), but still, I wanted to participate.

So the evening before our posts were due, I found some time and  decided to take a 30 minute walk  in my local park. I would get all my photos at once and with  just my 50 mm lens (the nifty 50). The mosquitoes were biting like crazy so 30 minutes was more than enough (next time bug spray will be in order).

This is what I came up with on my quick walk.

  

Please follow the 10 on 10 blog circle, starting with the wonderful Kristina Rust.

10 on 10--Two Spring Things: Water drops and Dandelion Seeds

April and May: the time of year for a couple of my loves. Rain and dew drops bead up in lovely spheres on the new growth of the Hosta plants in my back yard; the dandelions show up in abundance and quickly go to seed. And I am in my element for these brief, stolen moments.

This post is part of the 10 on 10 collaborative blog circle. Please follow the circle of women photographers, starting with the talented Luciane Steiner.