In much of the U.S., sunsets become more dramatic in autumn and winter. In the summer there is less air circulation so dust and pollution remain in the atmosphere. These large particles tend to reduce the amount of color getting through, so though there can be dramatic summer sunsets, they […]
Wood frogs provide one of the first sounds of the year, calling from vernal pools even in late winter with a chorus that sounds like tiny ducks. They move from ponds into the woods during summer and autumn, finally sheltering under fallen leaves for winter. When the temperature falls below […]
Nearly a month ago I posted a photo of beech leaves in my yard, still green as other leaves began to turn. In that month I have traveled quite a bit and seen many autumns. There was a whisper of fall in Georgia. An explosion of brilliant colors in New […]
Rain would seem to be a photographer’s enemy, but gray sky actually is nature’s gift of an enormous diffuser. The light is softened, and without the extreme exposure differences of highlights and shadows, subtle tones are revealed. The moisture even brings out more vibrant colors. I knew all this but […]
An unusual feature of the South Carolina Botanical Gardens is a caboose garden, which was donated in 1973 by the Clemson University class of 1939. The caboose came from Southern Railway, painted in a bright red color. There is memorabilia inside the car from the class, and the railway. I […]
Until moving to the mountains of northeast Tennessee, I have never lived anyplace where nature is so closely tied to the calendar. I enjoy the symmetry, each season ebbing and flowing as if the earth has its own hidden tides. Leaf forecasts suggested this would be a better than average […]
The South Carolina Botanical Garden, located just south of Clemson University’s campus, is nearly 300 acres. There are 5 miles of trails meandering through everything from formal gardens to wild forests and streams. Deep in the garden it is easy to believe you are in a wilderness. I arrived just […]
In 1948 Dr. Curran, then curator of insects at New York City’s American Museum of Natural History, began a tradition of traveling north along the Hudson River to Bear Mountain State Park to observe the fall foliage, which I know from experience is very nice there. With friends and family […]
The highway between Tennessee and North Carolina winds between several mountain passes, including Sam’s Gap at the border between the two, named for James Sams and his family who had a wagon malfunction and settled in this area back in 1832. Of course the road then was quite a bit […]