On Sunday morning, fellow blogger Travis Erwin's (One Word, One Rung, One Day) house was ravaged by fire. Thankfully, he, his family and pets (except for one turtle) were unharmed but they lost their home and belongings. His detailed story can be found here.
If you can find it in your heart, and if your finances permit, please visit Habitat for Travis where some of his devoted friends have set up a fund to help rebuild his home. They're requesting donations of $25 (U.S.) a brick, but I'm sure that any amount would help significantly. Times are difficult these days and that's certainly understandable. If you're unable to manage a donation, please offer up your best thoughts for the Erwin Family. I'm certain they will be well appreciated.
Thank you kindly.
Below are a few photos taken over the past few days. Please remember to click on each image to enlarge them.
Despite his safe distance on a limb above me, this little guy kept a wary eye as I approached. (please click to enlarge)
Whereas this brave little sparrow appeared quite unconcerned. (please click to enlarge)
The pond freezes over in winter, but the local ducks and geese usually manage to keep a small area open for themselves. These ducks are swimming close to the border where water meets ice. (please click to enlarge)
A closer look at that patch of ice. It reminded me of an eagle's profile. Do you see it? (please click to enlarge)
And speaking of strange things that I see in inanimate objects, I thought this piece of fallen bark looked like some sort of fish. (please click to enlarge)
The afternoon sun flickered and danced across this tangle of burrs and branches. (please click to enlarge)
The roadside brush seemed reluctant to relinquish the comforting rays of the setting sun. (please click to enlarge)
A gaggle of geese loudly announced their evening departure. I clicked just in time to catch this flurry of wings. My next frame was of bare sky. (please click to enlarge)
Behind the trees, the sun departs in a blaze of glory. (please click to enlarge)
And its final rays brand their reflection into the powdery snow. (please click to enlarge)
After dark, the lamp post resumes shadow duty where the sun left off. (please click to enlarge)
76 comments:
My goodness!! Will I actually be the FIRST one to comment??! Heh! This will be a FIRST for me! Usually I come in at about number 53 or so!!
Sorry to hear about the fire. I went to Travis' blog and, well, I hope everyone takes a look and perhaps can help. Things like this put life in perspective.
I always like the most unusual things in your photos - and I usually spend several minutes looking them over. This time around I vote for the wood fence in the roadside brush / setting sun photo. I love that top wood rail and how the light plays against it. I also like the little tracks in the snow in the foreground.
Okay! I am going to post this comment - but it is very possible I will now be #3 or #4 by the time this gets on! Heh!!
Take care, Hilary!
Love the bark fish.
Thanks, Hilary for the information on how to help the Irwin family.
And, as usual, great photos!!
You amaze me.
it;s such a terrible thing. i'm so sorry to hear it but glad at least they were unharmed.
You have to be kidding, about the fire NO WAY!
Thick coating of ice everywhere today, treacherous.
I wish I could see your photo's they seem to be blocked from viewing from my work pc. Who do you use to host the pictures? Going to check out Travis' blog now.
All beautiful. And that bark totally has fish lips. And fins.
I loved you're blog... congratulations
Magical collection of images, from bright eyed and bushy tailed squirrel to icy eagle and petrified fish (as of old wood, not frightened amphibian) My eyes are in tune with yours, and the melodies thus created please my soul.
Squirrells and ducks and shadows in snow... You are making me miss Michigan! Lovely photos. I felt like I was on a nature walk with you. :)
Reb had sent me over to Travis' blog yesterday. The smidgen of good in this terrible tragedy is the life and safety of the entire family. The news came on the heels of a house fire up the road from us (caught early so "only" some damage and everyone safe).
Your icy eagle is incredible, especially with the beak so pronounced. I love your eye for detail and wonder if I would have seen such a sight or passed by thinking only of ice.
And there is such warmth in the photos of the squirrel and the sparrow; I can feel the warm sun on my face and note the pink buds on the sparrow's branch. Spring is indeed in their future and ours.
Read about the fire accident. Luckily the kids didn't witness.
You have presented some wonderful shots again.
I will visit your friend.
the light on the roadside brush is magical as is the lamp light in the last shot!!
Fabulous shots Hilary!
Thank you for posting about the Erwin family. What a terrible tragedy! This really pulled at my heart!! Blogging really does seem to draw us together and make us family.
Hilary thanks for the info about where to help Travis.
As usual you have given us stunning photos again. I love the bark fish and the ice eagle.
Read about Travis over at Bubblewench's Blogs of Life ... sad and while there is never a 'good' time for tragedy, this time of year is possibly the worst ...
Lovely photos .. giving words .. both so very Hilary!
What a terrible tragedy. I am sure no one can fully understand the extend of such an ordeal.
Hopefully the kindness of others and the way we can bounce back in life, will offer hopes for a future for this family.
Your pictures are as always, a true source of magic; I so do not understand how you can get such wonderful and clear close up shots of the animals.;)
Love the one of the sun behind the trees, it indicates that it is winter, as it lies so low over the horizon.;)
Mail is being written and send soon:))
I do see the eagle's profile . . .
All of your photographs are lovely -- and the setting sun in the trees is so rich and painterly. The peacefulness of your images contrast so with the sad news of Travis Erwin's house. It is kind of you to pass on the news of the fundraising efforts in his behalf.
That's awful, I can't imagine what it would be like having to watch your house from the road while it just goes up in flames. Nice to see that growing list of names for donations.
The snow just continues to pile up here in Toronto, but it's been worse (as I'm sure you're aware of first hand).
I'd love to move further out from the city, I've never been to Mississauga though. You seem to be an avid nature watcher, so let me ask you this...
That looks like a black squirrel but... have the red squirrels here always been so tiny? When I lived back in Michigan the red squirrels were HUGE. They're little more than overgrown chipmunks here in Canada. Or is that just in Toronto they are so small?
I saw the ice eagle! And that picture of the ducks swimming in the icy water makes me shiver!
What lovely photography!
Hi Hil-
new reader here. Just began my own blog and discovering the world of blogs which I guess I'd heard of but never realized how rich & fully developed the blog-world is!
Found you thru Blogs of Note. You mention "hit statistics" but how does one see their numbers?
As a newbee here I have so many questions. I see your note "meme-free and tag-free" and I'm hopeful I haven't broken those rules but I have no idea what that's about!LOL
I intend to read back thru some posts, and to explore all those interesting links! Although I know my writing skills are really quite bad, I've always thought I should write one book (then be done!) and so my blog is letting me write away my free time. I too enjoy wordplay/puns/etc. Are you familiar with the word epicaricity? Some dictionaries don't list it... which I find interesting.
Glad you brought more attention to Travis' family's plight. Good on ya'.
The last shot is a stunner. :)
Sad about the fire, I am glad that everyone got out safe... but still, such a sad time, indeed.
Your pictures are very nice! Delightful to say the least!!
~Michele~
Mountain Retreat
you're a great photography. even the animals don't mind being photographed if you're the one taking it. i love the flying geese. and I'm sorry about Travis though.
• How about that, Russell... you are first! Thanks for taking the time to visit Travis' blog. You're so right about perspective. Speaking of which, you always notice the less obvious details in my photos and bring them to my attention. Thanks for too for that. :)
• Arf, Leah! Thanks. :)
• Thanks, Baggie and you're welcome. :) I hope you're feeling better by now.. are you?
• That's the good thing, Lime. Thanks for stopping by. :)
• Be safe out there, Gary. :)
• Sorry you can't see the photos, Lady Isra. They're hosted on PhotoBucket. Hopefully you can see them from home. Thanks for visiting Travis. :)
• Thanks, MPM. I'm glad you can see the fish that clearly and that it wasn't only me. Thanks for stopping by. :)
• Thanks, CCPS. Much appreciated. :)
• Lovely comment, Jinsky. Thank you. Your frightened amphibian (piscine?) cracked me up. Thanks for the visit. :)
• Thanks for the kind words, Ady. You're welcome along anytime. :)
• Thanks, KC. You're right about that smidgeon of good news. Thanks so much for your kind words. Particularly that promise of spring. It's a long way off, but it will get here. Thanks for stopping by. :)
• Thanks very much, Indrani. I agree that it would have been horrible for their kidlets to see. Thanks for the visit. :)
• Thanks kindly, Dianne. And for your kind comment. Much appreciated all around. :)
• Thank you, Kerri. I agree about "family" but it's people in general - not just bloggers. When there's need, people generally do come together and help as best they can. Thanks for the visit. :)
• Thanks very much, Reb. And you're welcome for that info. I first learned of the news from you, so thanks right back at you. :)
• Aww thanks, Daryl. I'm hearing so many new (to me) names in relation to Travis. Clearly he has a LOT of blog buddies out here. I'm glad for that. :)
• You're right, Protege. I'm catching his and others blog's comments here and there, and others who have been through and coped with similar situations have offered words of encouragement. Thanks always for your kind words, Z. I'll let you in on the secret of how I get close up shots of squirrels. It's simple... they think I'm nuts. ;)
• Thanks so much, Bee. I'm glad to help in any way I can. I'm glad you like the photos. I quite like the idea of them being "painterly." Thanks for that. :)
• Agreed, Lyrist. It had to be heart-wrenching for them to witness. Ahh the snow. I've just finished shovelling. At least it's pleasantly mild out there - just a smidge below freezing. To answer your squirrel question I turned to my nature expert, Frank (whose comment appears three below yours) and here's what he had to say. "What she sees in Michigan is actually a grey squirrel (as are the black and grey ones we see here). Their colours vary considerably but they're the same species. The small red squirrels she sees in Ontario are "real" red squirrels. They're smaller than their kin but much fiercer. I've often seen a tiny red chasing a grey that's twice its size. There's only really three varieties of tree-dwelling squirrels in North America: the grey, the red and the flying squirrel. If it's large-ish, no matter the colour, it's a grey. You should check out his blog. I bet you'll love it. :)
• Heather, you'd think they'd get cold in that water but they just never do. Thanks for stopping by. :)
• Thank you, Idzie. :)
• Welcome to the Blogosphere, DelDean. The statistics which I mentioned in the last post come from StatCounter.com. If you head over there, you'll learn how to add a counter to your blog. There are many others available, but that's the one that I use. And nope, no "rules" broken. Memes (getting tagged with one) are like the chain letters of the blog world. For example, someone posts some questions and answers about themselves and then "tags" other bloggers to post the same questions on their own blog and respond with their answers - and in turn tag others. It's just not something I enjoy doing, so I don't. Good luck with your blog. I'll come by for a visit sometime soon. And no, I don't have a clue what "epicaricity" means but I do wish you a very epinewyear. ;)
• Thanks, Frank. I figure every little bit helps. Glad you like the pic. You may have even suggested my taking that shot. And thanks for helping me out with Lyrist's question. :)
• Thanks, Michele. Very sad, but very heartening that so many are doing what they can to help. Thanks for the visit. :)
• Thanks very kindly, Tophey. Your comments are very much appreciated. :)
I almost didn't go to Travis' blog, Hilary because fires scare me and I wanted to keep away from it. Glad I went, though, to leave him my simple words. Just so sorry to hear.
As always, beautiful photography! I clicked on all of them and even your squirrels look different. Like movie stars!
Beautiful photos Hilary. I'm already finding this blog world quite addictive and definitely the greatest weapon in my arsenal of procrastination (yuk... i don't really like military analogies... i'll try again - the greatest exotic flower in my greenhouse of procrastination... much nicer:)).
I haven't gone over to travis' blog yet but will do so and offer what small money I can and definitely pray for him and his family.
in response to deldean's post - the meaning of the word epicaricity - I googled it and only one website came up, presumably a chess strategy website/blog, in german. below is the text concerned translated by google:
Springer is easily Tickled by what the Germans call Schadenfreude, the feeling of joy at another's misfortune.
It says in Gravity's Rainbow, and if we are also in the chess salary contributions refer to later, so it points out that in fact no English equivalent exists outright (or epicaricity been so forgotten that even the Time magazine already German loanword over).
so perhaps epicaricity is the English equivalent of Schadenfreude: “largely unanticipated delight in the suffering of another which is cognized as trivial and/or appropriate.” (definition from Wikipedia)
After hearing Travis' story the phrase "delight in the suffering of another" feels very, very wrong.
Wow! Your pictures are so amazing! Beautiful.
You blow me away with your ability to paint a scene over time. Wish I had that storytelling gift.
Terrible about Travis, huh? I "laid my brick" yesterday. :) Lovely pics, especially the sunset. Ah!
Lovely pictures. I really like the ducks in the pond. Such a beautiful picture. =)
Beautiful pics...It never snows here in Bangalore, so i miss those snowy days Of colorado, USA. :-)
I whine a lot about the "ghetto" condition of my house but after seeing so much devastation around us following the Hurricane Ike aftermath I feel it would be tacky to complain too much.
Prayers for the Erwin Family.
Wow... beautiful pictures. Love the fish, I saw that right away too! I'm always looking at things, clouds especially, and imagine they're different things. It's great fun! :)
Lovely, lovely images. They remind me of the new Peter and the Wolf film, and it is always nice to be reminded of that.
Hilary:
There's an award awaiting you, over at my place, if you wish to come and claim it.
the snow just comes and goes here...this morning it was coming down and then it just...went away. sigh. I long for a real snow day where we can just stay in, drink tea, and relax.
I'm terribly sorry about your friend's home. I am sending many good thoughts and wishes.
I love your photos...so simple and touching.
Thank you for letting us know how we can help the Erwin family.
I hope you are keeping warm!
Oh Hilary you've really capture the essence of winter PERFECTLY.
PERFECTLY!!
Hillary, I will visit the site. Thank you for sharing a way we can all make a big difference together!
Yes, I see the eagle's profile.
And that is wonderful news about Blogs Of Note. Richly deserved, too!
Just playing catch-up after returning from the west coast.
gorgeous winter pictures. Too often, my perception of winter is a dreary, icy highway commute. Depending on the amount of sunshine, I might see the pretty mountains to the East. Generally though, in winter, it's too dark on both my morning and evening drive to appreciate much.
Thanks for reminding me there's more to winter than frozen annoyance and tedium
It's wonderful that people are coming together to help. Our house burned when I was a child, and it was a challenging experience, but one of the things I remember most was how the small community reached out and helped in so, so many ways while my parents worked to rebuild our home.
I love the photo with the light coming through the three. It looks hopeful.
Beautiful snow! I would love to be able to claim to just an inch, but alas, Kentucky only has rain.
Quite the interesting pictures. And I can see the fish in that bark, too. :)
What type of camera do you have?
God bless :)
I feel sorry to hear about the fire...
And pictures are very cute and beautiful^^
Animals are really cute so much!!
What beautiful light in all your pictures.
As usual, the blogosphere responds with open hearts to tragedy.
WOW... ANOTHER! "artistic" pics blog... at least my blog is original!
Such a sad thing to happen to Travis and family. I read his blog and wish i could help out but they will definitely be in my prayers.
Your wintery pictures are like looking at a "Coffee Table" book. Love them.
I enjoyed your punny remark on my last post...(:0)
• Thank you, Kate. I sure can understand your fear and I think you're wonderful for going and offering your kindness. Movie star squirrels? Like Squirrely MacLaine? Or maybe Squirrel Streep? ;) Thanks for dropping by. :)
• Thanks very much, Mr. Someone. You're right about blogging. Especially when you're new to it - every link is an enticing click. And both of those were fine analogies. Thank you very kindly for your offerings to the Erwin Family. Your kindness is very much appreciated. I did look that word up and found that the one site that mentioned it was not in English, so I just let it go. Clever you to use the Google translator. And I agree that it feels very wrong at this particular time. Thanks for making that effort and for letting me know. :)
• Thanks, Shilohmae. Much appreciated. :)
• Thanks very much, Carmi. But you do indeed have an incredible storytelling gift. Every one of your posts prove that. Thanks for the kind words. :)
• Thanks, Angie. Very kind of you to contribute. Thanks for stopping by. :)
• Thanks kindly, KimLi. Much appreciated. :)
• Thanks, Ajeya. That would indeed be quite the contrast between Bangalore and Colorado. It would take some getting used to. Thanks for the visit. :)
• Too true, EWBL. There's always something that makes you take stock and realize the good stuff. Thanks for your kindness for the Erwins. :)
• Thank you, Michelle. Yes clouds too! And trees. I'm glad you saw the fish. I have to wonder if anyone else sees these things sometimes. Thanks for dropping by. :)
• Thanks, Clare. I have to say I've not seen Peter and the Wolf but I'll have to keep an eye out for it now. Thanks for the kind words. :)
• Thank you, Sully. 'Tis claimed and sitting up top of others in my side bar. I encourage everyone to follow Suldog's link back to his blog to read his "Kreativ" post. It's quite hilarious. :)
• Thanks for the kind words, Chessa. Check with me in February or March about how relaxing a snow day is, after umpteen shoveling sessions. ;) Thanks for your good thoughts for the Erwins. :)
• You're very welcome, Cheffie. I am.. you work up quite the sweat with a shovel. ;) Thanks for stopping by. :)
• Thanks so much, MamaGeek. I'm glad you like the photos. :)
• Thank you MT. Indeed we can make that difference. :)
• Thanks very much, David. And welcome back home. :)
• Thanks you, Okie. I sure can understand how dreary it can be when you rarely get to see the light of day through the winter. It's no wonder people get so depressed during this season. Hopefully you can enjoy some outings during your time off. Thanks so much for your kind words. :)
• Thanks, Tricia. Hopeful is good. I'm sorry you lost your home as a child but yes, the community always does tend to come together in times of need. Our best comes out when needed. Thanks so much for sharing. :)
• Thanks very kindly, Lauren. My camera is a Canon PowerShot S3 IS. I'm glad you saw the fish. The rain in Kentucky has its advantages. You don't have to shovel it, and it inspired one of the very few Elvis songs that I like. Thanks for the visit. :)
• Thank you, Takai. Much appreciated. :)
• Thanks, Jenn. Late day sunshine usually comes through that way.. and so does the blogosphere. Thanks for stopping by. :)
• Frith, at the VERY least. Have fun with that "experiment" of yours. :)
• Thank you, Sue. Your kind words mean a lot to me. As does your kindness for the Erwins. Thanks always for the visit. :)
Sorry to hear about the fire. Was he not insured? Not that it would make much difference to the trauma involved.
The photos, as usual were really spectacular.
Yes, I could see the eagle shape in the ice and the wood, if looked at carefully, was fish shaped. I also look for familiar shapes in ordinary things.
The gaggle of geese and the squirrel photos were my favourites, but the scenery is superb in all of them.
Hilary, I read with sadness Travis Erwin's house fire and devestation to their lives. I wish them well as many wonderful people there help them.
I liked your photos, as always. - Dave
I saw the eagle right away!!! And love the last photo...I'm trying to learn about nighttime photography...it can be tricky! To respond to your comment on my blog: I posted about our agility (the link to that post is under the agility pic in our beginning-part 2. I will post soon about herding as well. Thanks so much for continuing to stop by! :)
So sorry to hear about the fire!
And thank you again for such beautiful photos. They make winter seem like a magical time! Helps me appreciate all the seasons and stop wishing so hard for summer again.
Thanks for sharing this info on the Erwin family. I went over and got their address. I will do what I can. Love the pics as always.
Hey there- I gave you a blog award today, The Premio Dardos Blog Award. Come check it out on my latest post. MUAH! - Babs
Fantastic pictures !
My, how horrible for poor Travis and his family, I do hope they will soon have the warmth and comfort of their own home again.
Your photogarphs are stunning, as ever - I love the way you can look at something and see it as entirely something else.
Nice pics.
WOW, the photos are beautiful (:Especailly the snow. I live in asia & we don't have snow here ): enjoyed your blog very much.
I love the photo of the patch of ice. You don't get to see things like that too often, not even in pictures.
these photographs are lovely, I especially like the squirrel one--it's adorable.
What a pretty blog! Thank you for sharing it with us.
http://racheteapaintersdiary.blogspot.com/
Hello! Apologize for my writing in English full of errors. I'm an Italian guy who looks a few blogs for information.
I would leave a positive comment on the post well done. My passion to write poetry, my goal would be to open a room in Paris to go on living.
Thanks for your understanding dimenticavo beautiful photos .....
a greeting Carlo
Your photography is amazing! The first picture is adorable. :)
I thought the eagle was a shark when I first saw it. Still do. LOL
Thanks for the visit.
I moved away from Montreal a few years back...for my one big love...and it actually worked out. Butbyour photos have just made me want to come home! Thanks for the little bout of homesickness, it's always good to have a little reminder of how beautiful HOME actually is - especially oovered in snow and ice.
• Thanks very much for your kind comments, Maggie May. You can usually find something familiar in natural things such as trees, clouds and rocks. Yes, the family had insurance, thank goodness, but it rarely covers completely. Deductibles and countless other costs will be an added burden. Thanks for stopping by. :)
• Thanks kindly, Dave. Your kind words are always very much appreciated. :)
• Thanks, Andrea. I know what you mean about nighttime photography. It can be anywhere from tricky to not-gonna-happen for me. If I'm lucky, a full moon, reflective snow and a steady hand help. If I'm not as lucky, you won't ever see those pics.;) Thanks for the visit. :)
• Thanks very much, Crabby. I thought you had escaped your wintry conditions by moving back west for the season. I'm enjoying the snow more than I ever have as an adult, but I still long for summer. Always do. Thanks for stopping by. :)
• Thank you very kindly, JC. Your kindness is very much appreciated. :)
• Thank you for the thoughtful award, Babs. Much appreciated. And a big congrats on your pregnancy. :)
• Thanks very much, UDV. :)
• Thanks, Shrinky. I hope the same for the Erwins. Thanks always for the kind words. I sure hope you managed to get that next flight for your trip to London. Thanks for the visit. :)
• Thank you, Darkman. :)
• Thanks very kindly, M. Much appreciated. :)
• Thanks very much, Ash. I'm glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for stopping by. :)
• Thank you, Megan. He is kind of cute, eh? Thanks for the visit. :)
• Thanks kindly, Rachete. I'm happy share. Thanks for visiting. :)
• Thank you for the very kind words, Carlo. I hope you make it to Paris. :)
• Thanks, Jeannie. That little guy has a lot of fans. :)
• Thanks for stopping by, Abe. I can see the shark fin too, now that you mentioned it. :)
• Thanks very much, Kwazy. I'm from Montreal originally, but am living in Ontario now. Sorry for the homesickness - it's been about ten years since I've been back so I understand the feeling. I hope you get "home" for a visit soon. Thanks for stopping by. :)
Beautiful photos! I found you on Blogs of Note. Congratulations!
In your camera's eye, the winter looks spectacular. There is a warmth and glow about it. You have an amazing talent for seeing the shots - like our mutual friend David!
Peace - D
I am glad they made you a blog of note - gorgeous photos. I especially love the first & last one, the squirrel & the lamp through the trees.
Hillary, love your blog. I find your photos to have an ethereal quality and they are absolutely beautiful!
Thanks for sharing ...
Lyn
I've seen links to Travis' site around the net. I, too, am happy no one was harmed. I love when people around the world come together to help another. And I was just talking to my mother not five minutes ago. She said she saw and eagle in their tree.
• Thank you, Homesteading. I'm glad you did too. Please come back soon. :)
• Thanks so much, Doris. That's a huge compliment and I'm very flattered. Thanks for stopping by. :)
• Hey yourself, Alby.. and no.
• Thanks very kindly T&R's Pets. I'm glad you enjoyed the photos. Thanks for the visit. :)
• Thanks so much for your very kind words, Lyn. Much appreciated. :)
• You're so right Terrie. The best of human caring comes out at times like this. You Mom's sighting is way better than seeing an ice eagle. That's so cool. Thanks for stopping by. :)
Love the squirrel and the last shot. The light/shadows in the last one are terrific!
Thanks, Louise. :)
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