Hooded Merganser

A group of Hooded Mergansers were diving for food near the dam at Shelly Lake.  

The ladies were trailing behind.

Traffic Jam

A sunny Saturday is a bad time for a quiet walk on the greenway.  It is a good time to beware of speedy bikers.

Heron

There were a lot of herons lurking around Shelly Lake.  Most of them were hiding in the weeds, but this one was enjoying the view in plain sight.

Another way to walk the dog

He was working harder than the dogs were, but everyone was having fun.

A new way to walk the dog

Most people walk their dogs around Shelly Lake.  This young man rode an electric skateboard, and carried his dog.

Why a wall?

This wall is a backdrop for sculptures at the NC museum of Art.

This wall holds back the hillside.

The anoles sun themselves on this wall.


Robert Frost said in his poem Mending Wall:
Before I build a wall I'd ask to know
What I was walling in or walling out,
And to whom I was like to give offence.

Art lovers

The sculpture garden at the NC Museum of Art is used by hundreds of people on a sunny day.  Most of them enjoy the acres of trails and sculptures without ever going into the museum itself.  Dogs and strollers, joggers, tricycles and scooters are all welcome.

Ugly or Beautiful?

Why do they look so beautiful in the air, and so ugly up close.  The Turkey Vultures were having a great time on a windy day.

Eastern Phoebe

An Eastern Phoebe came to visit on a sunny day.

Super wolf blood moon

Yes, it really was that red.

Water fountain

Walking a different way than usual, I came upon this statue by the children's education building at church.  It's amazing what you find when you turn an new corner.

Lunar Bird

Tonight is the "Wolf Blood Moon"  eclipse.  In honor of the event, here's "Lunar Bird", by Joan Miro.  It sits in a hidden courtyard outside the NC Museum of Art.

Spring in mid-Winter

I know my friends in Northern places don't want to hear it, but yesterday I found this tree in the park.  Not yet in full bloom, but pretty close.  I'm really not gloating, we're supposed to get into the 20's Monday night.  It's just nice to be reminded that spring will come.

Sunny afternoon

Someone enjoying a sunny afternoon at the NC Museum of Art sculpture garden.  

Mossy rocks

The moss is growing thick on rocks right now.

Red bird

There are a lot of stories about what a sighting of a cardinal means.  A messenger from the spirit world? A visit from a deceased loved one?  A nearby angel?

Well I just think they're beautiful birds.

Hidden cabin

I've walked past this little cabin many times and never seen it.  I think that with the leaves off the trees and vines, it's finally visible from the greenway.

Resurrection fern

The resurrection ferns have done very well in the wet weather.  They're Epiphytes meaning they get their nutrients and water from the air.  (see here) These particular ones are growing on solid rock, so they really depend on the air.

Keep out

The river was so high, that you'd need a canoe to trespass on this private property.

Farmhouse

Horseshoe farm sits in a large oxbow of the Neuse River.  It's been settled since the 1830's.  This farmhouse was built somewhere between 1910 and 1930.  

It was a family home until 1994, and is now a Raleigh city nature preserve.  

One family lived there from 1972 - 1994.  They must have done extensive work, here's a picture from 1968.

Curious

This guy was watching the walkers on the greenway behind his house.  Not barking, just watching.

Here comes the sun?

The sun tried to shine through on this cloudy day.  Every little bit is welcome!

fungus

I'd never seen fungus this color.  It made me think of a striped sweater in browns and grays.  It was plentiful when I started to look.

Mossy log

The moss is growing thick in our rainy wet winter.

Sunset

Sunset can even make mucky water look like gold.

mossy cracks

Just in case it wasn't enough, there is moss growing in the cracks of the asphalt!

Garden on a log

All of our rainfall means that ferns and moss grow easily on nearly anything.  Even fallen logs.

Not Banksie

  The artist is definitely not as skilled as Banksie, but he is original.

Rain, rain, rain

It feels like it never stops raining...

2018 was a record year for rainfall in Raleigh.  Actually, Raleigh has higher average rainfall (46.58 inches) than Seattle (37.49 inches)  In 2018, with two hurricanes and several severe rainstorms and a dump of wet snow, Raleigh had over 60 inches of precipitation.   To put it in perspective, Denver has an average yearly rainfall of 15.54 inches. 

Interference

Wave interference on Falls Lake.
 You can see the nodal lines (places where a crest and trough come together to destructively interfere) and the antinodes (where the waves come together and add together to make a bigger wave). The wind had just shifted and set up interfering waves.  

Yay physics!

Theme day: Picture of the year and Happy New Year!

Umbrellas at the ellipse, NC Museum of Art
September 21

This month's theme is the best picture of 2018.  It was a good exercise to look back at the year's postings to find the best.  I narrowed it down to three.  Each one was a surprise - I looked up, and there was the scene.  

Oaky Grove Church

 August 19

Heron Durant Lake
December 7