Leaves in Ice

I generally like to photograph leaves embedded in ice during the winter but just haven’t had many opportunities. On a visit to Paradise Valley I found a few of them in what remained of the ice wall.

Trumpeter Swans Point Douglas Park

On our way back from a road trip along the Mississippi River we drove through Prescott, Wisconsin. As we crossed the Saint Croix River we noticed a group of Trumpeter Swans in the open water below Point Douglas Park.

With the warm weather and more open water it appears the Trumpeter Swans have begun to disperse from their wintering grounds.

The water was at just the right depth so they could feed on the bottom of the river.

A Visit to Devil’s Punchbowl

Finally some cold weather. We made one of the few visits to Devil’s Punchbowl this winter.

Paradise Valley Ice

On our return from Devil’s Punchbowl we stopped at Paradise Valley to check on the ice along a small stream that flows through the Valley.

After Hours Ski Trails

Cross country skiing has been hit or miss this year with all of the warm weather. We have managed several trips to the After Hours Ski Trails in Brule, Wisconsin. They have some beautiful trails. These were taken in a large Birch forest. I suspect it would be really beautiful during the fall colors.

 

 

 

Winter Flowers

After a snowfall I walked out through the prairie to get some photos of last summer’s flowers.

Black-eyed Susan

Heal-all

Daisy Fleabane

More Birds in a Snowstorm

We had a nice snowstorm last week and I spend part of the day photographing the birds at my feeder. It was difficult early in the morning because of the low light levels but it lightened up later in the day while continuing to snow.

 

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Tufted Titmouse

Downy Woodpecker

Dark-eyed Junco

Black-capped Chickadee

American Goldfinch

The Sumac Patch

I have a friend who spends a lot of time photographing a plum thicket. My equivalent is my Sumac patch. I photograph the Sumac patch year around. Last week I was out photographing after a snowfall.

Skiing the Red Cedar Trail

A beautiful day for skiing along the Red Cedar State Trail. We haven’t seen the sun all that much this winter but this was one of those days.

ICEMANROGER The Ice Project

For the second year in a row Ice Man Roger (Roger Hanson) is attempting to build an ice castle on Barkers Island in Superior. In spite of the warm weather things seem to be progressing well. My wife and I stopped for a closer look last weekend. The unusual color of the ice is because he is taking ice from the harbor and the water is tinted with tannin.