Putting Out Fires

Fire Sprinkler

Fire Sprinkler Connection © 2008

Putting out fires…where is that fire hose?

Obscurity

Fence and Fog

Fence, Fog © 2008

Life is a brief, small, and transitory phenomenon in an obscure corner, not at all the sort of thing that one would make a fuss about if one were not personally concerned. ~~   Bertrand Russell

Driving at Dawn

I had a busy Saturday planned. I had an assignment to do some travel writing at a destination about 2 hours north of my home. The festival started at 8 a.m. with a tour of a National Wildlife Refuge, then a 10 o’clock workshop on nature photography by the Refuge Artist in Residence, and an afternoon trip to a cranberry bog. Plus a chicken dinner and the unveiling of this year’s edition of Whooper Brew after the bog trip.

(Hint: I went to the Crane Fest held in Necedah, Wisconsin, and I’ll share some stories and a few photos on the cranberries, the beer, and the whooping cranes in a later post.)

I haven’t been sleeping well for some unknown reason, and so when the alarm rang at 5:30 this morning I was none too excited. I managed to drag myself out of bed after getting maybe 2 hours of sleep, and I was rather grumbly as I got in the car. It was foggy and gray, and I was relieved I didn’t have to do the driving.

Wisconsin Countryside at Dawn

Wisconsin Countryside at Dawn © 2008

And then I blinked open my eyes as the skies lightened. Wow! I woke up pretty darn fast.

Wisconsin Farm at Dawn

Wisconsin Farm at Dawn © 2008

I fumbled around in the back seat until found my camera. Needless to say, we didn’t make it to the festival at the appointed time.

And Finally, A Rearview Mirror Sunrise

And Finally, A Rear View Mirror Sunrise © 2008

Finally, after we pulled over to the side of the road for the fifth time for just “one more photo,” the sun actually appeared, and the dawn was over – so we could get on with our drive.

Finding Red in the Woods

Red Nail

Red Nail © 2008

Not the kind of red I was anticipating on my hike in the woods. Red sumac? Looking. Red maple leaves? Still looking.

No. I found red nails from the decomposing wood frame of an old farm wagon.

Red Barrel

Red Barrel © 2008

And a red barrel sitting where it ought not be sitting,

Red Screws

Red Screws © 2008

and red screws, more of the wagon frame.

It’s cool outside, my furnace has switched on the last two nights and I’m wearing sweaters in the house, but outside the leaves are still showing mostly green and my grass is in desperate need of a last cut for the year.

It’s the Berries

Red Dogwood Berries

Red Osier (Red Twigged Dogwood) Berries © 2008

A walk in the prairies show grasses are browning, flowers are setting seed, and this red osier shrub (red twigged dogwood) is ladened with bunches of heavy white berries. By the way, the berries do not turn red.

The dogwood’s name has nothing to do with dogs. The word is derived from an Old English wood dagge (dagger) and refers to the hardness of the wood. A European species was once used to make butchers’ skewers.