The west branch of the Peabody River flows down the Great Gulf Wilderness Area. It is not so much a river like the bodies of flat water that meander through landscapes, but more of an oversized mountain stream moving through and over rocks and boulders. Click on the image for a larger view.
Tag Archives: Nature
The Northern Forest
Naomi and I took a trip to the Great Gulf Wilderness Area last weekend. Instead of standing on the head wall of the glacial cirque, we had entered the base of the valley. The Northern Forest is a unique ecosystem that stretches from the Adirondacks in northern New York, through Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, and into the Canadian maritime provinces. At the base of Mt. Washington, the forest is mixed. The structure is complex: life carves out spaces in a three-dimensional world that stretches from the forest floor to the canopy. Even glacial erratics, large rocks dropped by retreating glaciers, become home to fern, moss, and trees. Click on the image for a larger view.
Day’s End
Yesterday was overcast and rainy. After dinner, I noticed the clouds breaking. I walked out to our field to watch the fading light of the day.
These events are fleeting. Clouds from the valley climbed the ridge and would obscure the view a few minutes after this image was taken—you can see those clouds just above the trees. And while we imagine the vivid color of the clouds would show some tenacity, that color can drain from the sky in seconds. Click on the image for a larger view.
Under a Full Moon
Last Sunday I went to our field. The night was filled with the rhythm between silence and songs: an owl, frog, and whip-poor-will. The sweet scent of goldenrod mixed with the slightly acidic scent of a skunk—I whistled to discourage a meeting. Click on the image for a larger view.
Night Visitor
This intrepid animal had climbed onto the window screen outside our office to take advantage of the insects our room lights attract (to give you a sense of scale, each square of the screen is about 1.5mm wide or about 1/16″). Frogs (and a I assume toads as well) serenade us throughout the summer. But it seems to be in September that I actually catch sight of these creatures. Click on the image for a larger view.
Late Summer Fern
Our fern are coming to the end of their season. Their fronds are taking on a dull green and are marked by the insect damage incurred over the summer—they looked very different in the spring. But when the sun pierces the forest canopy in the late afternoon, it fills these plants with light, giving the appearance of renewed life. Click on the image for a larger view.
Living Forest
Click on the image for a larger view.
Earth and Sky
Maine coast is mystical in the late summer. The warm ocean and cool air create fluid, unpredictable atmospheric events. Click on the image for a larger view.
Living on Edges
The tenacity of life, the ability to hang onto existence in some of the harshest conditions, always amazes me. A delicate balance that does not take very much to lose—a few footsteps from a careless hiker could cause irreparable damage, as could a rock slide. Climate is a constant source of stress. This collection of moss, grass, and wild flowers is at the head of the glacial cirque that is home to the Great Gulf Wilderness Area, just below the summit of Mt. Washington in New Hampshire. Click on the image for a larger view.
Worlds within Worlds
We view the world through a complex visual system that is filtered by our mind. The mind projects rules and order onto what we see, making it familiar. One of the beauties of photography is that it can disrupt that filter, revealing layer upon layer of a complex world. Patterns, forms, and colors we pass by everyday suddenly seem to transform into something new, something beyond what we know. Click on the image for a larger view.
