Sending Out the Old Year with... Crab Apple Blossoms (Dry Brush Filter)

Ok, so it's not much of a surprise to anyone who has visited my photo blog that I should choose a crab apple blossom photo to end 2015. I count it as one of my top favorite parts of the year for that week or so when the crab apple blossoms come out in May/June. Here are my hopes that you had a good 2015 and that 2016 will also be a good year for you! Thanks for stopping by!

Sunlight through the Crab Apple Blossoms (Dry Brush Filter)

The light, as a stream

that is flowing through flowers,

illumines the tree.

Tangled Web of Tree Branches

The woven branches overhead

make up a wooden sheet --

their canopy, too thinly spread,

for winter's snow and sleet.

Spring Begins a Bit Brown

What color is the spring?

Amid winter, remember,

it starts a bit brown.

Snow by Trees (Dry Brush Filter)

If fallen snow is resting low

but wind is working high, 

what lies below will surely grow,

when storm clouds fill the sky.

A Little Bit of Green

A little bit of green

in the winter time season

can go a long way.

I picked this little seedling out of a crack in my deck. I potted it, and when the fall came, its tiny leaves turned colors and fell off. This winter, I've got some green parts growing on it, which you can see in this picture. It's kind of nice to see (inside) when everything else looks pretty dead outside. Thanks for stopping by!

October Evening over the Mackinac Bridge (Dry Brush Filter)

The late clouds in fall

cast a storm drawn appearance.

The sunset gleams gold.

Merry Christmas! -- Sunrise (Paint Daubs Filter)

That long time ago

When the guest room was taken,  

the Christ child was born. 

Light Reflected Off the Water

The light reflects white

with some blue in the post-noon.

Warm November day

November Waters Waiting for Ice Fishing (Dry Brush Filter)

November is cold,

yet the water, unfrozen,

for ice fishing, waits.

Folded Brown Leaves (Dry Brush Filter)

A tree, filled with leaves,

brown and folded, as winged birds,

observed in their flight.

Red Berries, Dark Blue Sky (Dry Brush Filter)

For looking, the eye

is well pleased by red berries

which hang from the sky. 

A Bend in the Road

A bend in the road

with snow on the side,

in need of a plow.

The End of the Snow Plow (BW)

The end of the plow

pushes snow to the pavement

and over the edge.

A Flicker at Attention (Cut out Filter)

A Flicker attends

to the daily routine watch

before it digs prey.

Juvenile Bluebird in a Tree (Sponge/Dry Brush Filter)

A juvenile bird,

having stopped for a visit,

won't stay but a while. 

Desolate Trees Waiting for Spring

The desolate trees

without leaves and dead branches

are waiting for spring.

There's a Hole in the Bottom of the Tree

A hole in the tree,

what should live in the bottom? 

A puzzle unsolved.

The Flowers of May -- Crab Apple Blossoms (Dry Brush Filter)

The flowers of May

Come before the long June day.

By then, they are gone. 

Crab Apple Blossoms (Dry Brush / Palette Knife Filters)

Crab apples in May,

are a blossom, and fading.

The fruit, in fall, yields. 

Forest Scene from Lake (Poster Edges Filter)

A comic book scene

of a forest near water:

A hero on leave.

Revisiting my photos from a couple of years ago, I found this one of a forest scene shot from a boat. I eventually used the Poster Edges filter, which gives (at least, to my eye) a comic book appearance to the photo. (Superhero not included in photo. He must be on vacation.) Thanks for stopping by! 

Sunrise on the Water (Dry Brush Filter)

The morning star shines

with a bright burst of gold rays.

In water, it gleams.

Lakeside Sunrise (Dry Brush Filter)

How early, then, does

the sun rise in the morning?

Ask one who can't sleep.

Cloudy Lines in the Sky (Dry Brush Filter)

A finger drew lines

in the sky at the sunset.

The writing is light.

I had processed this image before, merging three exposures into an HDR image. In today's post, I processed a single image (not for HDR, though). Thanks for stopping by!

Orange Flowers (Dry Brush Filter)

If orange could rhyme,

Should flower now cower,

Its color, its crime?

Green Stems with Red-Shaded Petals (Dry Brush Filter)

Where green stems arise

under shaded red petals,

the flowers have grown.

Yellow Flowers (Dry Brush Filter)

When yellow can bloom,

Into loveliest flowers,

Then winter can cease.

Dismal Winter Scene of Snow and Trees (Black and White)

If winter should be

A long, dismal endurance,

The heart yearns for spring.

Little Flock of House Finches (Dry Brush Filter)

Birds, looking for worms,

In the grass which is greener

Until summer's gone.

Fun with Fisheye - Leaves on a Curb (Dry Brush Filter)

When I went out for a walk yesterday I took my little Sony HDR-AS100V (in its waterproof case) with me. The camera shoots in fisheye, which... the jury's still out on how I feel about fisheye. Actually, with practice, I think it's possible to get some really cool images. I'm hoping that this camera will make a good outdoor winter camera, but... we'll see. Thanks for stopping by!

Flicker on the Deck (Dry Brush Filter)

For all its faults, what I really liked about this picture was how close I was to the Flicker. Close-up, you can see all sorts of details on its body. I like the stripes on the wings. I like how the under-body looks something like a sponge, or like one some tree that a woodpecker has punched all sorts of holes into. I like the little red mark on the back of the Flicker's head. It's a cool bird. Thanks for stopping by!