Friday, February 29, 2008

Cheaha Deer



One of our favorite past times while we're camping at Mt. Cheaha is to watch the wildlife.  We started taking a 50-pound sack of cracked corn with us last summer, so the deer really like us to visit.  Cheaha campground is pretty rocky, so we usually pile up the corn on two or three flat rocks about 20 to 50 feet from our travel trailer.  The deer usually come in the morning shortly after sunrise and again around sunset - sometimes in the middle of the day but not as regularly.

On one trip, the campers next to us offered to loan me the use of their 300 millimeter telephoto lense.  Of course, I jumped at the chance to use it (and now I have my own), so when the deer came a couple of hours later, I snapped this shot which I think highly of.  In case you didn't notice, there is a second deer in the background in the upper right quadrant of the picture.  This is the second picture I've submitted to the Alabama Hiking Trail Society's annual conference and photo contest.

I'm amazed at how well this picture came out.  I was using a lens that I had no experience with, a camera that I'm still learning about, shooting wildlife that are only 40 feet away, not moving to frame images so I don't spook the deer - you get the idea.  But I am so proud of this picture.

-Brian-

Thursday, February 28, 2008

Very Bright Sun Dog



Back in the first half of February, I had an opportunity to fly on the ABC 3340 helicopter to view and video damage in Lamar County, Alabama, as well as that at Caledonia, MS, where a school had been hit by a tornado.  Enroute back from Caledonia, we stopped to refuel at the Fayette airport, and I snapped this photo of a very brilliant sun dog in the afternoon sky.  I cannot remember a seeing a sun dog as bright or as large as this one in quite some time.

There was not enough cirrus cloud in the sky to create a double, but that really didn't matter since this one was so bright and so large.

-Brian-

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Buck Creek Dam, Helena


One of the main highways through Helena, AL, where I live is 261 which crosses a bridge over Buck Creek next to a small dam.  The dam was built a long time ago and there is still some old machinery sitting on the banks from a time when the dam was fully utilized.  This picture was taken from the deck of Incahoots, a local restaurant owned and operated by Harold and Claudia Deason, on the banks of Buck Creek.

We have not seen much water flowing over the dam for about the last year as the area of Central Alabama has been in an exceptional drought condition for many months.  January and February of 2008 have seen some typical rain for these months, so water is once again flowing over the dam making a nice photo.

-Brian-

Monday, February 25, 2008

Top of Alabama


One of my favorite places in all the world is also the highest spot in Alabama, Mt. Cheaha.  Cheaha State Park is located there and we just love camping there when we can.  This picture is one I took on a little photo jaunt around the park last Fall.  The colors were slow to change, but I think you can see the hint of color there.

I'm going back to Cheaha in mid-March to speak at the annual conference of the Alabama Hiking Trail Society (AHTS).  The AHTS sponsors a photo contest at their meeting, so I've entered this photo along with one I took of my deer (actually Cheaha's deer) which I'll use to make another post.  So wish me luck on this.

This picture was taken on the very top of the picture I posted on February 10 (click here)

-Brian-