It was this big!

This one loves to talk.  He's chatting with Susie about her geese.  Or about a turtle he saw.  Or about almost anything imaginable!  This is the Winter Market, held in the Proctor's building downtown.  It's held indoors during the winter months.  It was a good sized crowd last Sunday.

F Number	5.6
Lens ID	LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm F3.5-5.6
Focal Length	39.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 78.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/10
Exposure Program	Program AE
ISO	800
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

Nuthatch

I thought I was looking at a woodpecker - this bird was hopping up and down the tree with a total disregard for the law of gravity!  It was pecking at the bark and apparently munching on insects.  Thankfully, my wife knows birds better than I do and she saved me some embarrassment by telling me that this is a nuthatch.  With that clue in hand, the internet tells me that this is specifically a White-breasted Nuthatch.

What a cool little bird!

F Number	9.0
Lens ID	14-45mm F3.5-5.6
Focal Length	45.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 90.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/400
Exposure Program	Program AE
ISO	200
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

Time for a rest

It's a long hike up that icy hill.  Time to relax and take a break.  Who knew young sumacs would be comfortable?

F Number	5.6
Lens ID	LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm F3.5-5.6
Focal Length	14.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 28.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/160
Exposure Program	Manual
ISO	200
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

Cowhorn Creek, again

This photo was taken yesterday, one week after Saturday's photo.  The ice on the pond grew a bit because of the cold snap we've had but I expect that next week both the ice and the snow will be all gone, even in the deep shade.

No ducks or geese today.

F Number	8.0
Lens ID	LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm F3.5-5.6
Focal Length	14.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 28.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/320
Exposure Program	Manual
ISO	200
Exposure Compensation	-0.66
Flash	Off, Did not fire

The snow is melting quickly now.  Cowhorn Creek is open down in Vale, and it's very easy to walk there, even down where it's shaded.  This photo is about a week old.

James at Newtown Daily Photo runs a theme called Weekend Reflections. Around a hundred photo bloggers post a photo containing a reflection; beautiful work. Click the link and go see!

F Number	5.6
Lens ID	LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm F3.5-5.6
Focal Length	14.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 28.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/40
Exposure Program	Manual
ISO	200
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

Morning sun

The view from my window as the sunrise comes.

A group of photobloggers post a photo of their skies each Friday - it's called Skywatch Friday. Click the link to see photos from round the world.

F Number	5.6
Lens ID	LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm F3.5-5.6
Focal Length	45.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 90.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/100
Exposure Program	Manual
ISO	200
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

Spring fog

Spring brings warm air that meets up with the cold ground and produces fog.  This is St John's Cemetery, looking east into the morning sun.

I don't know why, but I like photos like this.

F Number	11.0
Lens ID	LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm F3.5-5.6
Focal Length	45.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 90.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/250
Exposure Program	Manual
ISO	200
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

Snow insects

Apparently it's warm enough to hatch the spring insects.  These seem too small to be adults who have overwintered, but I'm no entomologist.  We saw dozens of these crawling on the tops of the ice and snow down near the river.  They are no more than 10mm long.

F Number	11.0
Lens ID	LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm F3.5-5.6
Focal Length	45.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 90.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/125
Exposure Program	Manual
ISO	200
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

Fallen tree

Louise over at Meditations of My Heart-- Photos and Thoughts on Life posted a still life that I really liked, and I thought I'd post a black and white that I took Sunday while walking in Vale.

F Number	5.0
Lens ID	LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm F3.5-5.6
Focal Length	25.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 50.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/2500
Exposure Program	Manual
ISO	200
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

Skunk cabbage

Yes, it's time for that other spring plant to appear; the skunk cabbage.

Skunk cabbages apparently produce their own heat, so they start growing even when the ground is frozen and covered with snow.  This clump melted a hole in about 3 inches of snow!

Very cool plant.

F Number	13.0
Lens ID	LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm F3.5-5.6
Focal Length	28.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 56.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/50
Exposure Program	Manual
ISO	200
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

Crocus!

The weather has been warm for the past few days and the snow is about gone from the front (sunny) side of the house.  And in the time it took to melt, the crocus' have not only broken through the earth, but sprouted flowers!

It's a beautiful thing to see.

F Number	5.6
Lens ID	LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm F3.5-5.6
Focal Length	45.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 90.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/30
Exposure Program	Program AE
ISO	100
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

Lock 8 dam gate

This is taken standing under the lock 8 dam on the Mohawk River.    During the summer, the spot I'm standing on would be under at least 15 feet of water, but in the winter time, the water is lower and solid!

This large chain is connected to a large axle that is connected to a very large motor that lifts the dam gates right off the river bed.  Every autumn the gates go up to let the ice pass, and every spring they come back down to impound the river and form a pool deep enough for barges to navigate.

Honestly, I didn't have anything else green to post for St Patrick's Day!

F Number	11.0
Lens ID	LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm F3.5-5.6
Focal Length	45.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 90.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/50
Exposure Program	Manual
ISO	200
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

Zebra mussels

This might seem a strange time to post about zebra mussels - after all, the ice is still coming off the river.  But during the summer, these guys are under water, and I can't take their photo.

These things are pests, an invasive species from Russia.  They multiply at a prodigious rate and clog up water intakes and grates.  They're also really, really sharp - don't try to walk barefoot on them!

Anyway, this is at Lock 8 on the Canal.  The impound gates are lifted up for the winter, so the river is about 10 feet lower than it is in the summer, when the gates are down, holding the river back.  Since the water is so low, these mussels are exposed.  The face on the left is directly facing upstream - I'm a little surprised it isn't as covered as the face on the right, which is parallel to the river.  THAT is completely covered - I couldn't find a place to put a fingertip without touching zebra mussels.  Amazing animals.

F Number	11.0
Lens ID	LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm F3.5-5.6
Focal Length	45.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 90.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/50
Exposure Program	Manual
ISO	200
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

Spring birds

Not easy to see in this snow squall, but the spring birds have made an appearance!  There is a robin (higher up) and a female cardinal near the bottom.  They've come to eat the berries off of these ornamental cherry trees.  Or maybe they're ornamental crab apples, I can never tell.  Anyway, they were a little annoyed at finding them encased in ice.  It rained the night before and put a glaze of ice on everything.  They really had to work for these berries, but they have very strong beaks!

F Number	5.6
Lens ID	LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm F3.5-5.6
Focal Length	45.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 90.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/320
Exposure Program	Manual
ISO	200
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

Mowhawk River

Someone wanted to go see the river (OK, it was me).  Thankfully, the ice is breaking up without jamming under the bridges.  These blocks of ice used to be on the top of the river, which is currently running high, but down  several feet from earlier.  The temperature was in the mid-40s F.  That's shorts weather if you're 8!

This was taken at Riverside Park, in the Stockade.

F Number	11.0
Lens ID	LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm F3.5-5.6
Focal Length	45.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 90.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/100
Exposure Program	Manual
ISO	200
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

The Egg

We went to the Gem and Mineral show at the NY State Museum in Albany a few weeks ago, and I got this unusual look at the back of The Egg.  Formally known as the Center for the Performing Arts, this unusual building is part of the Empire State Plaza.  For obvious reasons, everyone simply calls it The Egg.

The crane in the background is working on the state Capitol building; the one with the pointed roof.  Actually, that crane is hauling up pieces of a larger crane which will be used to repair the original crane that was working on the Capitol!

This isn't a proper Skywatch entry this week - I don't really have a decent sky photo - but do stop and take a look at some of the photos from round the world....

F Number	11.0
Lens ID	LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm F3.5-5.6
Focal Length	45.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 90.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/640
Exposure Program	Program AE
ISO	200
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

Rock beats ice

I saw this and was reminded of the children's game 'Rock, Paper, Scissors'.  That ice squeezed and squeezed the stone, but the stone won this round!

F Number	11.0
Lens ID	LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm F3.5-5.6
Focal Length	14.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 28.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/160
Exposure Program	Manual
ISO	200
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

Thawing

The small creeks that feed the Mohawk River are beginning to thaw out.  This one is at the Kiwanis Park off of NY Route 5S in Rotterdam Junction.

F Number	11.0
Lens ID	LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm F3.5-5.6
Focal Length	45.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 90.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/160
Exposure Program	Manual
ISO	200
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

Gulls and geese

Behind the community college, gulls and geese don't mind sharing the same patch of open water.  Looking over the ice to the other side, one can see how low the river is when the lock impound dams are opened up each year.

F Number	11.0
Lens ID	LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm F3.5-5.6
Focal Length	45.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 90.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/800
Exposure Program	Manual
ISO	200
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

Geese at SCCC

There is a patch of open water on the watery cul-de-sac behind the community college.  Canada geese have stopped here; I can only guess that these are an early contingent heading north.  This was frozen solid two weeks ago.

They didn't want to shake my hand, but they weren't too disturbed by my presence either.  You can see how little the ice has receded up the bank.  In a week where I'm standing will be impassable mud. hip deep!

F Number	11.0
Lens ID	LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm F3.5-5.6
Focal Length	45.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 90.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/250
Exposure Program	Manual
ISO	200
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

The ice begins to recede

The March 2011 City Daily Photo Theme Day was My Favourite Part of Town.  So many people posted photos of water that I was inspired to go visit my own water, the Mohawk River.

The city was built on a bend in the river in 1661.  Back then, the river was at the back of the Dutch settlers and the alluvial plain in front of them.  The city gradually expanded along the river bank, and suburbs grew on the other side where bridges crossed it.  Looking at a map today, the political boundaries are easy to see, but looking across from either bank, there are houses looking back.

It rained recently, which means warm water flowing into the river.  The water level goes up and down with the weather.  If there's an ice jam downstream, this will all be under water in a few hours.  For now though, there is a delicate shelf of ice reaching out over the bit of the river bank that's free from winter's grip.

This photograph was taken behind Schenectady County Community College.  I would have embedded the Google map, but the 'embed' was disabled.  Oh well, I was standing at the orange oval to the left of centre.

F Number	11.0
Lens ID	LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm F3.5-5.6
Focal Length	45.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 90.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/250
Exposure Program	Manual
ISO	200
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

Reflecting on ice

Ice is a fact of life here.  We haven't any storm drains, so the water needs to run all the way down to State Street - a whole block - to find a way out.  We had some snow, which meant the snow banks grew out into the street again, and then we had rain.  With the snow blocking the water, there was no place for the water to go, so it formed a giant puddle at the end of the driveway.

Then it froze.

Solid.

It doesn't seem like it, but the reflecting surface is a solid block of ice.  I used the Tenin Technique and placed the camera right on the ice to take this photo.  The lumps are from cars driving on it before it froze completely.

James at Newtown Daily Photo runs a theme called Weekend Reflections. Around a hundred photo bloggers post a photo containing a reflection; beautiful work. Click the link and go see!

F Number	7.1
Lens ID	LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm F3.5-5.6
Focal Length	14.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 28.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/500
Exposure Program	Program AE
ISO	200
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

Exercise!

Everybody needs exercise, even when it's snowing!  Dressing right helps a lot, which explains the stylish red vest on the smallest pup.  My lovely bride goes out with a neighbour pretty much every day.  And the dogs do too.

F Number	5.6
Lens ID	LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm F3.5-5.6
Focal Length	45.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 90.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/80
Exposure Program	Program AE
ISO	100
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

Monthly theme day - My favourite part of town

It's the first of the monthy, and many people in the City Daily Photo community are posting photos that reflect a common theme.  This month's theme is My favourite part of town. 
Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

That's sort of hard for me to do because I would like to portray Schenectady in her best light, and many people will no doubt think a cemetery isn't that nice.

Well it turns out to be my favourite place.  Vale Cemetery has been seen many times on this blog.  It's one of those Victorian style, sit and meditate sort of places, with wandering paths, trees, a quiet stream and two ponds.  There is an indefinite border between Vale Cemetery and Vale Park; one can wander freely between the two and hardly know where one ends and the other begins.

There is wildlife that little ones can capture, carry and examine and put back.  Frogs, crayfish, fish large and small, turtles are all here.  Crickets, grasshoppers honeybees all scurry about.  There are gooseberries, raspberries, wild strawberries and black caps to eat in season.  Herons, hawks, finches, jays, cardinals and the ever present house sparrow all live here in harmony with the ducks and geese that pass through.

It's actually in a vale, so despite being nestled in between the two busiest streets in the city, it's amazingly quiet, with just the trickling water and your own thoughts to disturb the sound of birds and insects.  I love it here and so does my little one.  He will make any excuse to walk over - did I mention that it's an easy walk from the house?  Here he is, actively engaged with his surroundings.  He's heard a cricket and is wondering whether to catch this one or to march further, to the creek. 

It was taken with my Blackberry 8330.  I don't remember, but I bet he has me carrying something that would thunk the camera, so I left it at home.