Snow drops

No matter what the calendar says, when the snow drops arrive, it's spring to me.

Berries

I love walking through Vale.  Every season brings its own beautiful things.  The middle of July brings berries!  Seeing these never fails to remind me of my childhood - in the best way.  There's something special about finding these in the middle of the city and eating them while they're warm from the sun.

Fireworks

In years past, fireworks were illegal in New York.  In order to see a display, one needed to travel to a licenced fireworks event.  But this year, fireworks are legal for average citizens to buy and use.  This was taken standing on my back steps, with the camera on automatic exposure.  I did have it on manual focus though; the autofocus system had no idea what to do.

Christmas moon

It was a doubly rare event for me in Schenectady; a full moon on Christmas and a full halo.  Hand-held, so a little fuzzy, but it was too beautiful not to try.

Lens ID	LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm F3.5-5.6
F Number	4.0
Focal Length	14.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 28.0 mm)
Exposure Time	0.8
Exposure Program	Manual
ISO	1600
Advanced Scene Mode	Off
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

That tree

Lens ID	LUMIX G VARIO 14-42mm F3.5-5.6
F Number	5.6
Focal Length	34.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 68.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/125
Exposure Program	Manual
ISO	200
Advanced Scene Mode	Off
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

That tree

F Number	5.6
Focal Length	14.0 mm
Exposure Time	1/125
Exposure Program	Manual
ISO	200
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

Christmas ride

There was a Santa visit at City Hall, and many people came to see him.  There were rides around City Hall on this horse drawn wagon.  It's very unusual to see horses downtown these days!  No snow, and the temperature was in the mid-50s F.  I was wearing a short sleeved shirt!

Lens ID	LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm F3.5-5.6
F Number	6.3
Focal Length	45.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 90.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/160
Exposure Program	Program AE
ISO	200
Advanced Scene Mode	Off
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

That tree

Lens ID	LUMIX G VARIO 14-42mm F3.5-5.6
F Number	5.6
Focal Length	14.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 28.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/250
Exposure Program	Manual
ISO	200
Advanced Scene Mode	Off
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

That tree

Lens ID	LUMIX G VARIO 14-42mm F3.5-5.6
F Number	5.6
Focal Length	42.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 84.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/250
Exposure Program	Manual
ISO	200
Advanced Scene Mode	Off
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

That tree

The maple tree at the corner of State and Swan is always a marvel.  Here's a long view looking down Swan.  Taken 25 October.

Lens ID	LUMIX G VARIO 14-42mm F3.5-5.6
F Number	5.6
Focal Length	42.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 84.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/250
Exposure Program	Manual
ISO	200
Advanced Scene Mode	Off
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

Vale

The yellow leaves on the young maple tree spoke to me.  What will this look like in 20 years, when that tree is fully grown?

Officially called the Old County Plot, many victims of the 1918 influenza epidemic are buried here.  On the other side of the fence is St John's cemetery.

F Number	5.6
Focal Length	42.0 mm
Exposure Time	1/250
Exposure Program	Manual
ISO	200
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

The sun still shines

The front yard is small, like all of the space around my house.  For whatever reason, it accumulates trash.  This is a small portion.  I've let it go too long, and the weeds have taken over, which is more depressing than usual.  Time to clean it up before the snow buries it all.

After walking round the house, I managed to fill a kitchen sized garbage bag from the yards.  I have no idea why I took these photos, but I was outside, so I had my camera.  Things have seemed grim these past few years, but I've tried to take some photos now and again.

I heard them before I saw them.  Flitting between the slats of the fence.  Picking between the dried leaves.  That's when I remembered Wil Wheaton's words.  Good words.

Depression lies.

And I took their photograph.

F Number	5.6
Focal Length	42.0 mm
Exposure Time	1/125
Exposure Program	Manual
ISO	100
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

Golden Hour

The early morning sunlight pouring in through the window was so glorious!  It only lasts a few moments, despite the name.

Lens ID	LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm F3.5-5.6
F Number	5.0
Focal Length	14.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 28.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/4
Exposure Program	Aperture-priority AE
ISO	400
Advanced Scene Mode	Off
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

Thank you, Eric

Eric Tenin is the man I consider the father of City Daily Photo.  His Paris Daily Photo has inspired me and so many others to post photos of their town.  And today, Eric has ended his Paris photo blog.  He has moved to Malta, and it's a little difficult to post photos of Paris when not there!

I haven't been nearly as faithful as Eric when it comes to posting photos, but the news of his retirement jolted me into taking a walk on a chilly winter's day through our downtown area.  At the very western edge of the city stands this copy of the Statue of Liberty.  It turns out that the Boy Scouts of America had 200 copies commissioned in 1950, and one of them is here in Schenectady.  Cheyenne Troop 101 are keeping a list of the known remaining statues.

Eric, merci beaucoup pour dix ans de Paris Daily Photo; à bientôt!

F Number	8.0
Focal Length	41.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 82.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/160
Exposure Program	Manual
ISO	160
Advanced Scene Mode	Off
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

Halfway up

This is halfway up from the bottom of the vale where the Cowhorn Creek flows.  Those are two storey houses, so one gets a sense of how far the creek has cut down from the top.  These houses are almost invisible in the spring and summer because of the underbrush and leaves.

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

More evidence of squirrels

It's really amazing how well a grey animal disappears into the brown leaves.  It's actually easier to see the one on the grey tree than it is to see the one on the ground.

Lens ID	LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm F3.5-5.6
F Number	5.6
Focal Length	45.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 90.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/100
Exposure Program	Program AE
ISO	1600
Advanced Scene Mode	Intelligent Auto (5)
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

Skywatch Friday

I took a walk through Vale Cemetery.  It was one of those cold, bright afternoons and the wind had that bite that presages the full onset of winter.  There are often a gang of crows here, and this afternoon they were raucous - they'd land in one tree, call to each other and then fly to another tree, repeatedly.

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.

 

Lens ID	LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm F3.5-5.6
F Number	8.0
Focal Length	25.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 50.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/320
Exposure Program	Program AE
ISO	160
Advanced Scene Mode	Intelligent Auto (5)
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

Tree... path?

It's not really clear from the photo, but this tree is laying down, almost horizontally, hanging out over the gorge where the Cowhorn Creek flows through Vale.  Someone likes to walk out to the end and hang out above the creek, and apparently to make it easier, nailed some scrap boards to the limbs.  It's not really a tree house, although maybe it's the foundation?  I really do have to wonder about the computer keyboard just left and above centre.

Lens ID	LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm F3.5-5.6
F Number	5.5
Focal Length	28.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 56.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/40
Exposure Program	Manual
ISO	200
Advanced Scene Mode	Off
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

Evidence of squirrels

All over the gravel path that goes round the pond, there are acorns.  And not just under the oak trees - they are really everywhere.  The squirrels scamper about chasing each other but there really are a lot.

Lens ID	LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm F3.5-5.6
F Number	5.6
Focal Length	45.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 90.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/25
Exposure Program	Manual
ISO	200
Advanced Scene Mode	Off
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

Late afternoon in Vale

I decided to take a walk through Vale and the late afternoon sun really brought out the colour here on the north side of the valley.  Yes, it's brown, but what a brown!

Lens ID	LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm F3.5-5.6
F Number	5.5
Focal Length	14.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 28.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/320
Exposure Program	Manual
ISO	200
Advanced Scene Mode	Off
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire