Dreaming of Spring Album

We are beginning to experience occasional days when the temperature


Buckets Mean "Enough is Enough"!

actually struggles above 32 degrees. It is wonderful to see all that water flowing off my roof and not into my living room, but most days, and all of the nights are still cold and there remains a couple of feet of snow on the ground. We are all desperate for real spring. I refer to this time of year as the "Enough is Enough" season, and, as in past years, this is the time when I really need hope and start looking back to the glory of last year's spring. 






Nellie, "Emerging Fauna"

In this week's New England Photography Guild Blog (to be published 3/23/15), I review some of the special aspects of last spring, including macro images of the season's first emerging buds, a study of the infinite shades of green in our forests and an exploration of many of the most well known and some of the more obscure of our regional waterfalls. It's what I think of as my desperately needed "Spring Therapy" and to expand that, I include more of last year's images. So sit back, relax, swat a few imaginary Black Flies and Enjoy.




First Emergence 



The emergence of the first buds is one of the earliest signs of the coming of spring. These tiny glimpses of green are often bizarre and show little resemblance to the mature foliage. They last only a few days but while around, they are great subjects for "other worldly" macro photography.

 

The Green Spectrum, Our Second Autumn

The delicate early spring greens of our forests appear in a dizzying variety of shades. They are the epitome of the freshness of the season.  To me, the colors are more exciting than those of our garish autumn, especially since they represent a glorious begining rather than the harbinger of a dying season.

 


Falling Water Season



Stickney Falls, Dummerston, Vt

Before we can get to the new buds and the fresh green we have to make it through the oppressively gray and brown mud season. It is literally a tough and sticky slog. One of the few saving graces of this


Ashuelot Gorge

miserable time is that in the early spring our many waterfalls show themselves to maximum beauty and drama. Last year I spent much of the spring highlighting many of my favorite regional falls and also searching for more obscure waterfalls about which I had only heard rumors.







Catsbane Brook Falls,

Moss Glen Falls, Granville, Vt



Pulpit Falls, Winchester, NH

Spring Flowers 


Spring is about flowers, both wild and cultivated. On hikes through our forests I am always scanning the banks for these lovely surprises, but I also enjoy touring local greenhouses for more amazing color.








 

Trillium

 












 


Lady Slippers

Depth of "Field"

Emerging Wildlife
Along with the flora, spring is notable for the emergence of the regions fauna. Both wild and domestic animals revel in the burgeoning green of our forests and pastures. It is a pleasure to witness their excitement including among the wild turkeys, foxes, deer and the Bald Eagles along the Connecticut River. On our farms, the cows, horses and sheep all happily gorge on the fresh green grass.



Eagle Landing
Dummerston Vt

I feel better now. Get ready, it's on the way, but in the meantime let's dream of spring.



Dreaming of Spring,  New England Photography Guild Blog

Partridge Brook Reflections Spring Gallery


Spring Links from My Blog

• I'm Done 3/9/14
• Waterfall of Cheshire County 4/13/14
• Finding Pulpit Falls, Possibly 4/6/14
• Pulpit Falls, Finally 5/4/14
• Fay Falls, Ashuelot Gorge 5/11/14
• Early Spring Macro Photography 5/18/14
• Spring in the Fox Forest & Gleason Falls 5/25/14
• Zooming in on Spring Leafscapes 6/1/14
• Noone Falls and My Sad Camera Bag 6/8/14

Jeffrey Newcomer
Partridgebrookreflections.com