A WALK IN THE (wet) WOODS

Over many, many years whenever we drive south more than a couple of hours we passed right over

the Nisqually Wildlife Preserve. 

Never more.  Since Pat and I visited it for the first time many weeks ago, I will find it hard not to stop.

I drove that way to visit friends this week, and took the time to immerse myself there again.

It was raining.  Hard.  But I was prepared, and undaunted.

I was also alone on my walk through the preserve.  I was reminded of how much I love

the northwest forests, which used to be my whole world as a child. 

I do my settings in my camera; I do not digitally-enhance after the fact.

The lush green here, in the rain, is as vibrant as were the reds of 

the southern Utah rocks:

I met a new duck!  Here is the Cinnamon Teal, being illusive.

It was after making the photo that I realized I had

also captured his mate, on the left:

There is no refraction in this raindrop on the wild rose, but

I love the distinct pink outline:

Okay, I really do not know what to do about my vertical photos getting turned sideways

and all stretched-out when I post.  This is so frustrating; I couldn't even post some of

my favorites from this outing because of that.

But I am including here a sort of abstract of a pond surface - even though it is skewed. 

It brought to mind Van Gogh's "Starry Night":