The Dalliance Of Shiva And Parvati, a photo by DeForestRanger on Flickr.

The Yab-yum depicts Shiva and Parvati in "dalliance," and some say it was in this moment that the Universe was created. Shiva is known as both Creator and Destroyer, a masculine deity both benevolent and malevolent, subject to moods and whims similar to those of ordinary humans. Parvati is the source of enlivening energy, a counterpart to Shiva and also the mother of all other gods and goddesses, a symbol of utmost femininity. The pair gave birth to Ganesha and his brother Skanda, the latter being the least well-known of the family.

This brass sculpture was one of many representations of Hindu deities collected by my mother whose theology tended toward the Eastern style. In accord with the energy represented by this legendary pair, I gave the image an infrared treatment to provide a mystical glow around the figures. I think it would please my mom to see them so.

Orchid's Heart

Orchid's Heart, a photo by DeForestRanger on Flickr.

Watson's Nursery is one of my favorite places to shop, and the clerks are accustomed to the sight of me wandering around with the camera both indoors and out. The shop is a riot of color at any time of year, so much that the eye becomes befuddled with input and fails to notice the fascinating structures overwhelmed by the intensity of hues. Translated to black and white, the intricate and delicate heart of an orchid becomes the focal point, each dot distinct and each curve outlined by light or shadow. The monochrome allows us to enter another dimension of this exotic plant's beauty, seeing it as an essay of shaded greys as indeed it is seen by many creatures closer to Nature than ourselves.

Crow's Eye

Crow's Eye, a photo by DeForestRanger on Flickr.

Most of my self-portraits involve one of three things, a) my relationship with the outdoors, b) costumery or c) a galloping fit of the sillies. In the first case, I have posed on trail in every season of the year or in my Park Service uniform. In the second case, I have appeared variously as a schoolmarm from the md-1800s, a belly-dancer, a pirate, a member of the crew of the starship Enterprise D, a desperado on a wanted poster, and a variety of other different disguises. Admittedly, the b) category could largely be put into the same file as the c) category, but I generally reserve c) for such things as the madwoman behind the bathroom door or the head isolated on a fencepost. The one thing I had not done yet was a shot which I have admired in other photographers' portfolios: a high-key artsy shot with the camera half-concealing the face. There is nothing of the outdoors, silliness or costumery in this image (seriously, there is NO costumery, if you take my meaning) and post-processing saved the day by rescuing an otherwise lacklustre shot.

Pushing beyond your comfort zone...that's what photography is all about. Without a willingness to explore new ideas and techniques, you can have no growth as a photographer.

Broad Side Of A Barn

Broad Side Of A Barn, a photo by DeForestRanger on Flickr.

Buffalo Bob the Banker doesn't live there any more. The buffalo are gone. The sign saying, "Is there life after death? Trespass and you'll find out" is gone. The barn is tumbling down, no longer used for Boy Scout retreats or a Hallowe'en "haunted house." No longer are the windows decorated with blue and red bandannas or wreaths of flowers. Nothing remains but four walls and half a roof, the other half having succumbed to our recent ice storm. The windows now are like blank eyes staring out across an empty pasture, and beneath them hangs a repeating smile of electrical cord, as if the barn wistfully remembers Scouts building catapults and grain-fed buffalo roaming in the valley below.

Chain Up For Safety

Chain Up For Safety, a photo by DeForestRanger on Flickr.

Between being sick and being snowed in, I hadn't been on the trail this month, so since I had to turn in some paperwork at the entrance this morning, I decided freezing rain was not going to keep me from taking at least a short hike. I'd brought foul-weather gear but not snowshoes, so I strapped on the boot chains which are one of the perks of my job. For the most part, the Kautz Creek trail was already packed firmly by snowshoers. Keeping to the most used track, I only postholed a couple of times in the mile to Kautz Creek crossing where I sat to take this picture. Sure did feel good to be out there for a while, cold rain or not!

Storm Blues

Storm Blues, a photo by DeForestRanger on Flickr.

The Breakfast Batch numbered close to two dozen this morning as availability of food is becoming more of an issue. They arrived in a flock before I got the door closed behind me, waiting patiently until I'd gone inside before massing on the crow board to gobble down dog kibble. The jays nosed in whenever they flew away, started by something, and in less than ten minutes, the goodies were gone and tummies weren't yet filled.

Feeding the crows and other birds is not solely my self-assumed neighborhood responsibility. Clyde also provides. Sometimes his offerings will be nothing more than table scraps, but in conditions such as we're now experiencing, he often buys a bag of cracked corn at a local feed store and spreads it by the half-gallon in his driveway. Not a speck will go to waste, and keeping the larger birds full allows the smaller ones to enjoy their ration of seeds at leisure.

Teasel Tans

Teasel Tans, a photo by DeForestRanger on Flickr.

Dipsacum fullonum (Common Teasel or Fuller's Teasel) is an invasive plant, therefore you should feel no guilt for cutting bouquets of the seed heads as long as you take care to prevent accidental dispersal of seeds. Sprayed with metallic paint or even clear varnish, these three-inch cones are a lovely addition to dried arrangements. When in bloom, the green head often shows a ring of small lavender flowers encircling it like a ballerina's tutu, rising on stalks which attain heights of six feet or more. The thorns are sharp, but can be easily removed by scraping with a pocket knife.