Today’s Visions

Well, I did something new today with a theme that has been running since I started this blog. Waiting for spring!

Truly, it is almost here now. I mean, it is March already … time for the bulbs to be surfacing, the birds to be coming back, etc…

So I went searching for signs of spring with my camera.

My first stop was in Smithtown, New York home of a huge bull statue.

There is a history behind the statue - but I have not looked it up yet. Right past the statue on Highway 25 is an underpass where a ‘classy’ graffiti was artistically placed. Take a look!

After soaking in those sights - which had nothing to do with spring - I stopped at Caleb-Smith Park. Now here, I thought, I will surely find signs of spring while walking through the forest. Typical of Long Island parks, the first thing I saw was a lake full of ducks and geese. I think a fourth of my hard drive space is taken up with these types of pictures (just kidding, but I do have a lot geese and ducks eating my hard drive space).

Right after stopping to admire the ducks and geese of Caleb Smith Park, I heard my next find - a red-headed woodpecker. Out of the multitude of pictures I tried to take of him, this was the best - and it does not show his red head. He just would not cooperate and hold still. Obviously, I still have much to learn about photography. However, he was my first sign of spring. The birds! The Birds! Hmmmm, reminiscent of Alfred Hitchcock?

I started through the forest area with a new spring in my step. I would find my signs of the approaching season now. Step by step, minute by minute the spring weakened. After ten minutes of walking through the bleak barren trees my attitude was becoming as grim and desolate as the forest. The only green I was seeing was moss! Then, suddenly I stopped. I found it! There. There is a bulb pushing itself up through the ground. Spring!

The rest of the walk through the forest resulted in few additional signs of spring until I was almost back to the car. There I saw robins, blackbirds and other birds flitting through the trees - such a beautiful sight and wonderful sound.

With a ninety minute walk under my belt, I decided to continue to the Stony Brook Mill Pond - one of my favorite places to take pictures of - yes you guessed it - ducks and geese.

But I will save that story for another day.