Cutting Across the Meadow Again

Another single day off, and it's a cool, clear, dry day, so while running my usual single day off errands I cut across the upland meadow in the Dykeman Spring Nature Park because I knew there'd be an unusually clear view of Blue Mountain up there in this weather. I wasn't wrong. And the meadow itself was looking good, too. Enjoy!

The hay road in the meadow winding its way up the hill

A view of Blue Mountain from the meadow

A view of Blue Mountain from the meadow

Rolling hills - a view of the meadow and beyond

© 2014 by A. Roy Hilbinger 

A Colorful Sunday Morning Walk

A Sunday off, just a single, and lots of things to do on it, so only a few pictures caught going to and from the grocery store. It's been so wet this summer, and especially during this last week, that when the sun finally comes out - as it did today - everything is so lush and colorful. Enjoy!

Still haying on the upland meadow. It was so wet this week that today was the first day he's been able to continue.

A view of the meadow and the tractor path from the east end of the meadow

A sunflower on Orange St.

© 2014 by A. Roy Hilbinger 

A Damp Sunday Morning Stroll

As I was sipping my morning mug of chai masala while reading through the overnight entries on the blogs I follow and Facebook and doing some morning email, I heard the rain start to fall. Bummer! As this is my second day off of two, and usually dedicated to hikes with the camera, this was not good news. Well, it was a gentle rain and not steady but intermittent and I decided to hoist the umbrella and take a brief stroll through the wetlands area of the Dykeman Spring Nature Park. Here are the best shots from that stroll.

Orange Jewelweed dotted with raindrops

One of the swamp boardwalks in the wetlands

My pew in church, the bench along the north duck pond where I often sit in silence and meditation

A Monarch butterfly in a pause between showers

© 2014 by A. Roy Hilbinger 

Sights Along the Way

Some things that caught my eye walking through the Dykeman Spring Nature Park on the way to the grocery store.

Blackberries ripening along the Dykeman Walking Trail. These are way behind; up on the meadow they've already ripened and been eaten (by me and the birds)

Tree fungus along the Upland Trail in the Dykeman Spring Nature Trail

They're haying on the upland meadow again

© 2014 by A. Roy Hilbinger 

Butterfly Season

It's the height of butterfly season around here; a walk through the Dykeman Spring Nature Park this morning emphasized that. I spotted at least ten different species, but the little buggers don't like to sit still for very long and really don't like to let humans near enough to use a macro lens, so I only got these four using the zoom and a lot of patience. Enjoy!

Silver-spotted Skipper

Cabbage White butterfly

Clouded Sulphur butterfly

Black Swallowtail butterfly

© 2014 by A. Roy Hilbinger 

Overlook

Today is gorgeous - dry, temps in the 70s with a nice breeze out of the northwest. Very comfortable and perfect for walking around town. I walked out the door in search of photos and ended up on Spring Hill in the cemetery, but this time I didn't end up shooting interesting tombstones. Instead I noticed that breaks in the trees surrounding the cemetery offered some great framed views of parts of South Mountain and Shippensburg below. The three following shots are the best of the lot. Enjoy!

© 2014 by A. Roy Hilbinger 

Serenity

Today and tomorrow off this week. I did my usual leisurely stroll through the Dykeman Spring Nature Park on the way to the grocery store. The weather today is cloudy and uncharacteristically mild for this time of year (at 3 pm the a/c is still off and the windows open, and the temperature in this room is still only 77º F [25º C]), with occasional brief, light showers, so it was a pleasant walk. I didn't take a lot of photos because I was enjoying the pleasantness so much. Still, I did click the shutter from time to time; these are the cream of the crop. Enjoy!

Reflections in the north duck pond

Looking across the upland meadow toward Blue Mountain

An American Painted Lady butterfly on the upland meadow

© 2014 by A. Roy Hilbinger 

Random Shots

A day off, but a single, so it's errands day. While running said errands I just shot anything that caught my eye. These are the ones that worked.

A house on North Prince St. whose color scheme and front garden catch my eye every time I walk by it

A window in the old Hoffman Mills complex on Burd St.

Antique fire engine at the Cumberland Valley Hose Co. #2 on West King St.

Peekaboo! A cat on a porch on Ridge Ave.

© 2014 by A. Roy Hilbinger