in Shake Rag Alley
We visited one of my favorite towns in southwestern Wisconsin this weekend – Mineral Point. As one of the oldest settlements in Wisconsin, this is a town filled with much history, and also with many, many old buildings. The photograph is of one of the original cabins in Mineral Point, built about 1828.
See the little concrete elf peeking out the window? Love that elf!
Mining was big in Mineral Point from 1827 until the 1860s and roughly half the citizen’s had their roots in Cornwall. Lead ore was abundant if you were willing to do the work, and at peak, the town’s miners and furnaces were producing nearly 44,000 pounds of lead every day. The original homes of some of these Cornish miners have been restored at one of Wisconsin’s State Historical Sites, Pendarvis.
And this town even comes with its own bit of trivia. Q: What famous TV game show host was born and buried here? A: Allen Ludden, host of Password in the 1960s and 70s. Remember Allen Ludden on Password? Remember when he and Betty White were married? They were married for nearly 18 years, until his death in 1981.
Ludden ended each show with a password of the day. I loved collecting those words; even as a child I loved to play with words. I wrote the daily passwords in a black and white notebook after every show. He would end the show the same way every day, although the word, of course, was always different.
“And the password of the day is appreciate. So long, see you tomorrow, I hope.”
Abstract in Green
I’m experimenting with the Lensbaby Composer, a sweet little lens on a ball and socket that allows me to swivel the lens and focus on a focal point – or not! I find that using what some photographers refer to as a “play lens” frees me from the rules and lets me take photographs that I usually see only in my imagination.
I love the abstract feel of this plant leaf taken with the macro-adapter. A bit dreamy, out of focus, a bit like thinking about the nearness of spring while mired in the last days of January.
New Years Eve Party
It’s been nearly a month since the turn of the New Year, and I just realized I had never processed a series of photos I took at Stone’s Throw Winery in Door County, Wisconsin during their New Year’s Eve Party. So before January turns to February and thoughts of Spring begin to take hold, I’ll share these winery photos.
It was a brisk day outside, but plenty of warmth was inside the winery. I do believe everyone who was on the Door that weekend made a point of stopping in for a wine tasting. I admit I’m not the wine drinker in the family, but Sherpa is a huge fan of Stone’s Throw.
Angelique and Primitivo
Sherpa loves all the wines, but he especially loves the Primitivo. I toasted the New Year with a sparkling white wine with a hint of almond – yum! – called Angelique. It’s a cozy place to visit if you are anywhere near the area, and one of my favorite stops on the peninsula.
Mid-Winter Sentiments
The sun came for a visit to Wisconsin yesterday. I spent the afternoon studying shadows – many forms of shadows, both those I could see, and those I could only feel.
Beach and Lake Michigan Beyond
The color of springtime is in the flowers, the color of winter is in the imagination. ~Ward Elliot Hour
This quotation is so true. When I look out from my window, I mostly see my neighborhood dressed in winter’s white, and rather a worn white it is this far into the season. I find I turn inward and let my imagination soar. I imagine beyond what I can see, and take myself on many pleasant trips as I write.
The hermit doesn’t sleep at night, in love with the blue of the vacant moon. The cool of the breeze that rustles the trees rustles him too. ~ Ching-An
I wonder if the hermit had insomnia. I spend too much of the night listening to the rustling trees. And I love the blue of the moon, too.
Winter Ice Storm
I discovered Ken Libbrecht’s book called Field Guide to Snowflakes, a book, yes, all about snow. There is much going on in this frozen world that we are mostly unaware of, and it’s darn fascinating stuff! The book has photos of snowflakes produced under all sorts of weather conditions, including different temperatures and amounts of humidity. It’s a great book that both pleases the eye and expands your knowledge of the natural world at the same time.
Libbrecht suggests getting a black cloth (though a piece of black paper could easily substitute) and placing it on a surface to catch snowflakes. Then one can study them with a magnifying glass or jeweler’s loupe. (Or maybe a macro lens…hmmm.)
The crystals in the photo, as best as I can identify by reading and comparing, are columns or prisms and were probably formed in temperatures ranging from 18˚F to 27˚F. The geometric shape we think of as the typical snowflake, the thin and flat, six-sided crystal, develops when the weather is a bit warmer – in the 27˚F to 32˚F range – or when it’s colder – from -8˚F to 18˚F. The temps between -5˚F and 10˚F produce the fanciest, most delicate of the hexagonal flakes.
I recently read a BBC article about an early photographer, Wilson A. Bentley. Ten of his pioneering photographs of snowflake crystals – he was the first to photograph snowflakes, and did so over a century ago – were sold in a recent NYC auction. According to the article, Bentley took photographs of snowflakes because he wanted to share their beauty with everyone.
Bentley was quoted as saying, “Every crystal is a masterpiece of design, and no one design is ever repeated. When a snowflake melts, that design is forever lost.” True wabi-sabi, those snowflakes!
Looks like Flurry of Purple Moths
Another visit to my stash of photographs from the Olbrich Botanical Garden. There’s something about this row of orchid flowers that makes me feel like I’m in a flurry of purple moths.
The Place to be on a Winter's Day
Keyhole
It’s a lot easier to be lost than found. It’s the reason we’re always searching, and rarely discovered — so many locks, not enough keys. ~ from Lock and Key by Sarah Dressen
