(Please click on the thumbnail to view the larger image)I blithely left for Cub Lake this morning in my little knit hoodie under my lightweight Timberland fleece jacket, sans gloves and scarf confident that the attire was more than ample for a mid-October morning. I certainly wasn't cold in the garage getting into the car. Besides, I’m still in California, after all—only 120 miles from our house in the San Fernando Valley. Even before I stepped out of the car, I knew I had made a big mistake. For a second, I stared disbelieving at the sign in front of me. What are those things hanging off the bottom of the sign. Icicles? No. That can’t be possible. It’s October 10th. Sure enough, the trees, park benches, and playground equipment were all decorated with icicles. And we are talking substantial chunks of ice, not wimpy little things hinting at winter. The lake is a little lower than we are and there is a great deal of moisture down there, but this wasn't computing. I got out, still thinking I could tough my way through the cold, but I didn’t last long tromping around on the cruchy grass. A short walk and only a few frames later, I gave up and returned home for a late, hot breakfast.
Even though we are likely to have a couple more more warm weather spells, I have a lot of adjusting to do—not to mention the investment I have to make in that second battery (to keep in a pocket after it gets really cold here), heavier jackets, gloves, and a warm hat. I know all your folks up north are snickering at me, but ice in October is just not something I have ever had to cope with. The truth is, I haven't coped with much ice, period. I am about to get an education.
[The UPS truck just arrived a few minutes ago and I now have my Eye-One Display. Since I haven’t started to experiment with calibrating this monitor, the shot above is a shot in the dark, so to speak. I suppose it’s clear what I will be doing this afternoon.]
Must be that danged global warming that everyone is talking about! ;-)
ReplyDeleteNow why didn't I think of that! Of course "warming" was very much on my mind. But, I think I was thinking in terms of my feet and hands more than the globe.
ReplyDeleteNow that is cold! I thought we had it bad here in CNY but you beat us with the cold this early in the year. Stay warm.
ReplyDeleteBeau - Thanks. We are supposed to warm up again in a few days and that's just fine by me. I have known all along that I would be dealing with real winter here (not what we called winter in the Los Angeles area). I just wasn't ready for it mid-October. I know you will get serious winter there. I am trying to think of this as just part of my continuing education.
ReplyDeleteThen with luck you should be in for a great winter season. Snow and cold can hamper the mood, but the pure display of ice laden branches, snow cover landscapes and just things you can’t see in summer should get you out an about.
ReplyDeleteI know that with your way of seeing and good snowshoes, you should be able to capture some great images.
Niels Henriksen
Niels - Thank you for the vote of confidence. I am looking forward to some snow scenes. The few times I was able to shoot here last winter (before we moved), whetted my appetite. However, I will admit my relief that winter here isn't serious enough to merit an investment in snowshoes.
ReplyDelete