Bonnie Rannald's Photo-Explorations in focus with nature. : Ancient Lake Lahontan

Thursday, April 6, 2017

Reflections at Lake Lahontan

World Water Day and memories of the Ancient Lake Lahontan

To commemorate World Water Day on March 22nd, I focused my photo-explorations on a day at Lake Lahontan. Located in northwestern Nevada, the present day Lake Lahontan is named for the ancient Lake Lahontan which during the Pleistocene era covered 8,500 square miles (22,000 km2) of the western U.S.

Today’s Lake Lahontan is a reservoir that was first constructed to provide irrigation for the surrounding farmlands. During the past years of drought the water in Lake Lahontan had all but vanished. However the wet winter in 2016 increased the water level back along the lake’s 69 miles (111 km) of shoreline.

Present day Lake Lahontan with its willows and cottonwood trees provides a sanctuary for many types of wildlife and also offers a peaceful setting for people to enjoy nature.

During the summer, the lake is busy with camping, fishing and boating; on this early spring afternoon, I had the lake all to myself except for an eared grebe that floated by in the calm water.

A knocking up overhead and a red headed woodpecker was busy searching for insects on a giant cottonwood tree.

Along the dead leaves, a robin scurried around hunting for dinner.

As the shadows grew long, the light began to fade and more birds flew in to settle for the night. What a better way to appreciate World Water Day than enjoying the moments at a lake that takes one back to earlier times in the Earth’s evolution.

With the forecast of a wet spring, I am hoping that Lake Lahontan will continue to rise. It will be interesting for a return visit in late spring and note the changes.

Photography has the ability to transport one to another world or dimension if only in their mind. Take a trip with me as we embark on ever new photo-adventures.

What an exciting and interesting photo-adventure this day has been. I love it when I am drawn to an area and not knowing what to expect I get treated to new experiences.

Photography places me in the moment where I can share that moment in time. It becomes a life story as represented by my interaction with the scene. The happiness and beauty or the sorrow and strife; how I focus leaves a lasting impression that might touch the viewer on a spiritual level.

"Reflecting Nature's Artistry"

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http://www.bonnierannald.com/

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Saturday, February 28, 2015

Tunneling Back to Jurassic Times

A Mystery Tunnel to where?

When I was a child, learning of a secret was always very exciting and I have never outgrown that thrill. One of the things I love most when I am out photo-exploring is being drawn to look beyond what I might be focusing on. I believe at times like this a secret is about to be revealed, if I stop and take notice. This was certainly the experience on a mild winter day in February when I was venturing toward the Singatse Ridge, west of Yerington, Nevada.

I had stopped to photograph an unusual outcropping of rocks that reminded me of a Dimetrodon, the dinosaur with the large sail and elongated spines on its back.

Just as I was returning to my car, in the distance I saw what appeared to be the opening to a large cave.

However, when I walked closer to the opening, I realized it was a not a cave but a tunnel cut through the base of the mountain.

Entering the opening, I reflected on what it must have taken to tunnel out this 40 foot long, 10 foot diameter space through the massive rocks. There was no evidence of signs or markings about this tunnel, just present day graffiti. The tunnel was wide enough for a car or small truck but I saw no evidence of any road.

Since the settlers moved in, this area known as the Yerington district has been a rich source of copper mining and I began to think that the tunnel had been constructed for usage with the mining or some type of flood control.

An interesting granodiorite boulder, an intrusive igneous rock produced from lava flows lies toward the south entrance of the tunnel.

Walking through the north end of the tunnel, what came to view was an intriguing outcropping of tan colored rocks. These artistic creations of nature must have been emplaced from the Jurassic era and were just amazing. A feeling of antiquity came over me as my eyes gazed at the lines and cracks etched by nature over eons of time.

A family of raptors have been taking advantage of the overhangs and depressions in the rocks as was visible by their numerous white droppings.

The white paste that oozed out from the rock's edges took on interesting artistic shapes and designs.

Lichens on a granodiorite bolder facing north create an array of abstract designs with the colors of the rock.

As I turned to go back through the tunnel, I noticed a sediment line in the bank rising up to the east. Could this layer have been deposited from ancient Lake Lahontan during the Pleistocene epoch?

To some, the desert may seem harsh and inhabitable, but the feeling of mystery is what draws me and when I walk quietly, the desert's secrets are often revealed. Standing and quietly watching, I began to see shapes in the rocks and then the slightest breeze lingers on my face as if the ancients are letting me know they are welcoming me to this mysterious area.