Bonnie Rannald's Photo-Explorations in focus with nature. : Tumbleweed

Thursday, September 17, 2015

Pausing for the Moment, Where the Adventure Leads

Tumbleweeds, Zebra Lizards and a Tunnel to Nowhere!

Sometimes do you just have urge to get out and see where the journey takes you? This was my feeling after so many days of 100°+ temperatures, smoke from all the wildfires and then a percussive 4.4 earthquake that almost blew me off my office chair. After packing lunch, water and camera gear, I ventured out to find a road less traveled.

In less than one hour, I came to the tunnel in the desert that goes to nowhere. This seemed to be where I was supposed to go, so I stopped and prepared to take a hike.

Some interesting patterns in the dried mud caught my attention at the tunnel's entrance, reminding me of what a severe drought we were still facing.

There was not even much variety in the flora and fauna on this hot September day other than a zebra-tailed lizard scurrying by to find shade in the rocks.

The tumbleweeds were doing well, flowering and soon to be going to seed. This invasive species, as flammable as lighter fluid, is taking over the hillsides of the Great Basin Desert.

A refreshing coolness greeted me inside the thick tunnel walls, making me want to linger before pressing back out into the intense high noon sun. The absence of spider webs reminded me of how desolate this area was. Careful footing was a must or you just might become something's dinner.

Exiting the tunnel, the fluttering of wings caught me by surprise and I managed to catch one frame of a hawk departing the rock outcropping.

From the layers of white droppings, these rocks were a favorite nesting area for raptors. It would be interesting to check back here in spring with my 500mm lens, in hope of photographing the chicks. The long lens will allow me to focus up close on the nests without disturbing the birds. My creed as a nature photographer is to take only photos and leave with only memories.

As much as my mind was feasting on the Pareidolia in the dropping on the surface of the rocks, the heat index was climbing so it was time to turn back.

I am hoping to return when its cooler and I can get past the tumbleweeds to further explore more of this interesting outcropping of rocks. Maybe then I will find the purpose to a tunnel that leads to nowhere in the desert.

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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Tuesday, January 6, 2015

Bodie and Benton Rail Road

Starting the New Year with an outing back in time.

After a very cold spell over the holidays, I was ready to stretch my legs and get my photography finger clicking. My plan was to time my outing when the temperature warmed just enough to produce freezing fog which would accent the landscape with a surrealistic effect.

I headed over to Lee Vining, California and Mono Lake where there is so much diversity in the terrain. Unfortunately I was not in luck for any freezing fog dazzling the landscape this day, but the clouds were putting on a bravo performance.

Of the many aspects that I love about nature photography, coming on an ordinary object that stands out with its own unique story is definitely my favorite. Such was the case when I took a turn on a dirt road just down from an interesting out-cropping of layered volcanic rocks.

Having just read a New Year's post from a friend regarding happy gains and missed opportunities, these words kept running through my thoughts as I started walking.

At the entrance to road 3N103 stands a monument to what remains of the Bodie and Benton Short Line Rail Road.

Over looking the High Sierra's and Mono Basin, the narrow-gauge line ran between Mono Mills and Benton.

Built in 1881, the 32 mile (54.49km) rail brings back reflections of a past era. I could just envision the train loaded with ore traveling through mountains and forests to reach the mining town of Bodie which stood at 8,500 feet (2950.8 m) elevation.

As a token of missed opportunities, tumbleweed grows in the desert sand between the railroad ties.

The rail line was dismantled in 1918 due to the decline of mining in Bodie around the 1910's. Bodie now stands persevered with the California State Parks as a ghost town.

Across from the railroad monument, the bare trunk of a cedar tree catches my eye. Since it is the only large tree in the area, I wonder what stories it could tell.

A glance at the clouds moving across the basin signaled that it was time to move on and explore other locations, plus as the sun rose higher so was the air temperature. Furthermore, I was very interested to find how far I could get toward Tioga Pass and the gateway to Yosemite. Stay tuned for the next leg of my outing and a detour to Virginia Lake.