Mule Deer in Spring

Anyone else ready for spring?  I was looking through some old files and came across some photos I took of a herd of deer last spring.  They lived by the power plant near Wheatland, WY and I always knew where I could find them.  I was so ready for witner to be over, I always had photography outings planned for when nice days began to appear in the spring, and this came from one of those trips.  I have lots of photos from that day where the entire deer is in the frame, but I liked this one in particular because of the negative space.

Winter Rain

The winter rain glistens on the bare branches, reflecting the limited light that filters through the clouds.

Wyle - One Month Old

I am a little behind in posting these, from when Wyle was one month old on January 13th.  She was having a bit of a fussy day and I couldn't get her to relinquish the pacifier, but she looks pretty cute, nonetheless.  This beautiful blanket was made by a great aunt, and the hat and mittens were made by a dear friend.  Wyle is so lucky to have such beautiful things made by people who love her enough to spend the time creating for her.

I took these with the flash Brian gave me for Christmas, coupled with some natural light from a window.  I have never been very good at portraits, but I am going to get a lot of practice with Wyle, I can tell!  Both of these shots have a little bit of shadow that is bugging me, and I need to learn to look for these shadows when I am shooting.  They seem so obvious now, but in the moment all I could think about was getting Wyle to pose for me. 

The Winter Weather

Here's another shot from Wheatland Reservoir #10.  It looks like it is going to see a lot more snow in the next two days.  My husband happens to be in Wyoming right now, and he is settling in for Snowmagedden 2012.  He was scheduled to fly home tomorrow, but all flights in and out of the region are cancelled for the huge three-day storm.  By Saturday night, it is forecasted that there will be several feet of snow.  It's funny that neither of us ever missed a flight due to the weather during the five years we lived there, but the one time my husband is back for a short visit, he gets snowed in!  I think this is all the groundhog's fault.  For those of you not familiar with America's weather-predicting rodent, read about him here.

Snow at Wheatland Reservior #10

We have gotten our share of snow here in Pittsburgh recently, but I have not ventured out to photograph it.  For now, I am staying inside, staying warm, and going through some of my old files.  This is a photo I took last spring near Wheatland, WY, not too long before we moved.  I like how the masses of snow seem to undulate around the edges of the water.

Wyle and her Rabbits

I may have a rabbit collection from when I was a child, and I may have unpacked them all into the cradle and yes, I may have snuggled my baby in the middle of them.  But aren't they all cute together?

Wyle is nearly 6 weeks old and I can hardly believe it.  She is growing so quickly - she is already nearing 10 lbs - and is awake more and more.  She has started really seeing things around her, and it is fun to watch her learning about her environment, like tracking the rattle as I move it in front of her face, and staring at the pictures I have hung above her changing table.  She is also sleeping slightly longer stretches at night, thank goodness!  I am hoping we get to 5-6 hour stretches soon.  She is like a little puzzle.  When she does cry, we have to figure out what is wrong.  Usually it is obvious, like she needs to be changed or is hungry.  But sometimes, she doesn't know what is wrong and neither do we.  We have been fumbling through parenthood and we seem to figure out more each day.  It is a lot to digest, but we learn one thing at at time, just like Wyle. 

P.S. - Isn't that outfit adorable?  My mom made it, and, you may notice, there is a rabbit on the shirt!  My mom loves to sew, and if you like quilting, you should check out her Flickr.

Yearning For the Open Road

I have watched the movie "Faster" three times in as many weeks, and though it's a fun revenge flick, it is all the driving (as the name implies) through the open country of Nevada and Eastern California that I can't get enough of.  It reminds me of road trips Brian and I would take from Wyoming to California.  It would take an entire day to get across Utah and Nevada, and the emptiness would seem endless.  But right now I am remembering it with such fondness, wishing I could look through the windshield and see nothing ahead but a ribbon of highway, bounded on one side by snow capped mountains, with the occasional wind farm reaching toward the sky and scrubby brush dotting the plains.  I dug around in my files and found this image I took on one such road trip - in Utah or Nevada, I can not remember - and it brought a smile to my face.