Tag Archives: niobrara valley preserve

Photo of the Week – January 15, 2015

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Earlier this week, I wrote about interesting holes in the bark of burned ponderosa pine trees at our Niobrara Valley Preserve.  However, I wasn’t actually focused on documenting holes in trees at the time – I was just looking for interesting photo compositions.  Ponderosa pine bark patterns are always fun to explore, but the additional contrast between the tawny browns and the charred black from the wildfire created even more intriguing images than usual.  The photo below was my favorite from that trip’s pine bark art.

Ponderosa pine bark on a burned tree at The Nature Conservancy's Niobrara Valley Preserve, Nebraska.

Ponderosa pine bark on a burned tree at The Nature Conservancy’s Niobrara Valley Preserve, Nebraska.

The photo reminds me of a Rorschach test.  What do you see in it?  I see the tall face of an angry looking man looking to the right.  He may or may not be sticking out his tongue.  I think I’d prefer not to hear Dr. Rorschach’s diagnosis of my personality characteristics…

Photo of the Week – January 8, 2015

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I was able to take a trip up to the Niobrara Valley Preserve just after the first of the year.  Snow covered the ground and it was bitterly cold much of the time I was there, but there was one evening’s worth of good light and reasonable temperatures that allowed for some photography.  Here are two images from that evening that show the landscape from two vastly different perspectives.

The

Ice and snow covered The Nature Conservancy’s Niobrara Valley Preserve last weekend.  This is a panoramic image comprised of several photos merged together.  You can click on the image to see a larger version of it.

The Niobrara Valley Preserve is a place that feels big (and it is).  From some of the higher vantage points on site, you can see for many miles in every direction.  It’s easy to feel swallowed up by that expansiveness – something that I find exhilarating, but others find overwhelming.  At the same time, much of the beauty of the place is found in the smaller details, including simple things such as the top of a ragweed plant emerging from a glistening hole in the melting snow…

Ragweed in snow. Niobrara Valley Preserve, Nebraska.

Ragweed in snow. Niobrara Valley Preserve, Nebraska.

I am very fortunate to be able to make regular visits to the Niobrara Valley Preserve.  Despite the cold, snow, and wind, this latest trip was one of my favorites.  I’m sure I will go back soon.