Sometimes you run into something that’s a hard one to shoot.
This is one of those.
This little valley is maybe 200 yards wide, but I’ll bet it’s a half mile long.
I have no clue what these red leafed things are, burning bushes come to mind, but I have one of those in front of the house I rent.
That’s not it.
Doesn’t really matter.
Knowing the name of something doesn’t make me appreciate it any more, or less.
The ground cover in this valley is pretty sparse. Last week these red leafed bushes were just about all that was left that had any leaves on them.
They were everywhere, for as far as you could see up and down the valley.
None of the other shots I took did them justice.
Not convinced this one does either, but they are a hard one to shoot.
This will do, for now.
Richard Velders
16 Nov 2014Regretfully, the reason the ground cover is so sparse is because The Burning Bush, Euonymus alatus, like Honeysuckle and Buckthorn are still sold as landscape shrubs and have become invasive species. Often spread by birds they dominate the land and prevent native plants from growing.
Ken G
16 Nov 2014Now you have me curious Dick. I didn’t take a close look at them, I’ll know if I look at the branches/stems. I had driven past this same area over the summer and it was all quite green. Didn’t give it a second thought then.
April and May, I’m determined to hit the usual creeks with only a fly rod. I say that now, we’ll see if I hold to it. I’ll be calling you then since you live right down the road from them, but laughing at my fly casting technique is not allowed.
Sorry for not swinging by, time has been limited. The mom in law and wife have both been having health issues that have kept me a little busy, and worried about the wife.
bob
16 Nov 2014doesn’t look hard to shoot. looks like you shot it pretty good. sometimes there is the conflict between what we want to show (which we can’t seem to capture) and what others see (which we wonderfully and successfully captured from their point of view). In-between those viewpoints rests the difference between communication (art) and artist’s obsession. 🙂 The biologists wrestles with the name of the plant and whether or not it is poisonous to the environment. We say, “oh what pretty red leaves.”
Ken G
17 Nov 2014I used to be concerned that I couldn’t remember the names of things. I came to accept a long time ago that my brain simply doesn’t work on that level. Pretty leaves indeed.
I wore out a hole in the ground where I was standing for this shot. A little to the left, a little to the right, forward, backward. Things shifted slightly with each step. Luckily there’s virtually no traffic on this road. I probably would have got clipped in the butt.
Richard Velders
17 Nov 2014Get your crawdad flys ready. I’m still a novice so you won’t feel demeaned. Always praying for your family’s health. Hope things improve. Just spent Saturday am wacking down invasive Honeysuckle in Lyon Forest Preserve. Another big invader is Garlic Mustard, a biennial which flowers in the spring. When I rid my property of it I had a dozen different native species pop up. We pull up tons in the preserves. The Burning Bush is pretty through the lens of your camera.
Ken G
17 Nov 2014I have more unused flies than I know what to do with Dick. On the creeks, I think we’ll have some fun. There’s a stretch along Big Rock in Plano that can use some Garlic Mustard pruning, it’s really taken over the last few years. The area is huge though, so I don’t know where someone would even start. Thanks for the prayers.
Howard Levett
17 Nov 2014Oh what pretty red leaves. Here in Colorado where everything turns dormant in the Winter, a little color is a joyous sight! That’s as pretty a picture as I’ve seen in awhile.
Ken G
17 Nov 2014I’m sure they’re all gone by now Howard. This past weekends walk showed color hard to come by. Gonna be a long 4 months.