Ready for some pictures of our winter?

[Kirsten]

We had some snow for a few weeks and it's been really cold. Meanwhile, all the snow is gone and it's raining, but I've tried to capture as much of our winter as possible. Here are some pictures that I took over the last couple of weeks:

http://www.catmom.de/2013/winter_01.jpg

http://www.catmom.de/2013/winter_02.jpg

http://www.catmom.de/2013/winter_03.jpg

http://www.catmom.de/2013/winter_04.jpg

http://www.catmom.de/2013/winter_05.jpg

http://www.catmom.de/2013/winter_06.jpg

http://www.catmom.de/2013/winter_07.jpg

http://www.catmom.de/2013/winter_08.jpg

http://www.catmom.de/2013/winter_09.jpg

http://www.catmom.de/2013/winter_10.jpg

[Kirsten]

http://www.catmom.de/2013/winter_11a.jpg

http://www.catmom.de/2013/winter_11.jpg

http://www.catmom.de/2013/winter_12.jpg

http://www.catmom.de/2013/winter_13.jpg

http://www.catmom.de/2013/winter_14.jpg

http://www.catmom.de/2013/winter_15.jpg

http://www.catmom.de/2013/winter_16.jpg

http://www.catmom.de/2013/winter_17.jpg

http://www.catmom.de/2013/winter_18.jpg

http://www.catmom.de/2013/winter_19.jpg

[Kirsten]

These were taken before the snow came; made them for a photo project of our local photography group:

http://www.catmom.de/2013/gerichtseiche_a.jpg

http://www.catmom.de/2013/gerichtseiche2a.jpg

http://www.catmom.de/2013/gerichtseiche3.jpg

http://www.catmom.de/2013/eiche_contest_a.jpg


For those who are interested; my website has also got its first update of the year: www.kirsten-scheffel.de (http://www.kirsten-scheffel.de)

[Lady's Human]

Thank you for the moment of zen. I needed that.

[Kirsten]

Thank you for the moment of zen. I needed that.

You're welcome! :) Glad you like them...

[Karen]

http://www.catmom.de/2013/winter_17.jpg

Trees stand in solemn row
Stalwartly on the horizon
Limbs and branches and twigs forming lace edging
A barrier between grey white sky
And snow covered fields

And the old, lone meadow tree
Thick trunk belying years of vigor
Now bare-branched and black
Still endures, roots deep in the earth
Proof to the young trees
That strength comes with age
Holding generations of memories and stories
Flocks and herds and parties now forgotten
By all but the lone meadow tree
Waiting, waiting
For spring

[Laura's Babies]

All I can say is "WOW!" Those are some of the most awesome pictures you have taken yet!! Those two with the woman are very haunting.... It's like they are there, but not really there.... How did you do that? I just can't get over that....

I have a really hard time deciding which ones I like the best... The ones with the beautiful snow or the ones without snow..That tree really has captured me.. What a beautifully unusual tree and no matter how you photograph it, it is stunning!

My mouth hit the floor at the snow flakes... WOW!

I wasn't dissapointed as usual!

[Kirsten]

Again, such a beautiful poem, Karen, what a wonderful tribute for this old oak!

Thank you, Laura. Well, the woman under the tree, that's me, I took that for a photo contest (theme "encounters"). I used a tripod and a time exposure of 6 seconds, that will turn all moving persons into "ghosts", and this is what I wanted for that picture. I set the camera to 10 shots in a row which gave me enough time to walk over to the tree and pose... Luckily, no one else was around to see me doing this! lol
The tree, btw, is really special. It's called "justice oak" and is said to be oldest tree of the entire forest! Some sources say it's up to 600 years old; and for that, I called the pictures "encounter with an old soul".

[cassiesmom]

These are just beautiful, Kirsten! The ones with the lady in the grey coat look like they are from a fairy tale. Just amazing.

Edited to add-- this picture reminds me of my favorite Robert Frost poem, "The Road Not Taken".
"I took the road less traveled by / And that has made all the difference."
http://www.catmom.de/2013/winter_03.jpg

[phesina]

Amazing.. as always. Thank you, Kirsten. These are stunning.

:love::love::love::love::love::love::love::love:

[Taz_Zoee]

Yay! More photos to use on my desktop at work! :D
I shared them with my supervisor again and he wants some of them sent to him too for his screen saver and desktop. People always come to my desk and ask about the picture on my desktop. :D

[chocolatepuppy]

Wonderful pictures! Thanks for sharing!

[cloverfdx]

Your beautiful photos are the highlight of my day a lot of the time :).

[Barbara]

What wonderful pictures, so dramatic and intense. And those snowflakes!!! You are a wizard with the camera.

[Maya & Inka's mommy]

Fantastic pics again!!! Every single picture is posterquality!!!! Thanks for sharing!!!

[Karen]

Water still flows, dark and swift
Through the frozen winter landscape
The only bit of motion
Against still spare branches
Silhouetted against the snowy ground
And storm-white sky
If we pause our crunching footsteps
And hold our breath,
Ragged as it is from the cold
We can hear the shoosh of the water as it flows
Reminding us that even here
Even now
Life and time
Move on

http://www.catmom.de/2013/winter_15.jpg

[prechrswife]

Stunning photos, as always! That one of the snowflakes is amazing.

[Asiel]

Kirsten, what can I say except awesome, amazing. I could almost feel that I was there. Love that old tree, it does look like it's been there from another era.
Your pictures are fabulous, you never disappoint me...I love them all.

[mbsmum]

The pictures are stunning. Thank you very much.

[Rottieluver45]

Wow! Amazing pictures!

[Kirsten]

Thank you so much for taking the time to look at my pictures, and for commenting on them. I really hope you're not getting tired of me posting them... :o

Cindy, that's so nice that your co-workers also seem to enjoy them; makes me happy. :)

Elyse, that sounds like a beautiful poem you've mentioned, need to google for that one!

Karen, you did it again! You're creating magic with your words! :) Thank you!

[Karen]

We promise we will never get tired of you posting them! Still have a poem rattling around for that huge moss-covered tree, will get it typed out at some point soon, I promise!

[Karen]

http://www.catmom.de/2013/gerichtseiche2a.jpg

The old tree
More ancient than any
Stands knarled and twisted at the forests' center
Holding the heart of the woods deep within
Guardian of secrets and stories
Mmories of lives long past
Moss covered and twisted
So much history within its ken
But fragile limbs
And moss-slick surfaces defy climbers
And the crevices and caverns within its trunk
House generations of creatures
Who have always know its sheltering bulk
Listen, hold very, very still
Quiet even your breathing and mind
And it will whisper stories to you
Scary ones and merry
Heartbreak and dancing
Stories of sunlight and yound limbs dancing
Fledgling birds lauched from nests in its branches
Newfound love in it's shade in yourger days
Hunters who leant against it in a pause in the chase
Animals leeing skyward as predators circled below
And always, always it will tell you
If you listen, if you are silent and still
You will hear it tell of endurance
And it, longer than memories, will abide
And only time
Will outlast it

[lizbud]

It is said that every picture tells a story & these are amazing.:) Thank you Kirsten and Karen for telling it so well.:)

[Randi]

Kirsten, you just keep getting every time I see new photos you have shot - WOW! :)

[Kirsten]

Thank you, Randi and lizbud. :-)


Karen, this is wonderful! This oak has indeed lots of stories to tell, and seen many things. They say it's the oldest tree in this forest, up to 600 years old, and it's called "justice oak" for some reason. I wonder why...

[lizbud]

Thank you, Randi and lizbud. :-)


Karen, this is wonderful! This oak has indeed lots of stories to tell, and seen many things. They say it's the oldest tree in this forest, up to 600 years old, and it's called "justice oak" for some reason. I wonder why...


I wonder if you could use the name of the town and do a Google search for "Justice Oak" ?

[lizbud]

Kirsten, is this the same tree?

http://books.google.com/books?id=Hit-WXLW_WEC&pg=PA84&lpg=PA84&dq=justice+oak+in+Germany&source=bl&ots=0Yyeay3t02&sig=VO0cJYSEtawdiP8GplOx_dzRamU&hl=en&sa=X&ei=dmAaUcOXBbG40QGo9oDoDA&sqi=2&ved=0CFUQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=justice%20oak%20in%20Germany&f=false