Vermont in the Fall

I'm adding a little color to a snowy winter by going back to our roadtrip in October 2011.  The photos below were taken on October 11th in West Bennington, Vermont.  The River is the Walloomsac River.

The Henry Covered Bridge crosses the river and is 127 feet long and built with a town lattice truss.  It was built around 1840 and rebuilt in 1989.  Unfortunately the contractor replaced all the old Vermont spruce and oak wood with southern pine and ash.  Nonetheless, it's still a beautiful bridge.

Of course, with such a picturesque scene I had to play just a little.

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I'm linking up with Tricia's Watery Wednesday II.

Oh, My Aching Back!

This is another of the drive-by shots I took while we were in Palmer a few weeks ago.  This poor old thing needs a bit of help!

Again, because the light was poor I did a bit of playing to see if I could enhance the shots a bit.

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Drop by Tricia's Barn Charm to see more old barns!

Playing With Snow

The last couple of days there has been a little bit of wind, which is not the norm for us in the wintertime.  The snow has been blowing lightly off the roof and swirling onto the deck.  Yesterday I shoveled part of the deck to get to the bird feeders, and this morning the sun shining on the drifted snow created interesting patterns.  The first photo is what I got taking the photo through the window.

In PSE I did an auto smart fix and the result is below.  (Click on the photos to enlarge them to get the full effect.)

Well, of course that got me to playing with the snow!

I had fun, and I stayed nice and warm!

Icy Waterfalls

 We're back today along the Seward Highway on Turnagain Arm outside of Anchorage.  As you travel along the road, on the one side you see the beautiful mountains and the water in front of the mountains.  Click HERE and HERE to see my previous two posts on the Seward Highway.

On the other side are mountains too, and all along the road you see waterfalls.  They were mostly still frozen, but some were a combination of ice and water.

Gold miners arrived in the 1890s and small settlements and trails were established along Turnagain Arm.  In 1918 the railroad was completed, and the road was finally complete in 1951.  The Seward Highway is one of the most scenic in the country but can also be dangerous.  Winter driving conditions can be hazardous and it is prone to avalanches.  Summer brings many tourists and there are numerous turnouts, but you still need to be on the lookout for those people looking for the perfect photo!

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I'm linking up with Tricia's Watery Wednesday II.

Matanuska Valley Barn

This is another drive-by shot that I took near Palmer, Alaska.

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If you like old barns be sure and visit Tricia's Barn Charm!

Sunny Day Drive in Fairbanks

Yesterday afternoon we took an alternate route on the drive back home from my daughter's house.  I only had my little P&S camera along, but I took some shots out the windshield as we drove along.

The sun was bright enough that the sky was reflected on the hood.

 We were driving into the sun, so there was a bit of glare at times, but still it created some interesting shots.

 

It was a beautiful day for a drive!  I just wish I would have had my other camera along.

Patterns in the Water

Last week I posted photos I took along the Seward Highway of Turnagain Arm.  Click HERE to see those photos.  The mountains dominated the scene in those photos.

So today I thought I would bring our vision down a bit and look closer at the water.  The sun was shining brightly and the tide was coming in, carrying chunks of ice and other debris.

When there is spectacular scenery around you it's easy to overlook the quiet beauty closer at hand.

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I'm linking up with Tricia's Watery Wednesday II.

In the Mountain's Shadow

On our trip north from Anchorage we got off the beaten path a little around Palmer and drove along a couple of farm roads.  We didn't spend a lot of time as we had about a six hour trip ahead of us to get home to Fairbanks.  Palmer is in the Matanuska Valley, which is prime Alaska farming country.  Alaska is known for its beautiful scenery and wildlife, but not for its barns.  However, if you want to find barns, Palmer is the place to go.  On an overcast day, the white of the barn below made it stand out.

It's hard to tell the condition of the roof because of the snow, but my guess is it needs a little work. 

 Maybe we'll be able to get back to Palmer this summer and get a different view.

As pretty as this barn is the most striking feature isn't the barn, but the view behind it.

The valley is nestled against the Chugach Mountains. 

As you approach the barn it's hard to keep your eyes on it when looming above it is Pioneer Peak.  Pioneer Peak is 6,398 feet, not so very tall by Alaska standards, but rising from the valley floor it presents a majestic presence.

To see more photos from our roadtrip between Fairbanks and Anchorage, go to Winter Roadtrip and the three posts before that.

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Hop over to Tricia's Barn Charm to see many more old barns!