Fairview Reservoir: February 2012

When nature gives you a gift like the recent Snowpocalypse, it's easy to find great pictures right in your own neighborhood. I headed out to our pond -- technically a reservoir -- before sunset yesterday and at sunrise today to see what it had to offer.

I actually was a little late yesterday, as some low clouds to the west caused the sun to drop below the horizon sooner than I'd expected. But I was still struck by the intense blues in the late afternoon sky.

Fast forward about 14 hours, same general area looking in the same basic direction, totally different colors. Light's a pretty amazing thing.

Not surprisingly, there was absolutely no other activity before 7 a.m. on a cold February morning.

Well, I guess there was some activity if you count the geese. But they didn't seem to be in much of a hurry to get up, either.

I did bust out the tripod for this one, otherwise I never would have been able to get any decent shots in the low light.

I'm sorry, but that just looks ridiculously cold.

The actual sunrise took me a bit by surprise. I'd been focused on the geese for a while hoping they'd so something interesting.

The sun didn't get very high before most of the color just got completely sucked out of the scenery, and things looked as cold as they felt.

Defiant birds will probably claim they can't read.

I shot for about an hour before my fingers finally lost all desire to cooperate. I guess 14 degrees will do that.

Really fun exploring some of the sights less than half a mile from my house. And certainly cheaper and faster than heading to the mountains!