That's My World Tuesday: Photo walking in the New Year

New Year's day was chilly and gray but fairly mild compared to the cold blast coming in that night. I decided to go on a photo walk at the lake near my house.

It was almost like people, gulls and geese got the memo that they should take advantage of the mild weather even if it was rather overcast.

It has become something of a tradition for me to go on a walk at Shelley Lake on New Year's day. There was a time when I did that walk everyday. I can even remember in 1984 when I was pregnant I'd walk from my house to the lake, around it, back home, and then to work. I did that walk and later run for many years until 2005. Since then I still try from time to time but I do better at my age with my health issues if I don't push it.

These days I usually drive to the lake and start from different parts of the trail. I've always hated the idea of driving to walk, especially since I have wooded trails 1/2 mile from my house. But I don't have the energy any more to walk to my favorite spots if I start from home. Sometimes I do walk to the close trail from my house but by the time I get to the lake, I'm ready to turn around rather than do the full walk around it.

It was interesting comparing the differences in the populations at the lake on January 1 and January 2. There were gulls and geese both days but a lot more were in the water on the first day of the year.

The photographs above were all taken on the first day of the year, and the ones below were all taken on the second day of the year.

It was quite cold on January 2, 2010 but the blue sky pulled me outdoors. I wasn't the only one lured out by the beautiful day but there were very few people that came out into the very windy, cold day. If you compare the second picture with the one below you will see what I mean. There were so many people on the bridge New Year's Day that I photographed through the trees but on the next day I was virtually alone.

There were gulls and geese both days but far fewer out on the lake on the colder day.

Most of the geese and ducks were nestled on dry land on the second day of this year.

It was odd because for most of my walk there were only a few gulls flying over the lake, then all of the sudden it was like grand central station.

When the mass of gulls hit the sky, it was like someone had sent out a memo that it was time to get moving. They weren't diving into the water or going off anywhere but instead were circling en masse.

I was going to stop there but on the third day of the new year I spotted the handsome fellow below. It was extremely cold but I decided to at least go on a short walk in my neighborhood. He was in the tree across the street from my house and one house down.



That's my world as a new year begins. To find other participants please visit the home of That's My World Tuesday.