Waiting to strike. A Great Egret holds perfectly still waiting for the right moment to dart its bill into the water for its next meal. Taken at the Sheldon Marsh State Nature Preserve. #birds #egret #water #nature #marsh

Brushstrokes above. Sunset last night in Wood County, OH. #sunset #corn #sky #clouds #nature #rural #ohio

Waiting for the harvest as the days shorten. Sunset in the flat fields of Northwestern, Ohio. #sunset #autumn #fall #clouds #trees #nature

Electric sky. Although the aurora has been visible just North of me lately, the last time I saw an amazing displays was on October 10, 2024. #aurora #northernlights #ohio #nature #sky #night

When the sky reminds us we are small. Sunseet on the Maumee River from several years ago. #sunset #nature #clouds #water #maumeeriver #ohio

Ballet of the Great Blue Heron. Dancing to the music of the marsh. Sheldon Marsh State Nature Preserve, near Huron, OH. #birds #nature #water #greatblueheron #hiking

Snacks! A white tailed deer samples some greenery while standing in radiant green water at the Sheldon Marsh state Nature Preserve. #nature #deer #water #fall #autumn #ohio #lakeerie

Wood Duck among the pads. A male Wood Duck makes its way through lily pads at the Sheldon Marsh State Nature Preserve a warm and sunny Autumn afternoon. #nature #ducks #birds #water #ohio #lakeerie

A rural sunset. Quiet for miles as the sun goes down in “farm country.” The scene is in Wood County, OH. #sunset #nature #clouds #september #hiking

Moon over fields. Tonight near Cygnet, OH on the Slippery Elm Trail. #sunset #hiking #nature #fall #moon

Sun and slime. 4 turtles share a floating log and bits of slime, as they sun themselves at the Sheldon Marsh State Nature Preserve near Huron, OH. #nature #marsh #turtles #hiking #ohio

Birds on the rocks. A good roost in the Kenai Fjord near Seward, Ak. I think there’s even a bald eagle leaving the scene. #nature #birds #rocks #kenaifjord #alaska #seward #water #ocean

Fall fungus. A stump in standing water grows rows of fungus with fallen leaves settling on top. Taken a few years back. #nature #fall #autumn #water #fungus

Sunset with an old friend. Colors you can swim in, as both the summer and day depart. Taken last week on the Slippery Elm Trail in Wood County, OH. #sunset #nature #hiking #trees #summer #ohio #woodcounty #slipperyelmtrail

Duckweed in Autumn. Colorful leaves float on some shallow water amid a layer of duckweed growing on the surface. From a few years ago during a non-drought year. #nature #fall #autumn #leaves #water

And so it begins. #autumn #fall

Looking for lunch in a sea of green. A Great Blue Heron stands motionless on a log hoping for a glint or movement that means lunch lies below the surface of green. This was taken today at the Sheldon Marsh State Nature Preserve near Huron, OH. #birds #heron #greatblueheron #marsh #ohio

Looking back. A brown bear glances over its shoulder as it walks away in Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, AK. #bears #nature #alaska #summer #wildlife

Sunset beyond the fields. The view of the sun going down from the Slippery Elm Trail in Wood County just before Fall takes hold. #sunset #nature #trees #ohio

Nightfall. The Middle Branch of the Portage River glows with remnant color and light after sundown this evening. Captured near Rudolf, OH on the Slippery Elm Trail. #sunset #trees #nature #water #hiking #ohio #slipperyelm

The cusp of Autumn. A heart shaped leaf sits in a thin puddle along the bank of the Maumee River. Most of the water has retreated to the only the deepest channels as a drought continues. #autumn #fall #nature #color #maumeeriver #ohio

Bone dry. A drought continues in the region, and the falling water level in the Maumee River has revealed bone fragments, among other interesting objects. This one has a tiny spiral shell resting on it. #bones #maumeeriver #ohio #nature

As the sun departed. A peaceful evening began on a river running low. Sunset on the Maumee River tonight. #sunset #water #nature #ohio

Long after sundown. Afterglow that lingers in late summer. #nature #hiking #summer #sunset #ohio

A good boy. A dog shaped cloud floats alone over the river at sunset. #sunset #clouds #water

Last of the Summer sun. Maturing crops and weeds going to see signals Fall is not far behind. #sunset #woodcounty #hiking #slipperyelmtrail #ohio

East meets West. Birds congregate at a rural intersection of utility wires. #nature #birds #blackandwhite

Broken sky. The clouds began to break up near sunset today in Wood County, OH, along the Slippery Elm Trail. #nature #sunset #woodcounty #ohio #hiking

Light through a storm. On a morning with storms and gray skies, sunrise was brief and hidden in a canyon of clouds that towered above. It feels appropriate for today, though I took this photo in June of 2020. #clouds #sunrise #storms #nature #maumeeriver

When the forest speaks. There are times when the lines the trees in a forest form speak to me. #nature #trees #blackandwhite

What the drought reveals. As water levels continue to fall, small channels in the riverbed come to light, as the sun sets on a warm late summer day. #sunset #water #drought #maumeeriver #ohio #nature

Puffins on the rocks. Kenai Fjord near Seward, AK.

3 ducks at sunrise. In the orange world just before the sun breaks the horizon, three ducks float on the moving water downstream from a set of rapids. Captured last week. #sunrise #birds #ducks #water #maumeeriver #ohio

A good afternoon. Blue skies, white puffy clouds, and trees at their greenest on the Towpath Trail at Bend View shelter house along the Maumee River. #nature #hiking #water #maumeeriver

Slate creek bottom. Nature provides its own abstract art from time to time, like this view of the slate in the bottom of the West Branch of the Huron River in Monroeville, OH. #nature #water #rocks #fall

Greetings from the sun. A momentary view of sun the from the Alaska Railroad between Anchorage and Seward. #nature #trains #alaskaraikroad #seward #anchorage #alaska #railroads

Sundog sunset. On a warm day at the end of May, a sundog appeared as the sun was setting over the Maumee River in Grand Rapids, OH. #sunset #summer #water #nature #sundog #grandrapids #maumeeriver #ohio

One Egret. A solitary Egret stands in shallow water among lily pads and other aquatic vegetation looking for its next bit of food as Fall approaches. This was taken at the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge near Oak Harbor, OH. #birds #nature #water #ottawarefuge #ohio

Rocks and salty air. Sea Lion Caves in Florence, OR. Fascinating place. The memories of the smell and sounds return as I look at this image. Photo taken in 2005. #cave #ocean #nature #oregon

Early morning, riverside. Where rapids normally flow, only the bedrock shows as the morning light through broken clouds shines on the Maumee River, as a moderate drought continues. #nature #water #maumeeriver #ohio

Waking the sky. Sunrise this morning on the Maumee River. #sunrise #nature #clouds #ohio

Nature’s course. The sun is setting elsewhere in the sky, as the Maumee shrinks in the throes of a drought. Much of the bed is revealed, and fresh water mussels become easy meals for creatures that live above and on the banks. #sunset #nature #water #maumeeriver #ohio #hiking

Silos. Two steel grain silos that had been painted silver with red primer beneath were blocking the morning sun except for a slit of light that brilliantly lit some weeds. Captured in July of 2018. Sadly, these silos have since been removed. #blackandwhite #sunshine #rural #industrial

Reflecting on the day. An inverted look at the reflections in disturbed water on a bright summer day with blue skies, fluffy white clouds, and green trees along the river. #nature #water #maumeeriver #ohio

Wildflowers at dusk. After the sun is down, wildflowers rest waiting for dawn. #nature #wildflowers #sunset #ohio

The edge of sunset. Walking the Slippery Elm Trail in Wood County, Ohio tonight after sundown. #sunset #hiking #nature #ohio

Losing the light. The sun dips below a cloud and into the Pacific Ocean off the Oregon coast in 2005. #sunset #nature #ocean #coast #oregon

Winter prelude. Winter can offer some of the best sunrises of the year. The generally clear air and high clouds produce amazing skies, as this sunrise on the Maumee river in February of 2021. #sunrise #winter #water #maumeeriver #clouds #nature #ohio

The approach of day. On a morning in June of 2020, clouds could not stop the sun from putting on a show. #sunrise #clouds #nature #water #maumeeriver #ohio

Above the clouds. Deep snow clinging to a peak in Denali National Park and Preserve, as clouds float below. #mountain #snow #alaska #denali