The reddish yellow of winter - Bull Hole, Cooleemee, NC
Copper Top Boulders

These granite boulders remain moist much of the year (just off frame to the right is the rock structure featured in my previous post photo.) In spring, summer and fall a very fine lichen or moss grows upon the surface giving them a slightly green/grey look — you’d hardly know it’s there in some cases. With the harsh temperatures of winter these small plants turn an orange/red and then a yellow as the growth decays and breaks loose of the rock surface. When the sun light strikes at just the right angle these colors can be striking. When spring arrives the growth cycle will begin once more.

I’m finally feeling I’ve turned a corner with the software/hardware upgrade project I’ve been involved in at work for the last month.

It was refreshing to arrive this morning not having people waiting to tell me of problems or error messages they were incurring — well, at least not many.

The down side is my mind feels tired and numb. The up side is I’ve learned an awful lot about the applications, networks and physical structure that support the place — you don’t really know something until you take it all apart and put it back together again, and it works. Yet, I don’t know of any other process that could have taught me as much in the same period of time.

Isn’t that the way it is about anything new — at first you feel overwhelmed and struggle finding your way. But commit yourself, learn what you can as you go and keep pushing ahead and there comes a time when the new becomes the familiar.

And then, it’s time to find something new again.

22 Comments

  1. Another fine one Earl. The shapes and the contrasts really grab me. Good thoughts too.

  2. Very beautiful tones in this photo, it’s amazing that the effect lighting can have on a photograph.

  3. Love this shot! The colours are magnificent, and the light highlights the forms nicely.

    • Hi J.P., with those colors it almost looks like something that could come from Mars doesn’t it. :-)

  4. A fine shot of this interesting year around process of growth and decay. The color is fabulous. Very nice image.

  5. amazing color and light, such unearthy place

  6. I really have enjoyed your work with stone!

  7. Gorgeous colors and rich textures, again, with the bonus of some thoughts that deserve due consideration. Congratulations on getting past the toughest part of this job. Now a long, deep breath is in order.

    • Anita, thank-you and that’s exactly what I’m doing…trying to catch my breath for a few days.

  8. I love those rock formations, you definitely have a grand piece of nature around the your corner. Is it in evening or morning sun? The colours are incredible. The place too, but I said so, didn’t I? :-)

  9. a beautiful capture!

  10. Couldn’t agree more on the learning by deconstruction/reconstruction process Earl. Much the same with photographs. Great color and details in the light and shadows here.

    • I appreciate it Mark, thanks. Doing that deconstruction/reconstruction can get a little stressful when your doing it on a live system over a short weekend. ;-)

      Have a great weekend.

      • I can only imagine. I stress doing live updates to my website sometimes without being able to test first. You take it to an entirely new level! (not even close to the same I know)

        • I’m not too proud to admit I did a bit of a Snoopy dance when things came back up and were mostly working…there were moments! :-)