Starting Over

111111:  Two mornings ago I was out in our backyard very early.  I took notice that the sun had risen to a cloudless sky and was warming the morning air.  Suddenly a series of screeches cut through the silence.  I didn't need to seek the source, for I know that if I hear her she is always there perched on that dead pinion of the Eastern slope looking out over her territory at the lake.  I turned to see her, knowing I would spy her in the distance. I was not disappointed.  I left momentarily to retrieve my camera and binoculars and as I reentered the backyard she screeched again through the silence.  So silent I swear I heard her call echo through the hills.  In the focus of my binoculars I could see the sharpness in her eyes, the yellow of her beak, the sun glinting off the sheen of her feathers.  Good morning, lovely.  She was looking towards the rising sun.   Probably for her next meal.  I never tire of seeing the majestic beauty of our Bald Eagles. Never.



Rewind

110611:  Yes, I know.  I've been missing in action.  But for good reason.  Sometimes blogs have to take a back seat to more important things like family, running a business and sleep.  Mostly family.  Our season is closed now for the winter and a little voice - a little nagging voice - has been bugging me to update my neglected blog.  Truthfully, there are stories I want to share with you, but it is going to take me some more time to put my thoughts and feelings into words.  However, I don't want to wait for that unknown time that the words will finally gel into a story.  So, in the meanwhile, there is still this little blog in the background that needed a new photo beside another spectacular orange sunrise that I posted last on July 29th.  Even I was getting sick of that photo! 

The problem with all this is that I have barely picked up my camera in the last three months.  I have pathetically too few photos to share and those aren't even really worthy of posting.  But a thought came to me this morning in this extra hour we have (is anyone else glad that Daylight Savings Time is over???) that I have screen shots from our LakeCam.  I have filtered through those and starting with August I have posted a few below!  I have to say that the LakeCam takes pretty good photos.  It's not your average over-the-counter camera and I'm glad we spent the extra money to provide a fairly accurate window into our world we call "Topaz Lake."

On a side note, yes, I'm fully aware that the LakeCam is not working properly right now.  I tried for about two weeks in late summer to narrow down where the problem lies.  Not surprisingly, and somewhat humorously, I seem to be caught in a bad cycle of "the problem is not on our end" as the camera manufacturer, the internet provider, the server, the FTP loader, etc. all apparently are working perfectly.  (Insert sarcasm on that last sentence.)  So, I hope that we can find a resolution to this sooner than later now that we have gone into hibernation. 

The water level stayed unprecedentedly high through the peak season and well into August.  It barely started to drop in mid August making us nervous about where it would end when we needed to take our docks out.  As you scroll through the photos below, you can see the water level dropping slowly. 

Sometimes I feel like our daily view of the sunrise gives me a chance to breath and be thankful for a new day. 

 A summer day at Topaz Lake.  And a very typical day of water activity.

I don't believe I have ever caught a moonrise on the LakeCam.  The nights are just as pretty as the days.  the white specs you see on the photo are the camera exposure maxed out.  I have had many people question if it is snowing when they view the camera at night! 

 6:15am.  In the quiet hour.

You wouldn't know it by looking at it, but of all these photos that I'm posting today this one is my favorite.  And it all has to do with the story behind the lady in the photo, playing with her dog one last time before they leave to go home. 

 I sometimes think that these scenes look like a painting.

The end of August is always a quiet time.  The kids have gone back to school, and vacations have ended.  Families usually take one last trip over Labor Day weekend to end their summer so we fill up again for a brief time before we welcome back our September fishermen. 

I'll be going through the September LakeCam photos soon.  In the meanwhile, I'm wishing you a beautiful day.