Waterfall – Page 9 – Michael Stephen Wills Photography

Jennings Pond

Buttermilk Falls Source

October 20, 2020October 5, 2020 MichaelStephenWills5 Comments

Tom Knight, “has been delighting children and their grown-ups with his original, interactive, musical puppet show since 1988,” in 2018 Pam, myself and the grandchildren were lucky enough to catch his act at Cornell University Johnson Museum. His CD, “Purple Pumpkin Pie” is in the car and, pre-Covid, I’d play it in the car while riding with the grandchildren.

“Jennings Pond,” a song on that CD, mentions a local town, Danby. Until last week I did not think twice about it. Driving into Ithaca, heading north on Route 13, there’s a compelling view down a valley. I’ve taken exploratory drives down there on the West Danby-Spencer road, seeing what there is to see. A week ago last Sunday, turning left at West Danby, up the hill forming the east valley wall, on Station Road, then Bald Hill Road, passing by the Finger Lakes Trail through Danby State Forest, on the right I spied a compelling open area, a pond, and this sign….

I proceeded onto a footbridge over the pond outlet, the source for Buttermilk Creek,…….

…and continued to a footpath, southeast and away from the pond. Toward the Finger Lakes Trail? I left this adventure for another day.

On the Tain Way, repost

A place of myth and wonder on foot and approachable

July 3, 2020July 5, 2020 MichaelStephenWills2 Comments

Click me to visit this Ireland post.

Copyright 2020 Michael Stephen Wills All Rights Reserved

Icicle Macro

from the moss

February 10, 2020December 3, 2019 MichaelStephenWills22 Comments

The entire wall above the Cliff Stair is a ground water seep caught here by a sudden April frost.

Click photograph for a larger view. To do this from WordPress Reader, you need to first click the title of this post to open a new page.

When the icicles melt, the moss is there relishing the moisture. Here is a link to some fascinating information from an earlier post, “Finger Lakes Water Chemistry.”

Robert H. Treman New York State Park.

Click for macro slideshow.

Copyright 2019 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills

Seep

Visible Groundwater

February 7, 2020November 30, 2019 MichaelStephenWills2 Comments

The fascinating walls above the 224 steps of the Cliff Stairs are a constant wonder in all seasons.

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These shots were hand held. I used a Sony Alpha 700 dslr with a variable “zoom” lens, great for framing compositions.

Robert H. Treman New York State Park.

Click for macro slideshow.

Copyright 2019 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills

Gathered Light

Each wall is support for the next flight of stairs

February 6, 2020November 30, 2019 MichaelStephenWills11 Comments

I walked the Rim Trail after a sudden April frost.

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These shots were hand held. I used a Sony Alpha 700 dslr with a variable “zoom” lens, great for framing compositions.

Robert H. Treman New York State Park.

Click for macro slideshow.

Copyright 2019 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills

Soft on Rough

Dusted with light

January 31, 2020January 31, 2020 MichaelStephenWills6 Comments

Snow clings to the rough tree bark surface graced by late afternoon vernal sunshine.

Click photograph for a larger view. To do this from WordPress Reader, you need to first click the title of this post to open a new page.

These shots were hand held. I used a Sony Alpha 700 dslr with a variable “zoom” lens, great for framing compositions.

Robert H. Treman New York State Park.

Click for macro slideshow.

Fern Frond with Early April Snow — Late April Snow dusted with light

Copyright 2019 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills

Fronds with Icicle

Fern Generations

January 29, 2020November 28, 2019 MichaelStephenWills10 Comments

Spent and green fern frond with moss and icicles formed during an early April frost.

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Fern generations are here with the spent fronds from earlier years, pale green survivors of this season.

These shots were hand held. I used a Sony Alpha 700 dslr with a variable “zoom” lens, great for framing compositions.

Robert H. Treman New York State Park.

Click for macro slideshow.

Rim Trail icicles with lichen, moss and fern. — Fresh Icicle with Fern

Distant View

December 3, 2019November 22, 2019 MichaelStephenWills12 Comments

I am fascinated by this vantage from the South Rim trail. It is possible because the gorge bends almost 90 degrees, the gorge walls fall away to reveal the 215 foot waterfall.

Click photograph for a larger view. To do this from WordPress Reader, you need to first click the title of this post to open a new page.

Reveal

January 24, 2019January 24, 2019 MichaelStephenWills23 Comments

The elements come into focus, revealing Ludlowville Falls, near Lansing, New York. On the eastern side of Cayuga Lake, Salmon Creek plunges 35 feet over this limestone shelf. Pioneers constructed a grist mill at this site.

Here we see The Fang hanging over the entrance to The Cave. There is falling water overall, but especially the center section (can you see it?). The weight of accumulated ice fractured a portion of the frozen cascade.

The Cave?

January 17, 2019January 17, 2019 MichaelStephenWills25 Comments

Flowing water eroded away until this durable limestone strata. The majority of sedimentary rock is shale, only 6% is limestone. Throughout the Finger Lakes and elsewhere, this is why when flowing water exposed the edge of a limestone strata, the underlying, soft shales are worn away to reveal a waterfall, ever deepening. Eventually, the support of the limestone washes away to form this ledge. Here it is an ephemeral cave behind a curtain of ice.

See “The Fang?” for the first post of this series.