the sky tonight!

It was a tremendously humid day.

We've had record-breaking temperatures here in the NE of PA.

then.... AHHHHHH!

A beautiful sunset, with everchanging patterns and color combinations,
ending with purple accents on bluish-turning grey clouds.

Then the moon, almost full,
peeks out from behind the clouds.
hanging low in the sky.

  

good night moon!

GOOD NIGHT ALL! Sleep well.

JOY - LIFT THE CLOUDS

Before you think it, or say it, Stop.

Open up to the peace inside you.

Help lift the clouds, ease the darkness.

Many people I know are facing difficulties lately.

seems like more than before.

dark clouds.

And many others seem to react more often with anger or fear.

more dark clouds.

I've been able to learn to pause,

block out all the noise, 

feel some peace and quiet.

happiness ~ JOY ~ sunshine

I said a prayer that each of us can can feel that same joy.

bright skies.

And share it with those we love, and with those we don't.

more bright skies.

This photo is a recent sunset. the clouds were beautiful... 

how they were lightening & brightening after a dark rainstorm,

letting the sun shine through before it lowered down behind my mountain.

Inspiring.

sunset last night

A lovely #sunset last night.

8-15pm, shortly before a thunderstorm, bringing in a coldfront.

Very humid. 

There are thunderstorm warnings for all surrounding counties.

LOVE those rays.

the sun is disappearing.

This is a few minutes later. 

mountain and sky

BEAUTIFUL SUNSETS

in my backyard

On the Wilkes-Barre area side of the Susquehanna River looking west to the mountain range beyond the river and Kingston/Forty Fort, towards the back mountain (Dallas, Shavertown, Trucksville). The deep dip in the mountain range is where the CrossValley (Rt 309) cuts up and through on its way "North".
map of the area

a few days ago

and a few days before that

a beautiful after-storm sky 

and the day before that...

LOVELY!!! Have a great day! TGIF!!

robin nest & Spring colors & sun

a few weeks ago I saw a robin in the nest. They're back!

(now the babys have hatched and the parents are busy flying back & forth feeding them.)

Back when I first saw the robin,

 there was a mockingbird.

Bad bird!

He was in a recent previous post.

He and I played "tag" as I was trying to shoo him away.

He kept hopping just one more branch away from me as we kept going around... I was circling this japanese maple tree in the yard. He was NOT happy with me... but eventually left. Does not bother the robins anymore. hah!

Some lovely early Spring color. 

and finally warm sunshine.

                       

Sunset location & "warm" day

frigid #weather this #winter!
3-1-2014 was a "warm-up" (high temp low 30'sdF)

(also below at the end: link to live webcam of a bald eagle nest,

not local, but in Pennsylvania. They just got snow, too.)

The sunset's on it's way back towards the right, nestling in the dip in the mountain range during the Summer, where our  local main road, the CrossValley Expressway cuts through, going North.

These sunset photos were taken from approx 5:44pm to 5:55pm.

 I love the color palette here. Interesting clouds, too!

There's a plane!!!

 Good night!

I've been watching this nest off and on the last few days. 

Once I saw the "changing of the guard! When the parents switched places.

COOL!

Here's the link, so you can see it, too:

live webcam, bald eagle nest, Pittsburgh PA

Orange sunset

Here's a recent very colorful sunset. Deep orange and some purplish hues in the clouds.

BEAUTIFUL!! DRAMATIC!! SPECTACULAR!!

... (you get the idea) 

I wish photographs could capture the atmosphere better sometimes. This one comes close.)

And when I walked closer, standing under the trees I saw this beautiful sky:

This time of year, the sun sets further South along the mountain ridges, 

off to the left of the original sunsets I posted. 

These 2 photos were taken from a different vantage point, in Wilkes-Barre, not all the way down in the Wyoming Valley near the Susquehanna river as usual, but from a little higher altitude.

Evening sun, and June wildflowers

Here's a lovely shining shot of the sun before it slides down behind the #mountain.

Below, in the next 2 #photographs,

 are some #wildflowers on nearby slopes.

These next 2 photos were taken mid-June, 2013.

Some typical, and quite sweet & cute, wildflowers.

(I don't really know their names).

Breathing in the air under the fir #trees is so fragrant with the pine needles. I understand that air is so healthy.

 Here's a closeup of a patch of #flowers in another spot. ENJOY!

the 4th of July

I LOVE the excitement of the celebration, and the sense of community when everyone gathers to listen to the philharmonic perform, usually climaxing with  Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture,  just as the first rockets shoot up into the air.
 I started taking MANY photos on Independence Day, from my window. (It was much to hot and humid to be walking around outside, especially since I'd hurt my ankle, but I knew with my view of "da valley" I'd see multiple celebrations.  I kept missing them, tried different settings on my camera... didn't like the looooong "fireworks" setting. WOW, so many photos!!! I edited out quite a few.

    But first: here's the lovely evening sky. I set my chair at the window 

      and started shooting around 8:40pm.

then zooming in a little towards the right.

a panorama after the sun dropped beyond the mountain ridge

And here are some of the shots of fireworks in different spots across the Susquehanna River,

on the West Side of the Wyoming Valley.

*******

The main local fireworks that evening were at Kirby Park, across the river in Kingston, PA,

a little over 2 miles away, south of my location - to the LEFT of my mountain view.

******

I turned left & zoomed in when I started hearing all the blasts, and here are some of the higher ones I saw, just over the treetops:

The grand finale starts:

This is my favorite:

I call it " Fire Art"

(available at http://christina-verdgeline.artistwebsites.com/ )

late day cloud-gazing - animals in the sky?

I was taking a few shots of the evening sky. It got pretty dramatic - heated - active - impressive.

I remember as a child, 

how our dad would get us kids watching the skies, 

CLOUD-GAZING.

It was loads of fun - great memories!

Using my imagination I could see different scenes.
The first thing that came to mind is a baby elephant.
It's walking from right to left in profile, the head is the big vertical cloud in the center, the body is the right half of the photo.   Can you see it?

Then I saw it as 2 different figures - like they were confronting each other.

The vertical cloud could be like a bull, up on its hind lefgs like it's about to pound down on the head-and-shoulders of another animal. This one looks like it's got its head down, ready to charge, like a ram. hmmmm, wonder if there's a horn or antler down there.

IF YOU SEE ANYTHING ELSE LET ME KNOW.

Sunset Series

 These photos were taken one after the other, a few minutes apart, one evening in mid-May, 2013. I didn't change any settings on my camera, but I zoomed out in the last to see more along the mountains.

 This 3rd photograph feels inspirational to me... I love the plane streaking up higher and higher.

This is my 2nd post in my ... I guess you can call it a diary.... of the mountain. It's also in early June, as a storm was approaching late afternoon. Dramatic! The wind was kicking up and you can see the storm clouds gathering, moving quickly towards us minutes before the rain reaches our side of the river. A closeup is at

http://fineartamerica.com/featured/storms-coming-christina-verdgeline.html showing the bright area surrounded by the heavy grey clouds.

1st MT ridge photo taken in early June 2013

I call this mountain ridge MY MOUNTAIN because it is the view I see from home; the only view of mountains I see there. What a beautiful change from the last place we lived! It is not one of the many more majestic views in our area in NEPA, Northeastern Pennsylvania, but it is definitely mine. There are a plethora of emotions, views, activities that display daily around this mountain range across the river from us. Ive been pleasantly surprised at the beauty of the simplicity of this view, and its wondrous variety of simply mountain, tree, sky, sun, cloud, nature.
      I am attempting to document this, informally. I love telling stories with my art, but no words are required when the mountain, my mountain, speaks volumes in every moment. It exists. It endures. It is a creation of beauty in its reality.

Here's my first photo: It's sunset, early June 2013.