6.30 - Barn Beneath Moon

6.30.12 Barn Beneath Moon • © Margaret Helthaler

Captured on a 4 mile evening stroll…

6.29 - Evening on the Neversink Reservoir

6.29.12 Evening on the Neversink Reservoir • © Margaret Helthaler

The end of a hazy warm summer day...

6.28 - Catskill Sunset

6.28.12 Catskill Sunset • © Margaret Helthaler

I had a very busy day today - with no time for a walk. But as I returned from a quick trip to Middletown, I paused along the Shawangunk Ridge on Route 52 to capture the perfect summer evening as the sun slowly sunk toward the mountains.

6.27 - Big Hollow Barn

6.27.12 Big Hollow Barn • © Margaret Helthaler

Another bright sunny day with cool gusty breezes…

6.26 - Dramatic Light on the Rondout

6.26.12 Dramatic Light on the Rondout • © Margaret Helthaler

The light was amazing this morning - and it continued to be dramatic throughout the day with scuttling clouds and cool gusty breezes…

6.25 - Evening Light

6.25.12 Evening Light • © Margaret Helthaler

There is nothing like morning light, but there is also something magical about the last rays of sun bringing the gentle rolling hills of the Catskills into sharp relief in vivid yellow greens against smokey gray blues...

6.24 - Campanula Cherry Bells

6.24.12 Campanula Cherry Bells • © Margaret Helthaler

After a busy week I enjoyed a lazy Sunday at home. My mother-in-law's garden is always a source of inspiration when I don't feel like leaving our yard.

6.23 - Antique Hay Rake

6.23.12 Antique Hay Rake • © Margaret Helthaler

I spent the day enjoying this lovely view while celebrating my niece's graduation from high school. This antique hay rake is a lawn ornament in my sister-in-law's yard, appropriately marking the passage of time.

6.22 - Thunder Clouds over Thunder Hill

6.22.12 Thunder Clouds Over Thunder Hill • © Margaret Helthaler

I didn't have time for a walk this morning, so while I was running some errands this afternoon I stopped along the Neversink Reservoir's dam to capture some shots of the thunder clouds looming over Thunder Hill in the distance.

6.21 - Chestnut Creek Covered Bridge

6.21.12 Chestnut Creek Covered Bridge • © Margaret Helthaler

The day is promising to be another scorcher. I parked at the fair grounds in Grahamsville to take some shots of the Chestnut Creek covered bridge. As I walked down the creek bank to capture a side view I could feel cool air coming off the water. A cold, crystal clear Catskill stream is the place to be near on a day like today…

6.20 - Hot, Hazy Day

6.20.12 Hot, Hazy Day • © Margaret Helthaler

The summer heat has arrived with a hot, hazy morning…

6.19 - Big Hollow Barn

6.19.12 Big Hollow Barn • © Margaret Helthaler

Another quick solitary walk on an overcast morning…

6.18 - Overcast Monday

6.18.12 Overcast Monday • © Margaret Helthaler

I took a solo walk this morning along my usual route by the Rondout. I enjoyed the quiet solitude of the cool, overcast morning.

6.17 - Fishing on the Rondout

6.17.12 Fishing on the Rondout • © Margaret Helthaler

What better way to spend Father's Day than fishing from our rowboat on the Rondout Reservoir… The breeze and passing clouds worked to keep us comfortable as we bobbed along with the waves in the sunshine on this lazy afternoon.

6.16 - Nature Reclaims

6.16.12 Nature Reclaims • © Margaret Helthaler

I was all set to post an image I captured earlier in the day in my mother-in-law's garden, but then I attended an art opening at the Liberty Museum (select works from this blog are featured in the show) and I happened to wander onto the gallery's back patio. I couldn't resist the contrast between the thriving green vines and the weathered wood of the abandoned buildings in the nearby alley. The view serves as a reminder of the tenuous hold we have on the land…

6.15 - Birds Eye View

6.15.12 Birds Eye View • © Margaret Helthaler

Busy morning, but we took a lovely bike ride along the Rondout reservoir in the late afternoon. I felt as free as a bird coasting down the hills, buffeted by a warm breeze…

6.14 - Baby Deer

6.14.12 Baby Deer • © Margaret Helthaler

I encountered an abundance of wildlife on this beautiful morning. Including both my vehicular travels and my meanderings on foot, the list includes:

• chipmunks and rabbits
• a variety of birds - robins, swallows, blackbirds, etc.
• killdeer (and babies)
• ducks and ducklings
• geese
• a blue heron
• a wild turkey
• bald eagles
• deer (including the mom and fawn shown above)

6.13 - Duck, Duck, Goose!

6.13.12 Duck, Duck, Goose! • © Margaret Helthaler

SUN! How wonderful it was to see the sun this morning. We could feel the moisture evaporating from the road and surrounding landscape as we walked along the Rondout reservoir. The geese were active and vocal - as if they too were happy to see an end to the rain.

6.12 - Rondout on a Rainy Tuesday Morning

6.12.12 Rondout on a Rainy Tuesday Morning • © Margaret Helthaler

Neither the weather nor my schedule was conducive to walking this morning, but my friend and I managed to take a quick meander along the Rondout before the heavy rains hit…

6.11 - Flowers on a Fence

6.11.12 Flowers on a Fence • © Margaret Helthaler

I woke up feeling stressed with too many things to do. I didn't have time for a walk, but then I realized that a walk was exactly what I needed to do the most. Some deep breathing and fresh air did wonders for my psyche…

6.10 - High Grass

6.10.12 High Grass • © Margaret Helthaler

I have to confess; this image was actually shot on June 11. Sunday morning I was busy preparing for an upcoming show at the Liberty Museum and Sunday afternoon we attended a family picnic - an extension of my niece's wedding celebration from the day before. I didn't have time to meander, so I'm cheating a bit by posting late - but I thought this tall tangle of grasses represented the day well…

6.9 - Sunset at Mohonk Preserve

6.9.12 Sunset at Mohonk Preserve • © Margaret Helthaler

While it goes against the title of this blog to post a sunset - as my husband always tells me, "It's morning somewhere." And after spending a lovely day at my niece's wedding at the Mohonk Preserve, I felt this shot was an appropriate way to mark the occasion.

6.8 - Draft Horse in Morning Light

6.8.12 Draft Horse in Morning Light • © Margaret Helthaler

The morning is filled with the promise of a beautiful day...

6.7 - Nora's Roses

6.7.12 Nora's Roses • © Margaret Helthaler

Last night's heavy rains have given way to a cool clear morning that is warming up quickly...

6.6. - Route 52 Overlook

6.6.12 Route 52 Overlook • © Margaret Helthaler

I had to run an errand down in Middletown bright and early this morning, so I decided to take the scenic route over the Shawangunk Ridge on Route 52. The view never disappoints...

6.5 - Clearing Skies

6.5.12 Clearing Skies • © Margaret Helthaler

What a difference a day makes... The air was cool and clear this morning, the birds were unusually loud and large puffy clouds cast their reflection on the rippled surface of the Rondout reservoir.

6.4 - Neversink Reservoir on a Rainy Monday Morning

6.4.12 Neversink Reservoir on a Rainy Monday Morning • 8x8 • limited edition of 30 • © Margaret Helthaler

It is a dark, rainy Monday morning. I decided to take a ride up to the Neversink Reservoir after dropping my children off at school. The rain was coming down pretty hard, so I captured some images from my car window along the stretch of route 55 that runs along the Neversink dam.

6.3 - Watching the Rain from the Front Porch

6.3.12 Watching the Rain from the Front Porch • © Margaret Helthaler

One of my favorite things to do as a child was to sit on our porch and watch a heavy summer storm wash through the little valley that nestled our home. Somehow I felt exposed and safe all at the same time. And while today's heavy shower thwarted my plans to go for a bike ride, I do enjoy our porch...

6.2. - Purple Irises Near Old Barn

6.2.12 Purple Irises Near Old Barn • 8x8 • limited edition of 30 • © Margaret Helthaler

We had heavy rains last night and the sky remains threatening this morning. My husband and I took advantage of a break in the clouds to take a quick walk down the road. I've been admiring these irises on Big Hollow and was happy to have a chance to capture them with my iPhone using the ShakeIt app.

6.1 - Grassy Banks of the Rondout

6.1.12 Grassy Banks of the Rondout • © Margaret Helthaler

Another beautiful day with warm sun and cool breezes...