Sunrise in Bad Weather

The weather forecast for Sunday January 6 was for snow showers, so I decided I would get up before sunrise had tried to catch how the land and seascape at Allens Pond would look in bad weather.

Allens Pond Beach Loop in the Snow

Driving was a little slow due to the weather but the roads were not bad. I packed at the beginning of the beach loop and as it became lighter toward sunrise (no there was no sun present) obtained a series of photographs to try to show the mood of the landscape.

The closer we got to the actual time is sunrise, the snow slowly turn to some sleet then stopped. My series of pictures I've try to convey some of the different feelings that I had with the weather, from cold to the drama of the sky.

Allens Pond Beach Loop in the Snow

Rocks, Cobbles, Sean and Sky with Clouds

On the way home, we stopped in the state forest where I obtained some photographs of the marsh and snow and of a little stream running through the woods.

Marsh in B&W

Running Stream and Snow

Another Vernal Pool with Reptiles and Amphibians

I visited a different vernal pool that is located in the Freetown-Fall River State Forest.  I haven't visited this pool in a number of years.  It is located alongside the road.  It was not an early morning visit, but getting on toward midday and the sun was out and the air was warm and comfortable.  Arriving at the pool and searching the shoreline, there was on the far shore, a painted turtle was sunning. 
Closer inspection of the near shore showed a large number of frog egg masses, probably wood frog, and the interesting part was a number of large tadpoles were swimming around the masses and apparently nibbling on the egg masses.
But the surprise of the visited was the appearance of a ribbon snake swimming through the water and then disappearing into the underbrush.
Visiting a vernal pool is a study in nature and what you see will very even from day to day.  So get out take a walk in the woods and visit vernal pools.