Project Athena - Day 341 (Bark)

Walking Sticks

Over the years, Lara and I have collected many walking sticks on our wilderness adventures. We love to bring this precious cargo home with us with the intention of stripping down the bark, sanding the wood to a smooth surface, then coating them with a clear polyurethane to keep the distinct look of the aspen wood. (No trees are harmed in this process, I promise) We've made some really gorgeous walking sticks over the years and given them away as gifts. These days, we find that life moves at a very fast pace and sitting on the porch whittlin' somehow does not happen. I miss it.

These sticks will be nice and aged by the time they are turned into one of those  gorgeous walking sticks.

Walking Sticks

Fujifilm X-E2 • Fuji XF18-135mm lens • 29.3mm • F/5.6 • 1/70s • ISO 400

Project Athena - Day 321 (Wood)

Fields have eyes, and woods have ears

I have photographed this exact aspen tree many times over the last three years but this is the first with the new camera and my favorite composition to date. I just love the textures and color of this "growth" on the tree. I don't know what these cauliflower-ish things are called but there are many of them in the area of the park that experienced a forest fire several years ago.

Aspen Tree

Fujifilm X-E2 • Fuji XF18-135mm lens • 58.9mm • F/9 • 1/75s • ISO 400

Project Athena -Day 320 (Wood)

Fifty Percent Wood

"Fifty Percent Wood" said the sign on these whiskey barrel planters said at Home Depot. I was in search of some real wooden whiskey barrels. I even tracked down a local distillery but sadly, they had no barrels. So, reluctantly, I settled for these half barrels which are "pretenda-wood".

Whiskey Barrel Planters

Fujifilm X-E2 • Fuji XF18-135mm lens • 49.4mm • F/5 • 1/45s • ISO 640

Project Athena - Day 319 (Wood)

The Textures of Life

Texture is a wonderful metaphor for the story of one's life or personality. Smooth, rough, grainy, warped, hard, lumpy, mushy, prickly, resilient, rubbery, sharp, glassy, silky, sandy, slick, soft, velvety, dimpled, greasy, rigid etc. I have been many textures over the years. These days I  feel a bit mushy but resilient.

Rigid Wood Grain

Fujifilm X-E2 • Fuji XF18-135mm lens • 49.4mm • F/9 • 1/105s • ISO 800