A little extra winter here the past few days but I don’t think the remainder of ice on the river can last too much longer. The coming days look to be shifting into real spring.
The footprints made by a black bear who has been walking near the river were quite distinguishable in the fresh snow. It’s not too often a bear would be wandering in this area so close to the city but there are corridors of greenspace and waterways that are well used by wildlife. It’s one of things that makes this city so interesting.
© Karen McRae, 2013
draw and shoot 
Great series of images Karen. Those bear prints look very fresh!
Yes, I think they wouldn’t be too old but I didn’t see the bear itself. It appeared to have perhaps crossed a small tributary.
Thanks very much, Tom.
I was thinking, wow, that looks like bear footprints, and it was! Interesting to see your nature, Karen. You are ahead of us, and with more bears..
Bente, are your bears still hibernating in the cold? Everything is melting here but a bit slower than usual. I hope it warms up for you soon!
Very lovely series indeed, in particular the first shot.
Thank you very much, Nicholas. I find the melting ice to be very beautiful and I end up photographing it each spring. I’m glad you like this set!
Nice, and great find, the bear prints. I imagine they would not last long. I occasionally find them in dried mud where we hike.
There is a mix of awe . . . and looking around, remembering we are food.
Hi Emilio, yes those bear prints would likely be all melted away now and I took that photograph yesterday morning. Yes, it would have been interesting if I had happened across the bear!
For sure awe, and then maybe fear! Thank you.
Wow! Great photographs Karen. I was thinking the same thing as Tom about those bear prints.
Thanks, Allen. I was wandering around for about half an hour before I noticed the prints so I was thinking that the bear must have moved on. It’s a bit wooded, though, hard to say.
I particularly like the 4th shot down Karen.. it’s the curves I think ..
Thank you, Helen!
Wonderful as always Karen. Everything about each is lovely, but the color is really interestingly remarkable.
Thanks you, Elena! : )
What a nice interlude for me to see these. We read signs, whether bear prints (I would have been looking around about 360 degrees) or the retreat of ice. I love the fourth one from the bottom – the perfect grayness and that single fissure moving out. Thank you, Karen, for all of them.
I’m glad you enjoyed looking at these, Judy. Thanks very much!
I was surprised to see snowfall out my window this morning…but bear tracks would have really surprised me!!
Oh, you received snow, too. It’s looking up weather wise here!
I was a bit surprised to see the bear prints but I had heard there had been a bear a few kiolmetres away 2 days before.
Those soft greys are just beautiful and the bear tracks are just unbelievable. Again stunning photography!
Thanks so much for your very kind comment, much appreciated.
Great Images Karen ,you can feel the cold.
Thank you, Hanno. Yes, it was a bit chilly but things are warming up tomorrow it seems.
We had here the same ,Karen. Yesterday it was the first nice worm Sunny Day of this Year. – Hanno
Hi Karen,
Thank you for appreciating mo work as well .You might be interested in my photographic work as well have a look at hannophenn.wordpress.com .
Wonderful photos! I love the bear prints. 🙂
Thank you, I just found them before they melted!
Beautiful, as always, Karen. Looks like spring is breaking out. My big girl wore shorts to school today. I can’t imagine meeting/worrying about meeting bears but I imagine they see you first and skedaddle.
Thank you, Anna. Yes, I believe black bears are rather afraid of humans and would run away unless they were protecting young ones or food! Thankfully, I didn’t have to find out.
We ourselves, we destroy the planet. regards
Beautiful series as always Karen. Must be nice to see that the bears are waking up! Spring can’t be far away now. 🙂
Yes, the last couple of days are a bit nicer. I does feel like spring! Thank you, Adrian.
I am in awe at the way that, where winter is at its fiercest, it doesn’t just fade away – it cracks up into pieces…
I love how the ice cracks so beautifully. It makes for interesting compositions.
A beautiful bear!!! 🙂 How lovely!!! 🙂
Well. I didn’t see the bear but I bet it was beautiful. Thanks, Gigi!
beautiful post, karen!!
Thanks very much, Wolfgang!
Beautiful collection of images. They stand between the image and
in our imagination in the time perspective.
Then the foot prints ! — I like this twist.
The footprints were completely unexpected, Yoshizen. I like this twist, too! Thanks very much.
Wow ! I love the shots of the ice flows ! It would appear that spring is just around the corner. . . . take care ! Chris
Thank you, Chris, I love the way the ice breaks up.
Great shots! I particularly like the first three 🙂
Thank you!
Karen these are just stunning images. The colours are all so subtle – and the landscape is just so foreign to me – beautiful. Thank you for constantly feeding my imagination.
Veronica, your comment is so lovely. The inspiration is mutual, your art amazes me!
Karen, Gorgeous palette of colors. The bear tracks are surprising… and fresh! I’m finally shooting spring colors here.
Hi Jane, not much colour here yet but it’s on its way. Thanks for your comment!
I love the atmosphere of these images – quietly dramatic somehow. Number six I think is very special.
Hi Louis, thank you. It was rather quiet there with no one else around. It was a beautiful sort of atmosphere, I’m glad you think so too.
A really beautiful collection, Karen. I’m particularly taken with the tones of the first shot.
Thanks ever so much, Melanie!
great series, Karen!
I particularly like most the third and last photographs; I am amazed of the bear footprints you were able to shot.
In recent years we are having very short springs and summer is almost here!
Thanks for your comments, yes the bear prints were surprising!
Well spring is moving slowly here this year!
Ah, Karen, I have said so before, you are a true artist!
🙂
That’s very kind, Marina, thank you! : )
Though it’s chilling to scroll these, there’s a lot to like – and of course, the fact that they make me feel cold is part of what’s to like. I appreciate that you don’t shy away from scenes other people would reject. Then you make quiet masterpieces out of them. The tones are so smooth – like ice! The bear paw prints – I’m glad you added that because it shows the difference between bear prints & dog prints so clearly.
Your words are very kind, much thanks!
I was enjoying another dawning of the world/ renewal moment there, until I got to the bear prints, which brought me up short. Firstly it broke the revery by its implication of physical presence and secondly because I thought, “Oh my God, Karen, get out of there! Bear! Bear!”
Ha! I did have a little look around when it dawned on me they were bear prints! And then I followed them… : )
Thanks for your great comments, Richard!
Great shots. Love the bear prints…have never noticed any along the river before.
Thanks, Anita. Yes, you don’t usually see bears much in the immediate area but apparently there were 3 in the west end this past week.
Beautiful! The third photo is very painterly. I love that in several of them, there is no real sense of scale. They could be close-ups or aerial photos. Well done, Karen!
Thank you, Dominique! I’m glad you enjoyed them.
Just gorgeous Karen..the tones are magnificent. I love to follow your seasons here, always gives me a great sense of peace and light..
I’m glad you think so, Cath. Thank you. It was a peaceful day – Most of the snow is gone but still some ice on the river.
I really like the concept , the idea , the title of this work, The second , forth and the last one are for me very nice presenting the residuals .
Thank you, Bart. I appreciate your comments.
‘Real spring’! It does look like it’s starting to edge, maybe, towards that : ) Great photos and love the paw prints and the dark crack in the ice.
Thanks, Matt! Yes, a little warmer each day…
You can see the transition in progress! Can’t be long now? Beautifully serene images, Karen
Thank you, Emily.
These look like a part of a huge marble stone. This is the art in the world of ice. I felt a thaw of the frozen scenery!!
Great work, Karen!!
Marble stone, I like that. Thank you!
These photos have sound and scent.
The beige to yellow, invading the white. Transition. Progress. Soon green will enter the scene. A joy to watch. Like a theater play. Beautiful pictures Karen.
Ha, yes, soon a little green. there are small bits of green creeping up through the earth in places…
Thank you, Anette.
That steady creeping in of warmth – you have long winters Karen! The bear paw prints are wonderful, fantastic to have that kind of wildlife around you. Lovely pictures, there is a real feeling of steady change going on.
Fantastic images – wanted to add my appreciation.
Wow! Bear paw prints! What a thing to see!
Wonderful photos. My lake is yet today looking very similar than that which You presented.
Another wonderful collection, Karen…and aside from the fascination with the bear tracks, I love #5 from the bottom…the colors of the sky and vegetation and snow…what a pleasant mix…earthy and clean and somber in it’s beauty.
Lovely to see the bear tracks.
The colour palette, though limited, is interesting in itself. I rather like the minimalism, seeing the landscape stripped back.