Nature

Story in Photos: The Super Moon Lunar Eclipse of 2015

September 29, 2015 by Abbigail Kriebs 4 Comments

You may not have heard, but science happened on Sunday evening, at least wherever clear skies could be had.

There was a Super Moon Lunar Eclipse, which means: really large moon + blood orange in color + eclipse activity. All in all, it was a pretty exciting night for the moon, who normally takes a backseat to the brighter, more life-giving sun. Poor guy.

Scott and I drove out to the country away from the city lights (in case you think this makes us sound uber dedicated, it was maybe three miles) so that I could try my hand at shooting a few photos. Here’s my initial test shot, which is technically awful but created a cool “star” effect for the moment:

And here’s a time-lapse of the most exciting part, not the whole thing. I really did not have the patience to stand there for more than an hour:

And here is my favorite shot for the night, if a little overexposed:

It was a great night to sit outside, staring up into the sky.

For the photographers out there, I followed Jeff Cable’s advice for moon photography and it was spot on. Most of my photos were taken at f 5.6/ISO 2500/Shutter 0.3″.

What about you? Did you catch the Super Moon Lunar Eclipse this time around, or have you put it on the calendar for 2033 when it happens again?

Everyone Needs a Little Nature Once in a While

May 12, 2015 by Abbigail Kriebs Leave a Comment

Last week, I told Scott “I need some nature.” So we got up earlier than normal on a Saturday and visited the UW Arboretum here in Madison, WI. Not all of the trees were flowering quite yet, but the park was the quietest I had ever seen and smelled like spring. It was just what I needed.

Where do you escape to when you need a little nature? I’m always up for suggestions!

A Season of Rest: A Weekend Away

September 25, 2014 by Abbigail Kriebs 7 Comments

I often find that when I take a day “off,” I end up filling the day with other things that need to get done. Saturdays and Sundays, for me, routinely become catch-up days, where I take care of the laundry and the dishes and the unread emails and then get to the end of the weekend feeling unsatisfied: I didn’t play enough, sleep enough, read enough.

I didn’t practice rest.

I am learning and relearning over and over again that on a semi-regular basis I need to completely unplug. Sometimes (okay, most of the time), the only way to do this is by getting out of town: away from the laundry and the dishes and the unread emails. As much as I love being home, home can become a sort of prison when all you do at home is more work.

So it was an easy, easy decision when friends asked us to travel north this last weekend to spend some time away. I thought I might have to miss out because of a cold early in the week, and I am so glad that I did not. My favorite weekends away are weekends away in the fall, and this time, completely unexpectedly, the fall colors in the north woods were absolutely breathtaking.

It is hard to put into words the joy that I felt on Saturday, as we drove around and stopped to look, taking the time to just stare. I can honestly say that I have not felt more whole in a long time. The ability to pause and contemplate creation was exactly what I needed.

What does a restful day look like to you in this season of life?