Some Late Summer Color with a New Camera

 The above lichen was growing on the large Ponderosa Pines near the South Park trailhead just north of Quincy.  This caught my eye as I was wandering around, looking for photogenic items in a basically parched landscape.  Click on the image to see more detail.  I'm very happy to have my new Nikon D3300, but I am admittedly just beginning to learn how to use it.  It's similar to my old D40 in many ways, but with 4 times the number of pixels, it's a little intimidating.  Knowing I have that increased resolution, I can feel myself looking at my subject matter differently.

 Here's an example of what age, wind and rain can do to a Mountain Dandelion.  A different sort of beauty than the blooming flower.

 One of the few remaining daisies still blooming.

Peavines mostly gone to seed by now, but a few patches still blooming might indicate some moisture not far below the surface.