Capturing the Moment

  Thanks to the drone you can get a better idea of just how amazing, gorgeous, and secluded this area is.     It can get pretty crowded here in Stowe during the peak changing of the leaves season. But if you know where to go, you can find some dramatic fall scenery, without the crowds. The Nebraska Notch hike is one of these places. It starts all the way at the end of Nebraska Valley road. The road dead ends into the members-only Mansfield Trout Club, but there is a separate parking area for day hikers, just above the building. The hike winds its way along the banks of Lake Mansfield, before angling up towards the Nebraska Notch. It is about 2 miles and 800ft elevation gain. At the top you find yourself on the famous Long Trail, and an overnight shelter for hikers.    The Fall colors were amazing around the lake, and only got better as I climbed higher on the trail. I didn't see another soul, all the way to the top. It was just pure, natural serenity. The shelte...

  I took this photo from about 300ft above me with my dji mini 4k drone. The colors leading into Smugglers Notch show why this is one of the most famous drives for 'leaf peepers' here in America. Leaf peeping season is on here in Vermont. Early October brings some amazing natural views to our state, especially up in the mountains where I live. Here in Stowe, tourists from all over flock here to catch a glimpse of the forest turning bright yellow, fire red, and all shades of orange. It only last for a short while and we never know if it will be a good year, but for now, the wait is over. I wanted to get some unique shots of the changing of the leaves, so I decided to head up to Smuggler's Notch. There are some amazing hikes and views, and that should be where the colors start to change first. I was in luck! I stopped right at the beginning of the notch at a picnic area to send up my drone for a look above the canopy. The colors were magnificent. I had always wanted to hike u...

Fall colors in the pond Everyone is a fan, including Neka   Living in Hawaii for the few years has meant that I have been living in an endless summer. While this sounds pretty magical, especially to a ocean lover like myself, you do miss out on all of the other seasons. Luckily for me warm temperatures have stuck around in Vermont deep into October. So I was able to catch some of the last of the changing colors of Fall. Makes for a nice bike ride   With all of the different species of maple trees covering shades from deep red to bright yellow, everywhere you look here in Vermont is awash in color. The sheer amount of leaves already on the ground made me realize that I was a little late for the peak of the fall colors, but I am so happy to have caught at least the end of it. Here are a few pictures from about Vermont blazing in reds, yellows, and oranges.

Coral reefs are amazing things. They grow in warm, clear waters around the globe. They have the ability to live in nutrient poor tropics because of a mutualistic relationship with algae called zooxanthellae that lives inside the stony coral skeleton. The zooxanthellae uses the ample sunlight in the shallow water to photosynthesize creating food for it and its host coral. The algae also provides color to the otherwise white coral. All young coral need to find something sturdy to attach too in order to start growing into a reef. They could grow on top of another reef, rocks, or in this case a shipwreck!  We dove the US Transport ship Liberty here in Bali, Indonesia and I was shocked to witness the amount of color that is underwater. So many different types of coral, both hard and soft, have attached to the ship wreck and have grown quickly. The wreck has been completely submerged for about 50 years which is a relatively short time for coral to form such dense coverage. Indonesia's l...