Early October is typically the start of my search for fall colors, but this year…
Snow Squalls?
Last Thursday morning, I checked the National Weather Service forecast and learned that snow squalls were predicted for my area. It seemed strange since the sky was a beautiful Indiana winter blue. I went to a late lunch meeting with a friend and the sky was still clear and blue. When we left the restaurant, there were a few snowflakes and dark clouds. On my drive home, I noticed all the cloud formations and decided to grab my gear and find a spot to photograph the clouds. My first stop was Brown County State Park. I found one location, but was not happy with the view as it was looking too far south. As I was leaving the park, the cloud formations grew in intensity and I knew I had to find a better location. Driving towards Bloomington, I started going through my checklist of possible places to photograph a sunset as the view to the west with the late afternoon sun accentuated the cloud formations. After going through my list, I decided to head to Stillwater Marsh. I managed to miss my turn as I was focusing more on the clouds and a Sycamore Land Trust location that I also missed. After turning around, I made my turn to Stillwater Marsh.
There was a lone bird watcher on the deck when I arrived giving me plenty of space to setup with options. A few minutes later another photographer arrived who I had met a few weeks ago photographing river otters. For the next 45 minutes, we were in awe as the cloud formations and colors change. It was a good day!