With the arrival of April came a period of waiting.


Whenever I find myself in uncertainty, I busy my hands. My mind searches for clarity whenever it can find it.


I normally set my camera to let the background fall away, soft and indistinct. On this morning, I chose differently. I stopped down to f8 and allowed more of the world to come into focus.


The orchard revealed itself in layers.

Two ripe peaches hanging on a peach tree branch surrounded by green leaves in an orchard.

Many peaches were nearing ripeness, warm red-orange against fresh green leaves.

Fallen ripe apricots scattered on sandy ground with dry leaves and debris.
Decaying orange mushrooms on dark forest floor surrounded by dry leaves and charred wood debris.
Black and white photo of walnuts and mushrooms scattered on forest floor among twigs and pebbles.
Three small red-capped mushrooms growing among fallen leaves and acorns on a forest floor.

Others scattered across the ground, abandoned in various states of decay.


Some shriveled tight against their pits, others opened and softened, the work of insects and fungus already underway.


A few appeared untouched, dropped without explanation.

A ripe peach resting on gray sandy soil, showing its fuzzy skin with red and orange hues.

The sunflowers had grown taller since my last visit. Still only leaves, no buds yet.

Misty morning over a lush green crop field with a large tree silhouetted against a foggy sunrise sky.

As the sun broke over the tree line, the mist in the air shifted to gold.


Phlox and grasses held dew, catching the light.

Misty sunrise over a wildflower meadow with golden light and silhouetted trees in the background.
A vibrant field of pink and purple wildflowers stretches toward a row of autumn trees under a warm, hazy sky.
Dense field of dry, frost-covered shrubs and wild grasses in muted sepia tones during a misty winter morning.
Misty sunrise over a rural road with a wooden fence, tree silhouette, and golden fog in autumn.

Blackberries moved through their stages – buds to green to red to deep purple, all present at once.


Nearby a Jersey cow grazed, two cattle egrets its companions.

Blackberries in various stages of ripeness growing on a vine with green leaves in warm golden sunlight.
Vineyard rows with wooden posts at golden hour, lush green foliage glowing in warm morning light.
A lone cow stands in a vast open field with tall trees in the background in this serene black and white rural landscape.

Back in the orchard, the light filtered through the cadaghi canopy and met the moisture in the air, forming visible rays. A phenomenon I always wanted to photograph, finally captured through my lens.

Sunbeams filter through misty morning trees along a peaceful forest path with lush green foliage.

Walking the rows, a pair of peaches caught the light perfectly, suspended in deep shadow.

A ripe peach hanging from a tree branch with green leaves in soft evening light.

Not far away, others still on the branch showed signs of brown rot. The infection would spread if left, each one needing to be removed to protect the rest.

Two ripe peaches hanging on a tree branch surrounded by green leaves in an orchard.

Beyond the orchard, the light highlighted the equipment pavilion next door.


I lingered there for a while.


Looking. Waiting.

Moody black and white landscape of misty trees draped with Spanish moss in a foggy Southern park at night.