krnaturalphoto's Blog 
“Think like a pessimist but act like an optimist. Have modesty about your personal role in things, which is infinitesimally tiny. But you should act as if everything in the scheme of things depended on what you personally do. I am not a big believer in having opinions about the future. I am a believer about having opinions about the things you as an individual can and should do. I am going to act as if everything I do in the here and now really matters, without being a megalomaniac. I know it doesn’t. But I believe that if a million of us believe that what we do in the here and now matters, that will matter a lot.” – David Frum
Flowering trees are beautiful. There are some beautiful ones at Buttermilk Falls State Park. You just have to be there at the right time of year: Purple and white flowering trees.
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“A union of government and religion tends to destroy government and degrade religion. The history of governmentally established religion, both in England and in this country, showed that whenever government had allied itself with one particular form of religion, the inevitable result had been that it had incurred the hatred, disrespect and even contempt of those who held contrary beliefs. That same history showed that many people had lost their respect for any religion that had relied upon the support of government to spread its faith.” – Hugo L. Black
If you enjoy these early spring flowers click the link to see another of my favorite early spring flowers: Flowering Dogwood Tree.
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So many fun and exciting things in the works for 2026. Running and biking and SWIMMING (what the heck!) But two of the things I am most excited about have nothing to do with my personal running and fitness.
In 2026 I am starting my second year being on the board of the Southern Tier Running Club (STRC) again. Our running club has many fun things going on as always. But for me personally I have the most excitement for the things that are in my wheelhouse. And that is trail and ultra running.
Last year STRC put on their first trail event in a long time, STRC Trailfest at Newtown Battlefield. We kept it super low key. No swag. We hand timed the event ourselves. And we combined it with our annual picnic for some fun post race socializing. And we pulled that event off with only getting the details planned and registration open a month before the event.
STRC Trailfest at Newtown Battlefield State Park was a success in 2025. This year we are bringing the event back and. We are making it better than ever. I am the person on our board who love trail running so I am heading up our trail running events and Race Director for this year’s two offerings.
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“Our children should learn the general framework of their government, and then they should know where they come in contact with the government, where it touches their daily lives and where their influence is exerted on the government. It must not be a distant thing, someone else’s business, but they must see how every cog in the wheel of a democracy is important and bears its share of responsibility for the smooth running of the entire machine.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
Trees are one of my favorite subjects. From single tree to a woodland full of them: Mist surrounding trees at Colton Pint State Park in PA.
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If you are anything like me and you enjoy physical media and books and arts of all types you probably have stacks and piles of things all over the place. Bookshelves both virtual and physical of books and arts of all kinds. I have bookshelves at home that are covered in art. Rows of books. Art books. Novels. Graphic novels. Some of these are books I read and loved. Some are books I have not yet started.
Photography is one of my favorite things. I love to take photos. I love to look at photography anything from cute dog portraits to stunning landscapes and everything in between. I love to read about the medium of photography and those who create it. I enjoy learning the craft both the technical and creative side of things. I love to be inspired.
I recently realized that I had this book my my shelf that I wasn’t sure I ever actually finished. This book was a coffee table style book about the photographer Galen Rowell. I am not sure I was even that familiar with him as an artists at the time, but the book had this beautiful mountain landscape scene on the cover and it captivated me. I bough this book likely a decade or more ago. I started reading it and then put it back on my shelf not to be tougched again.
That is until now.
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Mother Nature has been cruel to us here in upstate NY of rate past month or so. After a particularly cold and brutal winter we thought we maybe were beginning to see the end of it. There were several day strings a few times of temperatures well above seasonal averages. It was really beginning to feel like spring was around the corner.
But alas, Mother Nature was just toying with us. She slammed that door right in our face. Locking us outside in the cold just in time for the Southern Tier Running Club’s annual St. Patrick’s Day 5k and 10k.
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“Religion. The inefficacy of this restraint on individuals is well known. The conduct of every popular assembly, acting on oath, the strongest of religious ties, shews that individuals join without remorse in acts against which their consciences would revolt, if proposed to them separately in their closets. When indeed religion is kindled into enthusiasm, its force like that of other passions is increased by the sympathy of a multitude. But enthusiasm is only a temporary state of religion, and whilst it lasts will hardly be seen with pleasure at the helm. Even in its coolest state, it has been much oftener a motive to oppression than a restraint from it.” – James Madison, 1787
The trees have not yet begun to leaf out along this wetland: Swamp along the FLT
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“In republican government, the legislative authority necessarily predominates. Justice is the end of government. It is the end of civil society. It ever has been, and ever will be, pursued, until it be obtained, or until liberty be lost in the pursuit. A coalition of a majority of the whole society could seldom take place upon any other principles, than those of justice and the general good.” – James Madison from notes on the Constitutional Convention
Snow thaws and then the spring regrowth begins: Spring in the wetlands at Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
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Here’s the thing. There is so much happening in the world. Too much. We are all on overload. We want to stay informed but wee are bombarded with news. Most of which is bad. There is little traction for good news. Which, we desperately need. Many of us want to do our part to make this world a better place. But it is hard to feel like we can make a difference.
We often hear that trying to work in our local community is a good way to build support for initiatives we care about. But in many areas our local representatives won’t even hold meetings with their constituents. Meetings over many important local issues take place at inconvenient times. Or behind closed doors. Or baring public comment. And then when the public does have an opportunity to speak up it feels like we are often ignored. Especially when it comes to big money interests.
I give a lot of credit to the people who show up to speak at meetings and protest etc. I really wanted to attend a recent meeting over an issue that is important to me, but I just couldn’t not muster the strength to engage in that manner. But, I am a writer. I have written articles in the past about issues I care about. And some of those have been published. So I am going to do what I can to make my voice heard on an issue I care about.
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As I have built myself up as a runner I have made many friends. Some of those friends are multi sport athletes. I began riding a bike. And I have for a while now toyed with the idea of taking on a triathlon. Then in 2025 after a year of big bike adventures which included riding around all of the 11 finger lakes in NY, culminating in a 100 mile ride (my first ever), and my first bike event 50 mile gravel race I decided to actually sign up for a triathlon.
But, there is just one problem. I can’t remember the last time I did any significant swimming with intention. I tried swimming a little during a camping trip over the summer of 2025 where we did a little mini triathlon and that was not easy. Swimming might be the hardest thing I have done since I first began learning to run.
I like to choose events that will challenge myself. If I am going to commit to do something it is not “just for fun”. I want to have fun, but I also want to challenge myself in some way. I don’t know why I am that way. The fun is in the training and commitment and seeing what my body can actually do if I commit to training it.
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