I spent some time this past week photographing around Ampersand Mountain and near the Lake Country of the Adirondacks. The first afternoon was a sad an attempt at climbing up to the top of Ampersand which failed because of ice and a stubborn clumsy bulldog. But the next day I lugged my Mamiya RZ into the surrounding old growth forest at the base of the mountain and spent five hours studying all the beauty and abjectness that a late autumn ancient forest has to offer. Being so still and quiet while setting up each shot offered an opportunity to really see the woods, and hear and smell and touch. Wildlife emerged out of holes and from a distance.  Climbing off trail to get to some particular fallen tree, my hands grasped layers of moss and lichens, soft and wet. We never got to see the view at the top of Ampersand, but many of the hikers rushing past us never got to see the forest like I did. It takes patience to be still, but I think spending several hours just sitting on a log in the middle of the woods, is just as rewarding as a panaromic view.