january river

january river

I have been enjoying the relatively warmer weather for January in the Chicago area (34 degrees is like a heat wave!) by taking some bike rides along the Illinois River. After being rather inactive, I am looking forward to some more exerciseΒ and rackingΒ up the miles!

river ents

river ents

Took another ride today…. the weather is unusually warm for January…. I waited to see if these Ents would say anything…. they didn’t.

snow rider

The Snow Rider rides again!

snow trek

The weather got a bit warmer and I got tired of nursing an achy knee…. so….

snow trek2

…the Snow Rider once again rode along the river…

snow horses

…and he was glad he did.

shadow rider

lonely playground

 

lonely playground

playground poem

winter’s grip

winter's grip

New Buffalo, Michigan is not exactly known as a winter-get-away-from-it-all kind of destination. Especially if you live in Chicago! It’s about an hour and fifteen minute drive from our home and dear friends allow us to stay in their condo, so it has become our destination to celebrate our anniversary. This image, and the next, were taken on a cold winter day, when the wind was especially angry and simply did not grant you permission to take another step without wondering if your internal temperature would leave you looking like Jack Nicholson at the end of The Shining. When I took this, I thought the sun might win, but the wind, snow, and clouds seemed to lock it away in some cold, celestial prison where they might play with it, impervious to the immeasurable heat and radiation. We loved it…. and had a great time.

stairs are to your right

stairs are this way

MatthiessenΒ State Park is a wonderful place to hike throughout the year. The next few photos are from a recent hike there.

end of day clouds

end of day clouds

Serving up a little Midwestern sunset sky for your enjoyment.

bridge and light

bridge and light

One of my favorite spots to photograph along the Illinois River. Must have been in a somber mood when I worked on this image πŸ™‚

bridge and sun

bridge and sun

This is the final image from a hike that I took earlier this Fall. You can see this bridge at the end of the tracks in this post. It’s a relatively short hike and a fun spot to explore. Just can’t figure out – yet – how to get to the top of that bridge. Shhhhh….. πŸ™‚

trees and tracks

trees and tracks

This is the second of a set of three images taken on a hike that I took this past Fall. Sorry for the long pause between posts. We just finished up our Christmas production at church. Each year I write the script and coordinate musicians and other artists. On a sad note, I lost a dear friend who passed away suddenly. I also sang at a service for a young mom who passed away in our community. So, there has been lots of sadness, amidst the joy and celebration of Christmas…