winter sun

winter sun

The second of three images from a favorite location of mine. The “snow disks” from the previous post are at the bottom right corner, just out of the frame of this picture. This is the locktender’s house at the Aux Sable Access along the Illinois and Michigan Canal.

ice pies?

snow disks

Not quite sure what else to call those ice disks. This is the first of three images taken at the Aux Sable access on the historic I&M Canal. The Illinois Michigan Canal is a 96 mile canal that connects the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. This is the first of three images taken at the locks at Aux Sable.

 

the not so bleak

the note so bleak

To follow up the previous post (bleak), here is a winter moment with a different kind of beauty. A cold, crisp, serene sunrise along the banks of the Illinois River. Here at home we are just digging out from an apocalyptic snow storm (frighteningly names “Linus”), so I will visit this spot early in the morning to see a new, wintry sunrise. I love this beautiful world.

bleak

bleak

If Mordor experienced winter, I think it would look like this. This is the first of two images that, for me, capture the bleak and not so bleak beauty of winter.

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.

Merry Christmas 2014

merry christmas 2014

Dear WordPress family: may you have a blessed Christmas, filled with the love of family and friends. Thank you for being a part of my journey! God bless.

sunset and wires

sunset and wires

This pretty much sums up the area that we live in. We are close to a nuclear power plant and there are lots of high voltage trees “growing” on the endless corn and soybean fields here on the plains. After a while you do appreciate the beauty of the plains…

snow path

snowpath

The I & M Canal Tow Path. I guess I was in a “dreamy” mood. Hope you enjoy.