Blessed with a chilly but sunny day here in the Midwest...the calm before the next snowstorm.

Got out with the hubby and camera today. Here's a couple of shots from our afternoon out.

Hallelujah! The weather's slightly warmer and we can get back outside some without looking like a Stay-Puff marshmallow man in our coats... This is a new technique I'm trying on some portraits I've recently done...I really like the look.

It's been way too long since I posted a message. So sorry.

Have been nearly snowed in here in the mid-west and we're enjoying our 2nd full week of near zero temperatures and wind chills near -20. There's just something wrong when Missoula, Montana is warmer than Kansas City! Nearly 20 inches of snow on the ground isn't helping.

The fascination of a proverbial winter wonderland and the anticipation of playing outside in it is wearing a little thin.

City services only plowed our subdivision a couple of times but it still requires my 4-wheel drive to maneuver to the main road. But, I whine too much...in no time it will be August and

over 100 degrees. Then I'll be wishing it were cool again.

This is a photo I took on Christmas Eve of frost on a very cold glass window.

Christmas is upon us and I'm not nearly ready...am admonishing myself for waiting so long to do the things I know must be done...finally, gifts are wrapped and treats are baked. Only the tins to fill for family and friends.

Awoke to a downpour this morning...temps are above freezing so I won't have to deal with ice on my last round of errands this morning. Back to work 1/2 day tomorrow before spending Christmas with my family.

Spent an evening near downtown last weekend shooting the lights. Like this one a lot. It's a zoomed city skyline after dark.

Look closely, you can see the pedestrian bridge and street in the lower part of the photo.

I wish you all a joyful Christmas spent with family and/or friends.

Happy Monday. A last 40 degree day before winter sets in again...but then today's the first day of winter, isn't it? My week will be filled with last-minute errands preparing for Christmas. The promise of snow for late Thursday and Friday excites me... I love white Christmases...

Here's my artzy version of Christmas lights, thanks for my neighbors for their display.

Two short weeks ago it was 70 degrees here in the Plains. Today we had an all-day rain that will turn the roads into skating surfaces in the next couple of hours....tomorrow promises single digit temps and a 35-40 mph wind.... that makes the wind chill about -20 degrees. oh, the joys of living in Kansas in the winter!! Feels more like Montana to me.

The blog's not loading photos tonight. I'll try again tomorrow.

Blessed today with sunny, 70 degree weather. Just what my psyche needed!!! Went out shooting all afternoon. Nothing specific in mind, just pointed the truck West and drove until some place interesting presented itself.

The tree is in a nearby park, the hawk was also near the lake in the same park, the shadow is my truck scooting down a two lane road near dusk.