The winter solstice has passed, the recycle bin is full of torn and wrinkled wrapping paper, and crystal balls have fallen at midnight. We’ve completed another trip around the sun. I tend to slow down this time of year. Maybe some ancient part of my DNA still longs for hibernation. Maybe my soul yearns for more sunlight. All you can see is, as usual, my blog has been abandoned for a while. So, I’m trying to get back on track. First I’ll wish you a Happy New Year. Then I’ll start slowly with, as usual, some winter photos.
The weather’s been a bit strange this year. It seems like it’s been strange every year lately. After an unusually warm fall, we finally cooled off and had a few nice snowfalls in December. As you might know, one of my favorite haunts, especially if I don’t have much time, is Owen Conservation Park. One day when the weather forecast was for snow in the afternoon, I drove over to Owen just as the flakes began to fall. I hadn’t even walked 100 yards when it suddenly came down with a vengeance! It was a keep-camera-in-jacket-when-not-shooting day. I love days like that. The photo above is one of my souvenirs from that walk.
I take a daily walk around the neighborhood two or three times a week. We live about 2 blocks from Lake Mendota and our neighborhood has a small beach, a harbor, a park, and a number of short roads that pass between lakefront houses and reach the lake shore. That provides access for us nonlakefronters and adds interest to what might otherwise be a much less interesting walk. If I have more time I like to go down to the UW Campus or State Street and wander around. That also provides me with an excuse to stop at Fair Trade Coffee House, my favorite place on State. I think I’ve rambled on enough about my winter walks so I’ll post a few additional photos from my local winter walks below. Enjoy.