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            Exactly Who We Are Is Just Enough.
                         Happy New Year.

Snow

Farm near Peterson's Pitts

Growing up in Okinawa, Maryland, and Virginia didn't provide much opportunity for skiing, but four years ago some friends introduced me to this winter sport....I loved it, although that first year I think I spent more time falling down than skiing.  Today Jen tried skiing for the first time;  Luke joined me earlier in the week, as well as Jeri and her friend on new snowshoes.   If you've got to live where it's cold you might as well enjoy it! :)

Wasseling

Perhaps it was the Five Back-to-Back Episodes of 'Sing Off America' - but the Christmas Eve 'Spinach Lasagna Dinner' turned into a Costume Party complete with mixed choral music and theatrics bringing back fun memories of Madrigal Dinners. 

The 'decorators' got a little carried away with the lights and decorating this year - they decorated the dog....and gave him a hair cut....

Full Moons, Sunrise, Kayaking, and Cairns

Montebella Bed and Breakfast Inn

Merry Christmas Walkettes

Winter Kayaking

Florida Revisited

Tannembaum

Choosing

Bringing in the tree...I just love the smiles!!

Ahhhh, it's a marshmallow world in the winter;

the world is your snowball just for a song..... :)



Santas On The Skunk River - Annual SRPs Waffle Paddle

Santa's on the Skunk

  A little problem with a run-away boat :)

Icicles - 23 degrees with gusty winds; the weather was a deterrent for many paddlers this year.

              

Ice Cream and Hot Tamales?

Skunk River Paddlers Annual Waffle Paddle - 2010

Last Days of Open Water 2010

Steve holds up a piece of ice pulled from the water.  The rim ice can be seen just beyond his boat.

Pretty Ice and Snow Formations on the Rocky Shores -

the forecast calls for snow and wintery temperatures this weekend.  Suspect this is the last of the open water for the season, but the snow will be beautiful and fun too! 

On my way home from The Lake I spotted these old trucks....and I had to make a U-turn! 

And then...

Stopped by the 'Peace Tree Brewery'  for late afternoon coffee/tea, but they only had beer, and it was too early to imbibe - so we enjoyed the 'Pelican Party' below the Dam instead.

All-in-all better than shopping...or working. :)

More Night Magic......

     ...... this stuff is just so much fun!

More Night Photography

Gray's Lake Bridge

Cycling Couple with Flashing Lights - Oh, A Little Spice To Life!!

Hazy Skies

It was too hazy to see the full moon, but it was still nice to be out on open water in November in Iowa.

Des Moines Fireworks

Fireworks from the Center Street Bridge, with Christmas music from the Skating Rink in the background (can you hear it?).....more Adventures with Patty.

Lydia's Kitten's

Perspective

It's all a matter of perspective. 

This photo was taken of the same windy trail in the Loess Hills of  western Iowa as the last post - only from a different perspective by a more experienced photographer......pretty amazing differences, but I'm learning....and running. :)

Loess Hills

Evidence of a Recent Prescribed Burn for Prairie Restoration -

The dark soot made a nice contrast against this long and windy trail. 

Early Morning Fog on the Water

We Spent a Foggy Early Morning In Desoto Bend.

Lots of Turkey and Ducks, including Northern Shoveler and Blue Teal - but not in this photo :)

Painting with Light in the Night

Multiplicity

Just Keep Looking Up

Ceiling of the Iowa State Capitol

Books:  State Capitol Law Library

Patty T-B discovers Jaume Plensa’s 'Nomade' is reading a book.

Adventures with Patty

November Balloons

Multispectral Photography

Leonardo daVinci was the archetype of the Renaissance Man;  artist, sculpture, inventor, musician, architect, engineer, and writer.  But the fact that I find most fascinating about daVinci is that he wrote almost all of his notes in mirror image.  He clearly was capable of thinking in ways most of us will never understand. 

Pascal Cotte's 240-megapixel multispectral imaging camera (Cotte's own invention) has uncovered a new awareness of daVinci's Mona Lisa (La Gioconda).  Using high definition ultraviolet and infrared shots this new technology shows the original position of the hands, eyes, and smile, but more importantly, it shows the original colors of this iconic work.  These original colors are more illuminating than the Mona Lisa I encountered in the Louvre in Paris, and I find that she seems to have a twinkle in her eyes, and that special smile seems even sweeter .

Sunny November Day

View From The Sea Cave

We Discovered That You Can Stand Up If You Come Out Of Your Boat

On A Wing And A Prayer

There's No Place Like Home

Red Rock Cliffs

View From Elk Rock Bay

Browsing through some photographs taken this weekend and reviewing some other photos taken by another local photographer taken in Central Iowa, I am reminded of Gregory Maguire's musical, 'Wicked'.  Maguire takes the original 'Wizard of Oz' and challenges our preconceived notions about the nature of good and evil.  The story is enlightening, and the musical score generates phenomenal positive energy, especially 'Defying Gravity', and 'For Good' (my favorite). 

What's any of that got to do with photographs of Iowa?  Wicked?  No, not even close......how about:  'there's no place like home'?

Walking the Beach

More Paths

Seasonal Orbs

Invasion of the Orbs....