Radiance

This morning when I came downstairs in the dark...

...there was a heap of coals still red-hot in the wood stove. Maggie had banked them last night. It made it very easy to get the fire started.

About 10 minutes after she left to take Seth to an early morning soccer practice, there was a call on my cell phone - Maggie again, "You gotta get outside and check out the light - the sun is just coming up and it is fantastic."  I put on my warm things, and decided to go down to the new conservation area along the river on the north end of town.

The light she had said, it is glowing.  That's how I found it.  I followed some snow shoe prints left from the day before down to the river. In the flood plain these plants stood silent, coated with frost as the sun filtered through the trees from the south side of the river.
 

Kinni River Barn Dance

Kinni River Barn Dance

This is the second year I’ve had the pleasure of dancing 

in this barn with friends and a great band.  The occasion?  

A party to celebrate our local river and those who love it.

We couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful early autumn 

night.  The stars were out, the dew was on the grass, and 

the barn was fairly pulsing with the energy of the band and 

dancers moving together.

The folks at the Kinnickinnic River Land Trust have done 

a spectacular job this year.  My thanks you, and to everyone 

else who takes the time to care for our river.  

~ Hal

Duck Stamp

Duck Stamp

I was up early on Saturday to drop Garth off at school for his 

choir concert trip.  After saying goodbye, I headed over to Glen 

Park and followed the trail down the hill to the Kinnickinnic River.

If you’ve ever been traveling away from home and stopped into 

a small-town cafe mid-morning, you know the feeling I had as I 

emerged from the woods;   heads turned to eye my entrance when 

I joined these mallard ducks at their regular gathering spot.

After a moment, they went back to stamping their feet and discussing 

their plans for the day.  I took this photo, then wandered further up 

the river.

~ Hal

Running Water

Running Water

One of my favorite spots on our regular running route is the 

small bridge where we cross over the South Fork of the 

Kinnickinnic River.  My anticipation builds as the path curves 

away from the main part of the University campus and bends 

down through a patch of sumac toward the stream.

I love to listen for the exact moment when I first hear the water 

flowing over stones in the stream bed.  The sound of the small 

riffle below the bridge comes just a few gratifying seconds before 

I round the bend and the water comes into view.

On this particular morning we stopped on the bridge to look at 

these exquisite patterns where the ice caught the light. I came 

back later to take this photo.

~ Hal

In the Bleak Midwinter

In the Bleak Midwinter

I love the holiday season, but this year it has thrown some 

of my better habits off-course. There was a period of denial 

after Thanksgiving, then the cold weather arrived, now 

Christmas is imminent.

I would like to blame my not getting out much with my camera 

recently on all of the holiday build-up, and I guess there is a 

grain of truth in that. By last Thursday, however, I started to feel 

cranky, and realized the reason was that I desperately needed to 

get back outdoors.

The next morning I headed to work early, but with my camera on 

the passenger seat. I took a detour toward the upper Kinnickinnic 

River. The temperature was in the very cold range. I paused for a 

while at the Quarry Road crossing and found this ethereal moment 

unfolding.

~ Hal