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

First Snow

 

First Snow

This has been the week when November’s grey skies finally gave way 

to the first real snow of the season. A truly welcome sign... Hallelujah!

Now that I’m a few weeks into this project, I’ve been thinking about

the small changes it has brought to my life. For one, I’ve been studying 

sun’s schedule and the shifting windows of opportunity for capturing 

its magic. I find myself checking the sky and bringing my camera on 

quick trips to the grocery or when I’m hauling the kids around town.

I took this photo on an errand to pick up art supplies for my daughter’s

school project. However instead of taking a proper left at the shopping 

center light, I detoured down the gravel drive marked “fishing access” 

and got lost for a while along the banks of the Kinnickinnic River.

~ Hal

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving

This past week we traveled to Milan, Illinois to celebrate Thanksgiving

with Maggie’s family. The children were looking forward to pulling on

their rubber boots and walking down the hillside and across the field to

Mill Creek, dogs in tow.

Maggie and her brothers grew up messing around in this creek. When

the kids returned, wet and hungry, we listened to their stories.

I headed down to the creek myself after a few chores were checked-off

the list and the afternoon light began to soften. The laughter of adventure,

somewhere around the bend, was muted in the sunlit afternoon.

~ Hal