Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Snowfall

We got a couple inches of snow and, no, they haven't plowed the road yet.

Front yard with its pristine new snow covering.

Taken looking back from the end of the driveway.


One of the reflectors alongside the driveway to ensure neither the snow plow guy nor I with my snow blower wind up clearing the yard instead of just the driveway.

The significance of this otherwise boring, odd photo is what it does NOT show... the step that is supposed to be there. Although we only got a couple inches last night, the winds that seemed to inevitably follow each snowfall we got created a pretty impressive drift up along the south side of the house. Normally it doesn't do this, knowing it's more annoying to me to block the garage door itself, so figured it was worth a picture. The red is the bottom of my coat, btw.

Although it never really intensified, thought the sunset behind the spruce and trees was a lovely way to end my outdoors wanderings today.

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Merry Christmas


Gee, "here" doesn't even rate it's own dot on the map.







Just cruising around.....

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Christmas Decorations at Wasilla Lake

Quote the McDonalds' ravens, "Merry Christmas! Now give us some french fries!"

Despite some pretty strong winds coming at me across the lake, it was still a pretty day at Wasilla Lake. There's a string of lights atop the posts in the ice, btw, which help light impromptu hockey games and ice skaters.

I didn't notice it at the time, but sure looks like a picnic table or bench stuck out on the ice to the right, doesn't it? I need to remember to check this out next time I'm past there.

Even without the mystery and charm that night gives the decorations, they are bright and cheerful reminders of the season.

Frosty seems to be auditioning to join Smoky the Bear in his campaign against forest fires!

These were what caught my eye the other night as I drove past. Not quite the same effect during the day, but still pretty and I thank the City of Wasilla for making the effort to add something to our holiday.

If my fingers hadn't already been frozen by the winds, maybe I'd have thought to take out the Flip camera and catch this scene with it. It'd have shown the bushes dancing and swaying in the wind! Merry Christmas, Everyone!

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Just a few random shots

Interestingly weird flare, for lack of a better term, from the sun rays behind the spruce tree. I'd never be able to create that individual block radiating out if I wanted to do it on purpose, of course. Still, weird but kinda cool.
Not sure what time I took this one on Tuesday, but probably early afternoon as I set off to mail a few things at the post office.

This one is of the Talkeetnas, taken around noon on Wed.

Backing out of the zoom version above, this is the full view of the road and then the Talkeetna Mts. beyond. The winds were picking up and even tho' I couldn't see the flying snow at this point, I could feel it stinging my face as it hit.

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Solstice Eclipse

There are thousands of far better eclipse pix that have been shared all over the internet, so I only shared a few of mine, which were so-so at best. See the Anchorage Daily News for some nice ones from Alaska:
It was just getting started and the moon, incredibly bright, was being surrounded by a ring of clouds. You can see the red tinge to the sky already at the edge.

It's started. A tiny chunk is being covered at the bottom left of the moon.



By now the camera batteries were cold and so was I, so it wasn't working all that well. This shot was essentially all black, so played with it a bit to show that the moon really, really was there.

Oddly enough, for a total "oops" shot, I wound up liking this one. I'd pressed the shutter but didn't notice that the camera was determined to expose this one forever and moved it, hence the multiple images of the bouncy moon look.

Monday, December 13, 2010

Pat's Piece of Paradise, 12-11

All Photos Used By Permission of Pat Schue

" Morning has broken..."




Dixon and Eve model their booties.

Love the patterns on chain link fences.

Multiple Skies Kinda Day

To the west, mostly blue.

But that blue really wanted to be....

...pretty in pink off to the SE.

Tho' it just looked plain ol' cold to the south!

Saturday, December 04, 2010