Walking in a Winter Wonderland

Yvonne and Shaunna under the Cathedral Tree

Lincoln recieved 13.5 inches of heavy, wet snow that stuck to every surface it touched.  This was hard on some trees but for me and my sister, it was an invitation to wander. There is something exhilarating about being out and about on foot in weather that keeps cars parked.  Snow covered the now surreal landscape.  The weight of the snow transformed the ordinary into forms that even Dr. Seuss would admire.

Looking up into the Cathedral Tree

Much of the morning was spent exploring the neighborhoods between my house and Wyuka Cemetery.  Snow plows and 4×4  trucks with snow blades were our only competition for the side streets.  The two passenger cars we met were the ones we helped push out of the deep snow.

I took another walk about in the evening after dark.  It was a muffled and beautiful world.  Like Joel Meyerowitz, I too love it when artificial and natural light mingle in unanticipated ways.  Using only available light and long exposures, I delighted in the strange colors  being bounced around and reflected by the snow.  The cloud curtain became sheer and the moon started making guest appearances above the parking lot trees.  I would have done a cartwheel in response if only my boots were not so heavy.

Chocolate Skies over Lincoln with the Moon

Morning sunshine beckoned and I was dazzled by the ice crystals and shapes of snow that still clung to the branches.  I see many more walks in the days to come and life is good.

Elm Tree with Morning Snow

Glowing Tree Across the Street

Everyday Stories 2012: Winter. Vol. 1

I do like to stop at the passing of one year into the next to account for my living.  Sometimes, this takes the form of a New Year’s Resolution but more often, it is a looking back to make sense of what I have done, where this has gotten me and the setting of intentions for where I would like to be in the future.  As part of this process, I decided to merge my interest in editing images into books with a daily mandate to photograph my everyday life.

Pages for January 22 and 23, 2012, Everyday Stories 2012: Winter Vol. 1

I end each day by adding another page to the book and when I have January, February and March completed, I will send it off to the printers as Volume 1.

Possible Cover for Everyday Stories 2012: Winter Vol.

Inside flap of book with the "rules."

Foreward of the Book

By the end of 2012, I will have four volumes with 3 months in each book covering the 4 seasons of the year and my day to day life in pictures.  It will be a visual diary.  I could see editing this into some sort of show too once the themes have revealed themselves to me.

Pages from January 16 and 17, 2012

This is an exciting project and has spurred me on to be more creatively involved in the intention of my life.