ghostly woods

No texture edits involved here. The texture you see is from the ice on the frozen lake. I inverted the image so that it looks like a normal orientation.

moment of awe

I'd intended on getting outside on the unusually warm January day (Friday the 6th) in the hopes of getting a decent sunset shot. I was clearly blessed to have stumbled upon such a spectacular display of light and colors.

outside my office window

On Friday, my coworkers called me over after they'd gathered by the office windows to watch the deer that appeared outside in a little strip of wooded land in the industrial park where our office is located. I'd been waiting months to get a close shot of deer at the office, and I rushed to grab my camera.

She stood about ten feet or so away from me, on the other side of the glass. I always love making eye contact (and a connection) with wild animals, and this time was no different. It's seeing things like this and getting this kind of shot that makes me always bring my camera with me to work. I just never know when a photo op will come up.

snow flowers

Wild bergamot looks just as nice with snow in winter as it does with petals in summer.

winter bridge

The way that newly fallen snow highlights objects' edges is something I look forward to every winter.

heroes

At the annual Husky Heroes event at the Morton Arboretum, visitors were able to learn about huskies and how they work together to pull sleds; they were also invited to adopt huskies that need homes. It's always a fun event for the whole family. We were lucky this year to get some snow the night before this event; the day before, it was 50 degrees!

summer beauties become winter jewels

Ice + light = magic

winter day's end

The sun sets on a January day near Chicago.

go back to sleep!

Our crazy winter weather this year (too mild compared to normal) has caused some buds to start opening. This early-rising magnolia bud was caught in a quick-moving snowfall.

the squirrel in winter

Eastern fox squirrel on a cold January morning.