Oh, the weather, it be a'changin'

Illinois is one of those states known for its drastic change in weather

within only a few hours. This is apparently what we have in store for us here, yet again.

Above are pictures from a winter's walk I took on

Christmas Eve at Ballard Nature Center

 to gather some snowflake photos for the archives.

 Temperatures were in the 20's, F.

New Year's Eve, however, brings temps in the 60's

during the day with severe thunderstorms.

Forecasters predict we will wake up on

New Year's Day to temps in the 20's again.

Oh, what a difference a day makes!

See more great pictures around the world at

SkyWatch Friday.

A Holiday Wish

Wishing everyone locally and around the world the very best the holiday season has to offer.

This is a photo I took last year of one of the many bridges at Ballard Nature Center. I used the free online Picnic photoshop to add the frame, snow and words. I'm still looking for a photoshop program with a wonderful selection of text choices.

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Observation Tower Work Begins

I took this picture last month to show that work has begun on the new observation tower at Ballard Nature Center. True, this is only the connecting trail between the Wetland Prairie trail and the tower, but it is a strart. The tower will be handicapped accessable and will allow a person in a wheelchair to get a better view of the beautiful ponds and woodlands that make up the nature center.
We've had snow and ice since this picture was taken, so work on the tower is progressing slowly, if at all.

Winter Chill

    Winter has not officially begun here in Illinois, but around here the weather never goes along with the calendar. It's just downright frigid! Not winter? It takes ten minutes to get myself dressed to give the dog a five minute walk.
     Today I put a coat on my dog (yea, I know, but she doesn't have much fur) and took her for a brief walk to do her business. I tried the old trick of putting Vaseline on her paws to protect them from the snow and ice.
     After a few yards of walking, she limps and whines. So I kneel to give her lots of lovin', and we head home. On the way, she jumps into a snowdrift in my neighbors yard, and I think she's going to do her "thing", when suddenly she drops and lays her head down in the snow like she's ready for a nap. The little trickster! She was just fine all along, and had fooled me into thinking she was hurt. Finally she jumped up and continued on our walk with pep in her step and a grin on her face!
     I guess winter days are not so bad when you can share them with a friend.

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The wind is much calmer today then it was yesterday! This flag looks like it took a beating during the 50-60 mile per hour gusts that we had, but the evening sun seems to make the stripes glow, despite the tear. 

December Blizzard

This pompus grass bends under the strain of blizzard conditions in the back yard. The white-out conditions are much more apparent on the roads then they are in this picture. 60 mph wind gusts and real-feel temperatures expected to be at -16 tonight make this weekend a dangerous time to be outside. And yet, snow levels in this part of Illinois are minimal compared to that of the northern states. I snapped this picture and quickly returned to my warm abode.

Blizzard!: The Storm That Changed America

Life isn't fair.... Get on with it.

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     I have always had a tiny, antique wooden placard in my home that reads "Keep Looking Up". So all my life I have read that placard, looked up to my higher power, lifted my chin, and enjoyed life.


     Now, however, I have been having to "keep looking down" and constantly watch my steps due to a serious vision problem that has developed, so it's been hard not to feel down a bit more than I'd like. Especially since this problem affects every part of my life, including my beloved nature photography.


     No self-pity allowed here. I know there are may people out there who are a lot worse off than I am. My latest mantra has been "Life isn't fair - get over it...and get on with it."
    
     And so this is my own photo of what I saw one day last month when I laid on my back with that clear, blue sky overhead, and just kept looking up.

     Life is precious.  (get on with it)

     Do you ever feel stressed and wish you could just close your eyes and be transported to a trail or a path far away? I have.
     The following is a true testimonial. Yes, if you click on a link I may make a few pennies, but I really DO like this little sound machine, and I really want to tell you about it.    
     Like all nature lovers, looking at beautiful scenes is a kind of therapy for me. 
     When I can't be looking at waterfalls, birds, or trees blowing in the wind, I love to listen to peaceful sounds of nature to relieve stress.
     Two years ago I bought a little relaxation sound machine because I was having trouble sleeping. I loved it so much that I bought another one for my classroom. This really has some beautiful, calming sounds of nature. I tried more expensive machines and this one sounds more realistic than anything else I've heard.
     Thanks for reading my blog, and remember that whatever you do to help you cope with the pressures and stresses of life: taking a walk, talking with friends, reading, listening to music, or anything else, just....

Keep Looking Up