Cold Moon

This morning the moon was still hanging around when I was out feeding the calves.  Every full moon of the year has a name, of course, and this one's is Cold Moon, though it wasn't full anymore by the time this photo was taken.

I hadn't even noticed the full moon a couple evenings ago, as I was busy preparing for the last of our holiday get-togethers.  Now its New Year's Eve Eve and the house is quiet.  Our married children have gone home, other daughter is at work, and college son just left for Memphis, Tennessee, to watch the Iowa State Cyclones play in the Liberty Bowl.  Thankfully, most of the last of the holiday treats went with him and his friends for en route snacking and then the tailgating party.
  

Winter Scene

Here's a shot taken earlier this week, on the same morning as the one in the previous post.  I was out for a walk, desperately searching for something to take photos of.  That's what us bloggers do.  I glanced at this scene and suddenly decided that I liked the combination of the clouds, the leafless trees, the corn stubble in the snow, and the fence.

    

Skywatch

A photo taken a few mornings ago...

Thanks for stopping by!

CLICK HERE to go to Skywatch Friday to see photos from around the world.

Snowflake Light

HoHoHo and all that!  I hope you survived Christmas.  Happy Second Christmas to you today if you observe that old tradition.  My husband's grandmother used to host a dinner on Second Christmas but since she is no longer here we just eat leftovers and don't give the day a name.

One of the gifts I received was this snowflake light which plugs into the computer's USB port.  It changes colors from red to green to blue to purple.  Pretty cool!

Moving the Snow

I took this photo yesterday morning as my husband was clearing our farmyard with the snowblower which is attached to a tractor.  Its fun to watch---I wish our grandchildren could have been here to see the tall geysers of snow shooting around.

We really were quite snowed in.  There were big drifts in the driveway and in front of the garage doors.  It didn't matter to me for I had no plans to go anywhere, but the snow needed to be moved so the milktruck could get here.

The past few days while appearing to be busy baking holiday treats, my true mission has been to listen to ALL of my Christmas music CDs.  Most years, I listen to only a favorite few of them.  I'm trying to remember when I bought my first CD of any sort.  I recall that for quite awhile I kept a vow to never give in to using those new-fangled things called compact discs.  I would be content with my record albums and cassette tapes, thank you very much.  But, then at some point, I gave in.  I must have happened upon a clearance sale or something.  That often convinces me to make a purchase.
  

Skywatch

Nothing too exciting, but I thought the blue and pink toned sky was pretty this morning...

Thanks for stopping by!

CLICK HERE to go to Skywatch Friday.

Blizzard

We have a blizzard going on today!  Unless this snowstorm is followed by a heat wave, we'll have a white Christmas---hooray!  Here's how the milkhouse windows looked this morning...

 And, next is a really boring photo, but that's what a blizzard looks like out in the open fields.  I was hoping to walk a sympathy card over to the neighbors (see yesterday's post), but probably won't do that today.

While feeding calves this morning I spied a cat hunkered down for refuge in a calf hut.  That doesn't happen too often.

As I type this, a strong wind continues to blow.  I don't think its actually snowing anymore, but visibilities are low due to lots of snow blowing around.  Thankfully, our college son is now home for Christmas break, so I don't have to worry about where he is in the dangerous weather.  The outdoor chores are done until late afternoon when its time to milk the cows and feed the calves again.  A good day to stay warm and safe in the house! 

Cheerless

This isn't a very cheery photo for this happy holiday season, but it fits my mood today...

Something is telling me, "Don't put that photo on", but I'm doing it anyway.  It was taken earlier this month on a foggy Sunday morning as I was walking to the mailbox to get the newspaper.  

My mood is a little dark because we just received news of the death of a former resident of our neighborhood along this road.  The deceased had lived a very long life, so I shouldn't be too sad, I know, but I am.  Mostly because it makes me wish my own grandparents were still alive.  I miss them and I miss being a child.  I don't really like being the older generation, not because I mind getting older, but because I don't like being the one that younger people look to for supposed perfection.  I'm not perfect and of course I know my grandparents were not perfect, either, but I didn't realize that when I was a child.  Realizations aren't that great sometimes.

        

Barn Charm

I was Christmas shopping yesterday and forgot until just now about doing a Barn Charm post.  So here's a late one.  This drive-by photo of a corn crib was taken last week...

Thanks for stopping by!  

CLICK HERE to go to Bluff Area Daily for this week's Barn Charm.

On Saturday

We attended a wedding last Saturday.  This is a busy time of year to be getting married, but the holiday colors and decorations were nice.  This photo was taken at the reception...

The couple exited the church not to a barrage of rice or bird seed or bubbles, but to a crowd of guests holding lighted sparklers.  By then it was after dark and the scene looked really cool!  I should have taken a photo, but stupid me didn't have my camera with me right then.

Oreo Field

My kids used to call a scene like this an "Oreo field"...

This photo was taken last Monday.  The snow didn't last long and now today it is raining.  When I got to the barn this morning I asked my husband if April showers bring May flowers then what do December showers bring.  He wasn't sure.  Also, I caught him listening to classical music on the radio as he milked the cows.  I told him the cows were probably giving cultured milk.

Windmill

Scene cropped out of a drive-by photo from last Sunday which I was about to delete but then changed my mind...

Skywatch

Morning sky from a couple days ago...

Thanks for stopping by!

CLICK HERE to go to Skywatch Friday.

Coaxing Color

Here's a couple more drive-by photos from Sunday.  I used the hue and saturation wheel in Picture It  to coax a little more color out of the scenes.  The colors were there, but weren't showing up on this gray, cloudy morning.  Look closely to see the colors in these church windows...   

And, I couldn't not take aim at these hay baskets all lined up waiting for next baling season...

Trees

Here is one of the multitude of drive-by tree photos I took on Sunday.   It turned out slightly blurry which almost gives it the look of a painting, I think.

Baby Ruth Truck

I shouldn't have, but I did.  While waiting at an intersection in Cedar Falls yesterday I took a quick, furtive shot of this Baby Ruth semi.  Just couldn't resist.

Barn Charm

This photo was taken on Sunday.  I've snapped drive-by shots of this barn several times before but have never been happy with the results until now.  The snow must have tipped the scales. 

CLICK HERE to go to Bluff Area Daily for this week's Barn Charm.

Road Signs

Here's a few photos from yesterday which fall under the theme of road signs...

Finally Some Snow

This morning we did chores extra early so we could make it to our grandson's baptism.  And, look what we saw as we traveled along---some snow!    

It gave the farm fields a whole new look...

At one point we saw a flock of wild turkeys out in a field.  You'll have to take my word for it since the photo  of them turned out too blurry to use.  About a mile onwards we spied these hunters and I felt like hollering out the window to tell them where the turkeys were!

In the afternoon when we drove home, the snow was all gone.

Barberry

Here's a photo of barberry, taken last week.  I was happy with it just the way it was and didn't change a thing.  

Flowers & Texture

A photo from last week with some sandstone texture added...

I actually have a few Christmas decorations put up now.  That doesn't mean I'm in the holiday mood, but at least it looks like maybe I am.  

Skywatch

No photoworthy skies lately so I went back to the September file for this one.  Sunset was beautiful that evening and I took many photos.

Thanks for stopping by! 

 CLICK HERE to go to this week's Skywatch Friday.

Insulators

Here's a couple drive-by shots from last Sunday.  I happened to get a quick glimpse of aqua glass insulators on a pole as we crossed a railroad track... 

And, at one point, I decided to take a landscape shot despite the colorlessness of this late fall season.  I guess the scene is kind of pretty in its own drab way...  

Oriole Nest

We saw this oriole nest on Sunday when we were at the nature trail...

The trail was built on a former railroad grade.  Here's another portion, newly-paved with asphalt...

Barn Charm

Here's a drive-by photo taken in Wisconsin in late September.  Uff da  is a Norwegian expression of exclamation which is pronounced "oof duh", as far as I know.  It can be heard occasionally on our farm even though we are not Norwegian.

Thanks for stopping by!

CLICK HERE to go to Bluff Area Daily for this week's Barn Charm.

Trail Visit

After church yesterday my husband suggested that we go for a walk on the Cedar Valley Nature Trail to take advantage of the mild, sunny weather.  (The excursion also included eating out for lunch.  Hooray!)  

This is the trail's new bridge over the Cedar River at Evansdale which replaces the old one wrecked in the big flood several years ago...

It would take an alot of hikers and bikers to add up to 10 tons, I would think...

The only traffic on the bridge was us...

An eagle was on lookout from high above the river which is quite low right now...

Lastly, I like this shot though it has some pinkish windshield glare going on here and there...

Dried Asters

Here's a couple more photos taken during my walk on Friday.  I thought these asters looked photo-worthy in their dried-up condition.  This shot is my computer screen background right now...

I almost hope some snow arrives soon so I can get some wintery holiday season type photos.  Almost.  As you can see, I changed my blog background and border to Christmas colors.  I wish the changeover didn't get applied to all of the previous blogposts, too, but it does.

I'm watching a PBS special about Peter, Paul & Mary at the moment.  Their harmonies make me want to sing along.  I like the challenge of finding the harmony parts.  That's why I sing alto at church, though I can reach soprano, too.  Right now, Noel Paul Stookey is singing The Wedding Song  on TV.  I sang that at a couple weddings many years ago.  Our music teacher in grade school sometimes played a Peter, Paul & Mary record album for us.  We'd sing along to If I Had a Hammer  and Puff the Magic Dragon  and This Land is Your Land.      

Wild Weeds

Yesterday the weather was really nice so I took the camera along on my walk.  Found these wild and crazy weeds in the road ditch...