Help me out~

Last year I did the Photo Contest at Kickapoo Valley Reserve. I had to submit 3 photos to their gallery and the public would vote on a photo.

I didn't ask friends to go vote like other contestants did, I just wanted to see if the photos if I'd get anything on my own merit.

I did when a tie place for second and I was tickled to find that out. It was one of my favorite shots of the past year when I had gone hiking on a full moon foggy night.

This was the winner of $50! Woooo hoo!

I am picking from these ones to submit this year:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

I definitely want to do just one of the fog photos, and really love the Trumpeter Swans. 

The tree is Maple Tree with a Tag on it and is considered an Icon of the Blackhawk Woods. The coyote and I saw each other on the trail one morning and I thought it was cool.

The last one is a view of one of the most used trails in the reserve and it looked like a trail into a mystical late fall scene.

What ones do you like?

I'm going out tonight to see if I can't 'catch' the last glimpse of the Milky Way before it decides to leave our part of the sky.

Last night I practiced setting up the camera and taking a few shots so I'd be better prepared for this evening...Hopefully!

Thanks in advance for your help!!!

December and Surprise!

Welcome December!

It sure came in with a colorful and amazing sunrise.

Thursday morning I ran errands. I had Christmas Cards to pick up in case I got the notion to sit down and make out cards. I'm not very good at that. On a whim, I went by the toy isle and picked up a Jurassic World Lego Toy. It had a big truck in it and two dinosaurs. I was interested in mainly the truck.

When I got home, I unpackaged the Legos and set it down on the table.

Rich looked at it and said, "What's this?"

I said "Oh, hmmm, I needed a truck for the village and there is a red one in there somewhere. I need you to make it." 

I walked off to put some things away.

We had a Video Connect appointment with his Mental Health doctor and I had to have hm put things to the side.

Our conversation was much different than the one he had a month ago. It normally sounds exactly like this

How are you?
The same nothing changes.

...and it started out that way until....

I told him to tell her about the Lego building we had been doing. He rolled his eyes and shook his head and then the doctor was able to convince him to tell her about it.

He started to laugh and talked about how 'my wife can't build Legos without any directions and she messes up all the time so I have to supervise her!'

He said it was nothing but stupid. I interjected the obvious. I told the doctor that we engage for at least two hours at a time when working on the Lego 3D puzzles and he often can figure things out for himself. He was engaging socially, using his mind to problem solve, working with small motor skills, ... and NOT sitting and staring out the window.

Then Rich went on to tell her a bit about building and directions and how he was figuring things out. He explained that he used to run a welding shop where he had to think things up on the fly in order to create or fix things so Legos was sort of the same.

With Aphasia, it took a bit for him to explain it, but I could see her face light up while they were talking. He was animated and laughing as he explained the concept of Legos.

Who knew? Right? This doctor had never seen him laugh or engage like he did in this video meeting. She even quipped that she should prescribe Legos...and casually wondered aloud how to do that.

I'd sent a photo to his daughter of her father working on the red truck. She asked if Lego had tractors as she would like to get him something different for Christmas.

I sent her a link to a set that isn't very pricey but had a nice tractor and trailer build by Lego Technic which means the tractor will have articulated parts.

Hey, the guy loves tractors and cars. Maybe he can build some models. Of course we'd do it together because those really tiny parts are hard for him with his tremors.

Win. Win.

Then around supper time I received an email from the Kickapoo Valley Reserve:

Congratulations,  I’m happy to inform you that your photo “Campsite AA Gibbous Moon” has been voted for a Voter’s Choice Award.  If you are able, please come to the Holiday Happening on December 3 for the public announcement at 5:30 p.m. Please keep the secret until then!  Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.  I hope to see you on Saturday. 

The photo above is the one the email refers to. SHHH, don't tell anyone!

More important though was the afternoon project.

And the result:

I wonder how the Christmas Village will welcome dinosaurs?

What a wonderful way to the start of December.

 

Ice Fingers!

I had some time Friday afternoon to do some wandering around at the creek. With the fresh snow I was able to see where the deer had been making trails. I found one that looked 'as busy' as when the mules made a trail.

I see that the recent wet heavy snowfall had caused oak leaves to drop like crazy. I guess it was just startling to see them littering the fresh snow fall like some child had gotten hold of a pile of leaves and tossed them all just so perfectly!

I do enjoy how Mother Nature redecorates on a whim with her weather.

I wanted to see the change since the snowfall from two days earlier. The temperatures had dipped into the teens and down to the single digits overnight.
I knew that the water splashing in the creek would create 'ice fingers' on the blades of grasses and any weeds hanging over the creek.

...and I was right. A parsnip plant was bent over the water and the water and temperatures had made it into a pretty ice sculpture.

The tiny falls that is between our land and one of the neighbors had a thick little ice formation.

Everywhere I looked, there was ice!

I didn't have time to explore further down the valley, so I just stopped and watched the small trout flit back and forth along this place.

It is hard to explain how calming this little creek is. I am so lucky to have it within a five minute walk from the house.

While Rich is resting or watching TV, I can grab a little 'me' time and catch some very fresh air at the same time.

The temperatures have dipped again today and will be 6 degrees tonight. Oh happy Ice Fingers!

~~~~~~
I'm opting for a hike in the Kickapoo Valley Reserve if I can swing it too this week.
I need to stop in at the Visitor's Center and see the photo contest display.

Two of my photos have made it to the Finals and they are announcing the winner on the 7th of December. That is my little planned get away visit so I won't be able to be present.

Below are the two photos that made it to the finals.
If chosen, they will be used on the KVR's web page or brochures for promotion.

I'm okay with that. I really like the the Reserve.