Downtown: So I took a walk in the snow after all. This is the main drag of my little town. (shutter open for 3 seconds, found that I needed to use the two second shutter delay to avoid shaking the camera)

Quiet Night

There's something about snowfall at night that get's to me. Outside, everything is very quiet. Few people are brave enough to venture out, and the sounds of those that do--their footsteps or the sound of a car--are muffled by the snow. While most shirk from it, I adore taking solitary walks in the snow.

Camera Fun: This is the same shot, but with a salt truck driving through. Only the rotating yellow light and red tail lights show up. Eerie, huh? For all these nighttime shots I set the camera to 8 or 10 second shutter speeds and stepped up the exposure to + 2. I think everything else was automatic. The clarity and light nuances captured by the digital camera really surprised me.

Drive-by: The shot with a car's headlights going through.

Across the Street: A shot of the house across from mine (supposed wireless signal broadcasters). I can't believe the nighttime detail on this. I had even walked in front of the camera and it didn't seem to register me--like when you wave your hand in front of a telescope but don't see it, just the stars whose light it is gathering.

Frosted Holly Trees: Slightly overexposed shot of the trees and house next door, but a very close representation of the actual light levels to the naked eye.

Let it snow: At an ice skating rink in Pentagon City in Northern Virginia. Cool movement and lighting effects. I was up there over the weekend to visit some friends and to catch a little nightlife. Did you hear? A heavy snow warning tonight! Yeah!

Virginia is for some Lovers: at a road side sign on my way up to DC.

Fresh Air, Hazy Days: This was one of the views on the new route I ran today. You'll have to believe me that there's a ridge of snow-frosted mountains in the distance.

Running Up That Hill: While my siblings run on treadmills and indoor tracks, I'm tackling hills like this one. The other half of it is beyond that rise (yes, that's Montana parked in the foreground). Trust me, it looks much steeper when you're on it. Going up on the way there was tough, but smooth sailing on the way down. 9.5 miles today in 1:29:19. Not too shabby, given the terrain.

My Own Private Bermuda Triangle: I have the pleasure of living between two metropolitan areas. They're just far enough away that I receive no TV signals and receive radio stations that are often full of static. This is my hand-crank and/or solar powered radio (gift from sis'). When the microwave is plugged in, it receives 90.7 NPR. When it's unplugged, it receives 90.9 NPR. This is important because they carry different programming that I enjoy. Sometimes leaving the metallic cabinet doors open improves the reception.

A morning greeting: little prints on my porch floor

A morning greeting2: these look they were dancing

Through wind, rain, and snow: a package in the mail! new books for the g&l bookclub I'm heading up.

Fresh baked goodness: What's that ringing I hear? Oh, hello chickpea bread!

Fun with chores: one of the less-fun things I did today. It's my least-favorite chore. I had some friends in the upper left to help, though. Don't worry, it was after 12 (slightly) before I started.

Burning incense

Mother Nature: she cooperated and brought it after all.

Snow day: Yes, the county government closed because of snow and so did we. These are some pretty free-range eggs brought in by a local farmer. They became my breakfast. I don't know why I made the vegan cake a few days ago since I had these on hand...

Inclement weather: Does this look like life-threatening snow conditions? I think so too, which is why work is starting two hours late today. 3" - 5" are predicted, so I'm hoping it picks up and work is scrapped all together! Don't laugh, Buffalo people.

vegan carrot cake blogged. yum!

Actualize THIS!

I am starving (not really, but I am fiercely hungry), but feel compelled to blog this thought that was with me throughout my run. Being outdoors centers me; it causes me to be introspective and allows me a broader view of the life going on around me.

So, aside from thinking, I hate this and why am I running?, I was thinking about how hard life appears. Once we're into the adult/destined to work 40 hrs a week phase, it's easy to lose sight of the things that are important and even harder to get them back. It's particularly easy to take comfort with how things are already going, even though we'd like to make some changes.

For instance, I am pretty lazy and have more free time available to me than most people do. But, instead of doing the things I REALLY want to be doing (writing and reading, because sometimes I think my life depends on that), I prefer to sit and daydream. That's fun and a healthy thing to do (everyone needs to do more of it), but I tend to do too much.

Maybe the key is to remind ourselves that life isn't really that hard, we just need to work at the things we want to change. I'm hoping that running 3x a week will put me on a schedule and help me to prioritize other things that I need to do.

So, this week's personal theme: to actualize the changes I want to see in my life. It can't be that hard.

The runner: Today I ran the furthest I ever have: one hour and ten minutes. That's about 7.5 miles. I'm planning on doing the Buffalo half-marathon in May. I have to say that I feel great. Though I'm quickly approaching the 30-year mark, I feel better than I did at 25. This is a picture of me stretching afterward. Notice the great Southern Florida tan? Outdoor VA temp while running: 29 degrees.

Our fascinating world: Did you know erosion and decomposition are two processes that fascinate me? This is a close-up of an erosional process common in VA--water beneath the soil freezes, pushing the soil up and often downhill. There would be much more ice if this was a wetter location. It crunches underfoot. Anyone remember what the process is called? Maybe BigRex?

Spring is around the corner: The tulips in my flower bed are quickly coming up! Also, during my run I spied some crocus that are already blooming! I'll always have spring memories of purple crocus poking through the snow while I was growing up in Buffalo.

Looking Behind Me

I'm at the library, using them for their hi-speed because my neighbor's is somewhat unpredictable in its reach across the street. Invariably, if I'm not napping I'm procrastinating at the library from doing any of the work I want to get done. If only I wasn't a slouch. So, I was browsing the shelf and took this down to skim: "If Only: How to Turn Regret into Opportunity". I have a problem with this, though I will say it's getting better. I'll let you know if I learn anything from the book. Maybe I'll finish it, find it wasn't worth anything, and then wish I hadn't wasted so much time on it.

Blue Waters: Here's me visiting in Ft. Lauderdale for a few days. Despite the cool weather, I came home with a stellar tan and uber-relaxed demeanor, though I now have to enter detox.

For BigRex(tinct): Look at the size of these fossils! (pointed out by my friend) What kind are they...?

The Beach: South Florida is becoming my favorite state (though it wasn't really warm enough to spend time on the beach). I do feel bad for the people in the middle of this picture who were run over...

Lazy Days: This is what I looked like after drinking and laying by the pool all weekend. I like the starbust of sun at the corner of the photo. This guy was probably about four feet long.

For Chris: The butchest picture of me skipping through the Everglades.

Ah, the good ol' U of VA.

Old books: While doing some work-related research at the UVa libraries, I stumbled on some old books. I thought this one was funny--it's from 1924 and is called "Problems of Village Life". I've browsed through other books on the shelves that were from around 1800, and a few earlier than that.

Blue Ridge: One of my favorite views from Route 29 as I drive down to Charlottesville, VA.

after about 2 or 3 months of growth, the orchid stem is getting close to blooming.

60 degrees + clean car = reason to ride

The shadow of a water glass on the wall. You may have to click on the photo to see details of this one. I guess the lines are from having to set the digital camera to pick up the faint light cast by the nightlight.

---texture---

Cowboy flannel sheets! Beat that!

A view from my bedroom window. Surrounded by trees, it makes me think I'm sleeping in a forest. Those are holly trees, which get bright red berries in the winter--a perfect match to the white snow.

Mmm...one of my favorite breakfast foods.

A thought about what's important

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter." MLK Jr.

This quote is stickyed on my monitor at work. It of course makes me think about our current political atmosphere, but it also makes me think about art, writing, loved ones, and daydreaming.