Reflected Glow and baby updates!

Reflected Glow
Chalco, NE

Well the dog days of summer seem to finally have arrived in Omaha, hot and humid weather with the occasional thunderstorm to cool the nights down. The wonderfully wet, mild spring has left eastern Nebraska with a lush carpet of vegetation, and those trees that have managed to survive the wild storms are looking wonderful. The humid air and the tattered remains of afternoon thunderstorms are making for some beautiful sunsets, and having some of the cooler night air makes it a good time to go take a stroll around the neighborhood.

Walking around the neighborhood you tend to notice details you never see while driving by. Leah and I have taken to walking through the neighborhood in the late evening, looking at the sunset, enjoying the early night breeze and watching the fireflies twinkle in the grass. The warm glow of the sunset washes over everything, bathing objects in a beautiful golden glow. While walking I noticed this maple tree had a reflected glow from the sun hitting a window, so I stopped and managed to get this shot.

In other news, Leah continues to do well, the baby has been quite active, kicking, wiggling and stretching as much as it can. Leah sometimes wonders if the baby is trying to escape! We are both looking forward to getting to meet our little one, but at the same time want the time to go a bit more slowly so we can try to get some tasks accomplished before our attention is turned to a newborn.

We are also excited to get to see Britanie, as she is back in Nebraska for a week long visit. We expect she will be excited to get to see the baby bump has grown quite a bit since our visit to Boston earlier this spring. Looking forward to hearing about her summer job as a legal aide at Harvard law is going, and hearing more about her explorations of Boston. Also looking forward to getting to demonstrate the smoker, and giving her some good ole fashioned midwest BBQ!

Will it ever Snow?

I am totally unprepared for Christmas this year. It seems like Thanksgiving was just last week and with the weather having been so nice the last few weeks I just don't feel like it is time for Christmas yet. The weather has been entirely to warm and fall like to even begin to believe it is December in Nebraska, no snow, light jacket days, sunny weather, no howling north winds... Heck, when we are supposed to get snow, it passes all around us, we are lucky to even get a few drops of completely liquid moisture!

Oh well, I guess it does let me get some really cool shots of things. I do have to admit it is nice to be able to work a camera and actually feel your fingers! Supposedly its going to snow tomorrow, but I am not holding my breath! Ironically tomorrow is the day my sister and brother in law are driving up from Oklahoma for the Christmas holiday. I guess if I wanted snow earlier, i should have made travel plans!

Sunflower at Sunset #2
Chalco, Nebraska

Fire in the Sky

Fire in the Sky
Chalco, Nebraska - 12/13/06

We have been having some absolutely gorgeous sunsets that last few days. The colors almost look to warm to be a sunset in December! Hard to believe its almost Christmas, as the weather has been so wonderful recently. I imagine we will eventually pay for all those light jacket days sometime in March!

Winter Skies...

"Winter Sunflowers at Sunset"

There is a coldness to the skies over Nebraska now, the brilliant cobalt blues and cottony whites of summer are gone, swept away by the winds of fall with its fiery colors, now muted by the coolness of a dreary gray sky. Watching a winter sunset, the chill of the impending darkness creeps on you. The bitter bite of winter begins to slowly drift over your perceptions...
Yet there is one small ray of hope... the Sun throwing up one last bit of warmth, defying the gloomy gloam with a gleaming display of crimson and oranges hearkening back to balmier times...

"Winter Sunflowers at Sunset" taken near Chalco, Nebraska 12/13/06.