Tuesday, Judy and I went to Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge near Decatur, Alabama, 100 miles south of our house. We met up with Susan Hay and Emily Helms to photograph the sandhill cranes and other birds that are spending the winter in the south. Sandhill cranes are large birds, can stand 4 feet tall and have a wingspan of over 7 feet. Last year 12,000 of these birds wintered at Wheeler. This is only one of the hundreds of photos that I took. I like the new lens and this shot was even through the thick glass of the observation building.

I'll be sharing some more photos this week.

Some of you may not believe this, but I have been failing at moon photography for some time. Not as easy as it sounds. Automatic settings on your camera will not get it done. I shot this photo early yesterday morning after Lori said she wanted to see the moon picture. The ones from Monday morning were not good. So I woke up early and went out on the deck. Camera was on the tripod with 150-600 mm lens, with camera on manual. Manual focus and exposure at 1/200 second, f/10, and iso 200. I did try some photos with the moon caught in the tree but again there is an enormous difference in how far away the moon is and how close the tree is. I'm thinking I could put two photos together to show what I experienced the other morning. Ah, for another time. I'm just pleased I finally got the exposure right, or nearly so. One thing at a time...

Not this cold since last January. Single digits in Nashville. A lot colder in other places. Winter is just getting started and I'm already checking the calendar. I haven't counted the days until March, but I'm thinking about it. Except...as Judy has said, we don't want to wish our lives away. There is enjoyment possible every day.

We enjoy feeding the birds in our yard. And we have done so each place we lived. One of our neighbors enjoyed feeding the squirrels, and attached ears of corn to the trees. When the corn was gone, the squirrels would feast on our sunflower seeds. So I tried several things, finally purchasing this feeder that springs shut when a squirrel attempts to get the seeds out of the feeder. But they are persistent animals. And now we live next to the woods. I tried last year to become a killer. I was a poor shot, and some in my family thought I hated squirrels. No, I just thought they shouldn't eat all of the sunflower seeds. This week I counted more than a dozen squirrels gathered around the feeders. They are smarter than I am. I surrender. As long as they promise to share...

We took our tree down yesterday and put away the decorations. Our holiday guests are all gone. But Christmas is not over. The epistle lesson for the second Sunday in Christmastide (the 11th day of Christmas) is Ephesians 1:3-14. Within these few verses, the blessings of God are celebrated. And then there is this wonderful verse: "Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us." God intended to bless us from the beginning. And there's nothing we did to deserve the blessings. And there is nothing we can do to repay God. That sounds good, but we like to give back, pay back, earn what we receive. But then it wouldn't be a gift.

Madeline (Maddy, as she prefers to be called) doesn't fit in my hands like this anymore. This photo is from the day of her baptism 8 years ago, a favorite of mine.

Another named winter storm. More disruptions. More cold. More precipitation.

Friends and family north of us brace for winter weather. Some have headed to the south to avoid it altogether.

The weather is a topic for conversation whether you love winter or already are anticipating spring. Don't you love it?

One big change between working and retirement is the difference in the number of hours I spent in a car. I traveled a lot to one meeting after another, especially when I was a superintendent. One benefit of traveling was seeing the sky all of the time. Often I would be on the road before dawn and heading home at sunset. And I never saw the sky the same (except for the gray, cloudy days--I suspect there was some subtle differences that were lost on me). This is one of those dawn moments on the Illinois prairie.

Other than a day and year noted on the calendar, today is like every other day. But we do attach some significance to this first day of a new year. Today is often used as a starting point, a beginning day, an opportunity for resolutions. I'm thinking I just want to pause more often and look and appreciate and wonder and enjoy. I want to keep that resolution.

Actually, I do have some plans regarding my weight and exercise. I hope to learn more about processing my photos through Lightroom and Perfect Effects to the point that I have joined a learning group online. I want to travel some. I want to read more. I have so enjoyed reading some wonderful books this year. I want to love my family and my friends, and intentionally visit with them in person or through written communication. I want to reflect on life and faith. It's going to be fun.