Don't Worry About It...

...Nik & I weren't planning on doing any trespassing or swimming at the pond on this day. With single-digit windchill temps, it was highly unlikely!

Christmas Farmstead

This small farm is just off Cecelia Road in the Village of Pewaukee. Most of the land around it has been eaten up by housing and retail developments. Even so, it's nice to see the owners display their Christmas spirit by hanging a large wreath on their barn.

The Road Less Traveled

Another long, quiet, snowy driveway right off Swan Road. I can almost hear the bells of a horse-drawn sleigh in the distance...

What Christmas is All About

One of our neighbors has a simple creche template/cut-out with a white spotlight shining upon it. Let's remember that this representation of the birth of Jesus is the reason for this season.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

Roger - Over and Out!

No reindeer for this Santa - he's got his little propeller plane and has been cleared for take-off on this runway lit by holiday bulbs.

Frosty the Snowman

All lit up and ready to party! Since Frosty is air-filled, there is a very loud wooshing sound with this particular display, which scared poor Nik when she got close enough to sniff.

"Thumpity-thump-thump, thumpity-thump-thump, look at Frosty go!" - Now, that might really be a little scary if he started to walk away. Fortunately, he is tethered down to the ground.

Don't look a gift cow in the mouth.

Another house in our subdivision has this pedestrian cow delivering a Christmas present to their front door. Since Wisconsin is "America's Dairyland," there's probably a nice wheel of aged cheddar inside!

Snowman Lamp Post

Similar to the Halloween pumpkin lamp post covers I posted earlier this fall, many of the neighbors have put a top-hatted snowman on top of their lights this holiday season. Below is another view taken from a distance.

SkyWatch Friday: December Sunset

Taken outside a shop on Bluemound Rd. in Brookfield, the sun is setting farther and farther in the southwest sky. On the Winter Solstice (Dec. 21) it will reach it's lowest point here in Wisconsin, and we will have our shortest day and longest night to welcome in the winter.

See all SkyWatch entries here.

Jimmy John's

A favorite area sub sandwich shop is "Jimmy John's." This particular location is on Brady Street in a converted brick fire-station/garage. Taken about a month ago during one of the last nice days of autumn, patrons are are eating at the tables outside, enjoying the warm sunshine before it disappears for the next six months.

Holiday Spirit x10!

This holiday light display is located on One Mile Road in Lisbon, WI. It's a residential street, just a mile long, ending with a farm house that sells Christmas trees.

Believe it or not, this house has actually cut-back the number of decorations they usually put up. In addition to what's currently there, last year they had a ten foot high revolving globe that said "Peace on Earth" in the front yard. You can also see just the corner of their back deck on the left hand side of this image, which is also lit up. Not visible in this photo is a giant lighted wreath hanging from the side of their house. Someone has to keep the electric company in business :-)

Dashing Through the Snow

I love the contrast that Kate's puppy, Harriet, makes against the white snow. Last weekend she had her first romp off-leash at the dog park in Hartland. After an hour of running, sniffing, chasing snowballs, and digging for mice, she was exhausted and more than a little damp! See her wrapped in a towel (below) on Kate's lap during the drive home.

High Bush Cranberry

Also known as Viburnum Opulus, the high bush cranberry shrub is a common sight Wisconsin woodlands. In the spring, fragrant white flower clusters adorn the bushes, and in the fall the leaves turn a beautiful magenta red. The berry clusters remain during the winter as food for wildlife. The berries of this shrub along Swan Road carried a mantle of snow after our recent blizzard, creating a pretty holiday postcard.

SkyWatch Friday: Obscurred by Clouds

The moon was racing in and out from under a blanket of clouds when I snapped this recent night-time photo. It's reminiscent of a star "nebula" image.

See all SkyWatch Friday entries here.

More Christmas Greetings

Another neighborhood Christmas light display. (Be sure to click image to see larger view.)

Ho-Ho-Ho

The neighborhood Halloween decorations have now been replaced with ones for Christmas. This air-inflated Santa waves to us as we pass by our neighbor's garage.

O, Christmas Tree

It started to snow here this evening - the first real storm of the season. While taking Nik for her evening walk around the neighborhood, we got a nice view of all the holiday lights and decorations that people have put out this year. This large Christmas tree was just beautiful, although because it's snowing pretty hard, it was challenging to get a clear photo.

Lots of schools in the area have already announced they will be closed tomorrow. With any luck, we may have a SNOW DAY from work, too!

Playing Possum

Eerily similar to the previous post of Phoebe sleeping in the sun, Nik and I came across this possum "taking a nap" by the side of the Swan Road. Although it appeared to have been hit by a car, fortunately, it wasn't a gory scene. It was simply lying upside down next to the road in the leaves. It's little foot is what caught my eye. Sort of reminded me of a little leprechaun hand - that could use a manicure. Kinda spooky!

Cat Nap

Now that December is here, the winter weather has followed. No major snow yet, but the windchill has settled into the teens and it can get pretty bitter when taking Nik for her final walk of the evening. Phoebe, on the other hand, has the right idea: a litter box in the basement and basking in the sun whenever possible!

SkyWatch Friday: Slip-Sliding Away

A blue sky frames this decrepit, gothic farm house in Columbia County, Wisconsin. It can be seen in the distance from I-90/94, and is located just south of the I-39 Portage exit. Traveling this route for years, we have watched the steady decline of this old house. It appears to be leaning more and more each year, and I'm sure will eventually crumple to the ground unless it is demolished. In the photo below, you can see part of the newer home built to replace it.

See all SkyWatch entries here.

Frozen to the Gills

I didn't realize that mushrooms and other fungus could survive freezing conditions, but apparently they can. This zoom view of a toadstool-type fungus growing high up in an oak tree near Lindsay Road shows the textured gills underneath the cap. My guess is that it's not really *growing* anymore, but is suspended in time with the cold weather.

Kate's Cute Shoes

My daughter, Katelyn, has a super cute pair of funky purple-flowered heels that she loves to wear. She gets compliments on them all the time, and because of the variety of colors, they go with everything! (OK, maybe not plaid.) I told her that years from now, she'll remember these shoes and, of course, they'll probably be long gone. So, we've immortalized them with pictures!

Waiting for the Train

Another view inside the new Milwaukee Amtrak station. A tree is growing in the large, open atrium, surrounded by people waiting for the arrival of the westbound Empire Builder. Originating in Chicago, the train arrives in Milwaukee for the next leg of the journey, including La Crosse, Minneapolis, Fargo, and all points west to Seattle on the Pacific coast.