Soft Winter Revelry

Winter Twin Trees

Winter Revelry © 2013 Bo Mackison

“Be soft. Do not let the world make you hard. Do not let pain make you hate. Do not let the bitterness steal your sweetness. Take pride that even though the rest of the world may disagree, you still believe it to be a beautiful place.” ~ Kurt Vonnegut

How quiet the world was this morning, early on the first day of this New Year 2013. Even in its winter dress, winter white, and cloaked in frigid air, the light was transparent. I took a deep breath and inhaled iciness into my lungs. Sherpa and I stopped at a small cafe for breakfast. Our conversation wandered into our plans for 2013, our goals, our dreams.

We laughed at what has become our traditional ushering in of the New Year – a fire in the fireplace, a few lit candles, a Jack Johnson station on Pandora, a few (still awkward) attempts at dancing, a lot of silliness, a lot of holding hands, a lot of love.

Minutes before midnight, we poured our favorite celebratory wine — Angelique from Stone’s Throw Winery in Door County. Then we queued two versions of Auld Land Syne on YouTube, first James Taylor’s version, quiet and calming, dating from our newlywed days. Second, we listened to Norwegian Sissel Kyrkjebø’s soprano version, her notes, strong, bright, dancing in the air.

As the clock struck midnight, we toasted – “Happiness and Health in the New Year”.

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Bo Mackison is a photographer and owner of Seeded Earth Studio LLC. Since the temps are hovering around zero, I photographed winter with my iPhone or iPad, and used the Snapseed App for processing. In cool tones. Fitting.

Living on the Edge

Maybe a Lake View Wasn’t Such a Good Idea?

Tree with a Lake View © 2007

I am not an adventurer by choice, but by fate. ~ Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890)

This tree took root on the edge of a rocky precipice. Will there be a plunge into Lake Michigan in its near future?

Photographed in Peninsula State Park, Fish Creek, Wisconsin

Autumn Yellows in Devil’s Lake State Park

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Curving Stone Wall © 2007

Yellow maple leaves
Crunching and browning on road
Stone wall gently curves.

A perfect late October day for a road trip to Devil’s Lake State Park near Baraboo, Wisconsin. Autumn color is at peak and yellows and oranges stretch from forest floor to sky along North Shore Drive