Pictures Taken By you...

[ClaesGefvenberg]

I promised Saphira I would post these; she wanted to see what snow looked like in NJ.

So did I. Nice pictures, Janine. . So now we know what it looks like: White (at least for starters ).

/Claes

[Niamh]

Those pics of the icicles are amazing claes!

And Janine! Thats a LOT of snow!

[pussnboots]

nice pictures Janine and Claes

[kiz_paws]

Claes, your pictures are stunning, LOVED the icy ones!

Janine, I loved your pictures with the pinky hues, those were really pretty. You have an adorable house! It looks like everyone is rather pleased with the snow, great pictures!

[Janine]

Claes, your pictures are stunning, LOVED the icy ones!

Janine, I loved your pictures with the pinky hues, those were really pretty. You have an adorable house! It looks like everyone is rather pleased with the snow, great pictures!

Thanks pussnboots and everybody else,

Of course, my photos can't compare to Claes' artistic ones; they are some of his best, I think. Mine were just quite snapshots to document how deep the snow was that year. Niamh, yes that was a lot of snow for us; but years ago this was the norm for winters. We used to get even deeper snow, with lots of drifts. As kids, of course, we loved it and played outside in snowsuits all day long. We had lots of blizzards too in my day. I guess now, with global warming, the weather is much milder. This particular snowstorm turned out to be such a pretty snow; at least, it was for a day or so. It was so bright out after the snowstorm, the white really glistened. I hate when people shovel the walks, but one has to do it, or we would all be snowed in. Kiz, which ones do you mean with the pinky hues - the night ones? Also, our house looks so small from the front. The original house was but now the back extends a distance with a big addition and upstairs in a full dormer. That helped to create a lot more space; but relatively our house is not on the large size.

So did I. Nice pictures, Janine. So now we know what it looks like: White (at least for starters ).

Claes, Oh how funny...so where is Saphira? I posted a note in her profile page, but I imagine she is busy with school work. Yes, it was quite 'white'. We have had only a few flakes so far this year. I am almost hoping it will snow soon. I guess it will be the first my little grand-daughter will see it/experience the 'white' stuff. That should be so fun for her parents.

Just to give you an idea of the size of the house, deceiving from the front here is a summer photo taken from the backyard. The dormer on the second floor is like the one next door.


This is the lake/pond which is frozen and white in the snow photos.

[ClaesGefvenberg]

Thank you all. I still have some winter pictures left to upload, but now the darkness has returned. The snow is gone and low clouds make it pitch black outside. (growl). It felt so nice biking in the snow while it lasted: Clean, and a good grip with the studded tyres.

Claes, Oh how funny...so where is Saphira? I posted a note in her profile page, but I imagine she is busy with school work.

Yes, I think there was some homework, but she does most of it in class, actually. I think I'm the one bringing the most work home. I see light from the end of the tunnel though (I just hope it's not an oncoming train ): I'll be done with the training I started at work a year and a half ago within a couple of weeks.

/Claes

[Janine]

Thank you all. I still have some winter pictures left to upload, but now the darkness has returned. The snow is gone and low clouds make it pitch black outside. (growl). It felt so nice biking in the snow while it lasted: Clean, and a good grip with the studded tyres. Yes, I think there was some homework, but she does most of it in class, actually. I think I'm the one bringing the most work home. I see light from the end of the tunnel though (I just hope it's not an oncoming train ): I'll be done with the training I started at work a year and a half ago within a couple of weeks.

/Claes

Claes, I could not stand that darkness in the winter months; I know a person who moved her from Sweden and they said it drove them bonkers. They kept remarking about how much light we had here. How does one adjust to that way of life? I guess you get used to it from birth, right? I would thinking biking in the dark would be very difficult. At night things always seems so much colder. I love night myself but don't think I could deal with it all day and night long. Aren't there times when there is no true darkness but only day there? How does that work. I am curious to know.

Well, glad your work schedule/training program is now allowing your to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

[kiz_paws]

Kiz, which ones do you mean with the pinky hues - the night ones?

Yes, beautiful!

Your home is very lovely, it seems to suit you to a tee, Janine,

[Janine]

Yes, beautiful!

Your home is very lovely, it seems to suit you to a tee, Janine,

Thank you, Kiz. Our home is really quite modest, but it is nice inside and out. We do need some work done on it presently, but the state of the economy is not allowing for that just now, which is a bit frustrating. The house is technically my mothers, but will be mine someday; I live with her. See how close our neighbors are though. We are fortunate, that we have really great neighbors, who would do anything for you, and a very friendly neighborhood...people have lived her for a long time, either that or their relatives. Everyone enjoys living on the pond and of course, when I was a young child, along with my two sisters, we loved asking our friends over to ice-skate; they loved using our warm basement, to put on their skates. This makes us all exceedly popular. Afterwards, we all came in and had hot chocolate. Those were the days!

At one time, prior to the beige siding, our house was barn-yard red and we would tell our friends - "our house is the red one with the double oak out front." Once our parents entertained the thought, of having the house painted a different color, and we three protested it hardily. Needless to say it stayed 'red' until we were all grown-up.

[kiz_paws]

Thank you, Kiz. Our home is really quite modest, but it is nice inside and out. We do need some work done on it presently, but the state of the economy is not allowing for that just now, which is a bit frustrating. The house is technically my mothers, but will be mine someday; I live with her. See how close our neighbors are though. We are fortunate, that we have really great neighbors, who would do anything for you, and a very friendly neighborhood...people have lived her for a long time, either that or their relatives. Everyone enjoys living on the pond and of course, when I was a young child, along with my two sisters, we loved asking our friends over to ice-skate; they loved using our warm basement, to put on their skates. This makes us all exceedly popular. Afterwards, we all came in and had hot chocolate. Those were the days!

At one time, prior to the beige siding, our house was barn-yard red and we would tell our friends - "our house is the red one with the double oak out front." Once our parents entertained the thought, of having the house painted a different color, and we three protested it hardily. Needless to say it stayed 'red' until we were all grown-up.

Aww, thats sweet!

Did someone say ICE SKATE?

So now a few photos from my cellphone camera:



Sapphire World -- This was taken at ten in the morning, I did NOT do anything at all to the colouring -- this is what my world looks like sometimes!



Sunset At Costco -- what the heck -- I parked my car at the Costco in my corner of the world, and what do you think happens? A pretty sunset that I'd miss if I didn't grab my cellphone and snap it...



Sun slowly going down. This is the area where I walk my dog, Pepper. Nice, no matter the season.



More sunset material. The colours are very cool, wish I could paint like this!



This is what the Duck Pond looks like just after midnight. The sky isn't always that cool colour, but when it is, awesome!



This is the "Skating Shack", another sight you'll see at my favorite place in Winter, "The Duck Pond". The only ducks you see now, mind you, are the nervous skaters, ducking out to warm up in that shack.

[Snowqueen]

Wow…! I am seeing some great photographers here.
These are some of the pictures taken by me.

[ClaesGefvenberg]

Claes, I could not stand that darkness in the winter months.

Nor could I, but it must be endured...

I know a person who moved her from Sweden and they said it drove them bonkers.

It does, and I'm a living proof of the fact, I guess.

Aren't there times when there is no true darkness but only day there? How does that work. I am curious to know.

Quite right (I'll restrict myself to the Northern hemisphere: South of the equator it's the other way around). As you know, we all have more daylight during the summer (unless you're on the equator), and if you happen to be north of the Arctic circle, the sun never sets around mid summer. Unfortunately, the opposite is equally true: In mid winter it never gets over the horizon. I don't live that far north, but right now we have but a few hours of daylight. All this nonsence is of course caused by the tilted axis of our planet.

Sapphire World -- This was taken at ten in the morning, I did NOT do anything at all to the colouring -- this is what my world looks like sometimes!

Absolutely brilliant picture.

These are some of the pictures taken by me.

I liked the one with the spiderweb. . I also PM:d you about how to get your pictures into the post itself. Holler again if you get stuck.

/Claes

[Janine]

Aww, thats sweet!

Did someone say ICE SKATE?

So now a few photos from my cellphone camera:

Kizzo, I said ICE SKATE! haha...cool photo, and from a cell phone, imagine; those cameras are so good nowdays. I love how blue it came out. Playgrounds in the snow are always interesting. Great shot!

Sapphire World -- This was taken at ten in the morning, I did NOT do anything at all to the colouring -- this is what my world looks like sometimes!

Good name for that photo, too!

Sunset At Costco -- what the heck -- I parked my car at the Costco in my corner of the world, and what do you think happens? A pretty sunset that I'd miss if I didn't grab my cellphone and snap it...

That is funny....sunset at Costco - that is the store, right? I was at our local mall one night and there was this gorgeous rainbow; think now it was a double one; so I was exclaiming about it and people were just walking by oblivious - like 'so what?'...I though how strange it was and the people in NJ must just be half awake or something not to notice such splendor. Then once middle-aged couple did stop; whiped out their cellphone camera and took a shot. I commended them on it. They were awake and very nice people They restored my faith in human beings that night. As the say "stop to smell the roses" or in this case, "stop to photograph the rainbow".

Sun slowly going down. This is the area where I walk my dog, Pepper. Nice, no matter the season.

Oh lucky you and lucky Pepper. This is very nice and looks like a lovely isolated walk.

More sunset material. The colours are very cool, wish I could paint like this!

They are so cool; love sunsets. Try painting one someday from your photo. Really those are not as hard to do as painting figures. Just play around blending the colors and you will find it is lots of fun and very relaxing.

This is what the Duck Pond looks like just after midnight. The sky isn't always that cool colour, but when it is, awesome!

Cool, you have a duck pond, too; is it near your house? We have ducks, geese, one time a swan, egrets, blue heron, and any species of birds that fly in and out of our pond. We also have a ton of turtles and fish. It is fun and interesting living on or near a pond.

This is the "Skating Shack", another sight you'll see at my favorite place in Winter, "The Duck Pond". The only ducks you see now, mind you, are the nervous skaters, ducking out to warm up in that shack.

Haha...this reminds me of the film "Caddy Shack". Now our basement in our house used to be the "Skating Shack". Our poor ducks, the ones that are left, go frantically searching for some patches of water. It is however, so funny to see them walking in line across the frozen lake. I call them duck skaters....they sometimes slip and slide along...too funny to see. Usually, now with global warming there is some bit of water for them; years ago they actually would freeze in and have to be chipped out by a neighbor. We used to have thick ice that would last for weeks sometimes.

I love the 'pinky' hues you now achieved in some of these photos.

[kiz_paws]

Claes, thank you for the kind comment.

Janine, I loved what you had to say about the photos. As for me trying painting, you know, why not? Whats the worse that could happen, right? Again, thanks for those kind comments.

Well three more, and I'll put them in order of lightest to darkest, lol.

This one I call Opal Sky At Dinnertime, for obvious reasons:



This next one is More Sapphire Skies, it is another I took that morning around 10:00 a.m. It was so blue outside that I hoped that my lens wouldn't fog over, I wanted to get as many shots as I could, you know? (again, the cellphone camera, so could it fog up?):



And finally, it was not that late at night, and while I was doing dinner dishes, I glanced outside and saw a shape in a tree in the yard. I turned out the lights in the house to gain a better look, and there it was -- an owl, sitting in the branches! It is not common to have an owl perched in a yard where there is a noisy dog about (Pepper has vocal chords need us say). So through the window I snapped this shot. It is grainy, but the colours were cool and the owl is rather centered, so I liked the pic.:



See you later!

[Janine]

Nor could I, but it must be endured...

Claes, I suppose you have not choice in the matter; at least you have your super-duper arctic biking gear. I hope it keeps you warm when it is dark out. I hope you have good lights/reflectors on your bike, too.

It does, and I'm a living proof of the fact, I guess.

Nay, you seem pretty normal and adjusted to me!

Quite right (I'll restrict myself to the Northern hemisphere: South of the equator it's the other way around). As you know, we all have more daylight during the summer (unless you're on the equator), and if you happen to be north of the Arctic circle, the sun never sets around mid summer.

Thanks for the explanation. I am always wondering how that works. I did think winter months were not totally dark but that the sun was just below the horizon at times and so it is not as black like our night here; am I correct? I kind of learned this from watching countless films and documentaries on the South Pole, the Antarctic. I love stories about that region; I don't really know why, since I hate being in the cold; still the cold regions do fascinate me. They seem so pure.

Unfortunately, the opposite is equally true: In mid winter it never gets over the horizon. I don't live that far north, but right now we have but a few hours of daylight. All this nonsence is of course caused by the tilted axis of our planet.

That is just what I thought. It is hard to imagine that actually living here with a definite day and night, then day and night again. It would truly be freaky to me to be there and experience it.

Absolutely brilliant picture. I liked the one with the spiderweb. . I also PM:d you about how to get your pictures into the post itself. Holler again if you get stuck.

/Claes

I agree with Claes, that spiderweb photo is so great. I love the way spiderwebs look, especially on film. They all were nice but that web was the best one.