Once again, the sun was shinning today. I had to get out and let my imagination run-a-muck with the sun guiding me. I went to Old Ft. Hays today, which I haven't been to in quite a long time. I remember after my dad passed away, we were going through some of the things that he had kept through his life. I remember some negatives that he had taken of my mother. I don't know exactly when they were taken, but I remember that they were taken at Old Ft. Hays. I have been looking for them but can't find them anywhere.

When I looked at the one picture of the bull buffalo, my first reaction was "how many fences does it take to keep in a 'wild' animal"? You can almost see the look of domestication in his eyes.

There is a couple of pictures of this log I saw in the fire wood pile at the Fort. It was amazing to see. If you look closely, you can tell that it was two young trees that sprouted close to each other and through time, grew together. I feel that is so symbolic in life. If we choose, we can find someone close to us and grow together to make a life together. On one end of it was amazing texture. It really intrigued me as how they cut this log. You can see the distinct saw marks. All in a common direction. Almost like it was sheared in some way. You can tell that they are teeth marks from a saw, yet doesn't make sense to me. If you have any ideas or an explanation, please feel free to let me know. It really picked my brain.

I was going through all of my old pictures and found a few that I thought that I would add. In the one picture with the Christmas lights, that is the Railroad park in Ellis with the Full Moon in the back ground. In the picture of the ice on the creek, I have never seen it that cold before. The ice was actually crawling up the dock and around the posts that held up the dock. It was actually forming snow flake looking crystals on the frozen ice. It was bitter cold that day. I have been trying to find interesting shots by means of repeating symetrical shapes or just point of view, where the lines seem to run off to eternity. I need to take some of rail lines with a sunset in the background. The bad thing is that I will have to wait for a couple of months. Where I live the railroad runs right through town and I need the days to be longer where the Sun is more directly due East West than it is now. Those might be mid summer pictures.

Last week my Astronomy professor gave us an assignment for the month of February. We have to take a sunset picture everyday for a month. He is trying to show us by example how the Sun is moving more due East-West moving from the South to the North as the days are getting longer. It is getting closer to Vernal Equinox. That is the point when The Sun will rise precisely in the East and sets precisely in the West. If you notice, and I'm sure you already know, in the winter the Sun rises South of East and sets South of West, then makes it's way to the Southern most point, known as Winter Solstice, then works it's way back North of East to West, at it's most Northern point is Summer Solstice.

I have had quite a bit of help with some ideas from my cousin, that I had lost contact with for several years. She also is a photographer and has done some truly beautiful work. She doesn't give herself enough credit some times. I tell you, she has inspired me to look at things differently than I normally see them. She has helped my ideas grow into new and interesting ones. Thanks Jennifer.

I'm not sure how many days in a row I will have to tell Tracy, Emily and Jonas how much I miss them before they will come to see us. haha. Love you guys!!

Today the sun was finally shining again and it felt good. I went out to see my cousin that I haven't seen in....too long. It was great to spend some time with him and his wife and their beautiful kids. It's amazing what they have done with their house. It is very cozy. Very welcoming. I hope to get to see more of my family that I haven't seen in some time here very shortly. I am looking forward to it. I do wish that I could see Tracy, Emily and Jonas soon. I sure miss all of them!