We enjoyed a walk on Dec 21 to mark the official start of winter. Our route took us from the Forest Exploration Center through The Sanctuary (old County grounds) and into Hoyt Park along the Menomonee Parkway. I hope you enjoy the winter palette as much as I do, with its subtle shades of beige, brown, and grey against a partly cloudy sky.

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Peninsula State Park in Fish Creek, Door County is one of my favorite places. Last January we spent a long weekend there for a winter getaway. I took these photos walking along a hiking path in the woods. Wherever there was water, we found large chunks of ice! The final two photos of the  lake ice are my daughter's, taken with her iPhone.

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The first photos below are from a weekend outing in later December, 2013 with my daughter. We walked from our home to a nearby park, enjoyed some playtime there, then ended up at the local coffee shop for hot cocoa. What wonderful memories of a lovely, snowy day! I took the others on a separate occasion just outside the apartment door; one tree was laden with red berries and another framed  our view down the street.

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I took these  photos on Christmas morning 2013 in my mother's backyard. Snow had fallen overnight and the yard was untouched. I love photographing everyday objects; I found these even more interesting layered with snow and ice.

All photos: CC BY-NC 4.0