The first ice

I might have had some difficulty coming up with a title :-)  This pressure ridge of ice is almost inevitable.  When it snows, the snow plow pushes it from the middle of the street off to the side.  I can't get my car off of the street, so they have no choice but to plow it in a heap next to my car.  If I am diligent, I dash out and shovel it all by hand to the curb side of the car.  If I am not so diligent, it freezes and becomes very difficult to remove, leaving this ridge of ice.  You can see how the sun managed to melt some of it by the now-frozen puddles in the street.  This will stay here until we get a really big storm; when that happens, the city requires the cars to come off the street so they can use a big front end loader to remove the snow.  That machine will hardly notice this little bit of ice, and it'll be gone with the snow.

F Number	10.0
Lens ID	-45mm F3.5-5.6
Focal Length	16.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 32.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/60
Exposure Program	Manual
ISO	100
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

First real snow

We've had a strange winter so far.  No snow to speak of.  Oh, a dusting here and there, but it quickly melted and was gone in a day or two.  On the 12th we got 4 inches of real snow.  Wet, heavy and perfect for snowman and snowball-making!  Of course, the temperature is hovering around freezing, and we got some rain too, so who knows how long this will remain on the ground?

F Number	5.6
Lens ID	LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm F3.5-5.6
Focal Length	45.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 90.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/60
Exposure Program	Program AE
ISO	100
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

The well-read cat

I have too many books.  I haven't got enough shelf space, so this mess is the result.  Savannah has discovered this hidey-hole and jumps into it from the table.  She doesn't realise she's domesticated - I think that in her mind she's lounging in a tree high above the jungle floor.  She's quite the cat.

As for the books, yes I will read them all. 

F Number	5.6
Lens ID	LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm F3.5-5.6
Focal Length	45.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 90.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/30
Exposure Program	Program AE
ISO	100
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	On, Red-eye reduction

Lamp post

This lovely green photo is intended to accompany the previous, red one.  These seem to be the traditional holiday colours after all!  This is the base of a lamp post downtown.  Each one has a small copy of the city's seal.  It's a sheaf of wheat enclosed in a shield shaped cartouche.  It says so in the City ordinances!

F Number	10.0
Lens ID	LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm F3.5-5.6
Focal Length	41.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 82.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/800
Exposure Program	Program AE
ISO	800
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

Poinsettia

These plants are sold almost everywhere this time of year.  Typically, they are displayed in offices and houses until the red leaves drop off, and then they are thrown away.  I can never bring myself to throw away a perfectly good plant, so I keep them.  I have at least 2 from prior years sitting nearby.  They are pure green.  It takes a solid 12 hours of complete darkness for two months in order to induce them to get those red leaves, and I haven't tried it because I don't have the right schedule to take them out from under cover and into the sunlight each day.  Maybe when I retire, who knows?

The red leaves are not the flowers - the tiny yellow bits in the middle are!

F Number	5.5
Lens ID	LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm F3.5-5.6
Focal Length	34.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 68.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/5
Exposure Program	Program AE
ISO	3200
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

Femme

This is Femme.  She's a Greater Swiss Mountain Dog - a Swissy.  She loves the outdoors, even if it's chilly out.  She's coming back from her morning walk, and she's happy to see someone at eye level!

I haven't been good about posting... it's hard to find interesting things to photograph in this time after the leaves have fallen and before the snow.

F Number	5.6
Lens ID	-45mm F3.5-5.6
Focal Length	28.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 56.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/160
Exposure Program	Program AE
ISO	100
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

December sky

This is the sky as it looks this morning.  It seems a pretty typical December day.

A group of photobloggers post a photo of their skies each Friday - it's called Skywatch Friday. Click the link to see photos from round the world.

F Number	5.6
Lens ID	LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm F3.5-5.6
Focal Length	45.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 90.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/3200
Exposure Program	Manual
ISO	800
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire