Cloudy Sky Sunset

Cloudy skies make for amazing sunsets. Over the past week, we've had cloudy or overcast skies around sunset, producing spectacular color displays in the sky.

It is as if the clouds form a special canvas for the sun's rays to paint the sky between the horizon line and the edge of the cloud cover.

The daily panorama often reminds me of the "calm before the storm," and serves as a quiet, sweet prelude before the rain and thunderstorms begin.

More Optimistic 2012

Welcome to the new year -- 2012. According to a recent survey, people are feeling more optimistic about the new year ahead. I concur; we all need a more hopeful year.

In honor of our renewed optimism, my adopted mantra for 2012 will be "Clear eyes. Full hearts. Can't lose." If this saying sounds familiar, you are probably a fan of the television show, Friday Night Lights. If you're not familiar with the show, you should add it to your must watch list in 2012. Its touching characters and story lines about a small town high school football program in Texas will keep you inspired and optimistic in the coming year.

With this mantra, I'm challenging myself to keep my eyes and heart open in the coming months, so I can achieve (and receive) all of the blessings in store for me this year. While the world in 2012 may continue to be as lopsided and crooked as this snowman, with my new mantra as a reminder, I will aim to share its happy, cheerful grin in the days ahead.

Galloping through the Tulips

Sometimes, great photographs are just a matter of perspective or where the photographer decided to place the camera lens.

When photographing the tulips in Washington Circle last year, I thought it would be interesting to include the statue of George Washington and his horse among the tulips. After struggling to get both subjects into the frame, I found that when I crouched down into a sitting position near the outside border of the circle and photographed the scene in front of me, it would appear as if George Washington and his steed were galloping through the blooming tulips. Digital cameras give us the freedom to experiment without the worry or cost of developing multiple rolls of film. I doubt I would have discovered this great composition if I was counting the number of film frames at my disposal.

Marching Washington

Every morning on my way to work, I pass by Washington Circle where a statue of General George Washington riding his horse in the Battle of Trenton during the Revolutionary War resides. It was only after the snowstorm last year that I actually walked through the circle -- instead of around -- and studied this beautiful statue by sculptor Clark Mills. The Battle of Trenton took place on the day after Christmas in 1776, when Washington and the Continental Army crossed the frozen Delaware River to surprise the sleeping Hessian soldiers recovering from their Christmas night festivities. The colonial army captured 2/3 of the Hessian forces. The victory, though small, served as inspiration to the wavering colonial rebels and helped pave the way for defeating the British and securing America's independence. I imagine that Washington and his horse may have actually resembled this image, covered with snow as he marched into Trenton. Now when I pass by the circle, I'm drawn to this great bronze statue of a victorious general marching toward independence.