Potential ...

On the way to Sterling on Route 30 going to Morrison, I thought I would intercept this fast moving storm. It had produced a large bow-echo on the radar and tornadoes had been reported in the Clinton, IA region, just across the border. When I stopped the SUV, it was still about ninety degrees outside and muggy. These clouds were tumbling right over one another and you could hear the wind rushing through above. Radar indicated sustained shear winds of over 70 MPH! Shortly after my arrival, the storm appeared to become organized and its potential for tornadic threats severely diminished, at least in that area.

Catch up ....

Simple HDR image of lightning looking south toward Princeton where the storms hit the hardest.

More Lightning.

My mom on Mother's Day at my sister's house, working at the kitchen sink.

Finally, a smile!.The enemy, the elusive pest known as the Japanese Beetle. Notice his snapper as he devours my pin oak tree.

A full view of his backside. If you ask me, he looks chubby and needs to be squashed.

More of the damage he causes when he eats my trees.

Two Japanese beetles in a different life stage. Did you know that these creatures can eat and mate at the same time?
The devestation to one of my dwarf apple trees, known as skeletonizing. This happened only in a matter of hours. This is why the Japanese Beetles have been classified as enemy number 1 and must be destroyed.

More bad storms ...

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Every since I was about fifteen, I've done this "year in review" type of thing right around my birthday. I guess I do it to make sure I'm going in the right direction and not losing track of what I want to do with my life. I know it sounds cheesy, but hey, it's my birthday week, strike that, birthday month, so I'm entitled :).

A busy year? Yes, definitely. The cliches appear to breathe in more life the older that I become. Everyday, it feels as though the world is moving faster than the day before, and I'm playing catch up. No, there is never enough time to get everything done, but as this year has reinforced, it's the important things that truly do matter, and to me, the important things are my relationships with my family and friends.

I believe relationships tell a lot about who you are; rather, I believe it's how one relates to the world around them, be it people, animals, nature, or whatever, that really identifies the type of person he/she really is. How one relates to those things in the universe seems to be continuously changing event, though; I guess the way that I visualize it is that a person seems to be like a buoy out in the ocean continuously bumping into the things around it; some days the sea is calm, other days, it's a little stormy out there and we bump a little harder :). Alright, enough of my meager attempt at being deep.

Year in Review. First off, I went a little farther than a year back. It was just over a year ago that Rochelle and I got married on the beach near Tulum, Mexico. I feel that was a life changing event that was important enough to include for the review :). In case you didn't know, it was just the two of us that flew down there for a week and we were married near sunset on the beach. It was beautiful and not too stressful. In fact, we went for a swim earlier in the morning in an old port near the ancient Mayan ruins. In June, we celebrated our one year anniversary.

Our extended families have expanded as you can see above. Also, our immediate family expanded with the addition of Farley, the crazy weimaraner. A beautiful pup, he's been a challenge for Jake to relate to. I guess like me, Jake needs to work on his sharing skills.

I am still working for the Lee County State's Attorney Office, although my role has shifted somewhat. I now handle all of the civil matters concerning the county and provide general counsel to the various local government departments. Also, I still prosecute and was fortunate enough to have three successful jury trials this year. As for bench trials and hearings, I can't keep count as there are too many of them, both wins and losses. The job provides a plethora of experience that I never knew I would receive from juvenile matters to 1983 prisoner litigation issues. It does keep me busy and makes the days go fast. I did travel to several seminars for legal education, including the ABA's International Law Section annual conference in Miami; simply an amazingly educated group of individuals.

I was fortunate enough to have a rekindled passion for photography this year. The shutterbug syndrome is contagious and thankfully I haven't become immune to it (thank you, Bob). Although, instead of predominantly focusing on people as I have in the past, my interests have become stronger in more static subjects, such as landscapes. Also, "The Duke," a bald eagle that visited the Rock River this winter, became an obsession. Any by obsession, I mean that he actually got me up before 6 A.M. several times on weekends because I had to go watch him. I had never seen bald eagles in my local area before -- they really are very majestic birds -- and HUGE! Also, I attended MAIPP (Mid-America Institute of Professional Photography) at Northern Iowa University, again, for a week. It is a wonderful experience that definitely rejuvenates the creative soul (and always makes me want to purchase more camera equipment!).

I am still working on my mom's property in New Mexico, but have had a lot of help from my brother. The mountains help to put life into perspective; especially when I realize that the closest neighbor is about five miles away. Also, the video clip above is a wonderful reminder of how quickly mother nature can change plans for the day. I think thunder was meant to be heard echoing through the mountains (thunder in the mountains isf like listening to really good music on a Bose system).

If you would like to know more about my year in review, just ask. Or, even better, become part of it. It's been a good year; I've been fortunate to be blessed with such good friends and family, so, if you have actually taken the time to read all the way down to this point, thank you. Now, let's make next year even better!

HDR - Attempting Again

Okay, so I'm kind of getting the hang of this HDR thing ... I know, the image looks funny, but it's a good reference point for when I really get the hang of it!

Stopping by Woods ...

This tree nests itself on the far side of the family lake, all by itself. Even though the season is contrary to the stated imagery, the humidity, the lone reflection, and the time of day remind me of Robert Frost's, "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening".

Winds of change ...

Okay, according to many, there is no climate change taking place. Today, the sand from two hills on our farm blew so hard that you couldn't see through them. I walked outside and my shoes were completely dusty; Rochelle had to change her white socks because they turned brown where they weren't covered by her shoes (good thing I wear black socks). Amazingly, this storm finally rolled through right at sunset. It was amazing as the freezing rain just pummeled the ground and a fog instantly formed; even more amazing was this sunset that sheared through all of that percussion. It only lasted a few moments, but it was stunning.