3 Quarters Today

My Life, my photography, my passions

Nebraska

Day 65/365: Winter Snow Drift in Nebraska

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Day 65: Nebraska Snow Drift

In Nebraska snow plus wind equals amazing snowdrifts. I love how the wind creates works of art. The wind travels across miles of empty fields collecting snow and deposits the very dry fine snow into very high drifts. It only takes a few inches to create several feet worth of drifts. This last storm was only six inches but resulted in a few 4-6 foot drifts.

Day 65: Waves of Snow

 

Nothing you want to be out in while it’s blowing, white out conditions with zero visibility created black ice this time and resulted in hundreds of accidents in Omaha and Lincoln. The interstate was closed for a short time. The Elmwood-Murdock school district, and other surrounding towns were closed for two days, one day for the storm, the next to open the many miles of country roads so the buses could get through.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 60/365: Window Shopping

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Day 60: Bit's & Pieces

I love my local thrift store, Bit’s N’ Pieces.  I really do, not only have I gotten great bargains, but I can count on friendly conversation on Saturday morning when I go in to browse. It’s not often, ok never, that I leave empty handed. This is just one of the beautifully decorated windows that change with the seasons.

Bit’s and Pieces Thrift Store is operated by the Elmwood Christian Church in Elmwood Nebraska. I don’t remember how long it’s been in business but it was originally opened as a way to raise money for the church that had burned down. Kinda of an indoor-garage-sale concept. Well, the success was overwhelming. At first it was only going to be open long enough to pay back the loan for the church. It became such a fixture that no one wanted to see it close. So volunteers still operate the store and profits go back to the church to benefit the community.

Elmwood has a population of less than 800 people and soon it was the place to find Christmas presents, birthday gifts, and just about anything you needed, or didn’t need, you could get there. My latest find was a LL. Bean Woolen woolen dress coat for $4.99, retail price $199.00.

I think this may be another topic I’ll highlight, Thrift Store finds…hmmm the treasures we will find. Remember my Uggs?

Day 57/365: Winter Icicles

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Day 57: Edited top right eave (thanks Anglin)

Icicles aren’t as easy to photograph as I thought. I tried to get the glistening of the sun and the drops melting off, but just couldn’t get it right. I do like the stained glass window of the church in the background. This was taken at the Christian Church in Elmwood, Nebraska.  Between Elmwood and Murdock (6 miles away) we’re a community of less than 1000 people, but we have five churches which are a crucial part of our lives.

Day 54/365: BOCH Music Festival

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Day 54: Honor Choir, Band and Orchestra

I’m taking some time out to be a Mom. My son sang in last weekends Honor Choir during the BOCH Festival. This stands for the Honor Band, Orchestra, and Choir at the Holland Center Festival, which was held in Omaha Nebraska Sunday February 22, 2011. He is a senior in high school and sings Bass II. He is right of middle, in a white shirt and tie. You can see him can’t you?

Only last year did he even begin to start participating in honor choirs and events. It wasn’t for a lack of talent.  Mrs. Colbert, his choir director, had been begging him to audition for years. Now he has the bug and has two more honor choir concerts in the next three weeks. Maybe it was singing at Carnegie Hall last year that did the trick. Whatever it was I’m enjoying it immensely.

Students were selected by audition and chosen from hundreds of students across the state and even some from Minnesota and Missouri. It’s quite an honor. Hence the name Honor Choir. Only two whole days were spent practicing their music, but remember, these are the most talented voices in the state. They were long days, singing for six hours a day and only one piece was in English. (just why do they do that?) But the result was simply wonderful!

Elmwood-Murdock high school had 15 students accepted into the choir, half in the Women’s Chorus and the other half in the Mixed Chorus. The photo above is bother choirs combined for the final number performed with the band and orchestra. America the Beautiful.

When the audio selections are made available I will post them for your listening enjoyment. For now, just call me a proud Mom. Yeah, he’s going to hate this post if he finds it, but at least I didn’t give his name.