The storehouses of snow and ice have been opened and poured out upon the mid-west this week, and since Monday night I have been iced in to my apartment. My car is covered in an inch of ice, and my backyard has been turned into a skating rink. I ventured outside this morning to get some pictures, and discovered that my entire backyard is frozen solid (literally). It is beautiful in an eerie way – to see the lake, the trees, light posts, fences and more all covered in ice and snow, and not a soul to be seen outside. Even the ducks disappeared somewhere (not that I blame them – who wants to be stuck outside in this weather!). And then, for a brief moment, the sun arrived, turning the gray world into one big shimmering diamond.




