Cold Morning at the Provo City Center Temple

The sun had risen by the time I left the temple this morning.

I took many pictures of water in the fountain.  Mesmerizing.

Beauty remains all winter on these grounds.

It is so cold that this snow, which fell four days ago, is still in place.

Snow on a Monday Morning

Our snow fell yesterday, on Christmas morning.

The sun did not come out from behind the clouds until today.

I took a little walk.

Interesting clumps of snow caught my eye.

This almost reminded me of cherry blossoms.  Almost.

The mountains are always beautiful.

 

It won't be long before the snow falls from the trees.  Maybe we'll get some more.

Early Morning at the Temple

I'm an early morning person, however the lights for the Nativity are not awake at 5:15.

The gates to these grounds are not unlocked until 5:30 am.  I have learned to park in the underground garage and walk up the stairs.

I needed a tripod this morning but did not have one with me.  I used a handy bench.

I am still in awe of this temple.

Chasing Pigeons, and a Hungry Egret

I took a grandson on a walk this morning.

We came across a flock of pigeons.

Ben is saying, "Honk!  Honk!"

The birds kept returning, so Ben kept running.

I love the look of determination on his face.

Of course, now I'm thinking, "Can we try this again during the golden hour?"

On our way home, I spied an egret in the distance.  I carefully aimed my camera, perfectly framing the bird and his reflection, when he decided to grab a snack.

Owls in the Dark

As a grandmother, I frequently have opportunities to take pictures a little outside of nature.  These two owls were in a nocturnal exhibit at Cameron Park Zoo in Waco.

The Heron Felt Safe on Thanksgiving Day

A nature walk this morning brought me almost face to face with a heron.

Elegant and graceful, he was joyful to watch.

Turtle Haven

My husband and I are visiting grandkids for Thanksgiving.

During a Sunday afternoon walk, we came across a turtle hideout.

A nearby bridge provided the perfect overlook.

The day was chilly.  I had a jacket.  The turtles were catching the late afternoon sun to stay warm.

Temple Fountain

I haven't visited the Provo City Center Temple with my camera for quite some time.

I was stunned by the beauty of the fountain.

Although the temple was dedicated this past March, the fountain has been in operation for more than a year.

I don't have a favorite temple, but I do have a favorite fountain.

Fall Geranium

I was delighted to notice the late afternoon sun on my geraniums this afternoon, which are thriving.

Fall Sunset

I was reading a good book this evening.

Fortunately, I looked up at exactly the right time.

These colors came and went almost in the blink of an eye.

Colorful Fall

Fall is not my favorite season of the year, but I do love the colors.

Frost this morning made the orange feel crisp.

Even though this isn't food, the color is delicious.

Blooming in the Cold

The temperatures have dropped below freezing several nights this week.  I picked off some deadheads this morning, but there are still many courageous blooms.

Hail!

Out of nowhere, the hail came.  And left.

Purple Petunia

Fall has been here for more than a week, and my flowers seem to be enjoying the cooler weather as much as I am.

Snow on Timp

A major event in the life of anyone who lives in Provo is when Mt. Timpanogos gets its first snowfall.  Rain swept through last week while I was in Dallas.  This morning my camera captured this.  Next spring we'll be drinking that.

Aquarium Visit

A little grandson took me to an aquarium this morning.

This facility is actually part of a large shopping center,

I was both surprised and pleased at the quality of the exhibits.

My two-year-old guide said, "Octopus!  Scary!"

Morning

Sometimes, a ray of sunshine makes simple things beautiful.

Loud! Boom! Wow!

Provo's two smoke stacks came down this morning.

I took my camera.

While I waited, my camera peeked inside one tower.  I showed the pictures to a kid next to me who had asked his mom if he could go inside before they blew them up.

Water began spraying to keep the dust down.

A kid on the other side of me counted 14 drones.

I didn't count the people, but the area I was in was filled, as were many lots around the stacks.

The sound of the detonation was enormous.  My heart is still pounding.

They came down in 5 seconds. I got 3 pictures, is all.
That's ok.  The drones got the best pictures, anyway.

And then it was over.