[Masthead Image: Snowy Valley]The second day of 2008, it was the last day of my winter break before returning to work. Although eight degrees Fahrenheit is not ideal weather for tanning, I'd soon enough be returning to the laboratory and my perpetual fluorescent tanning sessions. I thought I'd get out and enjoy some wintry cold, since later in the week we are looking forward to a brief warm-up and the inevitable melting, muddy mess that will accompany it. I always give myself the gift of one day entirely to myself during the holidays, and today was it.
This picture was taken with my trusty Kodak Z760, in "Auto" point-and-shoot mode, and I call it the Snowy Valley. I spent most of the morning and early afternoon just driving around and enjoying the scenery in our beloved Loess Hills, a regional geological phenomenon existing in only two places: where I live here in western Iowa along the Missouri River , and also in China.
There is ample information online about the Loess Hills, so rather than link to it, I will let you Google/Wiki/Sprocket it yourself. Sorry, I just threw that "Sprocket" thing in there. There's really no search engine or online encyclopedia called Sprocket. Happy New Year, and enjoy the image. I will try to put up a photo essay on my self-indulgent walkabout over on the main blog soon.
