my midnight stroll

i thought i'd share the rest of my photos from my late-night walk . . .

i had posted one of the photos for my last "i'm thinkin'" post.

but i took so many more that night,

and before i resume my less-than-regular blogging,

i wanted to post the rest.

if i don't do it now, i know it will get away from me,

and the photos will be buried and forgotten.

i've always wanted to venture out during the holidays with my camera

to my city's historic downtown area near my house.

it's always decorated so nicely with streets lined in white lights

and store fronts filled to the brim with all things . . .

with a new lens and limitless subjects to practice on,

i waited until after isaac and mr. b went to bed,

and i finally did just that.

as i said in my last post... not a creature was stirring.

and it even started to snow before i headed home.

anyway, i was happy i braved the very frigid temperatures.

in fact, it felt almost blissful to feel the brisk wind on my face.

getting out is not something i do enough these days.

well, enough yappin' about it, right?

i'll just let the pictures say it all...

just how priceless some christmas solitude in the wee hours can be.

as i walked up and down the streets,

i found my time to be so many of the things

that i used to find in the holiday season as a child . . .

each shop had their own unique way of stringing the lights

or hanging the garland

or trimming the tree

or displaying their gems.

the beauty of it was...

i was the only one aware of my presence there,

unless someone should have happened upon my tracks after i had gone.

i have to admit... it was kind of nice to be alone for a change.

{although, i think isaac would have enjoyed the lights

if he had tagged along too.

but he was nestled all snug in his bed like a good little boy.}

so i got my fix... my holiday glitz and glitter fix.

it was almost as much fun

as when my parents would drive me and my four siblings

around the neighborhoods at christmas time

when we were little

to oooh and ahhh at all the brightly lit houses.

the brighter the lights,

the louder and longer the ooohs became.

now i can go into december 25th

with "walk downtown to take pictures of the lights"

checked off my list.

it was a great opportunity to practice some night-time photography.

but more than that, it was a slice of magic in my usually task- and schedule-driven day.

the only thing that could have made it better?...

had they been open for business at that odd hour,

a nice tall cup of something hot and chocolaty from here . . .