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This past weekend, I went on a trek accross western Nebraska. It was suggested that I take Highway 2, as it is supposedly the prettiest drive in the state. So, I set out to Grand Island and picked up Highway 2, and eventually hit the sand hills. Unfortunately, they were not as green as I had hoped, but I did get a few nice pictures regardless. I eventually made my way out to Alliance and then headed south to Scott's Bluff, which turned out to be pretty boring. However, I did see Chimney Rock, and of course got some pictures of that as well.

Unfortunately, in photographing Chimney Rock, I managed to leave my sunglasses on my car and drove off. I realized it immediately, and went back to find them. They were lying on the road, broken. At any rate, my next stop was Lake McConaughy. I was quite surprised at how large the lake is. From there, I headed home on the boring I-80 route. When the trip was over, I had driven 850 miles, in one day. I had originally anticipated spending the night somewhere, but I decided to just drive through instead, which meant driving in the dark from North Platte eastward. Overall, the trip was good, but I am definitely looking forward to the more exciting places I will be visiting in the coming months.

As you can see, I have finally gotten around to posting all of the photos I took over winter break. The vast majority of them were actually taken on my way home - an ice storm rendered a good chunk of western Nebraska in stunning condition, as ice clung to the trees despite the sunshine and clear blue skies. The sunset in Colorado was also beautiful, as most of the state had just been hit with a good deal of snow. There are also some miscellaneous pictures of my dog and my family, and finally some photos from my visit to a winery in Canon City, not far from Colorado Springs.

I also started classes again today - fun stuff. Only one semester to go! However, I do have quite a bit to look forward to. In June, I will be visiting Australia and New Zealand, for a period of three whole weeks. Then, on the 16th of July, I will be starting work for IBM. Orientation will be held in Washington D.C. Needless to say, I am quite excited for graduation in May.

Well, finals are over, papers are written, and the semester is over! I could hardly be more happy. I am staying in Lincoln next week for work, but I shall be headed home to Colorado on the 23rd, where I shall remain for two whole weeks. I'm definitely looking forward to the rest.

I did decide, however, that I needed to get out of Lincoln for a bit, just to get away, and also to take some pictures. After all, it was a good excuse to break in my two new lenses, the EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM, and the EF 50mm f/1.4 USM. The 17-85mm lens replaces the kit lens that came with the camera, which I sold on eBay. The 50mm is an upgrade from an older (and cheaper) 50mm f/1.8 lens. Overall, I am impressed with the lenses, and also with Canon's image stabilization abilities. Hopefully I'll be able to get a new zoom lens in the future with it as well.

Anyhow, getting back to the pictures, you will find them below. After my jaunt to Nebraska City, I went to Omaha for Mark Antonson's graduation party, and as I had some time on my hands before the party started, I took some nifty pictures of Christmas lights.