Here's a typical winter walk in the midwest for this #wednesdaywalk by @tattoodjay 

![](https://images.ecency.com/DQmemBimZRji1t2mx5MRhEHo7NwerUrQRYB28eARwj1jgCP/frozenlake_copy.jpg)
Just when you think winter is gone it manages to come back with a vengeance. This is that weird sort of sleet snow that completely covered the lake. I wouldn't trust the ice to be thick enough to walk on though as it was warmer the week before. 

![](https://images.ecency.com/DQmQP6Eu3FA8z2LqASAr8HH1g2RUVcr6sM9pqVfqLybLjk6/snow_copy.jpg)
Here's a bit of a closeup of this weird pelting snow. I first got hit with it downtown on my way to the train station. Then in the morning it had piled up a bit.

![](https://images.ecency.com/DQmRxTeFt1qLxZCtC3TRMPN5bowj9q1nzwT7Vmaj3LJBDNF/p2064145_copy.jpg)
Here's a strange track. Maybe it used to be a squirrel or chipmunk track that got wind blown to a strange shape. 

![](https://images.ecency.com/DQmQgRMDJGYX6zBsfLrDW7VwtxQQLeov3pfQPLPTWp2sfkH/rosehip_copy.jpg)
I like to get shots of the rosehips covered in frost. Frost makes them look like some kind of sugary treat. 

![](https://images.ecency.com/DQmTpDpCCKWTZFB7ZkYeTuYmiB6r2aifpfNNHUHxs4goTnE/prairie_copy.jpg)
All the forest preserves look like this in the winter. Most of our preserves are natural prairie land that looks quite sparse during the winter. In spring and summer this area is full of prairie weeds.

![](https://images.ecency.com/DQmYpzZsmc4E665C1aunQ8H8u7Td6EnDjD8CsvQfEEqjSYk/forest_copy.jpg)
The forest areas look like this. I like to look for owls in this particular forest as I've seen both barred and great horned owls here. I haven't had a successful zoom lens shot of them here yet though. 

![](https://images.ecency.com/DQmbxxnNjdTEZ2QFyHZaKYp66Pbaa3P15kiQoZY49ByoLkW/p2064149_copy.jpg)
The bluebird boxes will start to be filled up soon in about a month or two. Tree swallows also like these boxes and are great posers. Later on when the chicks are about to leave the box they will sit at the entrance looking out. I have some cute photos of them doing this somewhere, though it will be easier to get new photos later this year than try and find my old photos of them lol. 

![](https://images.ecency.com/DQmUzeQjbMNGzCHdee5aXLwJc5k1kSiCF8nU5WekbVP9NEQ/shadows_copy.jpg)
Swamps are a big part of the midwest ecosystem. They tend to kill all the trees that grew up in them leaving lots of dead wood for woodpeckers and starlings to nest in. Once this thaws out in a month or so the spring peepers will be singing loudly in this area. 

![](https://images.ecency.com/DQmRdn1aLaSBYzeXPBBzn39NZoNB3aHTQ7YiCXH4nK7k5fG/p2064173_copy.jpg)
The cat tails really infested the deeper area of the swamp and are still hanging around. Maybe this year I'll try eating some fresh ones, they are edible if harvested at the right time. 

![](https://images.ecency.com/DQmbbnmN4LbjG5DXrmhUbQA2iuHYJvsMMdtuL34RxTPCzUz/p1254143_copy.jpg)
Now for a wintry sunset. The days are finally getting a bit longer here and it doesn't get dark at 4pm anymore. During summer it sometimes only starts getting dark by 9pm but the sunsets aren't as nice as the winter mostly because all the tree leaves block them out. 

That's all for now, thanks for looking :-)