The first full week of the new year was wintery in Buffalo, but not so that we couldn't handle it. Last night was the celebration of my father's 85th birthday. We had 30 family members snuggled into our house for dinner and fun to wish Happy Birthday to Dad. I have not been out with the camera much but snuck away for an hour today and visited the "Sinking Ponds" which is a little wildlife refuge and nature trail on the edge of the Village of East Aurora, NY. This stubby, crumbling, old tree trunk sticking out of the snow covered ice on the pond caught my attention. Maybe it was the way the little tad bit of light was hitting it.