New Year's Eve at Lake Tahoe

Squaw Valley Resort - home of the 1960 Winter Olympics

No lines at the ski lift!

Hot chocolate by the roaring outdoor fireplace.

Icicles at least 3 feet long!

Large boats on Lake Tahoe shrink wrapped for the winter.

View from Mount Rose over Lake Tahoe looking south.

Sunset over the lake. It was not quite frozen but the water was stiff with the cold. It was 23 degrees F when I took this photo.

It was such a glorious day - cold and crisp and exhilarating! The final view (I could not get a photo) on the drive home from the summit (9000 feet) of Mount Rose was of the city of Reno carpeted in snow from end to end - breathtaking. The entire day was a feast for the eyes and a banquet for the soul - a lovely way to wrap up 2012.

I normally do not make resolutions for the new year but I do hope to be more rigorous in my approach to painting this year - more disciplined. I hope to begin the year with life drawing sessions and long days at the easel. I can't wait to see what surprises and delights 2013 holds! A happy, prosperous, healthy and creative New Year is wished for all!