A young girl places her finger on a melting ice sculpture in Uptown Westerville to test its surface after warm weather and an overnight rain shortened the life span of the once-a-year frozen attractions. My Final Photo for December 17, 2023.

A family makes an extra effort to add to the Christmas cheer with a little Buckeye spirit as they pose for an O-H-I-O photo at the Brutus Buckeye ice sculpture at Jimmy V’s in Uptown Westerville. My Final Photo for December 16, 2023.

Ice sculptures destined for storefronts in Uptown Westerville are wheeled from the freezer truck to their ultimate destination. My Final Photo for December 15, 2023.

It was a blur of dancers performing in rehearsals Thursday night for Generations Performing Arts annual Christmas show at Cowan Hall at Otterbein University. My Final Photo for December 14, 2023.

Psychologist Mary Bricker stands at one of the windows in her second-floor offices in the Holmes Hotel where the stained-glass portions of her windows are illuminated with lights during the Christmas season. My Final Photo for December 13, 2023.

A worker wearing a yellow slicker to try to keep himself dry while power washing paint from a Bob Evans in Westerville is enveloped in a cloud of steam and paint debris. My Final Photo for December 12, 2023.

Ripe Hawthorn berries hang at the end of a branch in the light of cars traveling along West Main Street near Alum Creek. My Final Photo for December 11, 2023.

A father helps his child push a letter into the over-stuffed Letters to Santa mailbox at Rotary Park in Uptown Westerville. My Final Photo for December 10, 2023.

A pair of Christmas-themed dancers are reflected in the practice hall mirror as they prepare for next weekend’s performances. My Final Photo for December 9, 2023.

A pair of amateur model train enthusiasts watch “N” scale trains run their course in a room at the Westerville Public Library where the Columbus Area “N” Scalers set up its annual display. My Final Photo for December 8, 2023.

A fisherman wades into the shallow waters beneath the Alum Creek North Park dam, hoping to catch his limit under the fading sunset sky. My Final Photo for December 7, 2023.

The farm equipment used to plant, manage, and harvest crops from the Braun Farm and Otterbein properties in Westerville are now in their winter home, traditional farmland with barns now bordered by an interstate highway and housing developments. My Final Photo for December 6, 2023.