  Solar mid-IR observations in the 8-15 micrometer band continuum with moderate
angular resolution (18 arcseconds) reveal the presence of bright structures
surrounding sunspots. These plage-like features present good association with
calcium CaII K1v plages and active region magnetograms. We describe a new
optical setup with reflecting mirrors to produce solar images on the focal
plane array of uncooled bolometers of a commercial camera preceded by germanium
optics. First observations of a sunspot on September 11, 2006 show a mid-IR
continuum plage exhibiting spatial distribution closely associated with CaII
K1v line plage and magnetogram structures. The mid-IR continuum bright plage is
about 140 K hotter than the neighboring photospheric regions, consistent with
hot plasma confined by the magnetic spatial structures in and above the active
region
