The fluffy, powdery snow started falling Friday afternoon and continued throughout the night. By the time I got up on Saturday morning, we had about seven inches of fluffy, white snow covering the ground and trees. With no wind, it was beautiful! I headed over to one of the nearby golf courses. What I found was a beautiful study in the textures and lines of winter. The branches of the old oak trees were outlined in white. Their rugged bark was dusted with snow in places, and was a sharp contrast to the smoothness of the snow on the ground. And the side light from the sun was adding its own lines and shadows as it cut over the snow at an angle, sometimes creating a bright sparkle as it caught a crystal of ice just right. What seemed like a simple, nondescript scene became one of interest and beauty, and I found myself marveling at all the little nuances that were there before me.
snow
Winter’s arrival
We knew it was coming. We knew it wouldn’t be much longer. We knew it was inevitable. But we were enjoying our moderate temperatures and fall-like weather, when all of a sudden winter arrived. The temperature dropped 30 degrees, the wind blew, and the snow fell. And it fell, and it fell, until we had over six inches of wet, heavy snow. Overnight our neighborhood because populated with snowmen & women.
And with winter’s arrival, I’m reminded that the holidays and the new year are fast approaching. Please be sure to check out my holidays cards and 2011 desk calendars. With original and distinctive images, the cards are a memorable way to send your holiday greetings. And the desk calendars will brighten anyone’s day — a great gift to give, or receive. The information about both the holiday cards and calendars can be found as separate pages on the top of my blog page at www.LindaStaatsPhoto.wordpress.com or you can click on the links from my website at www.LindaStaatsPhoto.com. As quickly as the snowpeople appeared in our neighborhood, the holidays will be here! Don’t be scrambling at the last minute for cards and gifts!
Uncovered surprises
With rain and warmer temperatures, most of our snow cover has melted. What surprised me was what has now been uncovered. Not only have I spotted tulips courageously pushing their tips above the ground, but I also found a beautiful dried hydrangea bloom. Somehow it survived the winter without being crushed by the weight of snow. I woke one morning to see it being blown by the wind across the front lawn. So strong, and yet so delicate, its blossoms are sheer with amazing intricacies. When backlit the bloom shines with the warmth and strength of the sun, and reminds me of other surprises to come in the change from winter to spring.
Sounds of transition
As a photographer, I consider myself a visual person. My eyes are constantly moving across whatever scene is in front of me, scanning for details, for patterns, for the beauty of the scene. Yet this week I’ve been attuned to the sounds in the air as we transition from winter to spring. With temperatures above freezing throughout the whole week, we’ve been serenaded with the sweet sound of running water. The gutters and drainspouts are gurgling once again — a sound we haven’t heard since early December. The street curbs are filled with water running from the snowmelt down to the storm drains. Every house and building overhang is dripping as the snow is melted by a warmer and brighter sun. As I was walking in the neighborhood this afternoon my ears caught the sound of a group of young boys playing catch and the distant radio broadcast of a spring training baseball game. I think spring is the one season that’s announced by a cacophony of sounds, all that are welcome with the promise of warmer weather, green grass, blue skies and warm sunshine. Yes, we still have mounds of snow and the sidewalks are becoming small canals as the water melts with nowhere to run, but we have hope in this annual ritual.
Book Across the Bay, 2010 edition
We’ve just returned from a delightful weekend in Ashland, Wisconsin on the shores of Lake Superior. With a dear friend from Seattle who wanted to experience the fun of a snow-filled winter event, our visit coincided with the 14th annual Book Across the Bay. To celebrate the uniqueness of our upper-midwest winters (and just because we can!) over 3,300 people donned their skis and snowshoes and crossed frozen Chequamegon Bay from Ashland to Washburn, Wisconsin. The distance of 10 kilometers was lit by frozen luminaries, and included warm bonfires on the ice marking each kilometer. After snowshoeing for a bit more than a kilometer, I looked back to photograph this winding curve of luminaries leading to the lights of Ashland. Although the event started under partly cloudy skies at dusk, the clouds cleared as we worked our way across the bay, ending under a bright partial moon and a canopy of stars. The promise of a big party, great friends, and good beer at the finish-line was our incentive to “book” the distance.
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