Winter can be cold, blowing, bitter, and rough. But there is also a uniquely delicate side to this season. The snow can fall quietly and softly, and it can alight on the most delicate of surfaces, gracing them with its white coating. These bee balm seed heads seemed to cup and receive the snow as it came down, holding onto it in the center. Without the weight of a wet snow, the stems stayed upright and beautiful – proud of their place in the winter wonderland around.
winter
Hope
Webster’s dictionary defines hope as wanting something to happen or be true. So it is with spring this year. We “hope” for sunshine, warmer temperatures, the bright colors of flowers. We “hope” that the passing days bring longer hours of sunshine. And yet Mother Nature has alternative plans. This week we rode a roller coaster through snow and strong winds, rain, and the promise of warmer air. Through it all we strive to embrace what it is, just as these runners ran through a deserted Como Park having the trails and snow to themselves in this once-again wintry landscape.
A quick fix for winter’s doldrums
We’re languishing still in winter – short days, colder than normal temperatures, gray skies, brown ground. This beautiful splash of purple iris caught my eye at the store last week. Flowers! Color! Spring! – all in one compact bouquet. It was an instant “shot” of what I needed. The promise of spring is still ahead; yes, there will be blue skies, sunshine, the scents of spring, and the colors of flowers – somewhere ahead of the snow expected later today.
Another delay in the change of seasons
The temperature dropped and winter came back to Minnesota during the past mid-week. The blue skies and hope of spring were delayed and side tracked by a fast-moving front that dropped snow and brought back winter’s cold winds. The gray sky that accompanied this snow seemed gloomier than usual, perhaps because of the desire for spring. But as I wandered the hills, listening to the rattling of the oak leaves in the wind, I saw a brief opening in the clouds – just long enough for a shaft of light to come through and give hope again for an eventual departure of winter.
A north woods cabin at dusk
We had spent the weekend exploring the North Shore of Lake Superior in Minnesota. Our last day had been cold, with bright sunshine and strong winds. The snow was deep inland from the lake and there had been no thawing anywhere as the temps hovered near zero. We pulled into our cabin after sunset, yet there was a hint of light in the sky. With a bright star high above, the sound of the waves lapping against the shore, and the comfort of a light to guide us, we knew we were back – to enjoy a fire in the fireplace, and to marvel and appreciate the beauty that surrounded us on our explorations and our journeys.
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