Sometimes the beauty of winter takes my breath away – the clearest of blue skies, ice and frost lining the tree limbs, the bright sunlight beaming down, and the fresh snow reflecting that sunlight in small diamonds all across the frozen lake in front of me.
winter
A winter morning
Winter has been fickle this year – snow, more snow, thawing, ice, rain, sleet. What will greet us in the morning is entirely up to Mother Nature. But on a recent morning it was cold enough for frost to outline the trees and leaves, and cold enough for the snow to still be lovely and white. The intense pink and magenta sunrise was fleeting and quickly gave way to fog and low clouds. The wind was still and the air was silent as I stood by this creek, reflecting the trees and overcast sky as the water meandered through the outlet.
Wishing all of you experiences of joy and wonder in the upcoming new year!
The winter solstice
Today is the shortest day of the year, the winter solstice. After this dark night our days will become longer and filled with more light.
Wishing you all a bright and wonderful Christmas, and a new year filled with light and wonder.
A quiet repose in winter
The snow of winter has a way of draping its white over everything. The trees become lined emphasizing their structure and branches. The ground becomes white showing the curves and hips of hills. At the University of Minnesota Saint Paul campus is a wonderful sculpture setting of cows. These bigger than life animals are resting peacefully in their urban setting. The snow has draped over them also, quietly emphasizing their repose and seeming indifference to the weather. They’re a great reminder to me to accept the weather, accept the snow, and appreciate its beauty.
A snowshoe hike in the woods
The snow had been falling for hours. To counter my cabin fever, I strapped on my snowshoes and headed into the woods. The air was filled with quiet except for the occasional wind that would stir and force the snow to fall from the branches. I hadn’t expected the snow to be so very deep in the woods, but it was tough and slow trudging through knee-deep snow. Needless to say it took me much longer than I had expected. But I was rewarded with beautiful snowy vistas, exercise in the fresh outdoors, and I was even serenaded by trumpeter swans in the distance.
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