More Winter Beauty

Morning Glory Seed Pod and Temple Bell, Jan. 2011

My main objection to winter is that I can't get enough time outdoors, which is where I really thrive. Yesterday's short, sweet snowfall pulled me out for a few photos, but I can't bear the cold so I was back inside within 10 minutes. If the sun is shining (which, thankfully, it usually is in New Mexico), I can be outside for a while even if it's only 35 or 40, as long as I'm moving around. And as the sun ascends again, it grows slowly stronger so that by February I'm feeling almost springy... almost. In the meantime, as promised, I'm seeking out the beauty of winter. It's there -- not as showy or obvious or easy to see as the flowers of spring and summer and the firey leaves of autumn, but more subtle, more about textures and tones, and about promise.