sunset. wish. love.

One of the few things I love about winter is the sky. The dance of bare branches against the dying light always moves me. I often wish upon a winter sky. These are the quiet days, until the earth is once again warmed and comes back to life...

i need somebody...

This image was shot at my favorite park, Natirar, before the snows came this winter. I discovered it while trolling through my files early this morning. (What do you do when you can't sleep? I play with Photoshop.)

I ran a Florabella action on it, and added two textures -- one from Kim Klassen and one from Shadowhouse. And I was happy.

But then, I couldn't leave well enough alone, so I tried out a square crop and added a color fill layer. And now I can't decide which one I like better.

Help.

other worlds

The light inside was calm, beautiful. The flowers are beginning to fade. Outside, the world was transformed. Weathering the storm.

breathless

It was the morning light, glittering on the snow, that drew me outside. But it was the sun, turning the frost on the branches to diamonds, that made me gasp. And for that small moment, the entire world shrunk down to a branch of golden leaves.

This morning left me breathless.

out of the blue

Sometimes, when we are mired in our discontent, something hits us, out of the blue. And we are reminded of the beauty all around us. Spring may not be here quite yet, but there is hope...

And hope may be all we need to keep us going.

In the bleak midwinter

"In the bleak midwinter Frosty wind made moan, Earth stood hard as iron, Water like a stone; Snow had fallen, snow on snow, Snow on snow, In the bleak midwinter, Long ago."

Christina Rossetti

i ♥ rose hips

When I get ahold of a subject, you can't say I don't shoot it to death... lol. More rose hips, from our sunny winter day.

Oh, and it's my birthday! So I'd like some more sun, please. And some Hershey's kisses. :)

a time for reflection

What better time for reflection than these dark, spare days of winter...

happy

Just carrying on with the reds here today -- it's been a nasty couple of days weather-wise, and I have bronchitis.

Woo-hoo!

It's amazing how a few tulips can brighten my home in this very cold and depressing week. I hope you are all well, and warm and dry. Have a happy day, my dear friends!

warm it up

It's amazing what you find when you go diving into your archives... I'm not even sure where I took this, but I thought I needed a little red after a week's worth of cold blue, especially since it was close to zero this morning... :)

ice, ice, baby

"Will it ever stop...?"

Sorry, but the subject matter did call to mind the title of the song...

inspiration

Sorry, it's just me -- continuing my fascination with sticks and seeds... Isn't it funny how we find inspiration in the strangest things?

OK, maybe it's just me. Maybe you all find inspiration in the normal places. lol Anyway, please bear with me, K?

this cold light

It's funny how inspiration strikes... last summer I was fascinated by queen anne's lace. I shot and edited them for weeks at a time. Now I seem to be drawn to sticks and seeds -- the architectural framework and the promise of spring's delights. They exist in this cold light, waiting for their time in the sun.

her dark face

"No one but Night, with tears on her dark face,

Watches beside me in this windy place."

Edna St. Vincent Millay

ice/water

It was a frosty 14 degrees here this morning. This picture was taken a few weeks ago when it was a bit more balmy... or at least a bit less frosty. :)

snow blower

We got about a foot of snow on Sunday night, and we spent Monday shoveling out the driveway while the wind blew the snow in our faces. I took a quick break to snap a few pictures. :)

winter

Autumn turns to winter. Lives turn inward. Winter is the season of the mind.

within its heart

Of winter's lifeless world each tree
Now seems a perfect part;
Yet each one holds summer's secret
Deep down within its heart.
~Charles G. Stater

Yes, it is not quite officially winter yet but, oh how cold it is here in NJ!

Just a Little Longer

We've had some temps in the mid-40's this weekend, which made for a nice walk. This little stream is down the road from our house, on the way to our neighborhood park. The days are getting just a little longer, and I feel like I'm beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel -- winter-wise.

Happy Monday, dear bloggers! :)

Reflections in Winter

This beautiful reflecting pool is part of the formal garden at the Bamboo Brook Outdoor Education Center in Chester Township, New Jersey. Even in winter, a garden can be beautiful if it has strong "bones."

For more photos, check out this story at my other blog, Little Red House.

Have a wonderful weekend dear bloggers. And if you are in the mid-Atlantic states, stay safe and warm. :)