Do you find yourself complaining about winter when it drags on past January? I have to be honest: I do. But Jen at Muddy Boot Dreams and a group of like-minded garden bloggers are asking us to suspend the crabbing, at least for one day each week this winter.
Their theme this week is "structures in winter." And gosh, structure is so easy to spot without the distraction of foliage and flowers.
Whether we're talking the structure of snowmobile and ATV tracks on an ice- and snow-covered lake;
or the structure of that same ice/snow layer exposed at the edge of the beach;
or the man-made structures brightening winter trails...they're all eye-catching in the stark winter landscape.
I have to admit, I've been less than excited about photographing my own garden this winter. I guess I have a bit of cabin fever. So it was good to head over to the lake this past weekend.
On Saturday, the air temperature was in the mid 20sF (-3C to -4C). After the arctic blast we had last week, the weekend weather felt balmy and springlike--perfect for celebrating the beauty of winter.
And taking a walk out on the lake.
Don't worry, the ice was very thick as you can see from this picture near the shore. An ATV almost went through the ice the next day...but that was out in the middle of the lake where the ice was much thinner.
Anyway, I enjoyed seeing the ice shacks lined up across the lake, and hearing the ice expand and contract along the shore.
And then I took a short hike.
It's always a pleasure to see the bright red of the Black Raspberry canes and the Red Twig Dogwood, and the bright blue sky.
And the ice shacks like happy flags celebrating the joy of winter sport.
I waved goodbye...
Watched the afternoon sun lower in the bright sky...
And said a prayer of thanks for the bright beauty of winter. No whining...just simple gratitude. No more cabin fever...at least for one day.
To find out more about the "No Winter Whining" meme, visit the group's Facebook page. And add your own link!
Thank you for sharing you day with NWW. Next weeks topic is Nature in Winter. We hope to see you back. I loved your commentary as you enjoyed sunlit days. Have a grand week.
ReplyDeleteThanks for hosting! I'll see what I can come up with from week to week. It's a great idea! Some weeks I feel more "whiney" than others. ;-)
DeleteP.S. love your boots.
ReplyDeleteThanks--I probably should have had heavier boots with better traction. But the insulated suede boots work pretty well.
DeleteBeautiful photos, looks like you had a great trip out on Saturday, if winter was like this every day I would never whine ever again!
ReplyDeleteOur cold snap is coming to an end, we are expecting 13 plus Celsius tomorrow - and I am not sorry at all :-)
Yes, it was a great day, Helene! I think I prefer a winter full of bright, sunny cold days to a long stretch of cold, gray, rainy weather. February and March are tough months for me. 13C, that's a nice 55F day! Enjoy!
DeleteI truly enjoy all these beautiful, scenic views of snow and your winter wonderland.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Autumn Belle! I think I would miss it if I moved away. But it just lasts too long. That's why I try to get out of here in March!
DeleteLovely thoughts on a beautiful day....I do love the ice on the shore!
ReplyDeleteThe ice is fascinating. I think I got better shots of it last year. One of these days, maybe I'll do a blog post just about the natural ice structures along the beach. They're pretty incredible!
DeleteWow, look at all that ice and snow! It is a lot more interesting than our brownish landscape. Don't you love how the trees shine against the winter sky?
ReplyDeleteMost of our snow has melted in the past few days! We had a thunderstorm last night believe it or not, and it has been raining nonstop since late yesterday. I wouldn't trust the ice today! Yes, the bare trees highlighted against the clear, blue sky are fascinating!
DeleteWonderful photos!!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Diane. So much more inspiration down by the lake than in my backyard (or maybe I'm just tired of the same, old scene out the back window).
DeleteIt makes so much difference on winter days if the sun is shining or not. This day looks perfect for a winter walk. Beautiful! I could almost hear the ice along the shore, too!
ReplyDeleteSo true, Holley! The camera works so much better with bright sunlight, too. That cracking ice is bizarre. I'm used to it because I grew up north of here near a big lake. But if you didn't know any better, you'd probably be spooked by it. It's perfectly safe as long as the ice layer is thick enough. (Not today, after all the warmth and rain!)
DeleteYou had such a perfect day outside, I love the sun shinning.
ReplyDeleteGreat photos with that wonderful red bridge, and the dogwood branches. Ice sharks...hmmm never knew what those were.
Thanks for joining up with No Winter Whiining.
Let me know if I can put any of your shots on the NWW boards.
Jen
Thanks for hosting, Jen. Yes, by all means--feel free to post the photos with the NWW group. This is a fun project!
DeleteYou've just opened a winter portal for me! This is in stark contrast to winter in my world. I'm mesmerized by the thought of walking out in the middle of a lake! Just beautiful.
ReplyDeleteWalking on the lake brings back childhood memories for me. I grew up near a lake north of here that froze so deep we could drive our car on it! Walking on the ice doesn't spook me much at all. Plus, bright days like Saturday are so refreshing!
DeleteI like the photos. The weather here today though is very disorienting. Our modest snow cover has melted and the high today is 62 F. I'm not whining, just dizzy.
ReplyDeleteI know! Our snow is almost all melted today! Thunder and lightening all last night and today. And the high today is 57F...and back to 10F on Thursday! This weather gives me a headache!
DeleteThank you, Loredana. I was bored taking the same old "structure" photos in my own garden. But the activity and scenery down by the lake (about a half mile from my house) is always interesting. Plus, it felt good to escape the "cabin." ;-)
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed all of your photos. A walk in the woods on a winter day is every bit as pretty as a walk on a beach. Your pictures are evidence that it's true.
ReplyDeleteTrue...it is beautiful! Although I'd trade it for a walk on a tropical beach any day. But I would miss the bright, white part of winter if I moved away from here. ;-)
DeleteYour winter is so different than ours though I have lived in the cold and walked on frozen lakes.
ReplyDeleteMy winter whining would be all the garden projects we task ourselves with to beat the heat.
Oh my gosh, I love San Antonio, Shirley! I'm so jealous! I remember going there in March one year and the temperatures were perfect. And the city was so lovely! I need to get back there one of these days...
DeleteI was just whining to my husband the other day that we have no snow left on the ground, but that's not the case tonight; we're under a winter storm warning for Wednesday. I'm glad to see another northern gardener who enjoys time spent outdoors in the winter. Just look out for the icy patches, I found out the hard way yet again this winter. Ouch.
ReplyDeleteLove the photos!
Yikes! That ice can be a bother! How much snow did you get? Most of ours melted on Monday and Tuesday, and then we got a blast of eight inches again! And the wind chill tomorrow night is predicted to be -30! I'm getting a little tired of the dramatic swings. I do enjoy winter--but not the rapid swings and the arctic blasts!
DeleteBeautiful shots and so nice for you to take us on this lovely little walk with you... love the red against the white, so stunning! Thank you so much for visiting my blog and joining in on the "no winter whining" meme, such a pleasure! Cheers~
ReplyDeleteThank you, Heather! Thanks so much hosting. It's a great idea for a meme. I love to visit the southern blogs, starting to see signs of spring. But I also appreciate the support of other northern bloggers for whom springtime is a long way off.
DeleteWhat a lovely celebration of winter, I love that red bridge.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Janet! It was a pretty scene, and I appreciated it--at least for one day...
DeleteAwesome landscapes Beth, but brrrr!... It's so cold there!
ReplyDeleteYes, the day of these photos it felt warm at about -3C. But we could have wind chills of -34C tonight! No gardening (or even hiking) in that kind of weather!
DeleteNope, way too pretty to whine. I love snow shots and you have some beauties.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Donna. It was an incredible day--especially after being stuck inside for days on end. We're hunkering down again tonight, with wind chills of -20F to -30F. Ick.
DeleteI am so envy of these images, no snow this year for me is getting hard to accept, although I know you would complain about freeze, but hey what about the beauty? Enjoy it!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing those thoughts, Lula. It helps me to appreciate the beauty. We do have beautiful winters up here--they're just too long. :-)
DeleteI guess we all have something to whine about no matter what part of the world you live in. For us here its bushfires, floods and heat. Nice to see some snow, lovely photos.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Karen. They always say, be careful what you wish for. But I wish for an escape from the arctic blasts we've been experiencing this winter. The day of the photos on this post was lovely and comfortable for a winter day. But today I didn't even go outside because of the bitter wind chills. Ick.
DeleteWhat a beautiful post! I don't mind winter but I need sun and time outdoors to feel my best. I don't think I have SAD but I find the dark days + work stress really affects my mood and feeling of wellness. It was 72 here the other day (35 on Friday) and I immediately went outside after work to poke around the garden. It felt sooo good!
ReplyDeleteThanks Tammy! Me, too. I do have a bit of SAD. Not enough to take any medication, but I do take extra vitamin D, and I try to get as much sunshine as I can! I'm trying not to rush spring, because it's not normal for us to have much of it until March. But I'm ready to get out of here in a few weeks!!!
DeleteIf I am from here, the tropics, and be brought there in that thick of snow, i might enjoy it the first year, but next i might be whining for the unusual cold, haha! Now at this post i feel like whining because many photos did not upload to my screen. Anyway, how does a cracking ice on the beach sound like! I am very curious of that! thanks.
ReplyDeleteSorry about the slow loading--I thought that the compressed size through Flickr would help, but I'll have to size the photos smaller next time. Yes, I generally don't mind the 20s and 30s (F) until February. But deep, arctic freezes make me crabby. Wisconsin is a great place to live, but February (when winter lingers on) is a tough month.
DeleteWhat a dazzling spectacle.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Catharine! It was a gorgeous day. And just warm enough that my fingers didn't freeze while snapping the photos.
DeleteYou know I love winter pics... and yours are divine! Stay warm!
ReplyDeleteYes, yours are always so beautiful, Carolyn. And thanks for your kind comments!
DeleteLove the pictures! That is so cool to see the pictures of the exposed ice! January and February can be such blah months. I've heard winter is a good time to really get out and see the 'bones' of your garden and see what needs to be done. It's hard to make myself get out in the cold, though!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Indie. February is the hardest for me...and then March, until the snow melts and the Crocuses start blooming. Sometimes they don't bloom until April. I'm not a big fan of the cold, either. I think I need to start some diagrams to plan for spring!
DeleteLiz, just wanted to thank you for helping in identifying a plant from one of my posts. I posted in Arisarum vulgare with your reference. Great work!
ReplyDeleteHi Lula: Glad to help. It looks so much like our Jack-in-the-Pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum). Both are fascinating, beautiful plants!
DeleteYour photos are too pretty and clear to cause whining. I love clear sunny snowy winter days. It's the ray overcast freezing cold days that cause the whining.
ReplyDelete