Is it possible February in Wisconsin isn't as bad as I've thought all these years?
Perhaps it isn't the "longest month" with the fewest number of days, afterall.
Following a brutal January that was too cold for winter sports (or even walking outside much), maybe February will be better.
On these days when the sun warms the earth and robins gather by spring-fed streams, isn't this a little better than it was in January?
Trails through powdery snow mark where humans have been ... with their snowshoes, skis, and winter hiking gear.
The scenery is lovely ... if I don't pause too long with my gloves off to snap the photos.
The days are (ever so slowly) getting a little longer, and the sun (even through hazy sky) is shining a little warmer.
Isn't that enough to make February a little better than January ...
a little more pleasant than I remember it ...
and a little easier to take on the path to spring?!
(All photos in this post were taken at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum.)