Colorful winter

We awakened to a cloudy and frosty morning. K and I wandered a hillside near our house with scattered boulders and pine trees, all coated on their east sides with hoar frost.

Crystals of hoar frost formed intricate patterns on each pine needle.

K is getting a little stronger each day - I can see it in how she moves through the forest and how she's using her now 3-toed paw. It's wonderful to once again explore nooks and crannies of our forest with her, although our walks are still short and on-leash.

A little later, I took R for a short mountain bike ride through aspen groves that resembled white lace. R didn't notice the beauty. He was busy working on his "Cheoah snow slide" form.

We arrived atop Hug Hill and the world looked alien - no mountains in view.

The conifers on the summit looked more white than green. The frost had coated Douglas Fir tree so thickly that the pine needles and cones were barely visible.

R looked down from the summit next to a hoar frost laden shrub.

I dropped R off at home, and, in the few minutes that I was indoors, a miracle occurred. Blue sky beamed down from the east. The frost glittered during a moment of grace when the sun shined but the crystals hadn't yet melted.

As the air warmed, frost dust drifted down from the tree tops, leaving a thin carpet of white in the deep forests.

Our world looked like a crystal etching, so cold, yet so beautiful. A miracle.

An acquaintance recently bemoaned the start of winter, saying that the world went from vibrant colors in the spring, summer, and fall to a dull black and white in winter. The photo above shows that even winter is colorful!

At the end of the day, K and I enjoyed a quiet walk, just the two of us, as dusk fell on a still and frigid forest. I rejoice in every step that I can hike with K.