Winter - It's almost here

In every season of life, there are good and not-so-good parts. I try to focus on the good rather than the bad, whenever I can. It's becoming winter here in the mountains of Colorado. Every morning, the air is very cold, often below 30 degrees when Shyla and I head out for our mountain bike ride. 

Before I had fusion surgery on my lower back, I used to look forward to winter because I adored skiing. After that surgery, I thought that I'd be able to go back to skiing but I discovered that I lacked the ability to twist my lower back that I needed to telemark ski. Moreover, my neck was deteriorating to the point that my docs worried about paralysis if I fell the wrong way. So, I stopped skiing - and my reason for looking forward to winter disappeared.

I had a few years when I really didn't look forward to winter *at all*. But, a few things have turned around my attitude. One thing I love about winter is the light. The sun rises late and stays low in the sky, creating wonderful warm light for photography. In fact, I love this light so much that I sometimes daydream about visiting Alaska in the winter, when the sun hovers close to the horizon for the entire brief day. That would be really fun for photography.

This was sweet Shyla at sunrise this morning, as I focused on what I love about winter. The red color of her fur comes from the special light of the rising sun. The sun had just crested our eastern ridge at this moment.

Shyla loves sunrise, because she loves the cold and the scents of the animals who have roamed the forest all night long. When her eyes are wide open like in the next photo, she is usually taking in the scent of some fascinating animal. I wish I knew which one!

Just after sunrise, I love going into the pine forest, where the soft sunlight filters through the trees, creating an almost spooky atmosphere. You can see the shadows of the pine trees all around Shyla in the next photo.

Shyla eagerly serves as my model - because she knows that, soon after the photos, I'll ride and she'll run, frolicking in the cold air.

So, for me, I need to focus on the good parts of a season to keep myself happy. In winter, there's the gorgeous light. And, I love my snowbike which makes it possible for me to pedal to my heart's content even when the white powdery stuff covers the forest floor. I will admit that I don't love wearing many layers of warm clothing and the nip to my fingers when I pull them out of my mittens - but that's part of the season.

Parts of Mother Nature are slowly going to sleep, like the aspen trees, flowers, and bears. However, a few brave bright leaves remain, mostly on rose bushes. I'll stop to appreciate every one until they're all gone for the season. Then, I'll start dreaming of the first wildflowers next spring.

I can feel winter taking hold, and I look forward to months of enjoying the amazing winter sunshine. I'm not thinking about those -25° days or the blizzards yet!