Crisp, crunchy and cold...

When the sun is out and water is dripping, one assumes that the temperatures are balmy...but such assumptions would be wrong. There was a bite hidden in the sunshine which we faced head on during today's walk.

In spite of the temperatures, the footing was solid and we were able to wander without much concern for tricky footing along the way.

Sunshine makes up for a lot, but I still found myself breathing into my collar to warm up and the camera operating sluggishly and sometimes quitting on me as the battery froze.

The forest was full of small rabbit tracks and the more sinister tracks left by the neighbor's semi-feral cats and the dogs were admonished repeatedly "no chase cats" though we did not see any.

The fresh air was intoxicating though. It seems like every step towards spring the forest takes, it's three steps back.

Though I have heard birds singing in town, the only singing in the forest is the off-key screeches of woodpeckers.

I have often thought the worst season for photography is mid-summer when everything sort of melts into a sameness from day to day, but I am adding long winters to that score. Spring will be a very welcome change this year.

The forest is still ethereally beautiful in the sun however and I don't think there is really anyway to capture the essence of that.

It sort of reminded me of a scene from Lord of the Rings when the Ent complains that the white wizard, Sarumen, no longer comes to walk in the forest. It makes me think that evil can only grow in men's hearts when they forget the wild places.

Though I do think the concept of good and evil is highly overrated and not so clear cut in nature.

All I know is I prefer the forest even on the coldest days to any church. I wonder at what point in time people turned their back on the forests in order to worship indoors? What a strange decision that seems to me. As though one must be closed off to the natural world in order to see god.

Perhaps because the forest carries within it too much magic and mystery? So fortresses had to be built to hold that at bay.

Whatever the case, there is always joy on our walks.

We wander, the dogs exploring every thicket and sniffing every trail.

I am sometimes captivated by this small thing or that, and sometimes take a moment to just enjoy the whole.

The snow has so many textures, it is never really the same from day to day.

Charm and I detour into the one stand of pines which bring a welcome touch of green to the forest.

The sun higher in the sky than on our usual walks so that it lights every part of the forest.

Yet still gives an opportunity to catch it in it's fall from the right angles.

Domino races up and down the trail burning off steam and I have to be alert to step aside every few minutes so I don't get bowled over.

The leaves glow like tiny chinese lanterns as we turn back.

The dogs finally somewhat worn out and chilled.

The dog treats come out and Domino sticks close for the walk back, turning back every few minutes to see if he has earned one or not.

We are all cold to the bone and happy to reach the car and head home.

There is a privacy about it which no other season gives you.... In spring, summer and fall people sort of have an open season on each other; only in the winter, in the country, can you have longer, quiet stretches when you can savor belonging to yourself. ~Ruth Stout