I am not sure when or why this changed, but lately, I have been appreciating the beauty of winter. Not just the sparkling coating of ice that shines on some mornings or the new fallen snow under a clear, star-light sky, but the stark, bare trees and the dormant fields and lawns surprise me with homely allure on my ventures in the world. I imagine that the trees’ roots reaching underground in a pattern that mirrors the expanse of the branches, providing home to unseen creatures, the golden fields resting in anticipation of the coming spring.
And I think about the unknown depths of the human heart where we carry so much more than can be seen by casual glances. But if we really look, might we see a different kind of beautiful?
Image here.
Tags: Walking
Sufficiently Radical 
March 2, 2011 at 9:44 am |
I love your photo of trees. I will be driving down the street and look up at the very top of trees with amazement..and I often plant my own roots down deep to center me in the earth like a tree. What a lovely post this morning…thank you.Sam
March 2, 2011 at 11:05 am |
Thanks, Sam. Hope you are well!
March 2, 2011 at 9:48 am |
Hi, Noney!
We went on a walking tour in a nearby state park last weekend. We learned all about maple sugaring which was fascinating in and of itself. But another thing we learned was how to idenitfy trees in the winter. One way is by the shape and color of their buds. I was shocked by all the buds on the branches right here in the dead of winter. How long have they been there? I asked. It turns out the trees produce buds in midsummer, and they are present all fall & winter long! I never knew.
Good post as usual!
Theresa
March 2, 2011 at 11:08 am |
That is so cool, Treece! I didn’t know that, either. I thought the buds I’ve noticed recently were a response to the warm weather. Huh!
We LOVED to go on the maple sugaring walk when we lived in Syracuse. What a happy memory!
March 2, 2011 at 10:46 am |
I’m SO with you on this! I love the starkness, the stillness, the muted colors. Very calm and peaceful. I never thought of thinking about what’s going on under the surface … but that’s very intriguing.
March 2, 2011 at 11:09 am |
I know! Why didn’t I notice it before?
March 2, 2011 at 10:48 am |
Again I love this post — I didn’t see the photo before! I love it! Makes me feel very calm.
March 2, 2011 at 3:33 pm |
amazingly, this morning on my walk thru the Spring, i was commenting to TJ on how beautiful the winter woods were and how i don’t always notice or appreciate it. i love the idea of looking further, deeper. i think this is a nice part of maturation