February Morning

Winter is a complex season.  I guess that means they all are, but winter is on my mind today.  Three things come to mind first about winter -- cold, dark, and snow.  But as the shortest day of the year is at the winter solstice, autumn is just as dark a season as winter.  

Cold and snow do belong to winter, though late autumn sometimes takes an early turn with them.  The overlapping cycles mean that as the snow and cold days of winter carry on, each day is filled with a little more light, and by late February the change is noticeable, and much appreciated.

This morning was glorious.  A small amount, perhaps a half inch, of powdered sugar-like snow fell overnight - just enough to lay softly on top of the tree branches and freshen up the snow on the yards and the berms along the streets.  The sun was coming up in a clear blue sky, casting bluish shadows on the bright white snow.  

My morning walk takes me past, and under, a huge sycamore tree that spreads branches far across the street to the opposite side.  As I walked under, I looked up at the patchy tan and white branches stretched across the blue sky.  Sometimes winter can be gray, monochromatic, and flat.  Today was the opposite - light filled, and deep, contrasting colors.    

I could feel the shift in the seasons.  Though winter is still deep around us, it is almost two-thirds over, and spring is inevitably coming.