Winter’s cold temperatures chill the bones but also show us the magic that snow and ice can create in nature. Cold, wet, windy, cloudy, snowy – what’s to love? Fact is, winter is good for the land, for birds, and for humans as it takes part in the natural cycle of the seasons.
Our beloved outdoor environment is transformed by a force like no other. The change of seasons from summer to winter is one of earth’s cosmic movements that we get to experience personally each year. In the Northern Hemisphere, winter occurs when the earth’s northern axis tils away from the sun. This small shift creates the decrease in temperature, and gives us shorter days to reflect on our lives and on our place in the glory of nature in this impactful permutation.
Winter landscapes fill with life of a different sort compared to warmer seasons. Plants, shrubs, trees, birds, and animals have cleverly adapted to whatever nature serves up – migrating, hibernating, going dormant. Many kinds of seeds will germinate come spring only after they’ve spent a winter on the cold and frozen ground.
Now is the time to take notice of the beauty of the season. The ice sprinkles on ornamental grass fronds, wet snows moisturizing the earth; tiny animal and bird prints making purposeful tracks in a fresh-fallen snow, ice formations in ponds, birdbaths, and streams; trees with no leaves, their branches dark and dramatic, like sentinel sculptures. Morning mists, sunrises crowning the mountains with color, moody days with intense color when removed from the sun’s bright glare; shadows long and full. Nature’s canvas in full artistic swing.
