Monday, January 1, 2018

The frozen season

Today is the the start of a new year and a new Ultimate Blogging Challenge. I will be posting every day for the month. Please follow my journey through the month of January and beyond. 

The year has begun in a deep freeze. My world is very white and very frozen. Normally, I would bring my camera with me and go outside for a very long walk. Right now, however, it is too cold for the walks. The weather advisories have suggested that, after just 30 minutes of exposed skin being in the elements, there is a serious risk of frostbite. It will be about a week before the weather warms up. So I've stayed close to home in documenting the cold world outside.

Here are the images of my frozen, white world.



A few days before Christmas, before the deep freeze came, it began snowing. It snowed and snowed and snowed. My world was enveloped by a blanket of whiteness and silence. 

The freshly fallen snow covered the tree branches and only a few needles from the blue spruce stuck out.

pine needles bond with the snow

dormant apple tree, covered with a layer of whiteness.

Quiet street before the snowplows come to clear off the layer of snow from the street.

Winter is a season of hope and expectation. Everything is dormant, awaiting a new beginning.

Into that quiet world comes a small snowplow, which clears a driveway across the street.

view of the back yard


On Christmas day, I was able to walk to church. It was a quiet, peaceful walk. This is Woods Creek after a good snowfall.

Another view of Woods Creek. I think that I'd like to make a painting of Woods Creek in winter.

And then, the day after Christmas, the deep freeze descended... and stayed. Today, I went to the Buffalo Launch Club for the inauguration of the newly elected town officials. The river and the sky were a cold blue. I took pictures from inside.

The boats are out of the river. Everything is silent. 

It's the silence of a new year. Underneath the snow and the frozen land, there are seeds and bulbs and the promise of light and color.


Question: What are some of your hopes for the new year?

9 comments:

Jeanine Byers said...

What beautiful pictures, Alice!! It feels almost like being there, and I could almost feel the cold. But I doubt I'd go very far, either. I think I'd be taking pictures from inside. :) My hopes for the coming year, personally (for now, I am avoiding thoughts of national hopes and being narrowly focused), are to keep writing. Last year's goal was to have 2 books on Amazon before the year was over and I accomplished that. I am not sure I will set a number goal for this year. Still thinking about that. But I do want to keep writing. Happy New Year! :)

StephAbbott said...

You photos reflect an idyllic small town life. I have no idea if that is true, but I enjoyed imagining it.

Nabanita said...

It looks out of a fairy tale, these pics. Thanks for taking us through a visual treat :)

Aarti said...

Brrrrrr.... stay warm!!! Drink lots of hot chocolate and tea (or whatever your preferred beverage is). The pictures though are beautiful! Thanks for this post :)

Ls said...

Everything looks so beautiful and magical! It must be terribly cold but the scenes are a beauty. Since, we never get snow, I would love to see this.

Suzy said...

Beautiful pictures. There's somthing so magical about the snow. Here in NZ it's our Summer and we are roasting. This year just seems the hottest we've had. Wish you a happy 2018.

Shilpa Gupte said...

Oh gosh! Alice, it feels like life has come to a stand still! All that snow all around, not a soul in sight! For us, in Mumbai (Bombay), the snow does look inviting as we have never experienced extreme winter, ever. But, for you all, it must be a period you would want over soon, isn't it? It does look spectacular to me, but I can imagine how it must feel for you all, staying all cooped up at home!

Cerebrations.biz said...

I loved the miniplow!
Great photos- stay warm!

Alana said...

I'm wishing for spring, or for a financial windfall so I can snowbird. We have far from the worst of it in the Binghamton area, and I am grateful!