Brand New Day

Twenty four degrees, cloudy skies.... winter is upon us.




Breathe deeply, say a word of thanks, and enjoy your day!

Color Explosion

Yesterday around noon my husband, who has been miserably sick with the flu, and I were sitting on the deck enjoying the warm October sun and we remarked that it just hadn't been cold enough to have much brilliant color in the landscape this year. But today, it seems that the color exploded overnight. Take a look.




This weekend I had dog-sitting duty for my friends just up the road. It's always a pleasure to stay at their house because while they are so close, they have a different view of the mountain than we do. Here's what I woke up to on Saturday morning.

And here's the meadow in the morning which is a part of my dog-walking route. The tall grass had recently been mowed.

Saturday afternoon when the sun was just beginning to set, the dogs and I went out for one more walk.


Sunday morning, Sophie-dog woke me up bright and early... I think she wanted me to see this.

So, I'll leave you with this photo of my garden as it prepares for the quiet season of winter... but the sign says it all and it's meant for any of you! (Of course you may want to wait until the flu germs have moved away!)

Wordless Wednesday: Early One Morning

Winter's Beauty

Each season brings to us gifts from nature. The gifts of winter, for me, include a chance to simplify, to rest, to meditate, to reflect. And perhaps above all, winter brings the most majestic sunrises... maybe because of the deep darkness of the season, or the lateness of the sunrise, or because the air feels so clean and crystalline pure. The other morning, around 7:00, as I was drinking my coffee, I saw the most beautiful streaks through the sky and I ran for my camera. Here is what I captured... the progression of the rising of the sun and the light across the mountain.







May the winter season, as it approaches, bring into your life wonder, magic, light, color, and beauty. Happy Holidays!

And if you haven't entered my holiday giveaway, there are just three days left to do so! Click here for more details.

Late November Sunrise

This morning when I woke up, I could see a gorgeous sky from the windows stretching across the front of our small home. Normally I would have lingered in a bed a few more minutes, at least until the coffee that my husband graciously makes every morning was finished brewing. But that sky was too beautiful, so I climbed out from the covers, threw on a pair of cords, grabbed my camera from my desk, and trooped downstairs ready to capture a few decent shots. At that time of the day, the sky changes so quickly that you must act immediately! So here are a few pictures...

This was what I first saw... the colors just beginning to come over the horizon against a still-dark sky. Because my photo was not clear, I did some photoshop work.


But the sky changed quickly, with stormy clouds building, and so I grabbed the camera again and shot these...




I hope you were able to take a few minutes to enjoy the grace of a new day beginning. If not, you can at least share in the beauty of mine.

Early Morning Sunshine

After two grey days of chilly rain, today promises to be gorgeous. When I went to get my second cup of coffee, here is what I saw...

It was so lovely and soft with the fog rising over the ground, the raindrops sparkling on the branches, and the sunlight shining through the trees and creating long shadows in the yard. Just for fun, I spent a bit of time in Photoshop... what do you think?

Now that the sun is out bright and full, I'm headed out to the painting studio! Happy Friday!