November Serenity Blog Circle - The Quiet of Winter

I won’t say that I don’t like Winter. I enjoy a fresh snowfall, how pretty it makes the trees and landscape, especially here in Alberta where the sun is usually bright and the sky is blue after the storm passes. My beef with Winter is how long it lasts in my part of the world! Those first few months of the white landscape (if we get snow, sometimes it’s just brown); the feeling of warmth as you cozy up inside by the fireplace and revel in indoor activities - puzzles, reading, baking, crocheting, movies; warm cozy sweaters and toques; the excitement of Christmas. By the end of January though, I’m ready to move on (oh who am I kidding, long before this, I’m ready). I tire of all the layers of clothing I need to wear, how long it takes to dress to go outside, short days and dealing with icy roads. I long to see the colours of the garden again and to sit on my deck soaking up the sun with my morning coffee.

Unfortunately, Winter is here and we can’t make it go away any faster than it wants. So I try my hardest to enjoy it and keep positive. There is definitely something serene about heading outside during or after a fresh snowfall. The snow quiets the world and provides a fresh clean blanket on the landscape. Because I live in a rural location, a fresh snow means I can see the tracks of the animals that may have been in my yard before me - deer, coyotes, birds, even mice.

This past weekend we had a fresh snowfall, then the clouds parted and the sun and blue sky came out. It was cold, but I bundled up and headed out with my camera to capture some of the fresh snow before it fell off the trees.

All images were taken with my Lensbaby Velvet56 lens.

I love what winter light can do to what’s left of the weeds and the branches.

It’s hard to complain when the morning light of a winter sunrise turns the frost on the bare trees and dead leaves into this!

The Serenity Project is a collaborative photography project featuring images that bring a sense of peace and calm. Please continue our circle to to see what has brought my friends serenity this month.

Next in the circle is Wendy May, Photographer, NE Scotland

Click the link to see what serenity looks like for her this month!

Thanks for being here.

January Serenity Blog Circle - A warm winter walk

Here in Calgary, Alberta we have had an unseasonably warm and dry winter. In October, we had an early, large snowfall putting a quick end to the beautiful fall season we often enjoy here. We received about a foot of snow. Since then, we’ve had minimal snowfall and mild temperatures. While it makes for a comfortable winter and good driving conditions, I know it is not good for the farmers or our lawns and gardens or the wildfire season.

I’ve tried to take advantage of the mild conditions and have been getting out walking with my camera. This week, I headed out to one of my favourite local urban parks and enjoyed temperatures of +9 degrees celcius while soaking up the sun. I encountered numerous people on bike or foot, taking advantage of the weather - here in Alberta, we could be up to our knees in snow again by the next day, you just never know.

All pictures in this post were taken using my Lensbaby Sweet35, a lens I don’t use often because I’m not sure I love it. I always see images that someone else takes using the same lens and fall in love with them, so I keep trying to use it.

Click on the images to see them larger.

Every Christmas season, someone decorates this little tree at the entrance to the park.

There is beauty to be found in all seasons.

I think one of the reasons I love this park is all the water elements - pathways wind along the river and around ponds where birds, waterfowl, beavers, deer and coyotes all live. There is just something about water that draws me in.

Ice and light patterns

The Serenity Project is a collaborative photography project featuring images that bring a sense of peace and calm. Please continue the circle to to see what has brought her serenity this month. Joan Showers of Joan Showers Photography is up next. Click the link to see what serenity looks like for her this month! Thanks for being here.