What do you see?

The cold, or the light?

Nature photo of the day: haystack breathing into a new dawn.

do you feel cold when looking at snow,
or do you fear the possibility of freezing?
do you see a lens flare in a photo,
or could it be an angelic being?
do you know,
that which you already know?
or maybe you just cannot find it
because you never held it in your hands
only in your heart
locked up so tight
that the memory faded into
a wordless whisper 
sighed out long ago
among hills and valleys unknown

- Cheryl M.

Winter has come and gone, and arrived again - just as winter always does.

It makes me wonder, what kind of people actually adore the snow? More than that, who loves the slippery and unexpected ice that comes with cold days and even colder nights? For me, snow is nice, ice, not so. Or at least not so nice when the ground is less than level. I’m just trying to be nice…

Sure, the views may be beautiful, and some mornings bright, as was this morning when the sunrise beckoned steam from the haystacks, but on a regular day, winter can simply feel long and cold.

That’s why we really encourage you - and by you, we mean everyone! - to get outside for your daily dose of nature. If it’s sunny be happy. If it’s snowing, give thanks that it’s not stormy. If it’s hot, be grateful to have shade. If it’s blistering cold, find glee in taking a few short and very cold in-breaths which make you feel alive. Then warm up inside before going out again.

Let your fingers be cold, your toes too! Imagine how it would feel to spend an hour outside in freezing temperatures, then an hour more. Take the next step and actually do it. Winter is right on the doorstep for many of us. Make this the winter that you feel into your animal instincts.

Go outside in a t-shirt and take photos of the rising sun in the snow. Get in cold water, or take a cold bath, or cold shower. Become one with the cold.

If you need help to get outside of your comfort zone, do it with a friend, rather than going it alone. But never fear the cold. For even on the coldest day, there will always be light.

As for the journal prompt of the day:

What was the coldest temperature I’ve ever experienced?

How did it make you feel? Was it exhilarating, scary, or just part of life that you needed to experience? Would you be keen on experiencing the same cold again?

Let us know in the comments below.

Wishing snow to all who wish to receive it,

Cheryl