When snow falls, nature listens

We started back to school yesterday after a nice long holiday break. I didn’t dread going back because it’s always good to see my co-workers and the children again (although getting up at 6 am is always a dreadful thought). But then last night, it began to snow and today all the schools in the area are closed. So I get another day off, which is nice.

I slept in and woke to a world of white and the sound of my son shoveling the walkways around the house. He even cleared off the cars.

My first thought was to head outside and take some photos to share with you on this fine winter morning. My second thought was to say the hell with it and stay inside. I have cleaning to do because I have company coming tomorrow and a walk can wait for now. I also have to make tracks with the car down the driveway. The plow doesn’t come when the snow is 6 inches or under. I know this from past experience living here.

 

I shot this from my front door and didn’t realize I had on my macro lens and the focus was set to manual. The wind was blowing the snow from the trees and I tried to capture it but ended up adding a layer here to simulate snow. I like how it turned out.

 

I ventured upstairs to the third floor to capture some images from the west side of the house.

 

 

It is a fine morning here in Maryland.

 

 

And then I came downstairs and took a few indoor shots. I will admit that I am being completely lazy today as far as the camera is concerned because everything you see here was shot using the auto dial. I used the scene setting on my Nikon D7000. The inside shots were made using the “party/indoor” mode and the outside scenes were shot using the “beach/snow” mode. It’s a snow day and I can do what I want.

 

 

Shot looking into the mirror.

 

 

I keep the feeders filled in the wintertime.

And I plan on trying to get some shots from this window when the light is right and my chores are done. I just hope the snow hasn’t all been blown away by then. It’s a loose, powdery snow with a layer of icy crunch at the bottom.

 

 

From the breakfast nook window.

 

 

I turned around and there was my buddy.

 

 

He is a fine dog. And I love him.

 

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I rang in the New Year with my sister, Char, and her husband, Dave, along with good friends of theirs. They are excellent cooks so it goes without saying that the food was divine. But I’m saying it anyway because it was. And there were party hats involved as we watched the countdown from Times Square. A good time was had by all.

Here’s to 2014 and the hope of a better year than the last one.

Thanks for coming by today, my friends.

 

When snow falls, nature listens.  ~Antoinette van Kleeff