I think I have the winter blues. For the last month, it’s been cold with highs mostly in the 20s and lows occasionally below zero. I know you northerners would laugh at that, but that’s cold for this part of Missouri. Plus, we’ve had 2 6” snowfalls, three in the 1-2” range and freezing rain on a couple of occasions. We did get lucky when that huge storm came barreling in off the plains a couple of weeks ago. It barely brushed us – we had ice covered trees at elevations above 800’ or so, but that’s all – before knuckleballing off to the northeast.
In my younger days, a few inches of snow would mean I’d be out taking photos and looking for tracks. But this year, other than one occasion, I’ve kept my hind end in the house reading and watching Highlander episodes and NatGeo documentaries on Netflix. I’m just looking forward to April when the wildflowers get in gear, the darters will be in color and I can get serious about chasing crayfish again. The good news is that the weather appears to be breaking. The weather service is calling for highs approaching 60 tomorrow and in the 50’s for the rest of the week. Heck, the low for one night is projected to be 50!
I mentioned that I did get out in one of the snowfalls and shoot some photos, so here they are. The first two were taken fairly early in the morning while walking around in the woods near the house.
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Later in the day, Dayna and I drove across the Forest Service road from C Hwy to Skyline Drive. These photos were shot from Skyline.
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Hwy 103 and Peavine Road were clear so we made the loop through Big Spring and back to the south end of Skyline. We stopped at the boat landing where I took these shots and saw our only signs of life of the day – a kingfisher and the killdeer shown.
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Big Spring is beautiful anytime of the year, but it’s really nice in the snow.
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I almost forgot, we did find a good sign that spring isn’t too far in the future. The Ozark witchhazel was blooming, snow be damned.
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These photos assure me the beauty of the Ozarks endures. The patterns and colors so familiar to me now that the ‘place’ is forever in my heart and mind. Perhpas winter cold is not so inviting as a balmy spring day in April, but the stillness, the solemn stark contrast of snow and darkened limbs—and the remarkable openess that lays the land contours before one are treasures. And the way sound carries in the cold—silence ampliphied. A ‘Rorschack’ emerges, a complete reversal—the world upsidedown. The opposite of summer when dark foliage anchors the land and the sky is light-bright above. In winter it is the snow covered land that brings the light, and deep blues, greys, and dark of night that give weight to the heavens.
Martha, that was beautiful. If I coul write just half as well as you I’d be a very happy individual.