Monday Escape: Reflection

Last week, I told a lie. More autumn.

Besides, contrary to popular belief and media propaganda, winter does not look like a snow-covered fairytale in the Midwest. Many of my Southern and Western friends seem to think winter looks like this, 24-7:

A truly charming, enchanted winter wonderland!

Really, despite the discomfort and danger snow involves…if only (because snow, truly, is pretty, at least away from the roads)! The truth must be explained. Turn away if you prefer to cling to your illusions about winter, my dear.

In reality, winter is more along the lines of grey, sunless weeks seeming to stretch out endlessly, accompanied by dormant everything, the bare branches of the trees scraping the dark, thickly-clouded sky with little reward. Snow would indeed make winter seem less…well, dead, but it is rare to have a blanket of the pretty white crystallized water; alas, it is mostly just…dead stuff. Uncovered dead (dormant, really) stuff, which I’ll confess makes me a little uncomfortable. It is really quite sad; aren’t we blessed to have Christmas and New Year’s to bring light and joy to the season, carrying us through to the new life of spring? I certainly think so.

Of course, despite the cold-lock winter puts on things, there does remain beauty for the finding. Whew!

This is why I rarely have actual “winter photos” to share, actually—not only is being outdoors rather uncomfortable, but it is very dark and there’s actually not any snow on the ground! In fact, I’ve a big stash of summer photographs I’ve held onto in order to have life to work on and share during the depths of earth’s quiet season (at least on this side of the globe).

Therefore, my affection for autumn’s glory continues, and you’ll just have to suffer.