winter colours

We are coming towards the end of winter around here. It's not that winter is over by any means, it's just that there is something in the air that tells us that spring is around the corner. The air is not quite as dry, the temperatures aren't plunging deep bellow zero, just hovering at around - 1 or so. It's that in between stage that makes me feel somewhat impatient. I want to fast forward time to when spring bulbs will be peeking their heads out through the ground. I'm anxious to take long walks outside wearing my rainboots. I dream of taking in deep breaths of the fresh spring earthy air, but then something deep inside scolds me. How dare you try to rush winter. How dare you take for granted the beauty that each day brings. And so to prove to myself that I could find beauty during these long winter days I found myself taking the long way home today, hoping that something would catch my eye. I drove down a familiar road in Ottawa's greenbelt called Ridge Road. It's the strangest thing, but once you turn the corner onto Ridge Road you find yourself surrounded by beautiful country side. As I drove along something told me to stop and take some pictures.I pulled over to the side of the road and was taken by the beautiful and soft muted colours of the winter scenes that I was looking at. I snapped away and became inspired by the quiet and stillness of it all. How beautiful I thought to myself. How beautiful and serene.

The winter gives us an opportunity to pause and rest. The quiet blankets of snow covering the ground beneath are reminders for us to bunker down and rest. Soon spring will be upon us but

I am going to try to enjoy these last few remaining weeks of winter and embrace the softness of it all.