My Photo Journal: Hardly Winter!

In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me
there lay an invincible summer.
Albert Camus

We've been extremely lucky this winter - it has hardly snowed at all and even when it has, warm temperatures quickly follow so no accumulation remains on the ground. We've had enough snow to make snowgirls - Snow Mattie, Snow Daisy and Snow Alice (the last two being my daughter's invisible companions; yes, I know, we need to find her some real friends) - but we haven't had to endure drawn-out stretches of bitterly biting gales, treacherously slippery sidewalks or dreary-drabby gray days. Best of all, we've been able to get outside for more walks than we normally would during this curmudgeonly season. It's made it easier to stay more upbeat; I generally find the winter months quite oppressive and it can be a challenge to search for thoughts and images that remind me of happier, balmier times.

These photos were taken at Rotary Park in Ajax, Ontario on one of the warmest winter days on record. The sun shining on our heads and the stinging purity of the lung-cleansing cold air combined to fill us with giddy exhilaration. Monochromes startled with unseasonal vibrancy, and wildlife partied it up with hisses, honks, flaps and swishes. The light was incredible and winter played dress-up in the guise of its torrid, sultry cousin. Feeling indomitable, I marched along the parkways and learned that indeed, I did have within me, an invincible summer.

(This post was originally published in January 2011.) © FieldandGarden.com. All rights reserved.