finding happiness with the ghost of winter past

We’re now a full month into spring. I see photos of blooming flowers and green grass and flip flops in my Facebook feed and long for them. See, here in Minnesota, winter loves us so much that it doesn’t want to let us go. We got 6-8 inches of snow several days ago, which slowly began to melt over the weekend – but another snow storm blanketed us in white again last night.

There are plenty of things that suck about this spring white-out. But you know what? Fighting it and complaining about it does not seem to be helping me or bringing spring to us any quicker. So, I’ve decided to bask in it…relish it…celebrate it. Yes, really.

When I first started blogging in 2006, I posted photos and reflections of something beautiful in my midst every day for a full year. It transformed the way I see the world. The act of choosing beauty became a habit that has lasted and nourished me all these years, reminding me to find the good – in the mundane, in darkness, in sorrow, in a never-ending winter.

So, I decided to look back through my blog and find some favorite winter beauty sightings from the past…to celebrate what is and be reminded of winter’s wonders until it changes to something else. Wanna choose beauty with me?

I will never forget walking out my front door in March 2007, photographing the melting ice and then seeing an ANGEL – clear as day, right? – before my eyes. Winter magic, indeed.

Icicle bicycle! This is not an uncommon sight here (I took this pic in February 2010). Some people ride their bikes even in the dead of winter. Not me…but I so admire their tenacity and resilience.

When you’re raised in the frozen tundra, cold weather doesn’t phase you – from snow-covered scarves to frozen eyelashes! This is Ryder, who came inside after sledding in 2009 for a quick break before going back into the cold. Brrrrr!

I almost forgot it can also snow in early fall, as evidenced by these flaky flowers from October 2010. These red mums were on our front step and I love the contrast of the white snow against the bursts of red.

The bare branches and white backdrop of winter allows for wildlife sightings, like this beautiful deer I photographed in 2007. Actually, I just saw three of them yesterday through a patch of trees. They always take my breath away.

This remains one of my favorite photos I’ve taken over the past few years: Ryder, at age 3, riding his tricycle down the snowy street. Despite my initial protests, he would not let the frigid weather deter him.

Whoomp, there it is: I found the beauty in you, old man winter. Lots of beauty. But please remember absence makes the heart grow fonder. I’m pretty sure I’ll love you even more if you go away for a while. How does six months sound?