A Winter’s Day Walk at the Swan Ranch ~

I’m behind… {what else is new?!}… but wanted to share with you a few pictures I took on my Christmas walk, on the Swan Ranch, where we were for a beautiful day of celebration, food, family, friendships, and more…

Crisp, new-fallen snow.  Gorgeous light.  Spectacular scenery.  A perfect Christmas Gift for a photographer… and a photographer’s soul …

Exactly what I needed…

More than a breath of ‘fresh air’ ... but some quiet time, to worship, but more than that… to listen… too. 

And an unexpected chance to experiment with the lens and point it at the sun, and capture {or at least attempt to} the drama of the shadows of late afternoon light and sparkly snow...

… down at the frozen little creek bed…that leads to a green hay pasture in the height of summer’s lushness …i bet I couldn’t have walked down there in that season without lots of mosquitos and water sloshing!  Winter allows one to get to places… you never think about in the warm seasons…

and to take in the views of the far off summer cattle pastures high above you can’t hardly get to now …  i love the contrast of seasons, and what one gives… and the other does not…

to appreciate the mystery.  The simplicity and solitary of a winter’s day… something summer doesn’t always do.

Ia. 1:18 “though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.”  {one of my most favorite verses}

Winter highlights the beautiful bones — the structure, of the trees…

… and to my wonder, even the jets made a cross against the winter’s blue sky.  The sign of the True Gift of Christmas.  A gift indeed.

… and the sign of eternal life to come… especially in the dreary winter’s midnight soul when everything seems darker and barren ~ but it’s not.

A wonderful blessing everywhere you could lay eyes on.  I hope and pray, and have faith you are right where you need to be...