The Sun Shines Through

Kodi and I set some fresh snowshoe/paw tracks this morning in our neighbor's back woods. The snow kept falling this week; maybe a foot of fresh powder after our last walkabout over to our neighbor's woods and field. So, the going was slow in places, for Kodi and me. Our surroundings sparkled under a blue sky and brilliant winter sun.

Kodi sets a track in our neighbor's field

Ice crystals coat the alder bushes bordering the field

(click on picture twice to enlarge to see the delicate ice crystal patterns)

The sun casts a long shadow on dried goldenrods

As we hiked back into our yard, I immediately noticed the sun streaming onto the south side of the house. Now, only three days after 21 pines were removed from the woods, I cannot remember what it was like before. Today, the sun feels warm and bright on a cold winter morning - just what we hoped for by taking down the tall, shading pines. In the house, Kodi finds the newly sunny spot in the kitchen. In the wee hours this morning we looked out our south windows to see Venus and a crescent moon - sights we could not see before Tuesday when the pine trees blocked our view to the south.

The winter sun shines through the hardwoods, now free of the tall white pines, to warm the house.

Kodi finds the sunny spot (notice his reflection on the fridge!)