Stepping into a Fairy tale

I donned xc skis

and headed through the woods, meadows and hills 

the wilds around home

after an hour I arrived at a tangled forest along a creek

you know the kind of woods that you have to bend and twist to get through 

the limbs of trees and bushes

grab your hat and cloak each step of the way

along the waters edge

snow turned into geometry crystals

sacred geometry

it was layers and layers deep, perhaps a dozen layers 

of delicate yet strong sheets of these icy layers

a pile of flicker (woodpecker group) feathers were scattered on a log and snow

someone dinned in these shadowy woods

a lone wolf had passed the same path that morning

ice formations showed the beauty of branches in a unique way

upon return

I had the honor of holding a little junco until it felt well enough to fly away

after colliding with a window

~

it truly felt like a fairy-tale day

~

*

Glimpses of a Creek Walk

beneath the milky ice

runs cold water

rocks nestled down for winter

(which is nearly spring)

flowing

frozen

nature's art

nature's life

recent snow

offers glimpses never seen before

artful offerings

pink bark!

in the shadowy darkness...... light

platinum beauty

~

wishing you peace

calm

beauty 

from the inside out

~

*

Winter in February

as we lean towards spring

each snowfall inspires my smiles

taking to heart winter's spirit

breath-enhancing sunsets.....

morning ice crystals 

made of fairy wings

rocks under faceted ice

make ones heart sing

celebrated my birthday at one of my beloved places

stayed for the alpine glow sunset

the first sunset in this post is of the night before

very similar sunsets

and

so beautiful

the sweet little birds

that stay with us all winter

~

lovely end of winter to you!

~

 

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The Park, Glacier National Park

as the sun nears the horizon

snow shows off the beach boulders in a different way

without sunlight the rocks colors are muted, appealing in a earth toned way

reflections are day dream beauties

tucked into that far off canyon, it is snowing

~*

Winter Crystals

morning treasures

 

formed in the cold of night

 

they call my creek home

 

in their short lived life

 

often the crystals evaporate, take flight, disappear throughout the day

even though the temperature is below freezing

so interesting

moon shadows on the snow

our recent full moon

~

*

Winter Begins, NW Montana

Autumns often deep cold days

inspired the spirit and stance of hibernation early for me

the forest cloaked in snow is lovely 

with a deep sense of quiet

 

the little birds still come to me

inspiring joy and calm all at once

this mountain chickadee has a much narrower head than most of them 

sweet black capped chickadee

landing for a sunflower seed

chestnut-backed chickadee

These are the three chickadees that visit me

and then there is the nuthatch:

if it weren't for the tiny birds

a winter hush would be throughout the land

~

lovely holidays to you and yours

Sweet Solstice to one and all!

slowly our days will become longer......

~

* 

Seasonal Glimpses

sweet little mountain chickadee

autumn raindrops

It has been a very cold autumn, more like winter cold.

snow a number of times

has come and gone

I love how the snow reveals who has walked by

in this case an elf....

(or possibly a skunk)

Ponderosa tree bark

artful and beautiful

occasional snowflakes

 as well as

beautiful frost

~

*

Such a Wonderful Critter Summer

On a hike...

this massive guy was napping in the woods

we got to see him stand up and just be.....

he stood still for a very long time

driving through the mountains

seemingly 

at the top of the world

endless huge beauty

(B7 Pillar)

this mountain chickadee

sat/stood a foot from me

on this branch for quite a long time

at first I thought it wanted seed (see my last post)

but it did not take any

so we simply stood and listened and looked

and relaxed into the day

In the woods, off trail, taking to heart the details of forest life. Spying a sylvan mushroom, brightly colored red. I must take it's portrait, a photograph. But how to get through the tangle of downed trees, scramble of branches. Ducking this and that, making my way to it, I hear a sound and look up to see a little tree squirrel scrambling up a spruce tree, with the mushroom, the very same mushroom in it's mouth, twice as big as the squirrels head. Up up up the tree trunk and then lays it on a branch to age and dry. The squirrel nearly flies to the earth in search of it's next foraged meal. 

What are the chances of that! The squirrel got to and took the mushroom before me. Still inspires a smile, as I remember. It was quite dark in the forest or I would have tried to video that busy squirrel for you.  

~

Lovely end of summer 

(or winter) to you!

~

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