IF YOU CAN'T BEAT 'EM, JOIN 'EM

The return of Winter:

 So, it's Groundhog Day.  No self respecting groundhog in these parts would even come out of his burrow to look at his shadow in weather like this.  And there'd be no shadow in any case.  Here.

 But someone somewhere has consulted his local furry oracle and decreed that there shall be a further six weeks of winter.  The only person who will be happy about this will be Alex, who would like to get in some more ice fishing.

What's a girl to do?  This is a hard time of year to photograph.  Lots of white on white and gray on gray.   I tried to deny what was happening outside by taking some pictures of the bonus amaryllis which sprouted long after the Christmas flowers had gone, working with the different aperture and shutter settings on the new camera.  I'm not sure this is an honest exposure or strictly speaking, in focus, but I like the translucence of the petals and the way the background disappears.

  A look outside prompted further shots from the safety of the doorway.  One thing about the snow, it does highlight the bone structure of all the trees and shrubs.

Finally, on a whim, I threw the camera (well, not literally!) into the car on my way to my exercise class, and was rewarded by the sight of the two homely horses up the road digging into a fresh round bale.  They don't seem to mind the weather, so why should I?  And in fact, once I was out in it, it was a lovely (winter) day.