We all tend to get a little snippy in the winter months. Usually it doesn’t happen until later, but I’ve already noticed it in myself and in others. At such times, I take a deep breath (if possible – in below-zero temps that’s more difficult) and pause in whatever annoying mood I have stumbled upon or into. Gazing at the Christmas tree about to come down, or out at the snow that still stands brightly against the rising temperatures of the week, I remember to take in the moment.
A cardinal alights on the hedge in front of our house. Vivid scarlet against the dark evergreen backdrop, it reflects the last light of the day’s sun. It seems to peer directly into our front door, as if to say hello and bring a message of cheer in a stretch of gray days. I try to capture its brilliance, but as these grainy photos attest it is impossible to capture. That makes it all the more magical. As soon as I begin a closer examination of its feathers, it is gone.
The day is too cold to stay long outside anyway. Winter shirks off its fleeting beauty in quick fashion.
