February's Winter Sunshine

My last post about Winter generated a lot of talk about the pros and cons of Winter.  I thank each of you for taking the time to share with me your thoughts about Winter.  Depending on where you live, Winter can take on a totally different perspective.  For us living here in North Idaho, our winter this year for three months has mostly consisted of dense fog and cloudy days, much like in the picture above.  Each day the dogs and I would walk, and lift our faces to the skies.  Many times, both at sunrise and sunset that would be our only glimpse of the sun.



During our evening walks, the fog would clear off, and the sun would peek through in an abundance of color to end the day with.

I can understand why many people dislike Winter's long dreary days.  But when the skies fill with color during evening's last curtain call, how can one not be thrilled at the sight? 

One evening, after the skies turned to liquid crimson flowing through puffy billowing clouds, I captured this picture of my neighbor's horse waiting to be fed.  

And when the sun was coming up one morning... the pine trees glowed as they soaked up every drop of that precious sunshine, creating a beautiful contrast between land and sky. 

And even many days, especially in January when the fog was our constant companion throughout the day... 

When the fog lifted... the sunshine was joyfully welcomed. 

Our resident entertainer spares a moment out of his busy day, to share a little smile for the camera.  

In the midst of our winter here, I took a little detour to Texas. My mother underwent knee surgery, and I flew down to be with her for a week after the surgery.  One evening while I was there, there was a magnificent sunset at my brother's home. 

I enjoyed the spectacular bloom of this beautiful plant that my dad was growing.  

Beautiful Texas sunset

Enjoyed several games of scrabble with my Mother, who is an avid Scrabble player. 

My dad and I visited a Texas tulip farm not far from their home while my Mom rested at home after a session of exercise. 

The tulip blooms were just beginning to fill out, and were beautiful to see. 

I enjoyed seeing all the beautiful varieties of tulips that they had planted. 

Enjoying the tulips and the sunshine! 

Also not far from my parent's home was the site of the horrific Sutherland church shooting.  

The memorial was open to the public, and was beautifully done. It was an incredibly horrific scene that had been painted white, and red roses placed on a white chair at the place of each one's death.  

This was the saddest rose to see, a pink rose placed under a cloche for a child unborn. In the midst of this horrific tragedy, though, the grace of the Lord was shining through, and through the generosity of the community, and the Southern Baptist church group, the church had a beautiful new building built for them to worship in.  The lady who opened the memorial shared with how the Lord continued to move in their community despite the tragedy, and it was wonderful to know that the grace of the Lord was at work in the midst of such sorrow. 

I enjoyed a tea party with my mother and aunt.  My aunt brought over a wonderful cream pie, and we enjoyed tea and pie together, using my mother's Lavender Rose china. 


Mom was gifted this china for her wedding present close to 50 years ago, and it is still in beautiful condition. 

My brother's home on a gorgeous Texas winter afternoon, with 70-degree temps and bright sunshine.
I enjoyed soaking up the beautiful rays of sunshine while I was there. 

All too soon, it was time to fly back home.  Mom was doing really well, her pain had lessened, and her rehab was going well.  I was so thankful to have been there with her as she recovered from her knee surgery. 
Back home, the mountains welcomed me as we drove towards home. 

And while I was gone... signs of Spring had sprung up along our daily walk! 

Sunshine had begun to melt back the ice and snow as blue skies opened up and allowed the sun to shine through. 

Perhaps I had brought some of that Texas sunshine back with me... as the sun had come out the day I returned,
and it has shone faithfully for two weeks now! 

I visited a local state park on a beautiful sunny afternoon and hiked down to the creek bed. 

One of my favorite places to visit, this little wooden bridge crosses the creek,
and is a delightful place to visit any time of the year. 

The sunshine had melted away much of the snow, and the creek was merrily singing along its way. 

A bit of a treacherous crossing over the bridge with melted snow that had turned to ice. 

Such beauty in the forest on this fine Winter's afternoon!

At the local city park, I watched the train as it passed through, and enjoyed the warm spring-like day. 

A miniature Lady Liberty statue stands tall in this park, a gift to the city from a local family's estate.  The statue had resided in the family's garden, and upon their mother's death, they donated it to the city.
She stands beautifully highlighting the incredible backdrop behind her. 

An adventuresome soul and his dog took to the waters to enjoy the beautiful day. 

As the snow melts, and bare ground appears, the chickens are out happily enjoying their reclaimed territory.  

Valentine's Day was enjoyed as a special treat this year as our church held a Valentine steak dinner. 

And speaking of Valentine's, my dear friend Cheryl shared some beautiful love stories of couples on her blog during the month of February. She was so gracious to share our story, and you can read it here. Be sure and visit Cheryl's blog, and be inspired with all the inspirational stories she has shared there. :) 

As Winter seems to have abated his claim over the landscape, and Spring's warm breath hovers in the distance, I am looking forward now to Spring, and that time of seed starting and planting, and all the excitement that comes with Spring.  I have enjoyed Winter so very much as it is a time of rest and quiet.  But now that Spring is teasing us with her arrival, I am indeed quite ready for spring blooms, flowers, and warmth.   How about you?