We finally got a few days of sunshine here.  We had had one day after another of clouds and no direct sunshine.  It reminded us of living near Syracuse, NY where a sunny day was call for a discussion with the bank teller.  It was good to get out with a camera in the sunshine.

Sunshine this time of year suggests that spring is not far off.  Ice on the pond but light in the trees.  Light and, if we could look closely enough, buds ready to wake up when the day lasts long enough.

Place your hand on one of these trees.  The life is there, the tree has been there for decades and has gone through the same cycle year after year; you can feel the life, even if it is resting.  Sunshine gives rise to these thoughts.

Many of us humans have been through several cycles of the year as well.  We know spring is coming and we know what that brings.

We may long for the warmer weather and it will come.  In the meantime there are some hints out there that it is on its way.

This is the season for snowdrops.  They stand up when it is warm enough and lie down when it is too cold.   And they are a sign that winter is not going to be with us too much longer.  I saw some here the other day and didn’t get out to photograph them.  This shot was taken in January a couple of years ago.

Yes, spring is on the way but there is plenty to appreciate about winter as well. It is a time of bone essentials, a time to reflect on what is, through all the cycles of the year.