Just Pixels

The pundits say the winter snows are over. Just have a "feeling" in their bones. Or something. Whatever climatic juju they're smoking, I hope they're right. I'm ready for this season to be over. Holy Moses.

Though I've realized it's not so much the cold that I dislike, but what it does to people. Like the venerable grizzly, folks get a bit cranky and head for their dens about the time snowflake No. 1 falls to the autumn ground. Everybody folds his wings neatly and coops up for the winter. Physically and socially too, from what I gather. I've often felt like the only one even occasionally walking the town streets these winter months. Kind of a bummer when people seemingly pack up shop from fall till spring, and only return to normal life post-thaw. A Van Winkle-esque maneuver, if only in miniature duration.

There's really something different about northern folks and how their winters affect them. The southerners of our country really seem to be less hibernation prone, from my observations. Not that I'd be different over time, necessarily. But still kind of a downer, to the idle observer/pedestrian appreciator.

I've come to the personal conclusion that unless you can regularly take advantage of the cold (skiing, snow shoeing, sledding, etc.), it's not really worth it. The advent of USING the cold instead of just BEARING it is one I like a lot more. Perhaps I'll someday get to test my theory. For now you'll have to trust me...

At any rate, a recent traipse in said wintry biznass left me with some snowified versions of one of my fav Douglas locations. The cemetery. Perhaps this is strange, but I often jog/walk through there (when it's warmer, of course).

Powerfully peaceful place though...


Sand people walk in single file to hide their numbers...


Evergreen sandwich.


Doe(s) a deer...


Mystery marks. Yeti?!


Animal crossing.


Five o'clock shadows.


Bare barked.


Radar-equipped neighbors.