We are now beginning to get snow in the valley regularly. The dull gray days of Winter are really here. It won't be long before I'll see sign that deer have been in the yard nibbling on the shrubs and picking at crab apples.

I really have a love hate relationship with winter. The gray, dreary and cold days are almost depressing. We can go days without seeing blue sky or the sun. The valley fills with fog and the chill goes right to the bone. It makes you want to just curl up in front of a fire with a good book.

At the same time my little Winter birds, that we keep well fed, are back in the yard. The deer and elk come down off the mountain and are often seen in the pastures. With luck maybe I'll see a mountain lion. And, those gray days make for long hours of good light to practice photography. So I throw on my coat and gloves, wander out into the cold and take pictures. Life is good!

And really, winter doesn't last all that long. Spring is right around the corner. There is plenty to look forward too.