Dawn light on first snow

Woke up to wet snow, wind and the blue light of a cloudy dawn.

I always get a thrill of excitement when I see the first snow. Or should I say shiver of excitement? Then after about an hour, the reality of winter sinks in: 5 months of boots, gloves, hat hair, slush and discomfort.

Compensations -- snowshoeing, winter birds, cuddling, christmas holidays and this year, my first year of exploring winter with a camera!

The trip to work was appalling - almost two hours instead of the usual 30 minutes. I'd rather remember the beautiful start of my day.