Hoar frost on new snow

A cold winter morning reveals sharp hoarfrost crystals growing on soft new snow resting on the crook of twigs.

Just looking at this picture, can you feel the brisk, fresh air on your face? 

It's a sunny, but cold winter day. The fresh snow caught on the still branches tells of a gentle snowfall overnight, with no breeze to scatter the flakes held precariously in the crooks of the small twigs.

The morning sun backlights the crisp snowflakes and highlights the sharp hoar frost crystals that grew up overnight.

We often think of winter as a bleak, sterile time, void of much beauty -- and so, we limit our time outside in the cold, scurrying from warmth to warmth.

Yet, it is a beautiful season. Bundling up to keep warm allows us to take some time for a leisurely stroll, a time to soak in all we've been missing!