Four Seasons

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I’m glad I live in an area where there are four distinct seasons. Each year as autumn approaches, I wish my camera had the capability of capturing the full riot of colors from the surrounding hillsides and forest. There is always some sadness as the year winds down. You can see it in the meadows and hillsides as summer slowly fades away and geese honk their way southward. Winter brings a special pleasure with the holiday season; warm fires, family gatherings, and events like the Superbowl. There is nothing, however, in any of these things that measures up to the first spring flowers as they emerge from underneath the forest leaves. It excites me in a way that I cannot describe. It is a harbinger of everything the coming year has to offer. 2012 is upon us with its promise of new and better things. There will be some sadness, disappointment, and even tragedy, but as I look at these flowers emerging from the earth, I know that whatever is predestined for the coming year will be good.