I love that I was able to capture a shot like this! I love so much about it, the beautiful blue sky, the snow, the riders, the trees, the snow on the trees, so very happy with it!
February Can Be Frigid | #18
Lunar New Year 2026 | Year of the Horse
The energy of this year feels different, it felt different before 2025 was ending.
“This shift marks the beginning of a new energetic cycle: it is a moment of collective renewal which, this year, coincides with the start of Eclipse season, a time of accelerated change and transformation. The Fire Horse carries intense Yang energy and ushers in a need for speed, passion, and bold forward movement. The upcoming year favors courage, independence, and decisive action, and asks us to move toward the direction that instinctively calls us.“ Moon Omens
Personally I am leaning into this energy, it feels aligned, it feels more effortless, flow with ease. Much like listening to my body of what she wants and doesn’t want, leaning into that intuition with full trust.
I am learning about this energetic cycles of where big energy is shifting, I find it fascinating and I know I am still skimming the surface of what I can learn.
For example I heard multiple times over the weekend to do any major/deep cleaning the day before the new astrological year, including washing hair. Honestly, this astrological year makes even more sense than Jan, its even closer to spring and just feels more fresh/new. Also entering the Year of the Fire Horse, one would be drawn to red, thinking fire, however too much fire could be detrimental, so earth colours would be better suited.
February Can Be Frigid | #17
The sunshine was just incredible, such a great day to be on the trails. A beautiful warmth over the snow, the trails wide open.
Monotone Monday | Pizza
When you can indulge in your pizza craving! … and its DELICIOUS!
I recently learned the effects of tomatoes on my body, since avoiding them I have felt much better. When take out was suggested for family day dinner, I at first felt very disappointed that I couldn’t indulge myself. Until I took a look at my options… Gluten Free Crust, much better on my stomach, alfredo sauce, grilled chicken, bacon, mushrooms, green pepper, cheddar and provolone cheese. Oh goodness, its delicious! I did take a couple digestive enzymes to help my body with the digestion of the cheese. Grateful I did lean into my craving!
Monochrome Monday | Evergreen Frost
I love the ways the trees look with a blanket of frost over them early in the morning. Black and White Monochrome edit pulls in more of the shadows and highlights!
February Can Be Frigid | #16
It feels so incredible driving through nature.
Silent Sunday | Snowmobile Ride
I See You
One of us is on the wrong side of the island…
… its not me ;)
Lens-Artists Challenge#385 | Unusual Crop
This week Ritva encourages us to think outside of the normal photography constraints and push the cropping limits. In Ritva’s post, she provides many beautiful examples, one that pulled me in is the in camera crop. It is ‘easier’ to crop in post processing. This morning I woke and looked outside, in the bright morning light I could see all the trees in our back yard beautifully frosted over. I felt inspired.
Inspired to go outside and take photos of the frost on the various trees and crop in camera, up close. Very close with my 180mm macro lens. I haven’t even downloaded the images yet, as I am starting this weeks challenge blog…
This is when I know Ive been beautifully creatively inspired. When I read the challenge yesterday, I thought of our day yesterday, however it wasn’t the right set of photos to use, I had cropped in post processing, from our snowmobile ride, great photos but not the ones.
I took our dog outside with me and this time ventured to our back yard – with deep snow I carefully walked across the snowmobile trail to not sink ;) Downloading and going through the images, I have gasped multiple times. I think I can honestly say, that I have never pushed myself with my macro shots this much – the beauty… for a challenge, I trusted and just let the artistic creativity flow. My heart is boundlessly happy with the results!!! With over 70 photos, this now poses my next challenge ;)
Close up, in camera crop of the snowmobile ski track in the snow.
Ive had issue with getting macro in focus before, from a further back distance, and not with the 180mm, this morning however, it flowed perfectly and I am thrilled with the results.
A close in camera crop of a tiny small dried up leaf on the tree, beautifully edged with frost.
One of the first ones, and this one had me in awe…
These challenges are helping me embrace a side of abstract I haven’t before, close up crop sometimes means focus falls where you hadn’t initially planned and most times, this is the magic of trust!
This dried up little leaf isn’t that big and yet close up in frame, it hangs proud displaying the beautiful winter frost.
Fill the camera frame with frost on the glass deck railings.
Close up of the snow.
This was so much fun – it felt like I was pushing my normal edges for macro photography and the results, my heart is so creatively happy!
To end this off, my husband had a great idea when I told him the theme… or does it mean a close crop – to you… I was slightly puzzled at first and then realized last weekend I have a picture of us snowmobiling on a trail that – goes through a crop of corn still standing!
If you would like to join in for this weeks Lens-Artists Challenge, please be sure to use the Lens-Artists tag in your blog so everyone can see it! I love how inspiring these challenges have been for me and look forward to them each week! For more information on the Lens-Artists Challenge see here!
I appreciate Ritva’s closing message in this week’s challenge…
“Make sure to return on Saturday, February 21, at noon Eastern Time for an exciting new challenge from Patti at Pilotfishblog. I hope you’ll be there to join us! In the meantime, let’s keep exploring, broadening our horizons, and maintaining a positive mindset.” Ritva
February Can Be Frigid | #15
The warm sun, within the trees, water flowing by – the perfect nature reset.
