How I Got Through Winter

If you know me then you know that I love to ski. This year in particular though, winter would just not end. Even today it snowed three times, right here in Ashland, between bursts of sunshine. 

I had a lot of memorable powder days, most of them in March, during the week, and in the backcountry, because that is the best way to avoid the crowds and the powder hounds who like me, are on the hunt for fresh powder! If you follow my social media accounts you are well acquainted with my little ski videos and photos, as that is mostly what I am excited to post about in winter. 

It will be a glorious spring ski season with big ski resorts in California, such as Palisades in Tahoe and Mammoth staying open until July. 

My other true love, that stirs in me the moment the first blossoms burst forth like popcorn on the trees, is spring! Always. Instantly. My creative inspiration takes hold and it's all I can do to find people fast enough to let me photograph them in the fleeting magic while it lasts. 

Spring is my absolute favorite time of year for photos, simply because of the emergence of lush green and flowers and the sense that we live in a lush land, even when we know it transforms into a hot dry reality by late summer. Like the invocation of pure magic from snow sparkles, blossoms also elicit a magical overwhelm especially when there are intoxicating wafts of flower fragrance, the hum of insects, or a moody sunset bursting forth from rain-laden clouds. It's all like a melding of the senses, an artists pallet bursting with creative juices and zest to make art!

The truth is, in spring one can ski in the morning, take photos or garden, or do any other wonderful things in the afternoon, such is the nature of the season in the Pacific Northwest.