The blue late afternoon light of December.

I now live in Merced, CA, and Merced really doesn’t do winter. It’s a little chilly here in December, January and February, and we get a little rain, but that’s it. This is in start contrast to what winters were like in West Virginia, which is where I lived most of my life. There are certain things about winter that I don’t miss at all--those long stretches of frigid temperatures in January and February, snow that doesn’t met for days and turns icy and crunchy, ice covered sidewalks and roads, that blinding morning and early afternoon light that fails to provide any warmth. It was sometimes hard to keep yourself warm in winter, and getting out of the house was sometimes dangerous. But there are some things I miss…like breathing in the crisp, clean air, letting it fill my lungs. That was invigorating. Watching the fog come out of my mouth was fun. Falling snow is beautiful. And the world covered in fresh snow is beautiful. And that blue late afternoon light in December… I miss that.

Photographer and subject unknown.