Incipient spring
In another couple of months, when the snows, if they ever arrive, recede, many of my observations here will be about the start of the growing season: fattening buds, the earliest flowers, and, of course, Skunk Cabbage blossoms that make their own heat. This is nature's traditional tale of incipient spring, and with any luck I'll be busy telling it. No doubt, I'll be offering "up close and personal" views, courtesy of my ancient macro lens duo. But if you know where to look, a measure of spring is already in place. The Mountain Laurels, those evergreen glories of June, have made next year's new leaves and flowers, and if you need a reason to be hopeful as 2016 draws to a close, here it is: evidence that the natural world is never really closed for the season.