seeking color & warmth

Hmm... where can I go on a December day when I'm looking for color and warmth?

This morning I headed west, aiming for the center of the state for a visit with butterflies. Magic Wings Butterfly Conservatory was my destination. It's just over 90 miles from home, far enough away that I don't get there as often as I'd like.

It was quiet when I arrived; just a few visitors (plus staff) were wandering among the butterflies. I feel a sense of peace and wonder. I walked slowly through the conservatory, looking around, watching butterflies in flight, watching butterflies at rest.

I'm still going through my photos from today. For now I'll share one of my favorites, a portrait of a malachite butterfly in what seems to be a normal pose, hanging upside down.

ice

Days of cold temperatures have created frozen surfaces on lakes and ponds.

simple

Simple shapes in bright red cascade across a faded landscape.

calm waters

I never know if a wander at Harold Parker State Forest will highlight reflections in one of the ponds or if the water will wear a choppy surface. Conditions change on the whim of the weather wizard. On a visit last week the waters were calm, reflecting both the trees and the sky.

blue

The water and ice in the Merrimack River wear shades of blue enhancing the color of the almost clear sky.

chill air

The winter solstice has yet to come but the air today certainly felt like winter. The combination of temperature and wind was a good test for my layering skills. I managed to don the right layers to combat the chill air as I headed out for a walk this afternoon.

While the sky wore blue I continue to feel a strong desire for the bright hues of flowers. Today's color comes from a fallen bougainvillea blossom captured in the greenhouse at Lyman Estate two weeks ago.

twisting

A vine twists around a branch wearing thorns, reaching for sunshine.

red

Pops of red decorate the landscape as the winter solstice draws closer.

December warmth

It was relatively warm today with temperatures reaching well into the 50s. The predicted high for the next few days is much more seasonable, 20 degrees colder.

It was a good day to watch the sky change, to see a blue background emerge and then fade again. It was a good day for outside wanders.

shapes

The opening petals of a dahlia wear different shapes, from tightly curled to flat and open. As winter draws closer I look back to the flowers of late summer for a bit of color.