As anytime where snow blesses our little corner of the world, today has been a flurry (excuse the pun) of activity. I am not sure if it is the change in routine, the addition of actual weather, or the child like anticipation of snow angels and snow days but everyone seems to be concentrated on the impending (or continuing) snow. From a gardening point of view, the majority of my plants have already been stored in my shop. A few are outside but only those set for this type of weather.
It is times like this that my mind turns to those aspects of bonsai that I rarely have the opportunity to experience. Bare branches, showing the foundation of growth, dusted lightly with snow. The top of the Yukimi doro covered with a increasing blanket of snow, white against black. I am fundamentally a Desert Panda, born and raised in a border town of the American Southwest and more familiar with cactus than icicles but the change is occasionally nice.
Xiong Nai Xin Retreat 
being a transplanted winter girl.. and married to a desert rat.. I miss the days of snow and snowmen.. tunnels and forts. I wish I had the photographers art of capturing the trees, both bare and evergreen covered with snow.. the barren fields with the left over crops sticking out of the snow blankets. This time is my favourtie time of seasons.. the whiteness makes the not so pretty (picture mounds of dug up earth) beautiful and serene.