30 days of beauty: day 1

It's an ugly February around here. There's been hardly any snow this winter, but it's bitterly cold, so the yard is covered with a thin layer of icy snow/mud, speckled with chicken droppings, and scattered with objects frozen to the ground where they were dropped. The house is cluttered and messy. I'm having a rough time with some work issues. I need to refocus.

Just in time, Bluebirdbaby offered a "30 Days of Beauty Challenge."



A reminder to look for the beauty--those fleeting moments that we sometimes miss in the depths of winter. To slow down and notice it. And to photograph it, which is something I would like to learn to do better. (Still using a temperamental, rubber-banded broken camera, but still...)

So here's my first photo. Today, I was struck most by the light, which was intense and cheering. Coming inside after play in the yard, I noticed the shadow cast by this left-behind basket of toys.



What beauty have you found in your February days?