We’ve seen enough storms up here in the winter to sense them long before they come. The animals get restless and are especially hungry as if they know they will need more energy. Today, it was raining all day, but the ground was shrouded in mist, making the Leica hungry and happy.

I went on patrol just after lunch and drove around for an hour or so and caught five images I liked that captured the eerie, gloomy, yet beautiful feeling of a big approaching storm. It has begun snowing here, yet I feel there will not be a foot of snow up here; we are close to the significant storm line if one believes the radar on the map I have on my phone. Either way, it was beautiful out there, the cold beauty of the winter pasture in the country in five images.

We fear ice more than snow up here, and there was a lot of it this morning. I am told there will be a lot more by morning. This ordinarily busy road was quiet; the crews had not yet begun sanding and salting. The heavy dark brush struck me on the left and the open field on the right. I usually wouldn’t notice, but this balanced the photograph. Technology versus nature is what I thought.

This road leads out of town and right towards the green mountains of Vermont, which were visible through the mist. The mist shrouds the cornfields in the morning and signals a fundamental change in the weather. Mists mean it’s getting warmer if it’s cold or colder if it’s warm. It was warm early this morning. The corn fields have never looked more forlorn.

I found myself drawn to the cornfields and the hills and mountains behind them. The buildings in town didn’t reflect the coming storm, but the fields and hills did. The Leica is excellent at the quiet depth of field, a softness that captures something harsh. I love my Leica Patrols; they open my heart and soul up to the world around me.

I came home and found a beautiful image just up the road, framed by two big old maple trees. I’m in for the night now; I dragged the snowblower out, got the shovels ready, raised the windshield wipers on the car, got out the flashlights. Ice usually means power outages, but perhaps we will get lucky again.

If not, we’ll give the new generator its first work on Bedlam Farm.

We stopped to get and dog friendly salt from the hardware store.

I’ll be in touch later, hopefully.