I love these scenes of January. I think January is the most colorless month - which isn't a bad thing. In fact, to me, the lack of color can be very calming.
I took these photos in Millville - a small town in our beautiful valley where my brother lives. I'm fascinated by the rows of trees that were planted by the early settlers - usually Lombardy poplars or tall thin Box Elder trees.
The rows of trees were planted along the ditch banks to secure the soil and serve as a wind break. In January, they're gray and leafless, and you really notice their height and numbers.
One of the wonders of nature to me is when the cold, crisp air deposits layers of frost on the branches of weeds and bushes, giving them a flocked appearance that reminds me of the Christmas trees of my childhood. On those days, if the sun is shining, the air sparkles with glitter - all natural, of course.
This is the Millville cemetery. More gray - even the headstones echo the gray theme. And ever so sad for the family I observed standing around a hole that had been dug in frozen ground.
And finally, a common January scene here in northern Utah - the blustering wind and snow of a late-night mountain blizzard. I took this photo one night on my way home from Salt Lake City as I survived a fist-clenching, steering-wheel-gripping drive through Sardine Canyon. One good thing, I did not get sleepy while driving that night.
