Winter wonderland

It finally feels like winter here in the Arizona highlands: snow, highs in the 20s, wind chill in the negatives... good times. I love taking pictures of the garden in snow, because the snow hides the weeds transforms the landscape. I've been working on my annual report post (look for that one tomorrow), so I've been going through pictures of the garden throughout the year. It's hard to believe that this: 

Now looks like this: 

Or this:

Now looks like this:

One of the many things I love about gardening is that it makes me more attuned to the seasons: the subtle shift from spring to summer, summer to fall. Fall to... the sudden dumping of a pile of cold white stuff all over everything. Yeah, I'm not a big fan of winter. I do love the peacefulness and beauty of the garden in snow. Soon it will be time to start seeds, transplant, mulch, and wage war on the grasshopper horde. In the meantime, though, I'll savor the beauty all around me.