Winds will blow their own freshness into you, and storms will give you new energy.

"Go back among the mountains and get their good tidings . . . Winds will blow their own freshness into you, and storms will give you new energy . .. Nature's love and peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees, without ceremony, prepared method, or effort . . . You will get rid of benumbing lethargy and your town cares will drop off like leaves in autumn."

The Contemplative John Muir, p. 187

There is something so energizing about hiking and photographing in the mountains on a cold, blustery day. When I arrived at this lake, the wind was blowing at forty miles per hour, and with the wind chill, the temperature was below zero. Kneeling on the ice, trying not to let the wind topple me, I pointed the camera as best I could, careful not to stare at the sun in the viewfinder. My temporarily gloveless fingers went numb, and when I tried putting my hands back into the gloves, I wasn't sure if my little fingers were inserted correctly. Days like this are so energizing! I felt so alive, so free of town stresses, and so vibrant, just like the wind and blowing snow.

Photo: Two Rivers Lake and Notchtop Mountain, Rocky Mountain National Park, CO; January 18, 2013