Snowflakes on Crab Apple Blossoms

When mother nature decides to give you snow in mid-April you make the most of it

As tired as I am of the cold, gray days… As desperate as I am to have the windows open with warm breezes blowing in… That isn’t the April day we are having in Pittsburgh today.  So instead of letting the gloom get the better of me, I went out to document the promise that’s under those persistent snowflakes.  In this case, it was the beautiful light pink crab apple blossoms on my favorite tree in our front yard.

Blossoms and Snowflakes

April snow is so much better than October or November snow.  Why? Because October snow just means that more is coming.  The cold, dark days of winter are slowly creeping towards us while April snow knows its time is short.  Spring is already here.  The sun is bright and warm and stays out so much longer.  April snow is just a little blip.

Capturing the snowflakes on these crab apple blossoms was a bit more challenging than I had anticipated.  I’m so used to photographing people, sometimes it makes photographing objects a bit more difficult- just thinking about the composition in a different way.  However, there were some moving parts with these blossoms between the wind blowing and the snow falling.

I love having this tree in our yard and I look forward to its pink blossoms arriving every spring but even in winter, I can appreciate its beauty.  It was actually this tree that I photographed a few months ago during an ice storm.  I’ll admit, I struggle with staying positive.  I’m actually finding that it’s harder to be optimistic the older I get.  And yet I have recognized that I don’t have to indulge in the thoughts that get me down- that I can look and then focus on what will lift me up.  I guess it’s like playing “the Glad Game” from Pollyanna.

So instead of dwelling on the fact that today’s weather is not the spring weather I would love to be enjoying, I’m going to enjoy one final winter moment.  I’ll have another cup of coffee, curl up in my cozy warm blanket and read with my happy fireplace on.