My thoughts tonight are winter thoughts. While you might know that January is not my favorite month, you might not know that I also find January quite breathtaking in its beauty. These pictures are beautiful to me. Winter is hard on many of us, the least of which are the animals that must live rough through it's hardships and unrelenting coldness, with trees and bushes for shelter and little warmth other than the midday sun. I have such respect for them. They must search in the cold for food when it is scarce and never know when they will find food again. They just do what they must. They have so much to teach us. I would thank them all, each one, if I could. We don't deserve them. But still, they are with us.