Maine winter wonderland

A dusting of snow creates a magical scene in the village.

As autumn loosens its grip on Maine in mid-December, the landscape changes from brown to black and white, and back again. Soon the bitter cold will come and with it a permanent white blanket. After several days of cold rain, today brought a lovely dusting of snow to the coastline and village.

A one hour excursion took me not far at all: everywhere I turned, the scenery was being transformed into a lovely snow-laden wonderland. Not long after these photos were taken, the temperature rose and completely melted the crystalline coating. Captured by my camera are the images on this page. There will surely be more to come.

All photos by the author. All rights reserved © 2014. It is illegal to use any of the images without permission.

The snow accentuates the textures and form of the woods.

A still pond reflects the surrounding woods.

A beautiful serpentine tree is made even more striking by snow.

Why this tree is not straight like all the others is a mystery.

Shallow root systems on this granite peninsula create interesting patterns, especially when enhanced by the powdery snow.

Truly a winter wonderland. This scene is in the back yard.

Even the ground cover is more beautiful with snow.

Boughs sag under the weight of the fresh snow.

Walking the short loop around the cottage, each snapshot (above and following) of the snowy woods was more beautiful than the last. I could have stayed out all day.

The lane can be seen through the trees in the back yard. So fortunate to be in this enchanting, quiet refuge.

An old lane gate near the cottage.

A dozen large rhododendron bushes surround and nearly hide the cottage. Even in winter they are beautiful!

When the daylight hours are short, and the stove roars to dispel the cold that seeps into the cottage, the beauty of a snowfall in the woods can brighten spirits. 

There will be many more snowfalls this season. More photos will be added as I capture the images on a walk among the tall pines.