Cold Beauty

Posted byGary FultzPosted inabundant life, accomplishment, accountability, cold, Gary Fultz, Gary Fultz Blog, intentional, Nature, nature pictures, outdoor adventure, outdoor scenery, perspective, Photography, prayer, quality of life, relationship building, snow conditions, Uncategorized, victorious living, vision, Winter preparedTags:, , , , , , , ,

Frosty birch eml

I watched the cold foggy early morning come into the light. A magical fairyland I thought. One could just watch in awe at the transformation. The fog had rushed to form intricate crystals over everything. Odd. Something was odd, yet beautiful.

I closed my morning reading, sipped my strong morning coffee brew and silently said “I’m not going out there. Looks cold”. I looked. Three degrees Fahrenheit. I said a prayer “Thank you Lord for our warm house”. In my mind a voice answered back “come outside, I want to show you something”.  I went outside, for three seconds. I came, I saw, I froze. I went back into the house, put socks and boots and really warm stuff on and headed out with the camera.  Click on any picture and click the slide show.

Sigh…I almost missed it. I almost missed the stirring of my soul from depths within me. The combination of beauty, microscopic intricacy, emotion and frigid coldness strummed my inner heartstrings.

And the odd part? There was only frost on one side of the fence. Many of the trees were frosted on one side. Anything exposed to the tiny bit of air movement west to east had frost on the west side only.

It reminded me of a lot of people I know, warm to their group of friends and cold to the rest of the world. I came back into the house with cold camera fingers and another prayer on my mind “Lord help me to keep the frost off both sides of my heart”

Cold is beautiful, but only sometimes.

Gary

 

 

Published by Gary Fultz

Outdoors Man, Hunter, Fisherman, Guide, Writer / Author, Photographer, Public Speaker, Musician, Song Writer, Story Teller, Follower Of Jesus. Love God and family and total strangers

24 thoughts on “Cold Beauty”

  3. This is so beautiful. The Lord used your post to minister to my heart. Here is how…
    On Monday morning I had checked my phone and saw 4 degrees. I petted the dog on the head and said, “Not today, buddy.” But when I took the kids to school, and saw the gorgeous morning, I heard that same voice, “Come outside” … I grabbed the snow pants and hand warmers (and as you know, a bazillion other keep-me-warm things) and headed out. I was looking forward to the pictures …. and then … my phone died in the cold.
    I could have cried (but decided against it since my eyeballs would have frozen shut) … and now I see you post these pictures … it’s as if God said,
    “No worries. Gary’s got it!”
    Thanks, blog-friend for posting. You just blessed my socks off (well, I better go find them … we are in for a toe-biter, I hear)

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    1. What a fun story Heidi, I’m so glad I went outside and my camera batteries worked. Feel free to use any of my photos if you like. You had the same fog to frost we did it sounds like. Yes, it’s cold now. I just got off work and it’s 30 degrees colder plus another -30 wind chill. Find your socks too!

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  4. Every season has its splendor
    An though a tree may die from an extreme season it’s fruit once buried and germinated will sprout new growth and new life. The Lords mercy endures forever.

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      1. Amen
        I believe that’s why When people asked about the kingdom he always replied with the things that are here on Earth in Nature.
        God works through and through in a consistent, discernible pattern throughout the realms he created.

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  5. I’m glad you took the pictures Gary because experiencing what we call Arctic Training in the military where you sleep outside in an Arctic tent in a sleeping bag that is only good for -25 F and the temp goes down to -43 F (which actually hurts when it hits bare skin) in sunny Wainwright, Alberta, kinda takes away the desire to experience the wonder of winter again. Love the pictures though! Blessings!

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    1. Bruce, I have friends who were ruined on camping (even in warm weather) in the military. I have camped in the wilderness at -38 F (coldest for me) with huge winds but we built a quinzee hut with the snow. When it gets toward zero I sleep under the stars.in the snow but I use a -10 degree bag inside a zero bag and it’s quite warm. I actually like the cold weather when I have the right equipment. It is quite a mind game though in the wilderness.
      Truthfully, I would have died in the military that cold.with a single bag.
      I went ice fishing at -52 once and that was a mistake even though I caught fish in a fish house with no heater.
      That being said, camera batteries don’t like the cold for very long.
      I’m glad you liked the pictures.

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      1. Yes, I have some memories that I’m glad I won’t experience anymore about the cold. I learned that once it gets below -25 F machinery doesn’t work that well any more. However, I can also remember after hitting a real cold spell and then the temp WARMED UP to -25 F that we were walking around in our T-shirts. Coming home was always a hoot because I kept thinking I was living in a hot house and opening the windows. It’s a wonder my wife didn’t kill me, not to mention the kids. But you’re also right about the beauty, especially after a fresh snow in the woods. It’s actually amazing how comfortable one can be in the woods under normal range temps. One of the old fellows that we learned from said that any fool can be uncomfortable in the woods, but a little know how can make a world of difference and they were right. Blessings again my friend.

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  8. Beautiful, Gary. Just stunning. I lived in Buffalo, NY for five years and have felt and seen what I never would in Dallas. Always overwhelmed by His artwork in the crystals and flakes. Terrific personal application from your shutter. God’s grip. -Alan

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  12. True….
    I often stop my truck somewhere and just get out to get a shot of something, convenient to myself or others, or NOT! Sometimes I wonder if I am just driven, but the pics are usually worth capturing!
    Creation is awe inspiring and is an important part of our “conversation” with God….

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  13. I remember driving on a weekend on a narrow road through a bog area lit up with a zillion different shades of flowers…beautiful. I said to my wife “If I was a real photographer, I would stop and hold up the 30 cars behind us to take a few pictures of this”. After all I was going the speed limit and the line of cars were all mad at me anyway.

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