Nibbles and Sips Storm-sided

Posted byGary FultzPosted inabundant life, accomplishment, adventure, animals in winter, birds, devotional thoughts, eternal, expectations, GaryFultz Blog, goals, God in Nature, good marriage, intentional, most imortant relationship, Nature, nature pictures, outdoor adventure, outdoor scenery, outdoor spiritual truths, perspective, Photography, picture truths, snow, snow conditions, snowing, Spiritual Perspective, story teller, victorious living, winter, Winter preparedTags:, , , , , , , , ,

40 hours ago I tilled my garden as all the snow in that space had melted. Even the earthworms and night crawlers were up as the frost has come out of the ground. A couple hours ago I took the header picture from our front deck. I won’t be planting seeds today.

It’s still snowing. Nibbles and sips are somehow slipping into my agendas of plowing out the drive, taking the dog for a walk, finding the little guy in the drift he jumped into and taking a walk with the camera and umbrella as the snow fall came and went.

Somehow between nibbles, sips and taking winter-again pictures, one can become a philosopher, artist, customer of more expensive clothing online and notice storm-side similarities to life.
Let me show you some pictures of life perspective quality. You can pick up on some of your own thoughts as I present sneak peeks to gazing and gaping. Click to enlarge and hit the arrows forward and back.

I deliberately took every picture with a perspective of life’s storms in mind. Did you notice the tree that seemed to get more snow than the others around it? No, you cannot identify with it…that’s me. My tree!

How about the two depths of field looking down the fence line? The one with short depth of field is realistic, or is it just me, or the Jimmy Cliff song “I can see clearly now the rain is gone…”

Some hide out in their storms like animals in hiding places on snowless ground under the spruce, or in the wood pile, or the regal spires bearing tons of snow on their boughs of protection (full of birds refusing to come out by the way). I like to hide until I overdose on my nibbles and sips, then I grab the camera and act brave.

Did you notice the snow stuck to everything except the main trunks of the big trees? They are too warm from the recent warming sunny days to let snow stick as their sheer mass has not cooled down in the storm (a life long character lesson there). I was intrigued at the poor visibility walking through the woods, and how short sighted one becomes in the storm. Two people in a marriage storm have very narrow and different perspectives. Just an idea, but maybe sharing nibbles and sips would help??

One last picture just as a reminder. Storms will come. The sun does come out!! When I looked up the huge white pine (#16), it merged into the storm and I longed to see further. Someday I will.

taken just after the last April storm

As the sun sets on our storm, remember…“Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me” (Psalm 23:4)

Gary

Come to Northern Minnesota for your own personal snow storm. Bring 2 cameras, hand warmers and lots of nibbles and sips stuff.

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

77 thoughts on “Nibbles and Sips Storm-sided”

    1. Thanks Mandy. I’m glad you didn’t add a prayer like “Lord thanks for the snow storm on Gary” LOL.
      Seriously, God has all of his creation at his creative disposal (including each other) to speak, move and nudge us. He knows what will work and is not afraid to use bigger storms to make us “storm ready”

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      1. Amen! I wouldn’t ever pray snow over someone! This is the first time in my 41 years of living that all the trees have flowered before May! My one cherry bloomed 3 weeks earlier this year than the previous 2. My elm trees which I had planted last year are late bloomers and yet they are getting leaves. For me, honestly this is a lesson that we need to be ready for when God calls us to action sooner than we would like, prefer or think we are ready. I am always praying for God to prepare my character. Thank you for reminding me to pray that God will prepare my character for storms and for the unexpected. You are such a blessing to Nathan and I!!! He liked this post and pictures as well!

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    1. You got me Nancy. It is packing snow and I should build a snowman on the deck as there is plenty there rather than snow blowing it off. Instead I was playing with the skid steer plowing snow everywhere I dared go.

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    1. Thanks Karen. I did realize I was trying to get some subtle points across that one almost has to be there to experience. last night a wind came up and small to 10 lb blobs of snow were falling out of trees. Very wild.. the ultimate one sided snowball fight. my umbrella would not have helped.

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  9. Looks like your snow was sticky and wet Gary. Your pictures are wonderful!

    I was out looking at the little pink buds on my apple trees and the little white ones on the pear tree this afternoon. We have freezing weather on tap tonight. Hard to grow apples in Iowa due to the early warm-up faking out the trees.

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    1. Thanks Jon. The snow is sticky and wet, only because the ground is warm from recent sunny days and melting. The actual temperature is below freezing and will not get more than a degree or two above for a couple more days. Predicted teens for lows. Maybe spring will come in may?
      We have apples also. A small orchard. It’s tricky for sure

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  10. Gary, Your post reminds me of a popular children’s book that has no words at all. The whole thing is page after page of rich illustrations that prompt the reader to tell their own story. My title for my version of your story is, “There’s no business like snow business.”

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  11. Wow – what a lesson in perspective – and resilience. Thank you, Gary! I’m thinking “spring” is aptly named in your neck of the woods as you bounce back and forth between the seasons. Amazing!

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    1. “Spring” that’s a good one Wynne. We are bouncing. In fact the weather people have not seemed to get a handle on it either. Our forecast “A couple bad days more before we get a little better weather, but the snow will melt slowly”, It’s the station out of Fargo ND…”Ya, sure, you betcha”

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    1. So true Erroll. That would be amazing to me. On the news last night, one of our birds migrating back in the spring is the loon. they cannot walk on land. They are coming up with no place to land. The only water is melted snow in fields and city streets and swollen rivers flooding. Evidently their wings are icing up and they are falling out of the sky in this storm. A strange thing. A big heavy beautiful bird.

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  14. Ah yes, Sprinter, the season only some will understand. I just went outside to water some newly planted perennials that I put in a week ago when it was in the 80s. The temperature dropped five degrees while I was out there, so I came inside to get a cup of coffee. Now it is snowing. Sprinter indeed.
    I do enjoy your photos and the thoughts that go with them.

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    1. I know you have had some storms that missed us this winter Robert. I think weathers mood swings are even worse you way sometimes. We have not melted all the snow even once yet since November 9 2022. At least you have had some nice warm weather. That being said, our rhubarb is coming up…go figure. I’m refilling my coffee cup and wandering out to the shop to build counter top framework (some nice hickory is calling me) for the cabin kitchen…sigh. I love the shop but would prefer being outdoors.

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    1. It’s a strange thing that snow is so absolutely beautiful, yet it seems to make the world seem black and white mostly. Colors really stand out when they are there (Sky colors mostly), especially in nature as all seasons have a lot of color in flowers and birds and fall leaves…not winter. The colorful birds go south.

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    1. It’s above average snowfall by 20″ or so, but the second longest stretch of time with more than 12″ on the ground continuously. since November 9 to early April. Also colder on average winter overall, yet it really didn’t get much below -30 or above +30

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    1. I think storms open our eyes in unique ways. I’m glad I ventured out with the camera, and very glad for the umbrella or the pictures would be full of distorted water drop and snow flake effects on the lens
      Yes, a great verse to always keep in mind.

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  19. SOOOoooo jealous! Kentucky hardly ever gets winter snows, and when we do, the populace freaks out, and sometimes reasonably because our “snow” tends to be a mix of ice, rain, and snow. Ahh, for the joys of Wisconsin, Minnesota and Ottowa!
    ❤️&🙏, c.a.

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    1. It was a beauty for sure this time around C.A. I sure took a lot of ribbing from my brothers for tilling the garden without looking at the weather forecast. Oh well. I think this set spring growth back a couple weeks. Maybe the mosquitoes are set back as well?

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    1. You get it Stephanie. In nature there are small subtle signs of individuality. The trees at the edge of any opening lean into the opening for more sunlight. There are little spots in the woods where the snow and rain is double because the winds draft into those pockets. Trees in windy areas twist as they grow for strength. and on and on…no 2 snowflakes alike…
      So much intelligence, mystery and creativity behind nature.

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  23. The sunset photo is amazing! All the snow photos are beautiful as well. God is with us in all the snow drifts we must plough through. His love is the seed of springtime that never stops blooming and becoming. With Him, we can weather the storms of life, in all their fury.

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    1. I think it’s the sunrise and sets that keep me going Linda. To me they are the colors of Grace and promise. I took our biggest ATV through the woods trails yesterday and only got stuck in deep snow areas 3 times so it’s melting…spring has come. “Love is the seeds of springtime”
      I like that thought.

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  24. The rising and setting of the sun is an awesome thing. I believe it is God’s way of telling us how we should live. Each day brings its own awe and wonder, and there is a span of only so many hours in which to enjoy it. Our lives are marked by the rising and the setting of the sun. This is a good thing. It forces us, (or it should) to rest. It should make us ponder the gifts of God’s universe because there is a dramatic beginning to each day, and the closing is dramatic as well. At times, when I have been working late in the yard or garden, I have wished to extend the time…as the darkness closes in. But then, I look back at the house, see the lights in the kitchen window, and I deeply understand that ‘day is done.’ And so it is, with our lives, we work in God’s garden for a time. One day, we will leave this garden for heaven, and it will be the lights there that will welcome us home…and we will deeply understand all that has passed in our lives between ‘sunrise’ and ‘sunset’.

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    1. It can be quite a wonderland for a long time. The snow stays absolutely glaring white all winter here unless some of North Dakotas dirt gets in the air from 100 miles west of us and blows over here. rare but happens.

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  26. Between the glorious photos (Isn’t it amazing what God can do with just the color white?!) and your wisdom-wrapped-in-humor, I thoroughly enjoyed this post, Gary. Though we haven’t had any snow recently, the temps have dropped into winter-range. However, a slow warm-up is projected. No doubt we’ll be commenting on the heat! A few years ago we went to church in our coats one Sunday in May; the next we wore our light cotton clothing. Winter all of a sudden gave up–that fast!

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    1. yes, God sure does wonders with “white”…a great observation Nancy. half the country got a cold spell. We received a lot of moisture with lots of snow). Some areas west and south of us are flooding and it’s supposed to rain in a couple days. We live on the continental divide so our area is a high spot for Minnesota which is a fairly flat state. Lots of trees and lakes just sitting here looking pretty.

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      1. Based on your photos I can attest to the beauty of your area! The downside (for some people) is the long, cold winter. But I heard from one of your fellow Minnesotans that there’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing! You never seem to allow Old Man Winter get in your way of enjoying the outdoors–even in January!

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    2. All true Nancy. There is a learning curve to buying very warm clothing. I avoid most companies that only think their clothing is warm. The same with footwear. All warm clothing reviews should be tested by ice fishermen sitting outside their fish houses…”This coat keeps me warm at -20 with a wind chill of -50 for 3.5 hours” I would buy that one.

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  28. Love the pics, Gary, but I have to admit that this kind of cold is nowhere on my personal preference radar! It doesn’t equate in my experience realm. You are far tougher than this thin blooded southerner!

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    1. Thanks Terri. Lots of adventure here. As you know all too well, there is beauty in the storms, be it snow or just life. Beauty often comes with a lot of pain and work. To trust God, really trust him, in our storms is really quite life changing. I love the cold and snow but it is always dangerous in the woods and on the lakes, but there is no adventure without danger

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  31. I’m hoping a few fish survived. At the kill rate possibly none. I have 30 lakes within 30 miles of me to fish but this little 250 acre lake landing is 300 yards from my place and was filled with big everything (except smallmouth and trout)

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