Margaret Cheasebro

 After little snow, in early January over two inches fell. It coated tree branches with white and turned the landscape into a wintry scene.

The young blue spruce in my front yard continued to wear its snow jacket for several days. It made January feel like the Januarys of past decades that once filled the landscape with snow.

There's been little snow this season and not much other moisture. Earlier in the month the thermometer sometimes climbed into the low sixties. Not normal for the northwest corner of New Mexico in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. When we did get moisture, it more likely came as rain. Now the temperatures dip below freezing at night but climb into the 40s or low 50s during the day.

I snapped a photo of my magnificent blue spruce when it was garbed in snow. Even though I enjoy the warm weather, I still like the beauty of a landscape artistically draped in snowy white. I am still waiting for the next moisture, whether it be snow or rain.

When my son, Philip, bought a house in Anchorage, Alaska earlier this year, he talked about what looked to him like a beautiful blue spruce tree in his backyard. He wanted me to take a look at it when I came to visit.

I spent two weeks with him in his new home during the first half of December. We donned our boots and tramped through sometimes foot-high snow in his backyard. The tree was, indeed, gorgeous. He's right about it being a blue spruce. It towers into the sky, much taller than his split-level home.

It felt good to stand near the tree. Not only is it part of Philip's new property, but it exudes a sense of welcome and love. That may seem ridiculous to some people. I can only say that it felt good to stand near the tree. I lingered outside in the cold and snow because I liked the way I felt being close to the tree.

During the time I visited Philip, I often saw a raven fly through the covered deck, which overlooks the backyard, and into the blue spruce's branches. The bird must have a nest there.

The towering tree, which provides a home for birds, also will provide my son with many years of pleasure and enjoyment. I think he chose well when he bought that house and the property on which it sits! The welcoming tree is an extra bonus.