Picture of the day - March 9, 2008

A typical March day in Southwestern Virginia

Photo by Rick Rouse. In typical March fashion, this day began in "springtime", complete with crocuses in bloom all around the neighborhood and several robins taking their turns at singing lead in nature's chorus out in our back yard. But by early afternoon the beautiful flowers were covered with snow and the robins were hunkered down trying to stay warm in the icy winds that were sweeping across the landscape. In other words, it was a typical March day here in Southwestern Virginia. I was driving down a narrow country road this afternoon when I happened upon this snowy scene at one of our local farms. The stark winter landscape caught my eye, especially this lone tree which had long since seen its "autumn". Stubbornly fighting the raging wind, this old tree is doing its very best to remain standing long after it should have fallen to the ground, almost as if it expects to put out new buds and branches come spring. Springtime will indeed come in short order, but this tree's days as a piece of "standing timber" are surely numbered. Now that I think about it, our human lives are much the same way. Our "seasons" change from time to time as we go through life just like they do on a typical march day. We have good days followed by the inevitable bad ones. We enjoy being with family and friends on special occasions and grieve over the loss of a loved one, often in the same week. Life is tough, and we must be also. Like this stubborn tree, we must stand strong against the winds of life, never giving up, yet be prepared to meet our maker when our "wintertime" draws nigh. Camera and settings used to capture this image: Camera:  Nikon D50 Lens:  Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AF-S zoom (the "kit" lens) Focal length:  31mm Shutter speed:  1/350 of a second Aperture:  f/11 Click here to comment on this picture.   Visit the POTD Archives for previous "Pictures Of The Day"!     Submit a photo of your own!                                 Place the "Picture of the Day" on your website, for free! Why I publish the "Picture of the Day"