January is usually the worst month of winter season in Fairfield, Iowa. Ice storm is not unusual at this time of year. In fact, we were hit by two days of ice storms last week.

Some tree branches couldn’t stand the weight of the ice and broke. Some of them landed on the roof and some made a mess on the road. The city will come and pick up these branches, which is nice.

My house lost power a few times. That was when I really wish I had a wood stove, which will guarantee heat in the house no matter what.

Despite of the cold weather, I try to appreciate the beauty of January – the fresh snow, the ice crystals, the fog and many wonders of nature.

Thank goodness ice started to melt yesterday. I had taken some frozen land photos in 2005, so the same frozen ice subject doesn’t excite me. But how about melting ice + the fog? Hmm… I decided to take an hour off, roamed around my house and the nearby streets to appreciate nature. Nothing is the same old same old, that’s the beauty of nature. You’ll discover something new, if you choose to see with an open heart.