Spring Things - Countryside in the Mist

Sometimes, I wonder why I keep living in upstate New York.  The taxes are high.  The regulations are ridiculous.  The winters stretch on forever.  

I say to myself, why not move?  Other places are hot, but you don't have to shovel hot.  You can't slip on humid.  It would be nice to have a winter that doesn't last from November to April.

But then, I get a batch of photos from the friend I call my "guest photographer".  She lives out in the countryside near Binghamton, New York, in the foothills of the Catskills.

She takes photos of her land and her drives to and from work.

Then I know why I stay.  It's because of the rest of the year, especially once spring comes.

Because, just as you get so angry with nature and the weather, she shows you scenery like this.

So many shades of spring, capped with a mountain fog.

A rural road, with the fog burning off.

Finally, more fog.  And, note the colors of the trees.

Sometimes, when you look at the trees of spring, it is almost like a second autumn.  So many shades of green and even red.

There is so much more to show you.  Wildflowers.  Fragrant shrubs.  Maple earrings. Maypops.  But first, we must wait for the morning mist to disappear.

Too many people think of New York City when they think of New York State.  But there is so much more to New York than its biggest city.

Spring is gone too soon in upstate New York.  But while it is here....look quickly, and savor.