Finding Beauty in the Winter That Just Won't Quit

There are just three words to describe this winter: cold, snowy and miserable. Here in Chicago we've been covered in snow since well before Christmas. This is one of the harshest winters I can remember experiencing. And it seems like no matter where you are in the United States, you've been impacted by this brutal winter. If I never hear the words "polar vortex" again, it'll be too soon!

As much as I've been wishing for a sudden warm up and despite my pleas with her to give us a break, Mother Nature has dealt snowstorm after snowstorm on the Midwest. Apparently Mother Nature does not bend to the whims of one stylish gay guy in Chicago. (The nerve of her!) Instead of bitching about the weather (much) I've been trying to find the beauty in this brutal winter.

I've been layering up and hitting the streets, shivering along with everyone else.

I've been appreciating how the snow seems to make the city a little brighter, even on the darkest of nights.

I've taken note of how Lake Michigan has disappeared under a sheet of ice. And of how the naked trees stand out in stark contrast against the vast whiteness of the winter landscape.

I've come to appreciate new tracks in fresh snow.

I've come to love the way the snow clings to the trees, dressing the naked limbs in a downy layer of white.

Sure, I'm still cold. And, yes, I still want all of this snow to melt. But until that happens I'm making an effort to appreciate the beauty that winter brings.

How are you surviving the winter that just won't quit?

Images: Jason Loper