December 15, 2011

December Dawn.

We are now in mid December and the presence of the fourth season is unmistakeably obvious. Winter stands almost at our threshold and its reign is already palpable in the icy cold air and the first snowfall.

Our daylight is fragile and subtle, with late sunrises and early sunsets, both fast and elusive. Still, currently I am fortunate enough to watch the golden disk emerge from behind the flat horizon on my way to work.
The first part of my drive takes me through beautiful country side, with small roads cutting through a soft landscape, where at the present the skies lie low and the fields bare. However, on those rare occasions when weather permits, I can spot the vital star emerge from its night slumber.  At times, it enters an almost pristine sky, where it appears large and glowing, majestically floating in the morning haze, before turning into a globe of molten steel, averting my gaze. On other occasions, it is obscured by clouds, its rays pushing through the fractures of vapor, creating stunning sights of almost biblical proportions.

Below is a selection of images taken this December, on my solitary drive during a subtle dawn, when the young sun could be seen just above the horizon, creating an elusive winter sunrise.

(About the images: taken with my trusted Nikon Coolpix, my good old friend always present in my bag for those emergency occasions - however not possessing the precision and capabilities of my beautiful Canon PowerShot G12, which I usually use.
Please click images for a larger view.)








24 comments:

Anonymous said...

Zuzana,

Your words paint a beautiful picture.

Hugs, Margie

lilybets said...

Hi Zuzana,you have the gift to describe everithing with a special sensitivity !Beautiful!

Elizabeth said...

Oh how gorgeous your pictures are.

A Lady's Life said...

Beautiful.
We had a basket ball size fire ball meteor fall in Selwyn city near Toronto and every one is looking for it to see what info we can get from it.

Rahul Bhatia said...

A lovely symphony of the pictures and writing, Zuzana!

Ruby said...

Love these skies!! Cheers.

Elisabeth said...

Stunning skies, Zuzana. What a drive you must have on your way to work.

Kath said...

Stunning! we had our first snow here yesterday. It didnt settle for long, but fingers crossed!

Kath said...

I meant to say, I love your new photo, that black top you are wearing is just gorgeous.
I was pleased you mentioned your camera as I have been thinking of upgrading and I will look into it now.
Take care on those dark drives, my lovely.

A Bit of the Blarney said...

Absolutely exquisite!!! Lik precious gems. Beauty to be treasured!!! Thank you! Cathy

Anonymous said...

Wow - what fabulous shots! They are especially precious at this time of year when it's often so grey...

Maggi said...

Scenes like these must make you really enjoy going to work.

Brian Miller said...

lovely skies zuzana...it has been an interstingly warm december here...life is good though...son is on the mend...life has a way of working itself out...

Sandy said...

Stunning views of the sunrise Zuzana! That's one nice drive you have to work. Your profile photo is beautiful by the way. The Merry Maids are here cleaning my house for me. Hubby took my Mac to the Apple Store for a new battery and hard drive. I'm using his this morning for blogging. Have a lovely day!

Anonymous said...

Your photos are so awesome! I love the one with the birds flying through. We have had a mild winter so far. It's 45 degrees here today and has been raining for 2 days. That's a good thing, if it had all been snow...yikes : )

Lynne said...

You capture it so well in words and pictures.

SandyCarlson said...

I love the lyrical way you write about the seasons. This is beautiful. Your captures of the light are amazing.

And your photo on your blog: breathtaking.

Anonymous said...

Gorgeous words and images- so glad I came across your blog! -kate

Myrna R. said...

Zuzana, your words frame these photos in even more beauty. You are so talented at describing, and capturing nature. Thanks always for doing this.

Amanda Summer said...

majestic is the word for those images. i love the way you revel in all of nature's beauty, zuzana. seeing the sun rise in the depth of winter is a truly spiritual experience.

be well, my friend♡

Rajesh said...

On your drive you have taken mesmerizing pictures of the sky.

sprinkles said...

You always manage to capture the best pictures of your beautiful skies!

Betsy Brock said...

what beautiful skies! I love those photos! And I can't believe we are half way through December already. That is just amazing!

S. Susan Deborah said...

First off, I like that stunning Zuzana in the side bar. She just oozes sensuality and charm.

And as always, the pictures you have shot and posted are wonderful to behold. The skies always capture us. The year is soon to end and as I think back on our association, it has been two years.

Joy always,
Susan