Farmlands in winter...

It was foggy this morning, but it hadn't snowed. So I grabbed my hoodie and my camera and headed down into the valley. As I drove down the hill, with fields spreading out to both sides, I was struck by how the most basic things stood out beautifully against the snow. Fence lines, clusters of farm buildings, the beautiful barns.

At the first turn on Riverbottom, I spotted the big elk herd that's been hanging around this stretch of the valley, and as I watched them, it began to snow.

So I headed back toward the house. I stopped occasionally to take photographs, trying out different settings, looking for the best way to capture the flat light and smooth fields of snow. This road hasn't been plowed or sanded, and it's slick and ridged with ice and snow. But I had the road to myself.

When I got to the corner, I wanted to turn right and keep driving through the valley. There are so many beautiful farms here, and so much I want to photograph. But the light is going as the snow gets thicker. In just a half hour, there's already an inch of snow on the road.

Just down the hill from the house, I stopped in the road to take pictures of a row of wind-sculpted willow trees, and again for my favorite red barn. It isn't old, like the hundreds of barns in this farming community. But I love the broken gable style, and it's beautifully tended.

I'll post more of my farmlands photos soon.