winter, photos

looking off the front porch, © 2015 Amber Schley Iragui

Winter in Portland is mild. Snow is unusual, and lasts a few hours or maybe a day. It usually changes to rain, freezes again, coats trees and walkways in ice—and the city literally shuts down. Mostly though, winter here is wet. It is damp and cold and dark and rainy. But it is not bitter. It is the end of January and already daffodils are sending up green shoots, the crocuses are blooming. I have the window in my office open a crack and I hear the crows making plans outside.

At this cheerless time of year, an hour of sunlight is like gold. Yesterday afternoon it was sunny for a bit, and joggers appeared in running shorts. A boy walked down the road in bare feet. A quarter of an hour later it was dark again and raining.

after morning drop-off, © 2015 Amber Schley Iragui

walking to the grocery, © 2016 Amber Schley Iragui

puddles, © 2016 Amber Schley Iragui

ice storm, © 2015 Amber Schley Iragui

{More winter photos over at Day's Dearest Wish and Eine Hand voller Stunden}

photo friday: cold

So the surprising thing is that I have anything up for this Photo Friday. It's been such a busy week, again, and photography was not top on my to-do list. Add to this that it's been anything but cold here. When I chose cold as a theme I was imagining a few crisp Autumny days where I could see my breath in the morning and might don a scarf or coat. In reality, it's been hot and gray and wet. The air is as thick and still as pea soup.

To post anything resembling cold I've had to look back through my archives of past winters. And so, in anticipation that it might turn cold sometime in the future, I present these cold shots.