“I woke up to one of mother nature’s brilliant creations: the sunshine the day after an ice storm. The water froze delicately over every single blade of grass, encapsulated every needle of pine and the sun made the world sparkle. It was my 5th grade dream world. Penny needs to run every single day. Her energy is relentless and if she doesn’t get it out she’s incredibly mischievous. Lately, we’ve been driving her and Ozzy to some fields nearby to let her run free, but with ice storm that coldly moved through, it was more like slipping and sliding. As we got dressed for below freezing weather, I grabbed my camera. The sun was vivid and bright, and I knew I’d wish I had it with me if I didn’t bring it. I walked slowly through the pines and a moment before a cloud covered the sun, I noticed this glimmering baby pinecone, and grabbed a few shots. The sun was blinding so I didn’t get to see the outcome of the shots I captured. The ice cracked under my feet as I made my way to the car to head home. The dogs were tired of sliding down the hills uncontrollably as much as we were. At home, as I opened Lightroom to obsess over my shots, that exciting feeling bubbled. The baby pinecone gleamed under the ice. Magic. So much, in fact, that I’m challenging myself in this new year to flex my creative muscles every single day from writing to photography to painting. Thank you baby pinecone, for inspiring me.”