I think this has been one of the coldest winter on record, not just where I’m at – Northern Utah-but for many parts of the world. It’s been cold here, with overnight lows dipping into the teens for many nights. I know, I know, I sound like a weather forecaster sometimes and I may be over-concerned about the weather but can I help it when I want to protect not only myself but my plants as well?

It’s strange though, despite the low temperatures, I haven’t seen much frost, unless you count the killing frost that took out all of my summer crops last year, that’s still happening. The frost is still coming on a nightly basis to turn my spinach and mustard greens into icicles.

My aunt and I ventured out to the Great Salt Lake a few weeks ago, hoping to catch the sight of the majestic bald eagle but all we were greeted by were the bitter chill of February, gloomy skies, and a lone egret by the water.

People immediately steered the car to the side of the gravel path, turned off the engines, and began shooting with their long camera lenses. I couldn’t stop shooting either. It’s not everyday a wild bird is willing to stand still while people snapped away.

I particularly loved the reflection in the water. I can’t tell whether it’s partially frozen or not since the salinity of this part of the Great Salt Lake is not as high. The bird didn’t seem to mind.

The first snow of the season always gets me excited. This photo was the aftermath of the first snow in November, 2024. On picture, it may look magical but from my perspective, it looked like a mess. The slush, the cold, and the chilliness I felt in my boots when I’m trudging. through the path.

I shot this with my phone and then edited the RAW file in Lightroom. T

Okay, now that I’m looking at this picture again, I’ll admit that it does look beautiful.