January Juncos--Maria Hodkins

The New Year's treat this morning is really an old one, but one I never tire of watching. Those sweet little Juncos are my winter morning companions, always "cheerful", perky, and industrious, never skittish, and their dark hoods make them seem like little monks of the forest, out foraging in even the bitterest cold. After 6 more inches of snow the last few days, it is a winter wonderland here in Western Colorado, but the snow is clean and fresh and gives the landscape purity and peace. It's Winter's Peace, a gift of the New Year.