Finding rainbows in the dark
(not just the Dio song)
There’s a game I play every January. I call it the colors of winter. It’s easy to play — just go outside, look around, maybe take a leisurely walk, and see how many colors you can find.
I did this a few days ago on a rare sunny day, and I was astonished by how many colors I spotted. Green, brown, and gray were easy (I live in the Pacific Northwest), but did you know many different shades they come in? Green especially — sage, lime, emerald, olive, kelly, hunter. I found a lot of red, too, and a surprising amount of pink. The hardest color to find was orange. I walked all over the neighborhood in search of a late-changing leaf, an early flower, even a traffic cone. Finally, I found it in a lovely old pumpkin, partially eaten, the likely leftovers of a wild creature’s snack.
I took dozens of pictures. Here are nine of my favorites, a bright rainbow in the middle of winter:
I love this little game. It’s a fun, simple activity that always helps when seasonal depression gets me down — a reminder that even in the darkest months, there are still rainbows everywhere. Sometimes the hardest part is allowing ourselves to see them.
I live on hundreds of acres of orange trees. The orange orbs hang delightfully from the brown branches and peek out through the dark green leaves. The color brightens my winter gloom with the promise of springtime! 🍊🍃
My daffodils have sprouted, and soon they will show their happy little yellow faces! 🌼