ankle deep in diamonds

it was a morning i wish i had my camera with me...9am...bare tree branches coated with ice...the sun holding steady on the horizon for just an inkling or two...a tree trunk blocking the sun for a moment, and the rays splay outward electrifying the encased limbs - slight dripping fortells the coming end of this brillant, impermanent display...fresh, untouched snow for miles over undulating hills covered in twinkling diamonds...each snowcrystal flashing individually...Nature's Tiffany...even with sunglasses, a sight almost unbearable in it's beauty...the hush and silence as morning begins...i point my skis in no particular direction and head out...the silence follws...above and to the right - a woodpecker beats out a rhythm...coyote tracks follow the treeline then cross the open expanse...something darting to my right - gone too fast to be identified except by fresh hoof prints in the snow....and still the dazzling twinkling sparkle...a crust of ice over the stream creates a window to watch the water flow beneath...my skiis crunch over last night's frozen slush and i follow the call of my crows...i am ankle deep in diamonds...i am rich.