Around this time every year, I start to reach my fill of winter. The cold is no longer cozy; the snow is no longer magical. So I thought this month, I’d live a bit vicariously and share photos that represent what I’m eagerly awaiting with warmer temperatures.

While snow can bring its own special, soft majesty to any landscape, it doesn’t compare to the myriad of colors that come when Nature picks up her paintbrush again and gives us springtime blooms. As beautiful as they may be, they also always remind us that happier, more colorful times will come after the dreary gray days. And nowadays, we need those reminders more than ever.