Beauty around me

This time around, on our US trip, the Nature that I observed is so different.  It has been very cold and snowy, with freeing temperatures and icy rain too.  The wildlife right outside my son's house is, naturally, reduced.  I see the squirrels out the most, whether it's snowing, or lightly raining, even if it's very cold and on some grey days too.  But the birds come out only when weather is not extreme.  I have seen an occasional robin and some smaller birds.  Near the nearby lake, the ducks are still around.  When we arrived in November, the lake was not frozen over and I saw ducks and geese out in the middle of the lake.  There were still a few birds aroudn too.  Then, after the first snow, the couple of times I went out by the lake, I saw birds only once, on a sunny though icy day.  But the ducks are still there.  The other day I went for a walk, walking very gingerly, so that I wouldn't slip.  The path was very icy in places. Parts of the lake had melted.  At one point on my walk, where there was a small pond among trees, where the ice was completely melted, there were a whole gathering of ducks and when they saw me, a number of them walked out.  I think they thought I was going to feed them.  Possibly there are folks who come by and feed them and that is why they are so relaxed with people.  I was so sorry that I did not have anything for them.
Last night I had gone for a service at 8-30 pm.  When I was returning at around 9.30 with my son I was really surprised to see a hare jumping through the snow.  I didn't realise that they would be out and about in winter and that too at night.  I have looked to see if they have been in my son's backyard, but I hadn't noticed one.  Probably they have been out, but I have not been out in the back as much because of the snow and cold.
I love how the fir trees look when it snows; I love the snowflakes and the shapes that Jack Frost makes on the windows; I love the starkness of the landscape too.    The only thing I have missed is seeing the Fall colours.  We missed it by a couple of weeks I think.
When I get back to my warm and always green home area, I will miss this landscape and cold a bit I am sure.  Well, i have seen that Nature is beautiful whatever garb she dons.