First Snow in Chestnut RidgeOrchard Park, NY December 2015 did not live up to the Buffalo winter reputation. No snow and temperatures like in spring bordering on early summer. All around gray, inspiration somewhat lacking. A lot of unexpected couch time!

How wonderful was it to wake up on New Year's Day to a gorgeous white world all around! And I needed fresh air badly. With the Chestnut Ridge park just up the hill I made a quick decision, put on the so far idle ski pants, jacket, and winter boots and off I was. There were quite a few people on the main hill and on the roads near the parking lot. But once I ventured a little further I was all on my own with no tracks ahead of me making my own path. I felt alive!

I made my way up the hill, then down, over the old stone bridge, and back up towards the open area of the park. Once I reached the top of the hill I turned around and faced this view. Now not everybody may be a fan of winter, but I hope you will all agree it's rather beautiful. To me, not too many things compare. There is just something special about winter. Everything looks clean, a lot of clutter is covered up by snow, colors are limited and muted, and the air! Yes, the air! Only in winter does air feel so fresh, with a little bite as you breathe it in. So that is what you have to imagine here, the slight breeze in your face, the cold air , whiteness everywhere around!

Commissioner's Cabin in WinterChestnut Ridge, Orchard Park, NY I did not walk along the main road towards the baseball diamond right away. Once I passed the fire training facility I made a left turn towards the Commissioner's Lake and Cabin. While I had the lake in mind I struggled finding the winter scenes I imagined. I moved on towards the cabin. And even from distance across the lake I already knew that was what I was looking for. Further, it started snowing again and the slight breeze was tossing the fresh snowfall around creating a truly beautiful winter mood.

In the end, it was not the shots across the lake but the ones following the fence line that I liked the most. In situations like this I am really glad when no one is around. I can spend so much time in such a small area making the tripod dance of moving a few inches left, right, forward, and back, raising the tripod up, lowering it down, ... until it feels right.

From the cabin, I followed the creek leaving the lake, could not resist a few more photographs there, crossed the diamond, took just a few more photographs of trees and groups of trees in the snow, and eventually realized that our lunch would now be more like dinner and turned around and enjoyed a walk back. I met one more group that ventured all this way and that was it until I got almost back to the parking lot. Another advantage of winter and fresh snow? The gates were closed and there were no cars. I wished so many times cars would not be allowed in the park and winter granted me that wish!

Did you enjoy this post and the enclosed photographs? Would you like to see more winter photographs from Buffalo and Western New York? Visit my Winter Collection and enjoy! Please, let me know if you have any questions about any photo products offered, or not offered, I will be happy to help!

Using my links to do your shopping keeps me sharing more photographs and writing the stories behind them and costs you nothing. You can also use the Amazon search box in bottom left for anything not mentioned here. I truly appreciate each purchase, no matter how large, no matter how small. Thank you!