Monochromes

Winter hovers. The holidays are over, and in the shadows plants are sleeping. Cold hands lay icy blankets over the earth. Standing in my front lawn, I imagine faint lullabies flowing around tree branches, hushed tones coming through the frosty lips of the season. The landscape is a monochrome. Even evergreens have taken on subdued and murky colors.

I took the following photos yesterday. Not all of these pics have been converted to black and white. Can you guess which ones are just as they came out of the camera? 

There are four unconverted photos: the first two, the fourth (smaller photo on the left), and the last one. Did you guess them all?

Despite the dreariness, I did notice a few tiny green shoots poking up through the ground, testing to see if it is time yet. Time for what? Time for spring! And it won't be long. Though our summers can be oppressive, I am happy for our short winters. So next month I should see this:

Come spring, come!