Green vs. Brown

We have lived here in Texas for a very long time.  It will be 34 years this coming February.  It's understandable that I've gotten used to winters down here.  When I think of winters up north, the winters of my childhood, I think only of white snow.  OK.  Also some slush and wet roads but mostly white snow.  It always comes as a surprise to me that winter up north is more brown than it is white.

We were in the Denver, CO area for a family wedding the middle of January and I was shocked at just how brown everything was.  The entire flight up from Houston was so clear you could see the ground.  And it was generally various shades of brown with some streaks of white snow periodically.

We have green here in the winter.  Evergreen trees don't count.  We have them here and they do contribute to our greenness during the winter some but not much.  Mostly we have huge live oak trees that hold on to their leaves until the spring along with green shrubs and green weeds and green grass.  Of course, it's not the same as the lush green grass you see during the rest of the year but it really is green grass.

I miss the snow even now that I have lived without it for so long.  My family members who still reside in the wintery north are quick to point out that I would struggle with it if I moved back north.  I'm sure they are right.  But snow or not, I love the green we have all winter long.