"The Snowbird's Soliloquy"

a_beautiful_little_bird_in_the_snow,_beautiful_landscape,_clouds,_award_winning_shot

In the quiet stillness of a winter's morn, where the sun's gentle caress gave the world a glistening sheen, stood a tiny bird atop a snow-capped hill. Named Ilsa, for her russet-tinged feathers that seemed to echo the autumn leaves of yore, she gazed upon a picturesque landscape of barren trees, their branches sketched against the sky, and a canvas of snow, blanketing the earth in tranquil whiteness.

She cocked her head, contemplating the revived world which seemed devoid of life - almost as if nature had dozed off in a seasonal slumber. Amused, Ilsa pondered, "Is there a bird's-eye view more breathtaking than a vast kingdom draped in silence, where mornings are heralded by a symphony of crunching snow and frost-kissed air?"

As she flapped her wings, ready to embark on the short-lived, yet thrilling, descent, a gust of wind carried laughter and music from the valley below. The momentarily dismayed Ilsa watched as a group of children, bundled against the winter chill, sported joyous grins and reveled in their snowball fight. It struck her then that even in the starkest of settings, laughter could paint a more wondrous picture than any snow-scape or cloud formation ever could.