Nature Photo of the Week - Week 51 - Crystals

For the 51st week of the Nature Photo of the Week challenge, the theme is "Crystals." I was wondering how in the world I'd capture crystals in nature. That's not something I see on a regular basis here.

Then, as Sophia and I were taking the dogs on a walk, I looked at the snow. The snowflakes were catching the sunlight and it looked like millions of little crystals surrounding us.

The picture doesn't do the beauty of the snow justice. In fact, as I look at it, I can't see the sparkling snowflakes. Yet, they were there. Twinkling...in a way...as we enjoyed the peacefulness of an afternoon walk.

(This photo was taken on December 27th. On the 25th, there was a small amount of snow on the ground, but not the type that sparkles when the sun shines. This snow was light and fluffy - the kind where each snowflake can remain as it is - an individual - rather than being part of a mass of snowflakes when there's a lot of moisture in it.)