Pond reflections under the hazy shade of winter

At Umami Hills Park in winter, I see ducks and herons at the pond edged by the grey leaves.  A small flock of ducks floating on a pond can be an idyllic sight all the seasons.

It was one of the coldest days this winter with the highest temperature  5 degrees C, or 41 degrees F.  The grey of low-hanging sky made me feel cold all the more. 

Most of the birds looked motionless.  I've heard herons hunt by waiting motionless, peering into the water to watch for prey.  Are other birds the same?

All looked like frozen in time. 

After a little while, I could see patches of the blue sky.  I felt very faint warmth of spring wafting from the heaven. 

These pond photos were taken when I stopped by on my way back from the hospital, where my father-in-law had been fighting with complications from pneumonia since last November.   He got weakened gradually.   I had mixed emotion knowing it’s a mtter of time.  It was heart-aching to watch over him fighting the disease with tubes while I longed for seeing him in this world longer.  A few days later when the rain brought warmer weather, he passed away.   Born into the small rural village, he never left the place contributing his whole life to the local community.  He bloomed where he was planted, and I expect to see cherry trees, which he donated to the area along the river, will be blooming on April 8th, the forty-ninth day after his death when he is belived to reach the another world in Buddhism.  He performed his life as long as 93 years. 

On a different note, my daughter is holding a wedding in a week.  
I'll visit you little by little when I have time.