By Ralphine Major

The signs were all pointing toward spring—daffodils, warm weather, Easter—when the world seems to take on a new look of growth and vibrancy.  But, Mother Nature unleashed another blast of winter sending much of the country into a frenzy of power outages and slick streets.  Images of the devastating havoc the latest March snow brought are quite a contrast to the tranquil beauty shown in this spectacular photo from Spokane, Washington, last week.

Bryce Williams captured the moment with snow-laden trees under a starlit sky.  It is not surprising that stars would be featured in the photo, since Bryce is a meteorologist.  He and his twin brother, Dylan,  grew up in East Tennessee.  Their family moved from Florida when their father, Kent, became an Associate Pastor at Wallace Memorial Baptist Church.  Amy, their mother, is a former teacher and works for Knox County Schools.  Bryce received his degree in Meteorology from Mississippi State University and continued his study of meteorology at the University of Alabama at Huntsville.  Today, he is a meteorologist with the U.S. National Weather Service in Spokane, Washington.

As I pen this column, a glance out the window reveals a few snowflakes drifting aimlessly to the ground.  Perhaps, this will truly be the last days of winter across our nation.  Spring must be getting closer.  But for now, I will enjoy the beauty of stars shining on Spokane.