This photograph was taken near the Beaches Library on Queen St. East, on the morning after the first snowfall of the year. Most of the leaves have fallen to the ground, and the white stuff covered the withered grass and the wooden park benches.

This is my 12th winter in Canada, and if I weren't a photographer, I'd probably be at home trying to stay warm like everyone else. It's friggin' cold out there, the vibrant colors are gone, and most of what remains is brown and white. And it still is beautiful.