One of my favorite trees, an old willow, glows with swelling buds at the onset of Montana's spring near the Crazy Mountains next to the Yellowstone River.
Always one of the first harbingers of changing seasons, these willows provide a much-needed touch of color in mid-March when most of the landscape sits in hues of gray and brown. With sunlight touching peaks full of deep snow in the background and wispy, dawn clouds rising into what will prove to be a clear day, this photo has depth, contrast, and a hopeful feel.