I remember reading somewhere (or maybe it's just become part of our local lore) before moving to the Pacific Northwest that the Morgantown/Pittsburgh area actually has more cloudy days than rainy Washington and Oregon. It's hard to say if that's really true, but this map makes it seem like we're at least giving that area some good competition. One thing I know for sure, it gets really brown here in the winter when the leaves fall and the snow melts.

What I love about walking around with my camera is that it helps me notice the subtle texture and beauty that exists in the most common things--even at this relatively colorless time of year.

And of course, all these boys need is some boots, a ball, and some woods, and they're good to go.

Give them some water to throw rocks in, and you're golden. This waterfall has been hiding virtually in our back yard (it's how the overflow from the reservoir in White Park drains to the Mon River), and I only just discovered it this winter.