Dark fruitless seasons

One of the many blessings of living in a relatively rural area is that you cannot but be aware there are seasons.  Though they may not be delineated by extremes of cold and heat, it is still clear that there are times of growth and times when the land lies fallow, quiet; when the grapes and leaves have been plucked from the vines and trees, by hands or by wind; when the earth is covered in frost and it looks like everything we've loved and watched over has died.

Because we see that devastation and know those vines will again bear fruit, it's somehow easier to bear our own dark fruitless seasons...