Winter, Finally?

None of the trees boast stubborn, dead leaves any longer. They're all bare. Save for an accumulation of snow on the sidewalks it's begun to feel like winter at last. My afternoon run felt more like a chore than anything else, me in my three or four layers and high socks, looking all frigid and stiff as I traversed the tiny roads of Carroll Gardens (though I was not the only one, which comforted me). And even though the temperature has settled into its seasonal lows very late this year the sun has been gone for what seems like months now, which has brought on a fit of longing for sunflowers unlike any I've ever experienced. I know I posted about them not too long ago, but I need them right now.