Winters here in Oregon so rarely provide for a quiet walk along the river, but on the rare occasion when the rain clouds part and the leaves have all been swept away by the wind, the crisp, stark lines of a maple against the white canvas of the sky can inspire me. This impressionistic walk along the Willamette River is just such a time. Sad, that the maple leaves have gone, but beauty remains in the stately limbs of a tree with the potential for budding spring.