Tuesday Photo Challenge – Anticipation

Frank’s challenge is to capture Anticipation…  That moment, when you know that what your heart desires is arriving soon, or maybe not… Will it or won’t it?
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Anticipation is a double-edged sword for me, as things didn’t usually work out the way I expected, though in most instances growing up, the alternative was pretty OK.
I remember Christmases with foster kids who had very little, and one lad totally awestruck that his gift of a ghetto blaster was his to keep, not just on loan. At 14, he had never put up a Christmas stocking, and I had not anticipated that so had to improvise at the last minute, aka bedtime on Christmas Eve!
I was quite crafty, wrapping the machine’s batteries in a long sausage, the CD compilation as another stocking filler gift, the usual fruit, nuts and candy, and a few other little things that I had in reserve in the cupboard. If he noticed his stocking didn’t contain the same selection as the others, he never let on, though he was a little bemused at having batteries and a CD but nothing to go with it until he found his main present. I can still see his face break out into the most wondrous smile. Magic.

Young faces were always full of anticipation as they gazed at the mass of parcels under the tree, eager fingers ripping the wrapping and trimming to shreds. Sadly in some instances, anticipation turned green and sulks replaced happy faces. Such is the danger when giving youngsters a choice of lots of little gifts or one big one.

I don’t have any suitable photographs to suggest anticipation, so I’m thinking outside the box and going with a Christmas Walk.
Some years ago we went down to the woods on Christmas Day in shirtsleeves, it was that mild. There were horseriders, other dogs and a host of people taking advantage of the glorious weather to walk off the traditional dinner. It was a wonderful atmosphere.
I took these photos at each end of the same walk when we anticipated, and got, snow.

Merry Christmas Frank.