Happy Winter Solstice

On this First Day of Winter Season the mountain is in a cloud of fog - wet, misty, and mild (about 50 F). I took a walk along the Indian Trail around the lake, it's a beautiful hike on days like today. The colors outside really stand out against the white fog, plentiful lush greens with the rhododendron, mountain laurel, hemlock, moss, and persistent ferns. To me, the Solstice is a day to appreciate the "reasons for the seasons", and that can sometimes be a hard thing to do when anticipating the long Winter ahead! One thing I enjoy about this time of year is being outdoors and observing the environment in just one of it's many "layers", that of bare branches and leaf-littered forest floors. I can see things in a different light, and not be distracted by the eye-catchings of blossoming wildflowers, mating and migrant songbirds (although the resident birds are certainly a welcoming sight in this season!), and the constant activity of life sprouting, growing, and flourishing. Winter allows for a time to soak in the quiet, dormant, replenishing part of the energy cycle, and take notice of simple attributes that you may not have given much thought to in the past few seasons.

Cheers to the Winter Solstice, and Happy Holidays to you! Wishing for "layers" of Winter snow to cover the landscape in the coming months.