Trails Less Traveled

Winter has finally arrived!  With the snowfall we received in the past week the ground is covered with a white fluffy blanket, the trees are iced and the air is brisk.  With slippery roads and higher heating bills it is easy for this to be the season of discontent, but I find there are many reasons to like this season.

1.  The holidays are over which means no more agonizing over what would be the "perfect" gift, where to have dinner(s) and what to serve!  Less stress, less mess!

2.  The snow crunches on a really cold day and I'm reminded of childhood and crunching through the snow on bitter cold mornings with my Radio Flyer sled to the top of the driveway for a fast and exhilarating ride to the bottom of the hill.

3.  The air is crisp and clear and on a moonless night one can fully appreciate the Milky Way and its sister galaxies.

4.  The water in my water bottles gets ice cold when we are hiking and is absolutely refreshing to drink at the rest stops. ( This is probably my #1 like of the season.)

5.  Since there is no garden to tend, no flowers to plant and no lawn to mow there is time to do projects that were pushed off because it was just too nice to stay inside.

6.  The winter vistas of snow laden trees reflecting in still, cold lakes are post card perfect.

7.  Likewise the multiple shades of brown against the white snow.  Have you really ever appreciated how many shades there are?  Try it some time - just sit for a few minutes, let your gaze fall upon a field backdropped by a forest and you will be amazed at the number of different tones you will find!

8.  Time to get together with friends and family to play cards or other table games. 

9.  Every day is now getting longer.  We gain about 2 minutes a day now, about 1 hour a month, and before you know it, I'll be writing about what I like best about Summer!

10.  What do you like about winter?  Please share with us.

Happy Holidays and A Wonderful Winter to you all.