Today's frigid temperatures make it hard to believe, but the stream that runs along our property next to NOLD was flowing freely on Sunday as temperatures rose to 52 degrees Fahrenheit. You can take a very brief listen above.
Winter Color: Green Moss
I took a walk on the loop right around my neighborhood, stopping to listen to the streams and falls and snapping dozens of photos. I often think the world seems completely frozen in winter when our days are short and dark and below freezing with all manner of precipitation, turning the world and one's mood to shades of grey.
Winter Color: Red Branches
When a substantial thaw descends for a day or two, I am reminded that nature is not sleeping but preparing to burst forth as soon as it receives ample sunlight. I simply need to take the time to look for nature's signs that all is well and progressing, sometimes a bit too quickly in fact.
Winter Color: Blue Skies
On Sunday, I took the time to stop and stare, to uncover the beauty in the landscape, and to note instances of startling color. Let me share a few small finds as testament to the day and to the fact that second by second the days are getting longer.
Magnolia Bud
I was so appreciative of the experience and leisurely pace that I still feel renewed a few days later as the temperatures dip below zero. William Henry Davies understood well that the best antidote to feeling overwhelmed and oppressed, especially in winter, may be the greatest gift of nature, if one only takes the time to see it.
Red Bud
Leisure
William Henry Davies
What is this life if, full of care
We have no time to stand and stare.
We have no time to stand and stare.
No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep or cows.
And stare as long as sheep or cows.
No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.
No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night.
Streams full of stars, like skies at night.
No time to turn at Beauty’s glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance.
And watch her feet, how they can dance.
No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began.
Enrich that smile her eyes began.
A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
