There are few causes for celebration greater than the return of daylight. Yesterday marked the beginning of the Winter Solstice, and today we shall cheer, “we survived the darkest day!” Meanwhile, the sun has kept up its valiant attempt to break through the morning’s constant clouds. I noticed my walking speed slowed in response whenever…
This time of year, one tends to wonder what the season will bring. Will the winter be severe? Mild? Will this dreary cold linger for long? Forecasters measure and calculate. While media personalities steal scientific names to sensationalize “polar vortex” observations, scientists more closely watch conditions that form only a few times each decade. This…
The scene was so quiet today that it felt as if where just me and the juncos out there. Bird watchers like to refer to the junco as the “sign of winter” or “snowbird,” in much the same way a robin symbolizes spring. Looking like a plump, gray sparrow, formerly known as the slate-colored junco,…
With a chorus of a thousand tiny drops, the woods began to release its rainy sadness. After a week of dreariness, my mood lifted as the humidity levels dropped 10% during my walk. The landscape was drying, thanks to the brief moments when the heavy clouds would part to let in a few rays of…
I discovered a dead deer on my walk today. Compassion hit the middle of my chest — right where my heart is — with a heavy thud. I accept that death is a part of a life; I strive to walk with gratitude for my life and for all the life around me. But, while…