Nature Close to Home: Signs, Seasons, and Stories

At Christmas I have more time at home so my walks with the dogs shift from under morning stars to midafternoon, when the solstice sun casts long woodland shadows across the path and across the river.

I often see other people out walking, singly or in groups. I suspect they also share an affection for this place of frozen lakes, canada geese, wood ducks and snow-covered cattails.

It has become a Holiday tradition for winter walkers to bring along ornaments to place on a group of spruce in the middle of the green belt. In early December you might see one or two ornaments hanging from the blue green branches. By Christmas day they are full of red and gold bulbs, silver and green streamers and seed ornaments for the wild birds.

In places like this we are are reminded of the divine wild outside the concrete and cars and buildings where we spend most of our lives. It gives us city dwellers a chance to find a bit of nature in breaks from highways and work and busy days. Close-to-Home nature preserves should never be underestimated for their effects on our lives.

You can bet on Christmas day I will be down there, whatever the weather, to walk across the brome meadow, under the eleven Cottonwoods, on the dike next to the west lake, on the path by the river flowing from the Winter Mountains.

And you can be sure I won't be alone.

Home Stories Journal Life

Life starts the fire. Love fans the flame.

. . . Kate Wolf