Into the new year

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2024 – a new year and a clean slate. But maybe all the “newness” isn’t quite as important. I’m choosing to look forward with “freshness” and an openness to what the future holds. Experiences to relish and roads to travel, skills to learn, tastes to savor, sounds to hear. It’s not necessarily new year’s resolutions, but an intent to open my life, be aware of the loveliness that surrounds me.

This delicate and soft-hued hibiscus seems to be blooming into freshness, opening to the light around it. I hope your new year is a lovely one, filled with experiences to delight all your senses.

Joy and excitement

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The month of December is busy and hectic, with so many things to do. We hurry from one task to the next as though it’s a race to the finish line. But we all seem to be searching to find the joy and excitement of the Christmas season – the thrill we once had when we woke on Christmas morning and couldn’t wait to see what Santa might have brought while we slept with ears open for the sound of reindeer on the roof.

But maybe that joy and excitement is out there, just in different places waiting for us to see it. The other night I was thrilled to see a barred owl in the yard, watching over the grasses and looking for a meal. It stayed for more than ten minutes, watching me move about inside the glass doors. Today while pumping gas into my car, I saw a flock of pigeons flying in unison. They’d swoop up in the air together, then fly downward – all in one motion. And then the sun peeked from behind the clouds, and when the birds would turn in a particular direction the sun would sparkle off their wings. It was momentary and exciting.

I wish for you to find that child-like joy and excitement this Christmas season, and into the coming year. Merry Christmas! 

From fall to winter in four days

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We sailed into November with lovely fall weather in the Northland. Sunshine and warm temperatures were welcome and enjoyed, while everyone held their breath knowing we were running on borrowed time. On the Wednesday before Thanksgiving we even launched the boat and went fishing in open water – the latest fishing we’ve ever done in November. The next morning we awakened to a beautiful sunrise with bits of ice on the surface, especially near the shoreline. But the sun and the wind that blew across the lake caused the ice to break up during the day.

With a high temperature of 27 degrees on Friday there was more ice that formed on the lake surface. The wind blew throughout the day, but it wasn’t enough to break up all the ice. As the sun was setting there was more ice and less open water, resulting in some fascinating reflections in the lake surface.

Saturday morning dawned with clouds and cold, and a lake surface completely frozen over. The ice remained all day as the frigid temperatures settled in and the sunshine was intermittent.

And by Sunday there was a dusting of snow and continual snow showers throughout the day. The ground was hard and frozen, and the lake was solid ice – perhaps for the remainder of winter.

And just like that we transitioned from fall to winter in a short four days. Yes, we’ll see more temperatures above freezing and yes, we’ll see plenty more temps hovering around 0 degrees. But with this quick change of seasons I’m convinced even more we need to savor each day, appreciate the changes that take place, and embrace each season for all its beauty.

A last look at fall, plus calendars & holiday cards

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Fall was here last Sunday, in all her resplendent colors. The sun shone brightly and illuminated the reds and yellows. That night the temperatures dipped, the frost came and the leaves dried, taking their brilliant colors with them. Monday was gray and chilly, and it snowed overnight. And just like that fall is gone and winter is here.

That also means that the winter holidays are fast approaching, and I’m again offering my holiday cards and desk calendars. There are four unique card scenes to choose from – two winter landscape cards and two poinsettia cards. These are a special way to send your greetings and to connect with family and friends.

There are two 5×7″ calendars – one of nature scenes and one of floral images. These easily fit into a frame that can sit on your desk, or a magnetic frame you can place on your refrigerator – a quick way to reference the month and day, and to brighten your surroundings.

Information about both the holiday cards and calendars can be found on my website under the respective tabs/headings. Please reach out to me if you have any questions or comments.

And in the vein of our upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, thank you for following along to my blog. It’s a real pleasure for me to share my adventures and the views of my surroundings.

Into the fall forest

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I spent the day hiking along a lake and then through the forest. It was a perfect fall day with a blue sky and warm temperatures. The sun was shining and the leaf colors had begun their change. Everywhere I looked I was amazed at the beauty surrounding me – wanting to take it all in and absorb the warmth that I know will be waning soon. After hiking a couple of miles, I sat down on a bench along the trail and decided to create an image that would reflect the way that I was surrounded by the trees, the colors, and the sunlight coming through the woods.