Monday, January 11, 2016

Winter in the Forest
















As I hit the trail the snow crunches underneath my feet, a squirrel chatters in a nearby tree, and a chickadee sings her song from high atop a pine tree. Calm and peace is in the air, and instantly it washes over me, and my worries of the day are forgotten as I put one foot in front of the other and let the trail guide me.

I love the forest, really, I LOVE the forest. Every season offers something special as I meander along trails, letting nature sooth my soul. I find the winter forest peaceful and calm, open and free, simple and beautiful. The forest feels bigger in the winter, maybe a little empty without all the leaves, but still so very welcoming to me.

Last week we eased back into our homeschool rhythm with some fun activities, swimming, skating and hiking, with afternoons spent doing a little review and playing. It was a lovely way to transition from the holiday season back to our school rhythm. Our day in the forest turned out to be a beautiful, mild winter day which allowed us to really sink into our time in the forest. We hiked, we stopped to identify tracks, we looked at tree bark, and every once in a while I snapped a photo. When little ones needed a snack, we stopped atop a hill, and while I dug out the snacks, the kiddos played on the hill. Laughter filled the forest as little bodies rolled and slide down the hill, enjoying the snow, the sunshine, and the freedom. Snacks were forgotten as the play continued. I sat quietly in the snow, with my thermos of tea, looking out, soaking up the winter sun, mind still, breathing deep. A peaceful meditation in my favourite spot, with giggles in the background, reminding me just how blessed I am to live out my days with the most wonderful little man, and to share our homeschool journey with his little friend.

Winter in the forest, it's a special time, it fills me up, and makes me happy, and you can be sure you will find me enjoying it a lot over the next few months. How about you, do you enjoy winter in the forest?

41 comments:

  1. what a magical place to be able to go to

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  2. Thank you for taking us with your on your beautiful walk :)

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    1. You are most welcome, thanks for joining me :)

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  3. Your pictures remind me so much of the forest we used to walk in in Germany! It was so peaceful and we all loved it so much! It's cold here right now, but there is no snow in sight...

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    1. Really, that is pretty cool. I would love to visit Germany one day :) Hope a little snow finds you soon.

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  4. I guess I don't need to tell you just how much I wish I was there!
    Enjoy a little for me please :)

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    1. I wish you were here too Tracey. I would love to walk in the woods with you. We have more snow coming tonight, and I will be sure to enjoy a walk in it for you tomorrow morning.

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  5. Your winter forest is beautiful...it fills me up too, just looking at your pics!!!

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  6. Sounds absolutely perfect. I can almost smell that crisp, clean, snowy air :)

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  7. Beautiful words and so nice to intimately know your favorite spot now. Brought back a lot of memories. I could hear my own little ones and your little guy, tumbling down the hill togetther as we chatted away. Special times indeed. Like you, the winter woods are beautiful and welcoming. I love the lines, the contrasts, our special little friends eating out of our hands. I'm expecting many more days spent in the forest before the season ends. Hopefully, it will not end too quickly! Have a wonderful week my friend. xo

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    1. Thank you my friend. It was so nice sharing this spot with you. It is one of my favourites, and always allows me time and space for clearing my mind.

      Hope you guys have a great week too. xo

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  8. Gorgeous photos! Love that view on top of the hill.
    I really wish we could explore some trails during the winter, but extreme cold is one of two of my kids asthma triggers. The 10mins we had in the front yard is probably all we can handle at the moment.

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    1. Thanks Darcel.

      Oh goodness, not fun at all. At least you can get out for little bits of time.

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  9. oh, it looks so serene + magical! I love your photos especially the close-up of the branch... have a beautiful week!

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    1. Thank you! Wishing you a beautiful week too Jandi.

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  10. It looks beautiful where you are Kim :) I hope you had a good Christmas. I will start putting together another letter to you soon ! x

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    1. Thank you Fiona, it really is beautiful, and I feel very lucky to live here. We had a lovely holiday, and happy to be back into our normal rhythm.

      A letter will be on its way to you this week :)

      xo

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  11. It would be so lovely to join you!

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    1. I would love that. One day, my friend, one day....

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  12. Oh how loveley it seems, I really long for snow, lots of it!! We do not have any here in Vienna and even in Sweden that we visited over new years, did we have a lot... I need a good snowfall and some really cool crispy days every year to fill my heart with the wintermagic. We´ll see what the season brings, it should at least be cold this Weekend;)

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    1. It really is beautiful Karin-Ida. I do hope you get some snow soon, it has been snowing here since Sunday, and will continue through tomorrow. I will whisper to Mother Nature to send some your way :)

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  13. What a beautiful way to transition back! Such a magical place, indeed! We're sad to have had such little snow this year! Hopefully more will arrive soon! xo

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    1. It has been lovely Shel, first time we have tried it this way, and I will definitely do it again.

      I hope you get some snow soon, it has been snowing here since Sunday, and will continue through tomorrow. So much snow.

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  14. how beautiful it is ... Enjoy it!
    I think I love it as much as you dear friend. I wish you a wonderful week

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    1. Thank you, we are enjoying it :) Wishing you a wonderful week too my friend. xo

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  15. Oh what a beautiful spot! Our winter is more mud and less sunshine so the woods are damp and very muddy but I get that feeling being by the sea in the winter - there's just a freshness about it that restores zing!

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    1. It certainly is. Sorry for the mud, although that provides a different kind of fun in the woods :)

      I totally understand the feeling you get being by the sea in the winter. Last week we also took a hike to the lake, and goodness, it was so wonderful. It was chilly, but being by the water is just so healing.

      Enjoy your days by the sea my friend.

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  16. I agree completely. Nature has a way of embracing, comforting and uplifting. Love the background giggles... well put! xo

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  17. I love winter and I love the woods that surround me. There is nothing like being in the woods and listening to the animal chatter or the silence. Lovely photos.

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  18. I'm happy to hear that winter has arrived there! We've got so much snow on the mountain here! It's so great. We drove up the mountain and found a quiet spot and made a snowman and had a snowball tossing and went sledding.

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    1. Oh yes, Old Man Winter found us. He was just a little slow getting here this year :) I am glad you guys are enjoying the snow too, it really is so much fun!

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  19. It looks and sounds perfect. Our woods are extremely muddy at the moment. Which is fun to a degree, but sadly we are getting a bit past the walkable point! We were out in them at the weekend with wellies sinking down to the ankles with each step. But we had a lovely time, especially as it was a bit of an occasion - a wassailing afternoon. We met up with friends, had a camp fire, drank mulled apple juice or hot chocolate, ate apple cake then walked up though the woods with little bells and someone playing the flute to sing songs around the small, community orchard that is a new addition to our local woods. We left food for the robin, who is the guardian bird of the apple tree, and we walked back as it grew dark with fairy lights in the trees lighting our way. It was all very magical despite the mud. And supposedly it will help to bring a good apple harvest in the Autumn! It made me think of you and Reece, I think you would both have loved it X

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    1. It was a pretty perfect day, and my little tea time on the top of the hill was wonderful. Oh goodness, that is muddy, but your afternoon sounds just lovely, and so very magical. We definitely would have loved it. xo

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  20. Sounds like an amazing 'school' day!! I love winter in the forest too, and try and get out there daily. Do you take your dog with you? Mine goes crazy as soon as he see's me putting on my boots and jkt.

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    1. It most definitely was :) No, we don't take Shelby with us, she doesn't like the car. Lucky for her though we have the forest right across the road for her daily walks.

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