Christmas-Card Snow

Charlie and I took a quick walk around one of our area city parks along the Wisconsin River this morning while playing fetch with her tennis ball. Snow had just begun to fall as we left the house and by the time we reached the park, it was coming down pretty good. We had the park all to ourselves on this quiet Tuesday morning... and even more so since it was snowing.

As we made our way around Picnic Island, I observed a muskrat swimming along the icy shore and watched a bald eagle harass a flock of migrating geese. Snowflakes swirled around me and I held out my black mitten to catch a few of them, mesmerized with their unique shapes before they melted into water droplets from the radiating heat of my hand.

The dark green pine trees and red branches of dogwood contrasted beautifully against the thin layer of white snow gradually building along the riverbank where ice is beginning to form, growing outward from the shore.

I stood with my back against a giant tree trunk, sheltering myself from the wind, and watched the snow flying around me, all the while feeling like I was standing in a scene from a Christmas card. Occasionally Charlie would drop her tennis ball at my feet and nudge it toward me, urging me to throw it one more time.

Just 20 minutes at a local park in a quiet setting, spending quality time with my dog and breathing in as much nature as possible... so refreshing! Don't let cold weather hold you back from experiencing time with nature. The time spent will be good for your soul, maybe even priceless.