First things first – Happy New Year. I hope your year is off to a flier and you’re surrounded by all those hopeful resolutions. May you stick to them!
I had a marvellous Christmas and New Year. Filled with love, friends, family and flitting from house-to-house bestowing season’s greetings. I was invited, I should add.
Anyway, in-between work and play, I managed to find time for two things. The Festive50 challenge, and some time and space in the outdoors, which didn’t involve running. The Festive50 bit will probably be covered in a later post, but for now I’d like to indulge in all things winter woodland.
I tend to lean towards the spring and summer as my favourite outdoor months. It makes sense – warmer (generally), drier (hopefully) and more life and colour. You would assume that winter therefore would hold nothing for me. Indeed, in the height of summer, the thought of shorter days, colder weather and less greenery fills me with dread, but as the decline from the summer solstice to the winter solstice is so gradual, I adapt and change with it. So here I find myself walking along, in a winter wonderland.
My friend, who’s a bit more sedentary than me, wondered why I’d want to get up so early and go for a walk in the woods when it’s cold, muddy, and dark. I said to her more or less that this is me. It’s what I do. But it left me thinking, what is there that would sell the outdoors to people who generally don’t get winter? So on my recent trip to the woods, I compiled a list. Guess what? You’re about to get that list.
Firstly, there is more light coming in to the woods. The low sun would barely get above the treeline in winter so it’s just as well there’s no foliage to block it out. Its rays flood into the darkness, casting long shadows on the ground, and deep shadows within the cracks in the bark of trees.
With this extra light, comes the unique colours of the time of year. Most often it’s the browns and reds of autumn’s fallen leaves and last year’s bracken. Let’s not forget the bright colours of berries too, which flash like beacons to hungry birds. How clever nature is – evolve to be bright enough to be spotted and eaten, and have the seeds of procreation pass completely through, to be distributed elsewhere, thus continuing the species.
The absence of leaves, exposing the stark branches of the trees, makes it possible to see more birds. The ones that usually dart up into a fully-leaved tree out of sight in summer, now have nowhere to hide, which is not really good news for them. To us however, it’s pretty handy. A dawn or dusk walk can hold just as much listening and viewing pleasure as its summertime equivalent.
Finally, the leaf-less state of the woods enables sound to travel further and in a different way to other times of year. This is great if you’re listening out for wildlife, and also, as I found out, it’s handy if you’re keen on a bit of solitude and you can hear approaching crowds that you’re not quite ready to converse with!
These four are not exclusive, so if you can think of any more, feel free to share.
We are past the solstice now, so the days are slowly getting brighter. I hope you can carry your New Year’s intentions with you as long as possible, if you have any, and indeed, you get out and enjoy this winter spectacle.
Stay well, take care.
My Outdoor Living Room 