Giving Thanks in the Woods …
In the woods this year, we are thankful for many things … mostly centered around an amazing and a rare gift … Fall is still here at Thanksgiving time!
We are thankful for temperate weather because …
Hardy Minnesotans are still able to wear layers, no need for winter coats (yet). Outdoor yard work and Christmas decorating is easy to do. Outdoor bonfires are still enjoyable. The critters are still actively preparing for winter, keeping the woods alive with sounds a bit longer.
We are thankful for no snow or icy rain because …
The great driving conditions mean that we can take road trips to visit family and friends without worry. We don’t need to wear snow boots to go outside. Venturing into the woods is wonderful, they are completely open for hiking (soft spots are even frozen for easy walking) – no bugs. Diehard bike riders can still ride. The lakes are musical (okay, this may be a personal quirk) … the sounds they generate when you skip a rock across the thin ice is marvelous and only happens this time of year. “The acoustics of this season are different and all sounds, no matter how hushed, are as crisp as autumn air.” ~ Eric Sloane
There are those who find this extra long Fall season upsetting. If skiing, snowmobiling, fishing, skating or snowshoeing is your favorite winter past time, all I have to say is … your time is coming … winter is like a ticking time bomb. When it finally goes off, it will stick around for at least 5 months.
A Fall season that lasts more than a few weeks is a rare blessing in the northern Minnesota woods … it is a very special time of year … Give Thanks!
Poems about Fall
“Winter is an etching,
spring a watercolor,
summer an oil painting
and autumn a mosaic of them all.” ~ Stanley Horowitz
Winter arrived on Dec 1st … freezing rain, Dec 2nd … 3 inches of snow, Dec 3rd … snow flurries, gray skies and dropping temperatures. It is not going away this time … so, it is time to get out the warm coats and boots (sigh)
Bear in Mind 