Winter Stems & A New Year's Resolution

We drove home from out of town today thinking the weather at home would be similar to where we woke up - sunny, temps almost 70. As we cruised up I-26 however, my incredibly smart phone told me that the weather at home was more like 52 degrees and foggy. No way! We were only 60 miles away, it couldn't be that different.

Oh yes, it could. Dense fog and damp chill welcomed us at the county line. So much for my plan of cutting back and cleaning out the perennial garden. The reports promised rain was close, so after unpacking, I slipped out for a walk with Daisy.

How I love the heading out part of our walks - the breaking away and putting real life on hold. It's such a free and peaceful feeling, and slowing down is the only way I have found to truly see the natural world. So today, while I wandered around the foggy woods and hilltop, I decided my New Year's Resolution for 2011 is to make that happen more often. It's difficult, even for me, but I challenge everyone reading this blog to think about a similar resolution for this new year - to get outside more, and to take intentionally slow strolls just to look around and see this amazing planet we live on. You don't have to be in the woods, you know. It could be your back yard, neighborhood, city street, a nearby park, maybe the grassy swath around your place of work during lunch hour. I can be done... try it.

Today I was only out for 30 minutes before the raindrops came. I'd worn a raincoat so I didn't rush back, but walked slowly, continuing to admire and pick the dried stems of many wildflowers, such as the whorled coreopsis (above) that grows in the woods and along the shady edge of the pipeline, as well as spiky thistle heads, fluffy dog fennel, and the twisty brown and white fuzzy leaves of rabbit tobacco. Daisy inspected each stem, as well, and pranced like a small horse when the cold drops started falling. We came in and made a fire to help dry us. All in all a great way to start the year.