We have already had a touch of winter with two days of freezing fog last week. Terry took this photo of the trees and shrubs right outside our camper door. They front the Park Office and one of the trailheads. The shrubs are Red Osier Dogwood (the branches are bright red and very pretty in winter).
The combination of conifer green and red looks like Christmas!
One of our Christmas traditions for the last few years has been a Christmas Day hike. We usually go to Cumberland Knob on the Blue Ridge Parkway. This year we can just walk right out our door, under these trees and we'll be on the trail around the wheat field and to the Williamette River. I wish you were all close enough to come share the hike with us. The wheat field is a favorite feeding area of the green herons and there are frequent sightings of the resident cougar on the trail by the river. Who knows what we will see on Christmas Day, but I'm sure an unexpected gift of nature will await us.
Our Christmas wish for you is that some time during the holidays you can find time to take a long walk in a quiet place. There is always something to gain from stepping out of the routine and into a part of the natural world that surrounds you. We forget that our lives are one small part of the web of life that goes on about us and without us.
We hope your Christmas is one of joy, peace and beauty!
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