tales and trails sprinter hike

Is it spring? Winter? Both? Sprinter?

Last Tales and Trails hike, there was no snow on the ground - only hidden Easter eggs!

Today, there was a pile of snow. We went off the beaten path, along the pond, and into the woods. We found tracks in the snow, some pee, a mallard duck pair, some Canada geese.

An extra special treat for me today: someone else took photos! These photos are generously offered by Stephen Edgar, a father on our walk today. Thank you!!

This was a beautiful hike; I was reminded that the seasons are what we make of them. While in the morning, I was wishing for snowless spring, after our hike, I was thankful for the blanket of pure white snow, the crisp, cool air, and the birds on the pond. I went home feeling invigorated and refreshed. Always amazes me what a little walk through the woods can do.

I'll leave you with this hopeful sprinter/winter/spring poem:

Winter Into Spring by Richard Lackman

From March back through November landscapes draped in black and white
As knife-like shadows in the forests pierced the dimming light
And even mighty rivers disappeared under the strain
Of crushing flows of ice after a night of freezing rain

For now the only sounds that crackle out through winter's hush
Are frozen pods of snow which to the ground from treetops rush
Exploding on the forest floor as from a fearsome hoard 
Of Norsemen fighting wildly for their own wintry warlord 

And so it is that through the coldest season of the year
We sequester deep within the halls that we hold dear
Waiting for the sunrise and the promise it will bring
That the stranglehold of winter will be broken by the spring

Then finally it happens; ice flows melt and streams cascade
Flowers bloom and fruit trees blossom while the pall of winter fades
Black and white are all forgotten as a rainbow now appears
And the cycle reinvigorates the passing of the years