Winter. My favorite days are the ones cloud-covered. Not dull, not ugly, but a mood unto itself, where the muted colors take center stage. They don’t demand attention but work together to keep you relaxed. Quiet, contemplative, subtle. The moods of winter.
Recently I had the opportunity to visit the Little Red Schoolhouse back home. It was a lovely cloudy day. I ended up hiking the Black Oak Trail and the White Oak Trail. There was quite a brisk breeze unless you were in the woods, where the skeleton of trees shielded me from the wind.
One benefit to a day like this is the lack of people. No kids were screaming and running around and I only encountered one person on the Black Oak Trail. It was so calm.
You have to work hard to notice the wildlife, however. Decades ago it seemed so easy to see deer or a fox trot by. Today it is much more difficult. Even the birds were elusive.
That’s okay, I think they want quiet too.
Happy New Year, friends!
May 2025 find you happy and healthy and may you find that calming winter mood to carry you until spring.
God Bless,
Christine
Let's Paint Nature! 
Thanks for the overly email, I love the quiet of winter also.