Happy Poetry Friday! 

This week, we are hosted by Susan Thomsen.  Please visit Susan at Chicken Spaghetti for a poem about Año Nuevo and a beautiful tradition.

Recently, I have enjoyed time outdoors in the snowy woods of Connecticut.  I couldn’t help but admire at the beauty of nature, but also the human touch that appeared in some of these excursions.

During the first significant snowfall of the year, my husband, my dog, and I went sledding.  We tried to convince some neighborhood kids to come with us to make it look like we had a reason to be there, but there were none to be found.  We did not let that deter us.

Admittedly, my steering attempts are futile.  I'll just say, the hill is a lot steeper than it looks in the video!

The next day, we took at hike at a local park.  Although, it was an overcast day, nature offered beauty amidst the dreariness.

Here the human influence sneaks in, but hopefully in a way that makes you smile.

The next day was sunny, and I couldn’t resist one more trip back to see the snow and ice drops reflecting the sunshine.

The pictures from the overcast day led me to the following poem:

Winter Woods

By Eleanor Hammond 

The winter wood is like a strong old man,
Grizzled, rugged, and gray,
With long white locks tattered by many storms.
He lifts gnarled arms defiant of the blasts,
And rears his old head proudly
Under the menace of the winter sky.
Source: Eleanor Hammond. "Winter Woods." Family Friend Poems, https://www.familyfriendpoems.com/poem/winter-woods-by-eleanor-hammond

My hope is that wherever you are, whatever season it is, that you are able to breathe fresh air and spend some time surrounded by nature.

39 comments

  • Aw, thank you for taking us with you on your snowy-day outings, Tracey. I'm very jealous that your pup will sit for a sled-ride. Mine mostly runs manically beside us, convinced she will need to do some sort of saving (btw -love the end-run into the bramble). I am headed north tomorrow to get my winter-fix of snow and sled :)
    • Haha, Patricia, our dog would like nothing better to run manically as well!  I hope your sledding run doesn't send you into the shrubbery! 
  • Tracey, this is my kind of day out and about in nature feeling peaceful. Your photos are beautiful and show the beauty of nature. I laughed when I read about your steering skills. I am sure that would be me if I ever dared to take a ride down the hill. The weather changed to 60 degrees here. Everyone seems to be dressed in very light layers thinking spring has come but it will dip down again. Enjoy your time outside.
  • We have a snowy day today but really just enough to look lovely, now nearly gone. Warmth is already coming! I love seeing your video, Tracey. What a hill! And all the lovely, big and little, picture treats that snow, with your help, gives us. Winter Woods as a 'grizzled' and 'strong old man', a delightful image! And, I love those pics with bits of red & that final one with the sun, awesome! Thanks for all!
  • Why should kids have all the fun anyway, right? :-D Glad you were able to get outside and enjoy winter's stunning beauty. :-)
  • Enjoyed your beautiful post! It never occurred to me to try to take our dogs sledding, but maybe we should give it a shot. The last time I went sledding, I couldn't figure out how to slow down, so I went all the way down the hill, across the field, into a parking lot, and halfway under a car. Haha!
  • Tracey, these photos are so so lovely! (I think this is how I like snow best... in pictures and poems. :) Thank you!
  • Tracey thank you for sharing your snowy day. Having  only seen snow once (and then only a small amount) I have always always wanted to go somewhere where the world is  white and I could ride a sled. It may never happen, but I enjoyed riding down that hill with you and your pooch :)
    • Sally, come visit!  If you want to make the trip around the world for a little winter fun, I would be happy to take you sledding!  : )
  • Thank you for the visit with snow (writes a person in California with memories of college days in Minnesota). Watching your video brings to mind such vivid memories of the texture of snow. I particularly like the image of the lifted gnarled arms defiant of the blasts in the poem.
  • Tracey, what delightful photos. I basked in the beauty with this lovely post. I loved the sled ride down the hill. So much beauty!
  • What a beautiful post! I love that you don't let the cold keep you from going outside! My husband and I had outdoor plans today and we let the rain ruin them, and now I'm feeling a little sheepish about that! (He just left to go cycling when the rain stopped, but I'm still in pyjamas reading PF posts...)

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