Nature Notes ~ Winter 2020

The Winter Blues

A few weeks ago, I was in the mountains doing one of my favorite things in the whole world; hiking in the woods along Bear Creek. It had snowed a couple of days before and the sun playfully peeked out of the clouds every now and then to add its smiley brightness to the landscape.

On this partly cloudy day, the touches of blue really caught my eye. The blues gave me a quiet, peaceful feeling as I walked along the trail. I was not at all sad, just tranquil and serene. ​Color has such a powerful way of enhancing our mood sometimes.

Juniper Berries

Blue Spruce

We don't often see a lot of blue in nature except for the sky and its reflection on the water. Even in the kaleidoscope of flower colors, true blues are rare. So on this pretty day in the woods, it was really wonderful to see all these lovely shades of blue!

Lichen & Moss

Evergreen Sky!

As you venture outside to explore the natural world in all its beauty and stillness this season, may you enjoy plenty of winter blues! Happy holidays, dear friends!

With warm wishes and love for nature,

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New Painting Sneak Peek!

​Greenback cutthroat trout are making a comeback! Thanks to responsible land management and aquatic conservation efforts here in Colorado, these beautiful natives are being watched over with care and populations of healthy fish are increasing. Hooray!

​I'm excited to share my new painting in the upcoming spring post! Here's a sneak peek at one of the fish. And if you look closely, you'll see she's leaving a little sparkle of her presence as she swims through the water. A healthy aquatic system needs fish to maintain balance just as much as the fish need the water. We're all one with nature and the world around us!

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Conservation Corner

To save trees and money on wrapping paper, why not re-use last year's bows and paper? Another nifty idea is to use recycled brown paper and decorate it with little spots of white paint. Or liquid correction fluid does the trick, too! The paper will look like falling snow, and oh so festive!

​​You can also use a pretty scarf, a napkin, or even fabric scraps you may have on hand to wrap your gifts.

Check out this website for even more creative ideas! ​Happy gift wrapping!

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Hike at Three Sisters

The Three Sisters trail system in Evergreen has a little something for everyone! You can weave in and out of various loops and connecting trails, and even head down to Bear Creek or Evergreen Lake to relax by the water. I had a great hike just wandering here and there, and everywhere! No agenda, just letting nature guide me. How much fun!

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Happy holidays, dear nature peeps!

May you have a wonderful time with family and friends, enjoying our natural world together! 

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I'd love to hear from you! What blues do you see out in nature in your neck of the woods?
​Please leave a comment below!