Winter seems like hardly the time to be outdoors observing nature, but for all of you who do venture out in the cold, you know that a lot happens in the wintertime. Some of you may be forced outside daily by your canine master or may have a disciplined jogging routine (I envy you!). Regardless of the reason, don’t forget to visit with the outdoors in the wintertime. Sunlight, fresh air, and getting our bodies off of the vegetative couch for some well-needed circulation and movement are all good reasons to take a walk. But the best reason of all is to see what is going on in the world around us! Are the oak trees in your neighborhood struggling to keep hold of last year’s leaves? Does the bark of the sycamore stand out like a ghost in the woods? Are there little tracks that beckon you to see where they go? Are there icicles reflecting the houses they hang from? Is there a constant sound of trickling water that you can’t find or is the wind challenging you with its bellowing power? Do all of your tender plants look like they are transforming into food for the soil or do you have pansies that are crisp and bright green encrusted by snow? Tell me what you’ve seen lately in your neck of the woods. Not only am I curious, but sharing our observations just might give us a little more excitement to get up, get out, and say hello to the sky and trees!