Winter Hike

Well, more like a short winter wandering. As I searched unsuccessfully for M or W? I thought of a somewhat recent post over at the Handbook of Nature Study blog -- Winter Color Walk. My younger kids and I have noticed the color of bark in last few months. It's not brown, the color we are trained to use as young children. Without the undergrowth to deal with, I was able to get a really good shot of only bark. We've always noticed texture; we're now noticing that the color of bark is difficult to give a name to since there are so many kinds of brown, tan, red, gray, etc. What about gray-tan? And the sun causes the same tree to appear different colors at different times.

With much of the vegetation gone this time of year, I recalled a challenge from back in Sept. '08 on Weeds. Here is a "weed remnant" that I found. I just received my copy of _Discover Nature in Winter_, by Elizabeth P. Lawlor today. I am hoping that it will serve as an identification guide for winter. I'm super-hoping that it provides aid for non-tree ID. I have a winter tree ID book that works pretty well for me.

Geocaching provides a great endpoint for nature walks, and the Nature Study Blog provides material for the way there. Happy cache hunting to you all!