VAGABOND TRAVELER

By Mary Emma Allen

Snow on the mountains at Great Basin Credit Kathleen Walls

The wonders of winter abound, whether woodlands, desert or beach, this time of year throughout America.  The three wooded acres around our New Hampshire home provide many wonders. The other morning when we woke up to a few inches of snow, the evergreens were bent low with a white coating, the chickadees were uttering their distinctive call as they peered from the bird house in the maple tree, blue jays called from yet another area and animal tracks criss-crossed the white ground.

I've always been fascinated by a winter woodland and have enjoyed living in one ever since we built this home, 30 years ago. After a snow storm, the woodland  is shrouded by a silence that makes each snap and crack of frosty branch, each bird call or animal's movement seem magnified.

When I was growing up on a farm, I'd walk along the trail to the woods behind our barn. Usually there was a plowed path to follow where Father had taken the tractor and sleigh to get a load of wood for the kitchen stove and wood furnace. It was relaxing and refreshing to hike there and become aware of all the woodland sights and sounds.

Identifying Winter Wildlife

Identifying these creatures and listening for their calls as you wend your way through little traveled areas, or even the woods around our home, can be a delightful bonus for an outdoor adventurer. Cross-country skiing and snowshoeing also enable you to reach the off-road regions.  Books on nature and wildlife often give a chart for deciphering the various wildlife tracks.

Photographing tracks is not easy because of varying light conditions. However, it is a challenge you might want to undertake on your travels through the winter woods. This also is an enjoyable activity to undertake with youngsters.

Winter in Other Areas

Winter in Sanibel, Fl. Credit Kathleen Walls

My family and I have spent winters in other areas of the country and enjoyed these environments, too.  Sometimes we were living there; other times we were only visiting midst our travels.

*Texas without the snow we were accustomed to in New England was a new experience during some of our Air Force years.  However, this was a delightful time as we found new activities.

*In California we could escape to the ski areas in winter,  yet be free from snow shoveling when we were at home near Sacramento.

*Spending some winter days in Florida meant walks on the beach and searching for sea shells.

*In Arizona, we could experience the cooler temperatures, red rocks and sometimes snow around Sedona or enjoy snow-free visits with relatives in Phoenix and Tucson.

*Colorado, with its varied temperatures in the mountains and in Denver gave us many winter memories. 

*The Upper Peninsula of Michigan was frigid in January with temperatures of 40 degrees below zero. 

*South Dakota also provided us with cold and blizzard weather, in an area where even superhighways were closed due to intense winds and drifting snow.

*Cleveland, Ohio and surrounding towns experience the lake effect snows and cold, when we've visited family there. 

No matter where you travel in winter throughout America, you'll find interesting sights and activities to enjoy.

(c)Mary Emma Allen (Mary Emma Allen writes from her home in the woodland of NH.   Yet she and her husband travel to various parts of our country near and far for their business and her writing.  Visit her web sites: http://maryemmallen.blogspot.com  ; e-mail: me.allen@juno.com )