Winter's Canvas

It's cold, but let's go outside.

I’ve spent most of my life in Southern California, where the climate is temperate year-round. The seasons change, but they’re not as dramatic as on the East Coast, where I’m currently living. Winter is long, and the months can be difficult as I wait patiently for spring to arrive. Continuing to get outside and connect with nature becomes even more important. Luckily, there is still much to explore in the winter landscape.

I take the train to Central Park and walk through The Ramble. I sit on a bench to journal and watch the birds take turns at the feeders. I notice tufted titmice, nuthatches, chickadees, woodpeckers, finches, cardinals, blue jays, robins, sparrows, and the occasional hawk looking for an easy meal. The squirrels shuffle around the leaves under the feeders, picking up fallen seeds.

Some days, I ride the train to Brooklyn and go to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Fewer people visit the garden in winter, but it’s a wonderful time to explore. I walk slowly, studying the seedpods, cones, and berries. They stand out against the dusting of snow that covers the ground. I see endless textures, shapes, curves, and spirals, brown stems, and bright pops of red from the holly and winterberry. This time of year, the conifers take center stage with their wintergreen needles and graceful, sweeping boughs. Roses, their petals long gone, now bear fruit or rosehips, which serve as a food source for birds and other animals.

I could spend hours here observing—every dry leaf, every brown stem, a work of art. Winter is a new exhibit in this living museum. When I walk, I don’t cover much distance.

My camera allows me to slow down and observe the canvas of nature’s beautiful winter landscape, offering a respite from the asphalt streets and towering buildings of the city.