Walk Through A Winter Wonderland

 Over a recent weekend I went strolling through a frozen trail a short drive from my home. With temperatures under twenty degrees it was enough to call for scarves, boots, hats, and several layers for warmth. Even with several layers on, forgetting even gloves made the weather feel much colder. It was an icy path. Straying too far to any side of the walkway increased the risk of slipping into the bushes lining the edges. Shining blindingly in the sky was the sun. It reflected against the snow and frozen lake with incredible strength. There were not many animals in sight, but several deer could be spotted blending in with the evergreens and dead foliage. It all made for a serene winter landscape.

In the middle of winter, the trail was nothing like in summer. Blue and yellow flowers that once dotted the green hills were gone, replaced with leafless trees and frozen ground. Where tall grass and poofy bushes once were, now stood dried plants, dead for the season. Snow blanketed the path and all the land around it, so when there were less plants acting as borders it was difficult to determine where to step.

The light of the sun shimmered intensely. It's effulgence was only magnified by the dazzling snow. However, looking in the right spot in the sky, a small rainbow could be noticed, arching across the sky and behind puffs of clouds. Frozen blue with a sheet of ice, the lake stretched on to where a boundary of trees stopped it. A line of footprints snaked across the ice. All the birds that swam there over the summer had long since flown away for the season. In the distance, three deer could be spied. They were disguised well with the plants and could have been mistaken for a part of the patches of trees clumped around the surrounding landscapes of the trail.

Even with the sun's radiance, it was still cold. At eighteen degrees, it was enough to make teeth chatter and cheeks go pink from the frosty air. The sun provided small amounts of warmth, but going behind a tree or a cloud overhead intensified the cold. Few people were there on the frigid day, and they walked with quick paces to stay warm. Most of them stayed near the center of the trail where the ground was more even, flattened down by previous trail-walkers. Luckily, it wasn't too icy underneath all the snow, so walking at a fast pace and not falling was an easy feat.

It was a peaceful walk through the trail, but it was also very quiet. Only the sounds of cars driving down the road nearby and the crunching of snow underneath feet could be heard. The air was crisp and fresh. It held the wet scent of fresh precipitation and an earthy musk. The wind was blowing softly. Swirls of snow were carried through the air and slid across the iced lake like whispers easily lost in the wind. Crystalline snowflakes were settled atop trees and bushes. Ice and snow blended with the trees and sky around them and created a winter-wonderland, a beautiful scene on a cold winter day.