In celebration of National Take a Hike Day (November 17, 2022) I headed out to my local woods to enjoy a nature walk. The first thing that caught my eye was the prevalence of the invasive honeysuckle, still so green in the woods. I love seeing the green but I am reminded that the honeysuckle is choking out our native plants.

Chicken of the Woods! A little too old to eat, but now I know where to come and check when conditions are right. Too bad I didn’t discover this in October when we were focusing on mushrooms.

Berry leaves always draw me to them in the fall. I imagine this is a black raspberry cane. Look at the different reds and maroons in those leaves!

Look at the texture in this photo! Somehow the color palette is soothing on the eyes and the brain and although it is a bit drab somehow there’s beauty in that too.

I also love berry canes in the winter because of their unusual color. They almost have a highlighter glow to them among the dried brown plants in which they grow.

We were surprised by snow on our walk! Especially the sound…at first there was a bit of ice involved and it made a gentle clatter as it hit the ground.

Another view that is so different in winter and yet has a beauty of its own. I love the copper leaves on the ground and still hanging on to the beech tree.

And the beech buds all set and ready to pop out in the spring. What a beautiful silhouette it makes against the sky.

The layers of color caught my eye here at the water’s edge: the older leaves turning dark while the newer leaves retained their brightness. It almost looked like an art collage.

On the way home these “stripes” stood out to me on the path. They made me think Payne’s Gray, Burnt Sienna, and Sap Green (paint colors).

I made sure to take a minute or two to jot down a few notes about my walk in the little journal I keep inside my glove compartment. No time to paint today, but I can still make a record that will bring this lovely hour back to me in the future!

If you’d like to watch a video of my walk, you can find it below:

I hope you find time to get out and put yourself in the path of beauty and wonder!