Wintertime - Quiet Time

Hi all. I found myself dying to get outdoors yesterday since the weather was favorable. A 3 day weekend indoors is not my cup of tea.
My daughter & I visited the nature center yesterday, and it turned out to be a gorgeous day with the sun out and not a cloud in the sky. The breeze subsided, and it was just plain quiet. It was unusually quiet. There were not many birds around, and the ducks were enjoying their little swimming hole in the stream near the road. A decent layer of ice still sits afloat of the Ruckman pond.
It was also my intention to get a nice campfire going, just enough to remove the chill from the air. We had a handful of visitors who parked themselves in some chairs. They simply relaxed and took in the blaring sun and quiet time. There was one small group of 'geocachers' that ventured out into the woods, but I think they were the only ones out there. Plus, the trails are still a bit on the muddy side. They apparently came across a small herd of deer while out there too. Thankfully the deer stay in the woods most of the time. I say that since I had an entire herd run out in front of me while driving through Haworth on Valley Rd. Luckily I noticed the leader out of the corner of my eye and managed to stop in time...... The poor creatures just have no where else to go.
Anyhow, as much as I dislike the winter I find I enjoy my visits to the nature center a little more and truly appreciate being there during winter visits since it's like a 'treat'. The other seasons I am there all the time and maybe take those visits for granted. It is just nice to sit and relax and soak it all in during the quiet season. I highly recommend this for anyone suffering the winter blues. Just get out of the house, go to the nature center and enjoy the scenery. If we have a campfire going, by all means stop & visit. Many hikers appreciate that outdoor fireplace after a walk. :) Bring along a hot chocolate or coffee, and the quiet time is that more enjoyable.

Well, that's enough from me for now. Just though I'd share some thoughts on winter visits at the nature center. Have to take advantage of the quiet time now since we have a fairly busy spring ahead of us. We have a couple of events and plenty of trail work to do.
Enjoy everyone!
~Anthony