Keep an eye out for ice, don't slip, remember these turns you're taking, and don't breathe in too deep and freeze your lungs. All the bears are hibernating, right?
As much as I love staying inside during the winter, snuggling with blankets on the couch and making soup, there's something to be said for getting out there and experiencing the Maine winters first hand.
Running is my favorite way to do this. This island is jam-packed all summer long with outdoorsy people taking advantage of our beauty and climate. But in the winter it's practically empty and dead quiet.
And still beautiful. I mean, look at this path...
Scenes like this are life affirming, and fill me with gratitude. Here is where I've had my most favorite nature moments. Uninterrupted, with nothing but the sound of my own breath.
Everything wakes up. Creative ideas come rushing in, and the jumbles inside my artist brain start to sort themselves into straight lines. Then all of a sudden, inspiration jumps out right in front of me.
Check out the amazing shapes that the ice has created in this stream...
One thing that's definitely necessary for these outside adventures is warm gear.
I wear a neon pink hat with cat ears that I stole from my kid. Neon is important if you are out during hunting season! There are no hunters on Mount Desert Island, but I still feel better knowing I can be spotted at a distance when I'm out alone in the woods.
And I wear these awesome gloves. The are so weirdly warm, I have no idea how they do it. But I sell them in the shop, so you can see for yourself!
Full disclosure, I do not go running outside when the temp is below 25. And I don't stay out there for more than an hour.
I'm not totally crazy.
There's soup to be made!
Happy winter, y'all!
xoxo
Anne