I hope everyone has had a wonderful Christmas. After a long weekend it will be back to the same old, same old.
After all the weeks of Christmas reds I was looking for something different to look at so I dug into the picture archives to find some cheery yellows to brighten a cold day. 
The sun is even cooperating today and has shone lovely for few days so no complaints about the weather here. No white Christmas here in the hills this year, just a bright sunny one. I even managed to get a long walk in to get the kinks out and some fresh air in the old lungs. It always makes one feel better when you can get outdoor in the air and walk around in the local state parks.
There are always people at the parks here visiting and looking at the wonderful rock formations, hills and views at any time of the year, even at Christmas time, so I was not alone on my walk this week because several hikers were there walking in the parks on the day of my walk.
Even with other hikers walking around in the parks there is a hush that settles in on the area as winter sets in here.
There are no sounds from the buzzing of insects and bees now in the parks.
And the only furry critters seen dashing around may be an occasional squirrel venturing out looking for that last nut that the Blue Jays or deer may have missed.
But mostly as I walked up the hollows with tall cliff walls on either side of me I could not help but notice that the sound that I really missed was all of the chirping that the birds make in the summer have now all gone silent. There are no birds in the hollows at this time of the year.
Even the other hikers seem to notice how silent and quiet it is in the parks and everyone talks in hushed words like they are afraid to disturb the silence that surrounds them.
All you can hear is the rushing waters going over the waterfalls and the small creeks that run through the parks. Every cliff has become a small waterfall this year with all of the rain saturating the ground.
For me it was a time to get away from all of the Christmas preparations that had been with me all week and the constant drone of carols and commercial from the television. After you have heard them a couple of times they are no longer cute or funny and start getting to you. LOL!
The walk was a time to be out in the fresh air with nature and let all of that silence soak in and calm my spirits down like nothing else can. No commotion, no big discussions to make and really not thinking about anything, just listening to the silence.
I always come back home feeling refreshed and at peace.
What do you do to unwind and calm yourself down after all of the Christmas hustle and bustle?
Happy Gardening,
Lona
21 comments:
Your blog is a bright spot in my day. Beautiful new header and look to you blog.
Happy New Year!
Evening falls and the dikkops are calling from their nest on a nearby field. Hard to imagine our garden silent, we always have flocks of small birds. But when we hike up on our mountain, altho there are endemic birds they are shy and quiet.
I can feel the peace in your post. Love the yellows! Not a color that is around much in the winter. I miss it. To unwind I usually draw a bubble bath and read - a gardening book, of course!
What do I do to unwind after Christmas? I do exactly this. I read blogs from my buddies about how they wind down after Christmas. LOL I love your yellow theme but the red was exceptionally lovely too. I hope you were able to get all your decorations put away. Stay warm.
What an uplifting and sunny post! I might just take up your suggestion and get out for a walk.
The yellow flowers gave me such a smile!
I am glad Christmas has passed because I am off work NOW! At least for a few weeks into January anyway. I will catch up on cleaning and organizing which oddly, is kind of relaxing for me. Then I sit back and am happy it is done. Plus cooking... a great thing to do to clear a cluttered mind.
Love your yellows, so happy and bright. The excite a bit, but refresh too.
I love that Daylily. Very pretty pastel colors. Everything is lovely but the Sunny Knockout is beautiful.
Cher Sunray Gardens
Very peaceful, Lona! And lovely colors! Merry Belated Christmas and Happy New Year!!
Hi Lona,
I love your new blog look! I noticed it right away before I started reading your post. That post made me feel calm and relaxed. I don't know if I normally do the same thing each year to do unwind, but this evening, I am going down my blogroll, visiting blogs, since I haven't been doing so lately.
I have had a cold, and not much energy for a week. I am hoping to get some organizing done in the house in the next week. I did clean out my refrigerator today.
I thought about taking the red out of my blog this evening, but decided to a little later. I think I'll do it now.
Happy New Year!
Beautiful pictures, as usual, Lona! I especially like the oriental lily one, such soft light and pretty color. I usually unwind by pruning roses - my favorite winter task. I enjoy being in the garden all alone, and the pruning makes me concentrate on the roses and forget everything else.
Nice post thanks for sharing..blessings from our home to yours...soraya
Your pictures of the yellow flowers are exquisite. It sounds like Hocking Hills is a wonderful place to seek peace and unwind.
Ahhh...the pretty yellows remind me of spring - only three months away. :) January marks the beginning of wintersowing for me...also forcing paperwhites. They are nearly the only garden-related things I can do over the winter!
Your bright splash of yellow is such a welcome sight. Although our snow has all melted and it's been in the 50's, I long for some color outside. It is Winter though, so I'll just count down the months...hopefully just 3 more before we start to see some green.
May the New Year bring you happiness, and good health.
Hi Lona,
Great idea on taking down the decorations before the snow flies, but I haven't done it yet since we're still running around in circles with friends and family. This weekend should be the end of it, though. No snow here either, well, just a light dusting that keeps melting.
I can only imagine the beauty of the Hocking Hills at this time of year. When we visited, none of the waterfalls were running much due to the dry weather. I remember how beautiful it was when we were there even without water in the streams,though, you live in such a lovely part of the world.
I will unwind after Carl goes back to work and I can finally get started on the stained glass projects calling my name. He's been home for over a week and it's been nice, but surreal. I'm used to being alone.
Loved the bright, cheery yellows in this post. Always a pleasure to hear from you, dear lady!
To calm myself down after all the hustle and bustle, I generally wallow in the mess that is after Christmas for a day. Then comes the resolution of not living in a sty a moment longer. After some procrastinating involving chocolate or stale sugar cookies, I begin to wrap the ornaments and pack away the tree. Wait, maybe I'm flustered after all of that....
Christine in Alaska, still in a holiday mess
Your flowers are always so beautiful. Love the yellow.
Lona,
The yellow is beautiful, could not do without it in the garden.
Eileen
Your photographs are so beautiful; the cheery yellows put a bright spot n my day! I love the description of your walk; it must have been so beautiful! A walk in the woods is my favorite way to refresh the weary spirit.
I also put my Christmas decorations away by Jan 1, so the new year starts off refreshed and clean. I wish you the best in 2012!
What a lovely cheery post! We've had a beautiful day here today--sunny and unseasonably warm, but there certainly aren't any yellow bloomers like these around:) I also took advantage of the warm temps to take a short walk. It certainly does lift your spirits. Wishing you a very Happy New Year!
I haven't been here for a while...your photos are stunningly beautiful. The loveliest yellows indeed!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
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