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The last of the snow from the Christmas Day Storm has disappeared from the trails as I type this blog.  I am still filled with the joy of seeing the beautiful winter wonderland and the pain of loss at seeing so many broken Trees.  Trees that have stood strong for decades later becoming witnesses to my many journeys into the park.  Trees that were also home to many of my furry and winged friends.  Trees who guided me safely home during a blizzard in 2010 that wiped away the trails.  Trees that whispered their secrets as spring breezes danced among their delicate leaves. Trees that listened to my Heart, spoke to my Soul and became my friends.

On December 31st I hiked to end my year checking on the damage in the Forest of Hot Springs National Park.  I saw many fallen sentinels laying stretched across leaves of the Forest floor and others carved into pieces pieces to clear roads.   So many woodland homes were destroyed under the unbearable weight of the ice and snow.

I saw several foraging birds in the green patches created by the melting snow.  A female and male Cardinal were hopping in and out of a fallen Tree on the Tufa Terrace Trail.  On a branch above me I spotted a White Throated Sparrow, the first one I had seen since 2010.

Beautiful life in the broken Forest continues… as change unfolds its plan.

Love to ALL!
Lee