Wintering seems to be the new word for hibernation. I quite like it.
It gives us permission to slumber a while longer, restore our energy, and awake at our own pace, when we feel ready.
A slower paced January is nothing new; it can be a bleak month, but I love it. There are no expectations upon us. We tend to wait it out until February, and then we're not far away from March. Before you know it, it's Spring and then the promise of some warmth and summer flowers to follow.
There is magic to January, though. The days are cold and fresh. Sometimes the sky is a piercing blue. Occasionally there is warmth from an unexpected sun.
We simply need to lean into it, not wish it away.
Winter walks can be breathtaking.
We've seen occasional days of snow here. There is nothing like the first footfall in fields or along pathways, the crunch of soft snow where no-one else has been.
The image I've shared is from this last week.
Frosted branches with a light dusting of snow like icing sugar coating.
Morning walks have been both invigorating and restorative; returning home with flushed cheeks and tingling toes.
I've been grateful for the light this month, and also for log fires and hot mugs of tea.
We're already through the first half of January and it will soon pass. For now, though, I'm enjoying the slower pace, making plans for workshops and planting, and seed sowing. There is no rush for the moment.
Spring will come soon enough.