I encountered a lot of skepticism about this “winter robin.” People told me I couldn’t have seen what I saw. After hearing that from a few folks, I decided to set the record straight.

Winter can be overlooked as a time for outdoor activities, but it has plenty to offer.

Snow reveals wildlife activities that are usually hidden from us. It catalogs the actions of animals and holds them frozen in time for our perusal. It tells us stories.

You never know what you might find on a walk out in the natural world.

If you wander your woods on a snowy day, you might come across an area of surprising green, like the one in the photo below. These areas are called seeps, and if you’re fortunate enough to have one, you have an excellent winter home for wildlife on your hands.

Driving a country road recently on a cold, crystal-clear day, I noticed the fat red spires of staghorn sumac seed clusters silhouetted against the deep blue sky.

I am moving through the slowly falling snow, back in the woods far from any road. There is no breeze. Suddenly it hits me. There is no sound right now. I stop to take it in, that rarest of rare finds in our noisy modern world: utter, complete, total silence.

Have you ever been on a winter walk and seen this?

Winter and I do not agree. But even I have to admit there’s some beauty in the cold, as I discovered one morning when hoarfrost coated the woods.