Santa brought me snowshoes this year! A friend and I headed out last week to some local trails not too far from the city that I didn’t even know existed! It was a much needed nature break. I didn’t take very many pictures, I didn’t want to bother my friend, a non-photographer, with my constant stopping. She is very understanding, however, as her husband is also a photographer.

When we arrived and started getting our gear ready, the snow started to fall in big, fat, soft flakes. The best kind of snow!

After a while the snow slowed and mostly stopped. The trails were quite compacted, so snowshoeing was loud when we were in motion. We’d stop every now and then to rest, soak up the view and enjoy the silence out in the woods. We never saw another person out on the trails, though there were numerous vehicles in the parking lot. Some were cross country skiing, some were “fat biking” (bikes with very large tires that can be ridden on snow), some just walked their dog out there. There are different trails for different activities with tracks laid for cross country skiing on those trails.

I was astounded that I didn’t know about this trail system and I look forward to going back in other seasons to explore a bit. I could see that under the snow in some places were open meadows and wetlands. A day out in the trees and fresh air is just what I needed! Spending it with a friend was the icing on the cake. I look forward to exploring this new found area some more.

The Serenity Project is a collaborative photography project featuring images that bring a sense of peace and calm. Please continue our circle to to see what has brought my friends serenity this month.

Next in the circle is Ohio photographer, Eileen Critchley .

Click the link to see what serenity looks like for her this month!

Thanks for being here.

At the beginning of the month our daughter was playing in an adult soccer tournament in British Columbia, so we tagged along for the weekend to watch her play. On the way we spent a night at the small city of Salmon Arm, located on the beautiful Shuswap Lake. The hotel was located next to the lake and a bird sanctuary, so I decided to get up around sunrise to walk the area. As I have mentioned before, I’m not a morning person, but I will have to try harder, because the light in the early morning is so fresh and lovely, promising the start of a new day. A different feeling than the equally beautiful end of day light.

Enjoy the serenity of a sunrise walk along the lake!