We have a tract of land near our home that was donated by a family to be open as public lands for recreational use - hiking, hunting, etc. It is adjacent to State Game lands and so we have easy access to wooded areas for walking and exploring. The family still farms some of the land with corn and soybeans, but in the winter after the harvest, we can trek across the open fields and pretend we are in some far off snowy location, comforted by the knowledge that we are only five minutes from a cup of hot chocolate. It was cold, but sunny the other day, and so after a morning at the barn, we headed back out into the woods.
We saw signs of wildlife, looked for tracks, and made a snowman under a large hemlock. All the makings of a good afternoon. And yes, we then had hot chocolate.
Happy Weekend!