Many people see winter as a cold, dark time to stay inside. I have always viewed Winter differently. My days of adventure have always been surrounded by the excitement of a child. I look forward to snow days and there is a little sadness in my heart when the last snow melts away. So many things about winter are often overlooked. Recently, when I was at the Robert Frost Farm State Historic Site, I watched these things in motion. Many of these elements, like wind and cold are predominately seen in a negative way. Yet these things helped shape the unique winter landscape that made my visit to the Robert Frost Farm so special. Here is a few reasons why the elements make the Frost Farm a great Winter adventure:
Photo by Colleen Ann.
Cold
This winter, we have experienced record breaking freezing temperatures. Cold should be respected, as it can easily harm us. Yet if it is properly mitigated by dressing appropriately, you can have a lot of fun. Winter is a gorgeous season, but this beauty is far more subtle. I noticed it as I made my way around the silent expanses of the Frost Farm. The light fluffy snow gave way easily under the snowshoes. Ice and frost clung to the window panes in beautiful patterns. At first the sun peaked weakly through the clouds. Only when I left did the sky begin to clear, revealing small patches of pale sky. I have always noticed we only get vivid blue skies on cold February days.
Photo by Colleen Ann.
Wind
Like the cold, the wind needs to be treated with utmost respect, but it is always followed by a beauty. I began to make my way towards the woods, following the pathways that others had broken before me. The wind kicked up, but luckily it was at my back as I hiked on. It took the snow in the trees, throwing it from its perches, creating curtains of pure white. As I raked my gaze across the field, I became witness to the wind doing its work. It disturbed the snow, kicking up small spouts that danced across the crest of the hills before fading away.
Sunlight
Sunlight is never really noticed in the winter. It is fleeting and many people lament its brief encounters. Yet it seems that this makes us appreciate its presence that much more. That morning, the sun broke weakly through, and I was thankful to have its presence on my face. When the sun comes out it is absolutely spectacular. Its small rays provide some relief from the cold winter days. At Frost Farm, the clouds began to clear, and as they did, weak rays of sun broke through. Their warm light broke over the field, and I could see a thousand sunbeams that now shone across its surface. Some lone flakes of snow caught the rays of sunlight and threw the light back like tiny prisms.
Photo by Colleen Ann.
Snow
Snow is often viewed as cold and undesirable. Yet snow makes everyday things picturesque. At the Frost Farm, the entire world was hidden under a layer of snow and ice. The wide rolling hill lay under a thick blanket of snow. Piles hung upon the trees, and the stone walls lay buried underneath several feet of snow. The house itself lays in deep snow drifts. Snow sat upon windowsills in soft billowing piles.
Photo by Colleen Ann
There is a beauty here that is harsh yet so different. I enjoy taking the time to go and take it in. Growing up, Robert Frost was my favorite writer, so to be here, at one of his homesteads is amazing to me. Many of his famous poems featured snow, cold and ice. As I made my way around I could not help but be inspired as well.
