The Next Best Thing

I love Christmas and all the busyness of the season, with gift shopping,  festive food preparations, entertaining at home, and travels to be with dear family members.  And above all, I celebrate the message that God has come to dwell within and bless all of creation, even the most humble.  But all this has kept me out of the woods for a couple of weeks.  Now I'm free to head outdoors, but the weather is nasty and so is my cold.  So I'm sitting here at my computer instead of walking the trails.  Happily, though, a friend posted online a wonderful painting by American Impressionist Childe Hassam, called "A Back  Road."   While evoking the pleasures of wandering wide green meadows under a dramatic sky, the painting also reminded me quite distinctly of one of my photos of a trail across the Saratoga Battlefield, which I rummaged around in my photo files to find.  I  am keeping both the painting and the photo on my computer screen for the time being, getting my "nature fix" from these visual representations until my cold runs its course and I can get out for real.  The image of a road also seems an appropriate symbol for heading into a brand new year.  Here's hoping all our roads lead to many blessings in the coming year.  Happy New Year!

"A Back Road," by Childe Hassam

The Wilkinson Trail at the Saratoga National Historical Park

(This photo was taken on a cold autumn morning, when fog lay thick along the Hudson River, which lies just beyond the trees.)