I went for a walk in the forest at midnight; the landscape transformed by the new fallen snow. Even at that hour, on a cloudy night, the fresh white blanket provides plenty of visibility for walking. I often say that one advantage to our home is that we can pretend to live in the country while still being only 4 km from our offices. Midnight on New Year's eve really drives home the fact that, nope, this is NOT the country! There was no place on the 40 minute loop I walked where I could not hear the explosions of fireworks as I walked. However, the good news is that from the Nature Reserve trail, where it wends its way along the shore line, one can see five or six different fireworks displays across the water in different directions. Only their largest and most brilliant explosions, of course, but it sure was pretty, and, at that distance, the sound was only noticeable, not painful like it would have been if I had taken the trip in to see any of the displays closer to hand. Perhaps next year I will bring some friends out there on purpose to watch...

Happy New Year to one and all--may this one prove to be a good one for you.