Umstead Park on New Year's Day

Dan and Maggie on Loblolly Trail, Umstead Park.

I love the woods in the winter.  It reminds me of the Winter Botany class that I once taught and that I so enjoyed teaching.  New Year's Day was perfect for a walk along the Loblolly Trail in Umstead Park.  This trail is fairly level with not many ups and downs.  Maggie especially enjoyed the hike.  There's actually a lot to observe in a winter's woods.

The pretty leaves of the loblolly pine.

The remains of an old dead oak.

Lichens and moss on tree trunk.

The pretty brown leaves of the beech that hang on through the winter.

The quiet solitude of the forest.

The solitude interrupted as Maggie greets a little beagle with her owner.