Riches galore—but not in a store

Following Thanksgiving, that blessed day of abundance, I spent Black Friday avoiding the maddening rush of bargain shopping, and celebrating Buy Nothing Day with a walk in the woods.

Though I missed the chance to stand in long lines, battling for the last great sale item of the century, I was rewarded with riches—all of them free.

Beautiful in their icy finery, the wintry displays and interplays of light and ice crystal were worthy of wandering with camera lens leveled at the intricate expressions of nature’s wondrous gifts.

My canine companion was equally impressed with the fresh and invigorating air, the chilly nip of frost beneath his paws and the opportunity to prance and play in the penetrating sunlight. Children, too, find the natural world engagingly enchanting.