Even as mercury huddles near the bottom of a thermometer, nature continues to offer a wealth of visual beauty. One of my favorite things about November is that I get to see the forest architecture — the timber scaffolding, if you will.

Minimalistic branches…

a tight-knit congregation of trunks and limbs…

delicate twigs…they all reminded me that stark simplicity can be stunning and calming at the same time.

The day may be dry or dripping, the light bright or diffuse, the location remote or bustling… it doesn’t matter.  If I keep my eyes open the beauty of bare trees is mine to enjoy. I just have to remember to notice.Soon I’ll be heading west to New Mexico to visit friends over the holidays. Dash and I will be taking daily walks there, too, and some hikes through the Santa Fe National Forest. I’m looking forward to seeing groves of bone-white aspens with their dark, observant eyes— I’ve missed these tree-friends, too.

[Thanks to the following photographers for making their work available through the Creative Commons license: Mirai Takahashi, barnimages.com, Peter Nyren, Carlo Scherer, Horizon2035, and doug ellis. © 2017 Sidewalk Zendo. Reprints welcomed with written permission from the author.]