Northern Wisconsin is truly a winter wonderland, with fat, lazily drifting snowflakes coating the pine boughs and turning the world to silver.
Christmas in the woods is nothing short of blissful.
You have to love winter to live up here. Otherwise, you're going to spend a huge part of your year depressed. Yes, our summers are glorious, with warm (not hot) days spent lounging in lakes, ending with shimmering sunsets spent listening to the loons call out over the water.
And yes, our springs are verdant - the crystal sound of spring peepers is a heralding cry that greener weather is on the horizon, and the first glimpse of unfurling ferns is enchanting. Okay, and sure, our autumns are a dazzling rainbow of reds and golds, the endless woods a symphony of color.
But our winters are unlike anything I've ever seen before. Maybe lakeside summers are my favorite, but once you get past the icy roads (hey, I work from home) and deep snow (Christmas magic!), it's a rich and gorgeous time of year.
It's kind of liberating not to be limited to just one Christmas tree when it comes time for decorating (okay, I have three!) - the entire forest is your holiday decor. In the town where I live, there are trails maintained by the county where you can indulge in sparkling snow hikes.
My favorite trail has an offshoot that leads down to one of the (many, many) local lakes. Up here, the lakes freeze solid in the winter, and you can walk, snowmobile, ski, even drive out onto the ice. Standing in the middle of the frozen lake, with nothing but pale blue winter sky and snow-covered ice in every direction - it's breathtaking.
Our little town also dresses up quite nicely for the holiday season. Hodag Park puts on a dazzling display of lights, known as the Lights of the Northwoods. You can drive through a light tunnel or walk the pathway alongside Boom Lake for the best view. Our downtown (just one beautiful street!) sparkles with LED snowflakes and holiday baubles suspended above the town's main intersection.
We usually have a white Thanksgiving and a white Christmas up here. This year, it snowed merrily outside while I made honey and brown sugar ham (my kids hate turkey), green bean casserole, creamy pasta, cheesy corn, mashed potatoes, and dinner rolls, followed by strawberry cheesecake. Properly stuffed, we watched Christmas movies until we fell asleep - a perfect Thanksgiving.
We have so much to be thankful for. Now, as we prepare for Christmas, my sons and I hang woodsy ornaments on our tree - rustic decor with a strong motif of pine trees, snowflakes, and deer. There are gifts piled under the tree for my kids and our closest friends that we share our holidays with, and we're looking forward to a beautiful white Christmas here in the woods.
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