By Lina Younes
On the first morning of the New Year, I was taking my dogs out for their morning walk. There was a vigilant cardinal chirping away from a tree top watching our every move. I was fascinated by the little bird. That cardinal infused new life, color and sound to the otherwise bleak, wintry morning. It seemed as if the lively bird was eagerly embracing the new day and, in fact, the New Year!
I quickly went back in the house to fetch my camera. However, the lively cardinal was long gone by the time I returned. All that was left was the cold morning silence occasionally interrupted by the sound of the bushes and trees rustling in the wind.
With that in mind, I decided that in 2013 I would look for more opportunities to enjoy nature and outdoor activities. Every season has its own special beauty. While I must confess that personally I prefer the summertime, I have begun to enjoy the wonders of winter as well. Even the shorter days and gray surroundings have their own special charm.
So, I decided to share some snapshots of my recent outdoor experiences. Do you have any outdoor plans for the New Year? We would love to hear from you.
About the author: Lina Younes has been working for EPA since 2002 and currently serves the Multilingual Outreach and Communications Liaison for EPA. She manages EPA’s social media efforts in Spanish. Prior to joining EPA, she was the Washington bureau chief for two Puerto Rican newspapers and she has worked for several government agencies.
