The season of thanking and giving is upon us, so it’s time to make a list. Mine is short, yet long on importance: my family, my friends, and living in Driftless Wisconsin. The month of celebration from Thanksgiving through Christmas offers a break from the world at large. We make time to look at the small things that grace our lives.
The season bridges harvest and winter; between plenty and few. A stubble of corn stalks stand in the farm fields, a sign of the completed harvest. Spent leaves litter the ground like confetti, mementos of fall’s parade of colors. And now the corn is in the silos and the photos of color-clad trees are in the camera.
The hoopla is over. Let the real celebration begin.
There’s no place on earth quite so ready for winter’s celebration. Thanksgiving is over and the people of Driftless Wisconsin are ready for Christmas; ready to give. And if we are observant, the land gives back.
It gives us scenery unending. Shed of its fall foliage, the landscape reveals at once its blemishes and beauty. Limestone outcroppings show themselves, assuming shapes of faces and places offered up by our imagination. The barren land rolls and folds as if flapping in a gentle breeze.
It gives us pleasure. The land and water of Driftless Wisconsin offers a playground of outdoor activities. Hiking, biking, camping, fishing, hunting, and birding beckon from every corner of Driftless Wisconsin. And winter does not stop the fun. The ice is on the river and ice fishermen are already drilling for pan fish. A brisk walk in the bracing cold makes you feel alive. It’s quiet in the woods. No leaves to flutter or squirrels to scamper. Wildlife settles into winter’s routine, ready for the patient photographer.
It gives us people, generous and welcoming. Nothing warms the heart like the hospitality of our innkeepers, shopkeepers, and barkeepers. The people of Driftless Wisconsin are also keepers of our good fortune and ready to share it with visitors.
So come to Driftless Wisconsin, and share in this season of celebration with the land and its people.