The tree on the edge of the icy embankment barely held me; I felt its thin trunk slide through my glove’s grip. I held on as tight as I could with one hand, my other clutching the camera. I can’t imagine what I would say if I returned to the office soaking wet with burrs stuck to my long Banana Republic coat.

“What were you doing Katie, walking out in the woods?” I imagined my co-worker would ask, sarcastically.

As a matter of fact, that is exactly what I was doing. It was partly sunny and just above freezing during my lunch break today, so I took my camera to Sheehan Park, just across the street from my office. It is one of my favorite places. There, I spent the best hour of my day, snapping photos in the woods. Somehow, those 60 minutes passed more quickly than the next 15 minutes sitting at my desk.

The fruits of my labor are below. Today, I am grateful for my camera, a nearby park, and the steady grip that kept me from slipping into the water.