2012 will be remembered as a year in which I have successfully transitioned from work to retirement. A year in which a new routine is established – among other things, weather permitting, each morning, we will go for a walk or hike after breakfast. This has now become part of our daily exercise. For the first time in my life, I have more time for outdoors and to be more in touch with nature!
Not far from where we live, there is a Country Park with a good walking trail into the forest. The walk starts off with a steep trail, passing by some resting ground for visitors (photo below), a stream and then you are into the wooded forest.
The narrow trail usually have trees on both sides and with foliage on top so we are sheltered from direct sunlight.
Once in a year, a section of the trail is covered with pink petals fallen on the ground. Many times, we wondered whether we should walk on it as it is just so beautiful. We walked as if we were walking on a soft pink carpet. 
Everytime, we walk past this slope which is covered with a close mesh of tree roots, we couldn’t help amazed that trees have such a strong will to survive reaching down for water.
We also pass by woods that have lianas (wooded vines) hanging from trees to trees. In Chinese, they are known as ” river crossing dragons” as they look like dragons which fly from one tree to another without any intermediate supports. 
This wood is not just about trees, shrubs and roots. It has exotic flowers too.
Sometimes, we were delighted at the ordinary sight of leaves and tree trunks illuminated by sunlight.
When we have time, we may wander further afield, stopping by an educational farm. Here we are in close touch with nature.
We like the mix of red flowers and green plants. . . . . .
as well as the ferns, trees and the shrubs, imagining that we are inside a tropical forest.
Every now and then we come across flowers which we do not know much about.
Occasionally, we stroll by the seaside, maybe just to have a good look at the rocks on the beach. . . . . . .
or wondering how on earth these abandoned cows have survived so many years near to the beach.
Other times, we would walk up to open green areas where we take a deep breath. . . . . . .
or have a close look at placid ponds to appreciate the delicate ecological balance.
Finally, we may just stop by a picturesque pond and take a good rest.
This is probably a snap shot of what we did when we did not travel overseas.
We are thankful that nature has been so kind to us, revealing itself in all its beauty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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