After the Heritage Initiative’s first Regional Gathering at Wild Mountain this afternoon (more on that soon), I stopped for a moment at Lions Park in Taylors Falls.

I was drawn by the mid-afternoon sunlight on the white pines at water’s edge — the light possessing the same warm tones as you might find on a summer evening. The daylight is certainly diminishing.

The photos brought to mind something from Jeffrey Willius‘s lovely new book, “Under the Wild Ginger: A Simple Guide to the Wisdom of Wonder.” He offers practical tips for seeing the world with fresh eyes:

Find color in a white-gray winter’s day

Summer’s colors are a feast; winter’s, a tasting.

Savory shades of tenacious-oak-leaf brown. Sharp notes of dogwood-stem burgundy and chartreuse. These and a thousand other hues brave the cold, tempt the discerning palate.