A New Year’s Wish: Lonely Fences, Revisited

A winter walk along the winding road to St. Joseph’s Abbey during the Omicron upsurge.

Aging wooden fences line the twisting, hilly, half-mile long road that leads to St. Joseph’s Abbey. The views of fields and distant hills are lovely and uplifting. The walk to the top takes stamina, and provides time for meditation.
Occasionally, one notices posts and railings that need repair.
A closer inspection shows the effect of time and weather.
Closer to the top, the hills beyond come into view.
Finally, the land levels off.
The journey is complete.
Inside the abbey, visitors can rest in the quiet glow of stained glass.
May we all find moments of rest and hope in the New Year.

20 thoughts on “A New Year’s Wish: Lonely Fences, Revisited”

  1. Dear Julie,
    Thank you for taking us along on your refreshing winter walk and for ending it in the serene setting of the abbey with its gorgeous windows. I enjoyed this pilgrimage very much.
    Wishing you good health, peace, and many more nature walks for the coming year.
    Warmly,
    Tanja

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  6. What a delightful invitation to take some of that journey with you. I was taken back to some of Robert Frost’s poetry and his writings on walks and on fences and walls. Happy New Year Julie.

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    1. Thank you, and Happy New Year to you, as well! I’m glad the photos brought Frost to mind. Here in Massachusetts, I’m hoping for a little more “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” soon. (Only a covering of snow here now.)
      Julie

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  10. Hi Julie – I really enjoyed your lovely photos of the snowy fields and fences. I expect it must have been a bracing walk, but what a beautiful abbey and the stained-glass windows are stunning. It looks to be a restorative place for rest and hope. Thanks for the link to the abbey’s website – I enjoyed reading about the abbey and the monastic life.
    Best wishes to you too for the year ahead – as the Omicron surge unfolds it is difficult to know what lies ahead. Take care.

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    1. Thanks so much, Carol. Yes, the Abbey is very beautiful. In years past, they were also known for their Trappist Jams and Jellies. Lately, the make and sell their own beers!

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