2018 Winter Walk-Off Wrap Up

     Although, this year's Winter Walk-Off may not have been the largest, I very pleased with the diversity of the posts. My informal survey says that winter was not terribly extreme, and that it was cold where it should be, and mild where it normally is. The only exception would be my own world, where we finally had more welcome spring-like temperatures just this week. Until this point, March has been February 2.0. Below are this year's entries. Click on the links for a bit of armchair travelling.   

#1 - Sarah in Maine
     Sarah has walked with me before, and as in previous walks, she shows us the beauty that is Maine in winter. She and her son walked along the coast in Wolfe's Neck Park in Freeport, Maine. I am no fan of cold weather, but Sarah and her family enjoy it, and know how to make the most of it. Her photos almost make me change my mind.

#2 - Peter in Tacoma, Washington
     Peter is another regular walk-off walker. He knows how much I enjoy looking at interesting architecture, and his city of Tacoma is rich in diverse styles. This year he showed a wide range of residential architecture, but there is also a bit of horticulture - some good, some not so good.

#3 - Marilyn in Columbus, Georgia
     In another post full of architecture, my friend Marilyn takes us to Columbus, Georgia, where you can tell the winter has been kinder. Tulips and dogwoods were blooming, people were eating al fresco, peddling party bikes, and a kayaker was in the river.

#4 - Beth in Madison, Wisconsin
     Beth is another regular walker, and this year she took her walk-off around Lake Waubesa in Madison. Although some of the lake was thawing enough to show open water, other areas were still frozen allowing ice fishing to continue. I have a fear of falling through ice and getting trapped underneath in frigid water, so I will leave ice fishing to others.

#5 - Janet in South Carolina
     What would my Winter Walk-Off be without Janet, the Queen of Seaford? She has walked every year I have had this meme. This year she and her walking partners, two-legged and four, once again walked around the quiet roads of her Upcountry neighborhood, where spring was knocking at the door.

#6 - David in Las Cruces, New Mexico

      Now for something completely different - plant and architecture-wise. David in New Mexico shows us around the neighborhood where he will soon be living, and the local landscaping plant palette is very different from what I see here. Though many of the plants were somewhat familiar to me, others had to be googled. 

#7 - Loree in Paris, France
     If there was a prize for most far away post, Loree would win it for her walk in Paris. She usually walks in Portland, but I am very glad she chose Paris this year; it was the only international entry. Though she threw in a few well known landmarks, most of her photos are little snippets of gardens, art, and architecture, plus a well deserved glass of wine.   

#8 - Georgia in Washington Square Park, New York
     For Georgia's walk this year, she chose Washington Square Park. She was on a mission to spot birdlife, in particular a pair of red-tailed hawks, which she did indeed spy. She also saw a to-me-surprising number of other bird species. Knowing that some of the earth's other species can put up with homo sapiens makes me hopeful.

     By assigning each entry a number based on when I received it, and by utilizing the cold unbiased proficiency of a random number generator, Peter the Outlaw Gardener was selected as this year's winner. In his honor, a $50 donation has been made to the Washington Nature Conservancy Thank you to everyone who participated this year, and thank you to those who walked vicariously.