Winters View
Winter wandering sights of trees, 4-legged creatures and things with wings
Every season brings a fresh view of my little place on this earth. I look at my neighbor’s quite large, old growth Oak trees and think what bare and magnificent creatures these trees are in winter. On this winter day I can see deep inside the many rooms of the trees. Branches lead up and out, crisscrossing to create small highways for all that wander in their streets. The squirrels manically run from branch to branch; with no real goal it seems but just to play in the halls of the trees like children. The crows, sitting one here, one there, chattering about, oh I don’t know, the treasures found on the road or squabbling amongst themselves about who will find breakfast. These intelligent, noisy, and curious winged things show us a daily glimpse into their own complex familial structure.
Our raccoon family visit several nights a week, sniffing and digging quietly. If you happen outside during their ramblings you are met with bright little eyes attached to a frozen body, as if they believe their stillness will make them invisible to me. I always have a giggle at the notion that perhaps they think I cannot see them. Big puffy round bodies staring at me with their little flashlight eyes. They’ve become somewhat accustomed to our motion activated lights (which have opened another world at night, exposing the creatures wandering) and often I see the big female circling around the pair of lights as if she is considering knocking them over, just for grins and giggles. She gazes at me like she knows I know what’s on her mind and turns her back on me and continues with her youngsters in search of any treats she and her young ones can find on a cold winter night. I always have the sense that when she turns her back on my she is saying, “humans, you are such a nuisance.”
One day a coyote wandered into the yard, warily looking around since I’m pretty sure it had not been in this part of its territory in a while. Outdoor cameras provide an often-unseen world while providing us humans with a wee bit of security. So stealthy and alert it was, and I wondered, what is it you are searching for here? What do you see and smell that I cannot?
Birds of every size visit us daily. Always busy, forever scavenging for sustenance. They chatter amongst themselves (who sells that bird word translator?) keeping a watchful eye on the human watching them. Sometimes they seem to be talking to themselves, quietly cheeping, no other bird around, just a quite conversation much like us humans when we mutter to ourselves. When the bird chatter stops, the whole yard grows quiet, and the wee wings begin to hide I know a predator has stopped in for a visit. Silent but deadly, they find a spot to survey and study hunting opportunities.
Winter provides the trees and plants with a much-needed break from the growth spurts to come. A cold nap before unseen magickal energies will awaken the rebirth. I often just stare at the fruit trees, considering the late winter pruning that will encourage a summer of bountiful, sweet goodness. Even in the winter there is never a quiet moment on this little piece of earth. The easterly winds are stirring now, nudging my chimes into life and giving the wind spinners something to twist and turn about. Wandering in the winter world is a unique look at life in the yard and garden and on this mid-winter day my magickal energy is stirring, anticipating the spring. But for now, while the winter winds blow cold, I’ll enjoy my winter view.
