Keeping watch

Keeping Watch

~ lmachayes ~ 4 Comments 
Settling in 
for a long winter's night,
I know not what happens 
beyond the back or barn door. 
Until I do
for by the incisor marks
left upon the attached shed floor,
I eye the work of a gnawer. 
Scat, too, has happened
in this space, 
comma shaped 
and even a bit of a necklace connection observed. 
Out the door 
I tromp through the snow
sighting a pattern
that only a sashayer would know.
And so I follow, 
under branches, 
around trees and over stonewalls, 
from one neighbor's yard to the next.
Into the woods,
the critter leads the way,
and I go forth, 
wondering where we might glimpse each other. 
Upon a corner section
of a stone wall,
where rocks are arranged in a triangular fashion,
my heart beats faster when I spy hoar frost.
I observe not 
the works of a porcupine den as I'd hoped,
but rather evidence of another
who shares these woods with us. 
And then upon a branch
I behold the other, 
creator of the midden,
a Red Squirrel disguised as a gray for such was its coloring. 
Because I'd wandered
into our back forty, 
others make known their presence, 
in the form of mouse and weasel prints. 
And back by the barn,
the snow has been tussled,
by not one, 
but at least three species: porcupine, squirrel, and deer.
Mostly, it is the deer
who have disturbed the ground,
scratching away as they do,
in search of acorns. 
As much as I'm scanning
up and down for mammal sign, 
the beauty of these past three days 
does not escape me. 
I'm grateful for the brisk air,
sunshine and lack of breeze, 
and for snowflakes still on display,
and others melting into decorative gems. 
I'm grateful
to be one who notices,
trying to discern 
what has happened and will happen next. 
I'm grateful 
to recognize others
who contemplate as well, 
peering upon the world from on high, yet hidden. 
And I'm most grateful
for the one who knows more than the rest of us,
the Tree Spirit,
an exemplary at keeping watch.

Keeping Watch

~ lmachayes ~ 10 Comments

My feet itched to move along the forest floor and so I followed them and wondered where they might lead.

o-tree buds

The first stop was to examine tree leaf and flower buds packed inside their waxy scales where they will remain protected from the northerly winds until a date unknown.

o-hemlock cones

Beside the red maple, Eastern hemlock cones dangled like Christmas ornaments, with woody scales of their own protecting tiny seeds tucked inside until those northerly winds might release them.

o-squirrel dinner table

Everywhere, any possible surface, particularly those a bit raised, became a red squirrel dinner table meant for dining upon this year’s abundant supply of seeds.

o-squirrel chatter 1

And everywhere I was chastised by squirrel chatter for they seemed so sure I wanted to wrestle with them for a few nibbles.

o-upper side, maze polypore

I paused beside mazed polypores, so named . . .

o-underside, maze polypore

for their maze-like underside from which they release their spores.

o-forest 2

Sometimes, my feet moved with ease despite occasional walls of evergreens–and when I encountered such, I pushed on through.

o-slash

Other times, it was over logging slash that I trudged, my feet taking a moment to choose the right balancing spot.

o-watery trail

There was even some island hopping thrown into the mix.

o-bobcat scat

At last I reached a logging road and then different sights filled my heart with hope for I knew that though I saw more than a million red squirrels and heard a variety of birds, including a ruffed grouse, these woods are filled with life (and death). Based on the size and lack of bones, I think this was bobcat scat and the meal was a white-tailed deer.

o-coyote scat

There was coyote scat, both old and new.

o-fox scat

And fox scat reflecting a recent meal–perhaps Sunday dinner.

o-bobcat tracks

And where there is scat, there are tracks–most of the time.

o-moose tracks

Today, I saw signs of bobcat, moose (more than one), deer, fox and coyote and my heart rejoiced for I love tracking season. I also love knowing that these mammals continue to share this space with me–or perhaps it’s that I share this space with them. I think the latter is more likely. I’m just a visitor.

o-ice art 2

In places, ice also offered sights worth viewing. Atop a frozen puddle, those hemlock seeds I referred to earlier had found their release and their new home–temporarily at least.

o-ice art 1

Leaves, cones and seeds intermixed with the ice and created mosaics worth framing.

o-ice art 4

And branches and seeds imitated trees in another work of natural art.

o-ice art 3

But my favorite was the red maple leaf cut-out that reminded me of Christmas cookie cutters.

Even if roaming through the woods isn’t your comfort level, I encourage you to take a few moments to step outside and look around. In this season of hope, may nature help you find wonder and through that wonder may you find peace within.

Any way you can, please join me in keeping watch.