Tag: snow

Categories
Nature Writing

Uriah, Coyotes And A Wolf Moon~

It was close to eight o’clock when I stood outside in the drive way, waiting for my dog to do his business.

I looked up into the beautiful night sky. Smiled at the full moon and the sprinkling of stars- then I remembered my camera. I ran in the house, and ran back outside.

I clicked and adjusted the specs. The pictures looked like a big white fuzzy spot on black.

I turned off the camera and called to Uriah. I was standing at the door, when behind me the howling started. A stray sound that echoed across the snow covered fields. The coyotes were singing to the moon.

I hit the video button and crossed my fingers this works. Uriah complained a little. I thought I heard a train. Suddenly, one of the coyotes howled very close by, somewhere in the trees to the east of us.  The fur on Uriah’s neck stood up and he made a movement towards the sound.

A few seconds later everything was very still.

It was very dark outside! This video is very hard to see! Please, turn your sound up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPgU4j3RDrI

Categories
Nature Writing Poetry

Magnolia Buds

Magnolia Buds

by Gerardine Baugh 

 

 

Green buds grew overnight

The weather had warmed

Lying to the flowers,

Bushes and trees

It called out

Spring is here

Gliding around the house

The winds softly sighed

And repeated the rumor

Green buds appeared

Soft, fuzzy, avocado green

Buds the size of my finger tips

This worried me,

Freezing winds stung my face,

Burning my bare hands

Ice had recaptured the ground

Winter is suppose to solidify

Send life to sleep

And then, reawaken it in spring

Not freeze and refreeze

Green buds and weakened roots

Exposed to water and ice

Damage can be done

They will shiver and shake, and

Continue to sleep

When spring really does arrive

Underneath the magnolia

I stepped onto the ice

Unsteady and thin

It cracked

Cold,

Cold water

Ran over and in to my shoes

I shivered

*
*
This is for Jingles, “Thursday Poets’ Rally!”

http://jingleyanqiu.wordpress.com/2010/01/26/thursday-poets-rally-week-3-jan-28-feb-3-2010/

Categories
Nature Writing

Playing With My Camera~ Smile For William!

Most of the snow ,that was on the ground yesterday, is gone today.  It has been raining, making everything wet, dreary and muddy. I was a little disappointed when I saw the view was so blah!

Kenshin is a ham when it comes to pictures.

Uriah hates the camera! Every time I pointed it at him he turned  away, or just  sat down with his back to me.  He wanted to take a walk.  I told him to smile for William, only then did he face the camera.

I gave up and came back in the house, where Kenshin started making a heavy sighing sound at me and turning in circles. I asked him, what was wrong? He took me to my computer, and then looked out the window at the outside kennel.

It took me some time to capture what was out there, between Uriah outside the window and Kenshin inside, I wasn’t catching anything.  Can you see what I finally saw?

Categories
Uncategorized

Michael Played, “They Say Its Your Birthday”~The Beatles In The Car, Very Sweet!

I had a wonderful birthday! My husband took me out for a late lunch at Red Robin, their specialty is burgers. Then he bought me a camera I am trying to figure it out. Luckily, the cats are just as interested in the odd sounds it makes, as much as the wrist strap that I keep forgetting to put on my wrist. Every time I came near them they stopped and stared.  

Even though I hate hair dye, it is time to try again. I saw the necessity when I turned the camera on myself. I had just washed my hair, what a lovely picture …No it wasn’t!  I just couldn’t figure out how my Grandmother appeared in the room!  I do miss her!

  We also went to the Petsmart where we met Doug; he was working and told us about his seventeen cats he saved from shelters. So many people with kind hearts, they do without to help injured and homeless animals.

My morning walk outside was like walking in a cloud. Standing out in the yard I faced towards the west, the house was in front of me, it was similar to standing in a steamy bathroom.  I should have felt down, with all that grey and off white. But I didn’t! There was a feel in the air, anticipation of tomorrow. Something was happening somewhere and I wanted to see it unfold.

The snow was melting underfoot. I checked out the low area near the trees to the north. I expected water, but I was met with ice. The ground was frozen solid. All the dry air that held in the sub zero temperatures at the beginning of the year had pulled out all the moisture under the snow. So the snow and rain hasn’t caused any flooding, yet.

 The first picture, I took by the front door. You can see the cement front step, the snow and the darkness with the fog beyond.

 I added a picture of Kenshin; I like how he seems to blend in with the rug.

He has blue eyes not red, I need to fix that.

Tomorrow I will follow Uriah around.  I just hope he doesn’t try to bury the camera.

Categories
Nature Writing Writers Site

Slip, Sliding Away~ Or, Go The Way Of The Ice

I stuck my head out the door and instantly decided to stay inside until spring.

That didn’t go over well with Uriah, or Kenshin. Both the dog and cat wanted outside. Uriah for bathroom duty and Kenshin had a wild look in his eye; he wanted me to walk him around on the deck so he could sniff the air.

 
”Nope!”   I shook my head at Kenshin, who is an indoor cat.

 He frowned and decided to look out the window.  Uriah happily wiggled out the door.

I pulled on my coat, hat, and gloves.  Grabbed my ski poles and reluctantly I stepped outside. Every thing was coated in black ice, the type that looks like wet pavement, but really isn’t.

Uriah was slipping around the driveway following a scent.

I leaned against the garage doors and listened to the winds howling through the trees. The deck boards creaked and the rain gutters rattled. Sharp ice started raining from the dreary grey sky. The snow, no longer pure white, had sunken in as the temperatures hovered just above freezing. The warmer air held a hint of a damp spring.  In random areas I could see field grass attempting to show through the snow. Uriah stood about fifty feet away from me, just watching and waiting, willing me to follow.

I muttered.  “You win!” and took baby steps into the snowy yard.

I walked a short distance up and onto a snowdrift, and then I started having trouble keeping on my feet.  My non skid boots weren’t connecting to the snow and ice. Instead of standing still, I was slowly sliding backwards.

 I had one of two choices. Keep my ski poles stuck in the snow and end up on my face.  Or, let go and hope I would glide backwards without falling.  

I chose the latter.

I lifted the ski poles, and slid slowly, very slowly, backwards…

All the while I made this high pitch screeching sound, sort of like a sick coyote, until I came to a stop. 

Uriah thought I was playing and ran at me.  As soon as he hit the black top, he slipped and landed on his backside.  He coasted the rest of the way on his hind quarters stopping only when he bumped into my legs. If he hadn’t run into my legs, he would have just swept right past me and ended up in the snow under the Blue Spruce. 

Immediately Uriah scrambled to his paws and started pulling at the cuffs of my pants.

To keep myself upright, I sat down.

”Get out of here, Uriah! Are you crazy?”

He answered me by grabbing my right glove, which I was waving at him, and pulled it off. He ran onto the snow, where he promptly started digging furiously.

 “Uriah! Give that back!”

He looked up and gave me a doggy grin, and continued to dig. Once the hole was large enough, or so he thought. He dropped my glove in and pushed the snow over it using his nose.

“Uriah you’re an idiot!” 

He took that as words of endearment.  And ran back to me and grabbed my left glove and took off towards the pond.

I slowly crawled and shuffled back into the house.

I watched Uriah out the front window. He was digging like an insane dog. 

I’ll get my gloves later!  When the ice melts, or in spring…

I’ll worry about them later.

Right now, I have a cup of coffee and a book, Heat Wave by Richard Castle. I just need to find my reading glasses! Tomoe, my husband’s cat loves to hide them, usually under the bed, or on the couch, or in the liter box…! Sigh!

*

*

Picture is from Word ClipArt
Categories
Nature Writing

Coyotes And Crystals; Or Walk With Me And Freeze Your Toes~

Yesterday morning when I looked out the window I saw grays and whites, clouds and snow.  A small section of the sky had a rolling cloud; it was unraveling in grayish-yellow sections in a futile attempt to filter down a ray of sunshine.  

Without thinking I slipped on my gym shoes instead of my boots.  I had packed the snow down on my walks, so the path we took no longer had me wading through deep drifts. Still it was a mistake to forget my boots. I figured that out when I was standing in the snow next to the apple trees up to my ankles.

I kept moving towards the path. I told myself that my feet wouldn’t get any warmer until I pulled on some heavier socks.  That won’t happen until I have my morning coffee, and that isn’t even in my universe until Uriah was walked.  

So I continued on…

I stopped on the path when I saw something clear and shining under the snow.  Uriah hesitated, and watched me dust the snow off the ground.  The ice was solid and window pane clear. Around it the ice swirled with white; it resembled a vase I had seen once.   When I started to walk away, Uriah turned and disappeared between the trees.

I noticed that an animal had been digging little holes underneath the trees and around specific plants. I couldn’t figure out why, or what he would be after. I thought, maybe he smelled the rodents that burrowed tunnels under the snow. Except the holes only reached the frozen grass, and then he moved on to the next. The area was, too, trampled down for me to make out chipmunk tunnels under the snow.

I stopped along the southern fence line, every tree and bush was covered in a white haze.

 Frost crystals!

Usually the crystals would melt if I breathed on them.  This time, I exhaled like I was blowing out candles. When they didn’t melt, I began to wonder if my breath was warm enough.  

I held onto one branch and looked very closely at the ice crystals; I wiped off a section from one small twig.   As I watched, and this only took a few seconds, the ice crystals grew back.

I tried again to melt the crystals by exhaling on them. I watched the crystals melt. Then I watched them reform, not as pretty as the original ones, but still they grew in an upward fernlike  spikes,  called stellar dendrite.

I wished I had a magnifying glass to watch as the crystals grew.  I never saw anything happen so fast!

The air was very damp and cold, a bitter cold. I wondered if that dampness was the cause the crystals grew so quickly.

I heard Uriah huffing angrily!   He raced at me across the field!  His hackles were up as he sniffed at my leg, checking me out. He walked around me once more making sure I was alright. He didn’t even ask for a biscuit. He stopped, sniffed the air and scrapped his back legs hard, the snow shot out behind him. Then, using his hound dog impression, Uriah looked up to the sky and barked.  He set his nose to the ground and ran ahead of me, snorting angrily!   He stopped and sniffed each of those little holes, with disgust!

 I watched his dominance dance few seconds, and then I look out over the farmer’s field, towards the east, something moved, a coyote!

 I whistled and the coyote stopped and laid down.

Coyotes, have responded to my whistle and my voice before, so this wasn’t a surprise. But, my feet were freezing and my legs burned from the cold air and I was ready to head home. Not chase Uriah over an open field…

I called for Uriah and the coyote sat up and listened…

He was waiting for us to leave. 

I wanted my coffee so he wins…

*

*

*Picture from Word Clip Art
Categories
Nature Writing

The Lovely Call Of A Pheasant In The Trees~

 

I noticed a hole, the size of a basket ball, directly under a Mulberry tree. A hodgepodge of animal tracks trailed over and around it.  I stepped off the path to investigate.

 My knit hat got caught up on the low hanging branches.  I took it off and stuffed it in my pocket.  The area under the tree was littered with rabbit tracks and leftovers from breakfast.  Three corn cobs void of kernels and a dusting of seed hulls from the some dried field grass.  

I leaned forward in an attempt to see how deep the hole was. “Must be a rabbit hole!” I muttered, and then I took a step back.  

Not quite trusting it to be a rabbit hole…   

From behind the trees a Ringneck Pheasant ran out. It hunkered down into the ground. With a little wiggle, it leaped upward and flew north. I was surprised he was able to become airborne so quickly.

Uriah had been walking head of me; he came running when the bird flew across the field. He had a happy doggy smile on his face. Then he looked at me questioningly. 

I shrugged!  He took that as a yes and ran off across the field to find the Pheasant.

I called out.  “Good luck!” And I pulled my hat back on and looked around for more rabbit holes. “Don’t worry about me! I can fight off insane rabbits!” I muttered as I poked my ski pole into the snow. I really didn’t want to step into a rabbit or muskrat hole.  

Uriah kept running and didn’t turn around. He was hot on that birds trail. Uriah was good at was following a scent. His eyes may be fading, but his sense of smell and his hearing is perfect. For years, Uriah had my neighbor duped into thinking he was nearly deaf.

Uriah has always been a teenager with selective hearing, especially if he doesn’t want to follow orders.

 I carefully sidestepped back into the deep snow, then into my own footprints.  I continued on with my walk.  

I knew Uriah wouldn’t be able to catch that Pheasant. He never caught one before!

The only dog I had that could catch a healthy Pheasant was Samson. His father was a huge Black Lab and his mother was a Chesapeake Bay retriever, hunting was in his blood. Samson would never hunt and kill for fun, he enjoyed his birds alive. 

Years ago in this very spot, Samson had pranced up to me with a Pheasant in his mouth. He was so proud of himself!  He had caught a bird for me!  He sat down in front of me, and gently placed the bird at my feet.

That bird hadn’t moved at all. I thought it may have died of a heart attack. I leaned forward to check on it, then it woke up and flew up into my face! 

I fell backwards, as I pushed the bird away from my face!

The Pheasant fell to the ground! I thought I hurt it. I didn’t!

Immediately it jumped up and raced around me!

Samson leaned down to sniff it as it circled around in front of him. It did an awkward leap of faith up into the air and squeaked away at a low clumsily angle. It barely avoided hitting the ground, and flew straight into the heavier wooded area along the south end.

Pheasants are very clumsy birds; they would rather run than fly.

In the meantime, Samson sat quietly, and watched. Sort of! He kept lifting up his front paws up one at a time, like he was marching in place. But he stayed seated.

“He was alive!”  When I spoke, Samson stood up and wagged his tail. “Well, that’s a good boy!” I grabbed his big velvety face in my hands and hugged him. He wiggled and danced around.

At that moment, Uriah and Zeus ran up behind us. They wanted in on the fun. As they barreled up, the Pheasant made an odd sound, somewhere between a squeak and a cat coughing up a hair ball. It echoed off and around the trees.  That sound caught the attention of all three dogs. With a backward glance at me, they ran off to find it… again!

Memories… I wonder how much of their fun is imprinted on this land.

Smiling, I called out to Uriah.  I waited and listened. This moment’s Pheasant made that odd sound somewhere in the trees.

I could hear Uriah, crunching branches as he moved towards the sound. “Uriah you won’t be able to find him!”

I waited again. Not a sound.

 “Alright, even if you do find him, you won’t be able to catch him!” Still silence. “I know you can hear me!”

My feet were freezing, and the cold had gone through my pant legs. Time to head home! I shuffled over the ice and came out in the yard, where I waded into the deeper snow piled along the southern line of trees.  

That was when Uriah came out of the trees.

Happy!  But empty handed…or empty paws!    His big eyes stared at my pocket, as he waited for his biscuit.

We both stopped when the Pheasant coughed in the trees…

I was  hoping to write for this Blog every day.  But I may get side tracked, like I did with this post. Sorry!
 
Just a Note: I have to finish a synopsis I am working on, after that I need to work on my novel. I need to get it completed so I can start stacking up the rejection letters.  I cleared a special place just for them!

 

My daughter took this picture through the kennel’s chain link fence.  She told me, it was the only way she could get them to stand still.
Samson is to the left , Zeus to the right.
Categories
Nature Writing

I Walk In Your Mist Of Light, And Freeze My Hands~

It snowed during the night. I had anywhere, from two to four inches of snow lining the driveway.

On my walk to the mailbox, Uriah took off under a tree. The stinging winds irritated him! I kept walking.

Forty feet before the road, I spotted some tracks stretching out from the fence to the south, then across the driveway. I stopped took my hat off, and shook my head. Nope!  Not in the mood to trail after a suicidal chicken. Still, I knelt down near the tracks and noticed these were a lot smaller, and the prints weren’t as clear as the ones on Tuesday.

 This bird stopped under the Blue Spruce, I could see how it had scratched around in the snow, and then took off towards the pond.

 I had to follow. Obsession or stupidity!Either one didn’t matter…  I had to follow.

The bird, instead of staying near the road, had weaved around the dried grass and snow, and moved towards the center of the yard.   Within a hundred feet or so it reached the pond. Then turned in a wide circle and met up with its own tracks and doubled back.

I followed its tracks back to the fence, and saw that they ended under a Cedar tree.

This had to be a pheasant! She would be able to blend in under those evergreens easily. Unless Uriah flushed her out, I won’t find her.  I was just glad I hadn’t found  her dead in the road.

I went and got my mail.

 The road was a mist of white, from the drifting snow. I waved at the state police, as he slowly drove past.  

My right hand was freezing; I had lost my glove somewhere. I hope it was nearer the house and not in the pond.

Uriah, had been waiting and stepped out of the trees and followed me to the house.  

Tonight is a full moon, the second in a month, a Blue moon. At least it is for me.  In the southern hemisphere it is called a ‘Short Night Moon.’  Other parts of the world will be able to see a lunar eclipse

A few nights ago, even with cloud cover, the sky glowed.  I had walked though the darken house and looked out the window. The clouds felt like a blanket overhead, their edges, where the clouds thinned out, glowed.

Last night, while it snowed, the moon shined brightly through the seamless clouds  It was as if, someone was holding a piece of cloth in front of the moon. And still, its light could not be denied!

 Tonight the year will change. Remember the moonlight and follow your dreams.

*

I walk in your mist of light

 

Once when I was small
The moon was more than light
It brought on evil thoughts
Insanity and rage
Monsters under the bed
 
As I grew it became a romantic icon
Wanton ideas and lust
A time to laugh and dance and sing
A time to howl, without worries
Anticipation of tomorrows
 
Then when my children slept
It lit the path outside my door
Illuminating the end of a long day,
I could sit and gaze, relaxed
For all was quiet
 
Once in a blue moon, a phrase
That allowed me to reach beyond
A light of yellow-white, or reddish-orange
Was it ever blue?
My muse
 
My moon
You sway above me as the world turns
The days change into years
You hover above with promise
As I stare up at your face
 
I hear your whisper
For years to come…
Bring us luck, love and happiness
For a moon, blue or not,
You are my welcome friend
And, I dream in your light
**
*

Picture from word clip art

Categories
Nature Writing

A Cold Winter Morning, Cat Wants A Drink Of Water~

 

This morning I was woken up by Tomoe, our black half-Siamese female. She jumped into the bed and rubbed on my head, until I stirred.

”Tomoe, morning.” I mumbled pulling the covers over my head.

 Now that ruse doesn’t deter Tomoe.  She stuck her head under the edge of the blanket just enough so she found my hair and gave it a little tug.

“Ok, I’m awake. What do you want?’ I peeked out from under the blanket.

 Tomoe happily bumped my forehead and chirped.  She turned her back to me and jumped off the bed and sauntered towards the bathroom.

Tomoe’s greatest enjoyment is drinking water out of my husband’s hand. I am not her first choice; she just couldn’t wake him up. Reluctantly she decided to allow me the honor.

 I rolled over and poked Michael’s shoulder. “Tomoe’s thirsty.”

 He made an indistinguishable sound, and didn’t move.

Tomoe doesn’t meow like the other cats, she chirps like a baby chick, very sweet and gentle.  This coming June she will be with us three years. We had decided to adopt one cat, and came home with two.

 At the shelter, she was frightened, and hurt from over zealous little ones.

When she was handed to my husband she weighed two pounds. From that point on he never put her down.  He carries her, coo’s at her and hand feeds her food and water. When she is frightened, he will hide under blankets with her.  The house is safe, as long she can see her Daddy.   She plays Xbox with him, and complains if he isn’t feeling well. She follows him everywhere.

I could hear her musical chirp echoing off the bathroom walls.

I could tell myself I had two choices. One; stay in bed and ignore her. Or two; get up and give her what she wants.   But, in reality I have to get up. Tomoe is calling!

 I pushed off the blankets, and followed her summons.

Tomoe was pacing on the edge of the sink.  Her tail held high, she rubbed against my arm and asked for kisses, by lifting her head up high, and placing one paw on my arm.

 The running water sounded loud in the early morning quiet.  I filled the palm of my hand with cold water. Then turned off the faucet, and waited with my eyes closed as she daintily drank from my hand.

When she was finished she jumped off the sink and took my spot in the bed. 

At that point, Uriah realized I was up and decided he wanted out. Grabbing my robe I followed his happy wiggle to the door. I stepped outside with him, in that frigid morning air.

The sun was a defused yellow-white blur; it took over the entire southern sky.

The sky itself was a soft looking, powdery blue.

 Long rectangular shadows, from the trees, added straight blue lines that stretched along the ground.  Shadows skipped along the snow in frozen waves, patterned haphazardly across the yard in blues, grays and whites. 

Every tree was covered in whitish-blue frost, and the horizon was a blur of pastel blues.  

I could tell you how quiet it was. But I would be lying. One truck after another passed by on the road. I could hear the whining rumble before I saw them. They passed in a cloud of snow. Someone was busy working. I just wished they would slow down.

 I tossed out a few pieces of dog food onto the snow.  And watched as Uriah waddled off under the Blue Spruce, I stepped back inside the warm house.

  After about fifteen minutes I went to the door to let Uriah back in.  I was greeted by the shrill screech of a Blue Jay.  I watched the Young Blue Jay through the window. This bird’s color was duller, more grey than blue.  Its beak was very long and sharp looking.  Still a beauty!   The Jay landed next to the dog food.  Looked up at me, and grabbed one piece of kibble, and carried it off over the barn. Then turned to the east and blended into the trees.

Uriah came running up to the door with snow on his nose and back. He glanced at the pieces of kibble still in the snow.  Pawed at one piece and ate it. 

When I opened the door, he hurried back into where it was warm…

Categories
Uncategorized

What A Difference A Day Makes~Merry Christmas!

This morning when I stepped outside I was able to walk around to the dog kennel.  The ice had disappeared off the driveway and the deck.  It was in the mid-thirties. The air was oddly warm, and had a feel of spring, even though snow still covers the yard. The puffy clouds above me cleared and blue sky shown through.

I am going out to relatives for Christmas dinner and I wanted to post before I left. Here is a piece I wrote, December 17, 2009, I had written two other Blog entries that day, and I thought three was just too much.  So I posted it today.  Enjoy!

 I walked out the garage door, and pulled it closed behind me. The wet snow earlier in the week had warped the door frame, now with everything frozen the door was pulling back when I opened or closed it. Why is it, that when I can’t work outside, due to the weather. Something breaks, or as in this case the door frame, the side by the near the hinges, decides to disintegrate…

The sky above me is bright blue and clear. The air is dangerously cold!  I was surprised to see a dozen, or so small flighty birds hopping from tree to tree and singing.

Slipping my knit hat off my head I stopped to listen. I could hear birds chirping, singing and complaining.  Looking around I found even more of them in the trees next to the barn and shed.  They flittered between the dead evergreen next to the shed and the gravel in front of the barn. Then onto the leafless mulberry trees on the West side of the barn.

Small round birds, I believe they are, Dark-Eyed Juncos, soft grey feathers on their heads and back.  That grey reaches along the top of their tail feathers, then changes to white slipping to their underbelly and chest. They looked like they sat in a can of white paint. Right now they were complaining loudly and flying from one tree to the next.  How dare I interrupt their fun!

I heard a single call of a Blue Jay in the trees, then silence.  

Off around the back yard, looking south, past the outside dog kennel.   I could see a red blur jumping in-between the miniature crab apple trees. Male Cardinals, searching out dried seeds from the taller dried grasses that leaned against the trees.

Slipping on my hat, I whistled for Uriah. Slowly and nosily, we made our way across the frozen snow to the back path.

 I stopped at the mid-way point, the Northern tree line.  To stare up into the blue, blue sky in-between the branches of a fifty foot tree. The sky was a solid dark blue, almost an Electric Indigo.  The deepest part of that color sat on the tips of that leafless tree, and then weakened into a lighter blue as I moved off center.  Looking towards the south-east, the sun was a brilliant white, fading the sky into a powder blue.

Today, I was using two ski poles to maneuver through the snow.  Walking carefully, I made my way towards home. The snow, where I had walked days before, had frozen over into an uneven ice rink.

Uriah’s long black nails on the frozen snow, made a sound similar to him walking on a wooden floor. His toes were spread out over the ice, and he gripped with those hard nails.   He stayed by me for a moment, and then ran under the old apples trees chasing something only he could see. 

 I purposely cut out a new pattern in the snow, avoiding the dangerous path. I set my heels down first so I could break the top of the snow and keep my balance. Otherwise, stepping down carefully wouldn’t allow me to break through the top layer of ice, and I nearly lost my footing.

I began to notice the sound. My first step with my heel, was like an ‘AHHR- then, to complete the step, the rest of my foot rolled into the snow, with a, ‘RRRRR,’ sound.

Ahhhrrr-rrrrrr …

Add in the sound of the ski poles. Starting out with a stabbing crunching, then ending with a  ‘Brrrrr,’ sound, as I tilted the pole moving into the next step.

Walking along, I was paying so much attention to the sounds I was making, that they became over powering. I stopped and removed my hat so I could hear something other than my noisy intrusion into such a quiet, sunny day, 

I couldn’t hear one bird on the path, nothing! Silence! I probably scared them deeper into the tree line.   

Walking back towards the house and dragging my noise with me.  When I heard the sound of the train in town, I stopped to listen, “Thump- thump- thump!”  Without the winds the train sounded muffled and very far away. Like a thick growl, vibrating along the ground….

*

*