Disclaimer
The events portrayed in this story are fictional and any resemblance to
actual events and/or people is purely coincidental. This story is
copyrighted material with all rights reserved. It may be reproduced,
duplicated or printed for personal use only. For all other uses, please
contact the website administrator.
********** ********** **********
A Winters Morning Walk
By Steven S. Andersen
********** ********** **********
The
weather was cold as I left the warmth of the cabin. It
was below freezing as the weather service had predicted. The ground
crunched as I walked and I felt the cold seeping into my clothes.
Temperatures were in the low twenties and I knew this mornings walk would
need to be short. I was not dressed for a long stay in this cold.
I could smell the wood smoke from the cabin chimney as a mild breeze blew it
along. I saw clouds over head and was hoping that it might snow, as
the weather service said it might.
Despite the cold, birds could be seen searching the ground for food.
They would rustle in the leaves to search for insects and seeds.
Tracks could also be seen in the wet dirt and sand of deer, fox and rabbit
from the night before. The tracks were distorted by the freezing of
the ground as ice crystals formed and raised the earth.
In the distance I could hear the running of water in the creeks. I was
curious how the cold might have effected them. Would there be ice on
them? I went to the field to see the running stream and I saw ice
crystals, a white winter blanket, covered the grass. The stream was
flowing slow and steady, with no ice, as it snaked its way down and out of
sight.
I looked up and saw the moon in the sky above. Sun light was coloring the clouds with a reddish glow.
I thought to myself, the rain or snow will be here
soon.
I continued down through the field and onto a trail. I felt
the sting of cold on my face. I reached up and pulled my cap tighter
over my ears and quickened my pace to the trees.
As I entered the forest the ground became soft. It did not crunch
as I walked. The trees had sheltered the land and kept it from
freezing. I entered a clearing away from the trees and the ground crunched under my
steps again.
I looked down at the creek and it was flowing like the day before.
Clear pools of flowing water could be seen moving down the canyon.
Some foam could be seen on some sections of the creek where the water
churned over the rocks. My body felt calm and peaceful. I did
not want to leave.
I looked down at the sand and saw tracks of many animals. Some of the
sand was uplifted by ice erasing some tracks and distorting others.
Deer and fox could be seen but I could not identify the other tracks.
I left the creek bank and continued along the trail watching the ground for
tracks. I saw leaves that had fallen months before now gray and thin
along the ground. Ice crystals were on them.
As I continued up the trail I saw a mushroom upside down on a log. It
had been nibbled, chunks missing. I had seen this in several places during
the past few weeks. One time it was a stump with the stem missing. A
day later it was a log with two mushrooms upside down in different spots.
I felt hungry and again quickened my pace toward the cabin. I picked
up some wood to be dried by the fire and burned later. I crossed a
bridge below the cabin and continued up a hill. As I walked I checked
on the trees I had planted only days before. They looked happy,
shelter from the cold.
I was back, and happy to come inside to the warm cabin, but sad that I had to
finished another walk. These walks put me in touch with nature and
inspire my soul.
Until tomorrow, when I will walk again.
|
