The inky waters of early morning on the last day of winter promised a good day. It came.
For the first time since I took a rotten fall that tore a hole out of my right shin in December, I went for a walk and spent a little time at the swamp I think of as my swamp. Soon the turtles will be out and the geese and the beaver.
This lodge built pretty close to the road filled me with enough joy for a long while. Last year, the biggest and most incredible beaver I had ever seen was killed by a motorist and left in the road. After that, I had seen no beaver activity. The odd (he is very odd) muskrat would appear and disappear like the clockwork of an erratic timepiece, but that was about it. This creation fills me with hope.
Out for a walk down a familiar path with the family on Sunday, I decided to photograph a log I have passed many times. The demise of this tree is clearly the work of a beaver. Every time I pass it, I think it is likely the self-portait of my friend who met an unfortunate end in the road. (I see a beaver when I look at this fallen tree. Do you?)
On the first day of spring, there was plenty of skunk cabbage opening to the warmth of the sun. When we came across these wonderful plants, I thought again of the snow and how the crushing weight of the stuff was formidable. The manager of our condo association hired a squad of brave and carefree Albanian men to move the icebergs off our roofs lest they collapse as so many others had. Plows moved snow and moved it again and melted it for good measure. Snow and the dread of more of it consumed our thoughts. Yet, in those places where neurotically self-important humans did not extend their reach, the white stuff melted and life went on. Looking out my back window later in the day, I thought how the very leaves that had not been raked or blown away in the autumn were exactly where they had been way back then. The crushing weight of so many tons of snow and the tread of my daughter, dog, and I did not displace them. Life went on. We and the weathermen merely imagined the drama.
My World Tuesday
34 Comments
Isn't it wonderful to see/hear those glimpses and whispers of spring? They lift my heart each day! And with my move getting closer each day, I have even more reason to celebrate a new season along with a new season of my life!! Hope you have a beautiful day, Sandy!
ReplyDeleteSylvia
Thanks for sharing your first glimpses of spring with us.
ReplyDeleteHappy Happy Spring dear Sandy!
Hugs, G
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Lovely spring post! You know here in Holland we fear the muskrats, for they dig holes in our dikes ans that is extremely dangerous. The dikes should protect us from being flooded.
ReplyDeleteI do see the beaver!
ReplyDeleteI do think I see a beaver on the tree.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it amazing?
I wish I had those kind of snow memories from this past winter. . . I have never seen skunk cabbage before. Spring is surely showing itself after such a long, hard winter for you!
ReplyDeleteLife does go on... we just make the mistake of thinking it all stops during the winter rest that Nature takes.
ReplyDeleteLovely shots - especially that first one.
Lovely photos. I guess we are all glad Spring has arrived.
ReplyDeleteearly spring gives one hope and promises of warmth to come...
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful post! I do hope there is a BEAVER family there that is just waiting to be introduced to you :)
ReplyDeleteI'm sure it felt great to be back in your swamp. :0) I have been itching to get out to check on the owls and the skunk cabbage and just general nature, but with snow still knee deep in areas and the muddy remains - very cold remains I might add, in others I am still waiting, sigh.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed walking with you! :0)
Sandy, I cannot believe I have been so out of touch as to have missed your injury! I am so sorry and I so empathize with being confined to the house! Now the snow IS gone and I can get out and about. It seems we are kindred spirits with our love of nature and all things and places wild. So sorry to hear about the beaver. That makes me sad. Muskrats are on the move in the bog now.
ReplyDeleteI do see the outline of a beaver in that downed tree--a monument to the big old beaver that was killed. It is uplifting to see the signs of spring after a long, cold, wet winter. We occasionally see a critter that could be a river otter swimming in our lake, but who knows, it could be a muskrat...I'll have to google those animals to see which looks more like our swimmer.
ReplyDeleteIt is difficult to see a dead animal discarded on the road. It seems life snuffed out deserves acknowledgement and a kind thought. I see beaver teeth scrapings on the log but not the beaver, except in the work that it has done. Creation fills many nature lovers with hope, Sandy. Thanks for sharing your meaningful thoughts.
ReplyDeleteYour shots tell a hopeful story of rebirth, Sandy. Do you think another beaver family has moved into the lodge? I hope so. The skunk cabbage is beautiful unfurling its leaves.
ReplyDeleteWhat a joy for the senses ! Thank you very much. Please have a good Tuesday you all.
ReplyDeletedaily athens
It's so true. Spring gives back the life that seemed all but lost under winter's heavy foot. I hope there are beavers to be seen.. and yes, his portrait is there for all to remember him.
ReplyDeleteWonderful glimpse of early part of spring in your world.
ReplyDeleteThese are poetic stirrings of spring! So elemental!
ReplyDeletehttp://looseleafnotes.com
I'm glad that you are finally able to get out and walk. You picked a great day for your expedition it seems.
ReplyDeleteLovely sentiments in this post dear Sandy...
ReplyDeleteIndeed, at times we put so much effort into fighting and working against nature, instead of working with it. It always wins no matter what, as nature has been around for eternity and we are only specks of dust in fleeting time.
Touching and poignant photography.
Thank you for your very kind comment on my yesterdays post.
xoxo
I don't know how it is after all the snow disappears... never seen one... so it surprises and astonishes me when I read that the autumn leaves remained the same.
ReplyDeleteThat log reminds me of beaver. We see their handiwork often along the river and streams around here. We are too far south for skunk cabbage. I will never forget the first time I saw it when in a swampy area in Michigan. Such an intersting plant.
ReplyDeleteI can't see the beaver.
ReplyDeleteGlad spring has arrived.
Wonderful photos and words my friend.
Enjoy your day.
xo
What better way to show Spring is on its way - than to look at your blog Sandy.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this very nice sequence, Sandy.
ReplyDeleteHere spring has not yet arrived.
What a contrast to enjoy these lovely vistas and natural lodges and then to read of brave men dislodging hard packed snow from the roofs. The weather is clearly still very challenging in your part of the world.
ReplyDeletetu nous propose une belle promenade
ReplyDeletePublicity ;o) Every Friday (and the Weekend), The Challenge "Walk In The Street Photography"
Visiting from My World Tuesday
ReplyDeletefollowing you, hope you'll follow me back..
my entry's here:
http://kc2009.blogspot.com/2011/03/escapar-una-isla-hermosa.html
One of my running routes has a place where the local beaver population and the some hospital maintenance guys are waging a war over an unauthorized dam the beavers have been working on and expanding for several years. The maintenance guys are losing big time. I love it. Your photo reminds me of them (the beavers).
ReplyDeleteFunny how nature handles it's own uh? Love the photos and the thoughts!
ReplyDeleteThat top photo... the water... is amazing! So glad I popped in. Like your work.
ReplyDeleteLovely photos! In NYC today we had rain, sleet, snow, and hail. Not a good day for photography ... or anything else. :)
ReplyDeleteMad Kane
gosh. really makes me want to visit your part of the world!
ReplyDeleteThanks for being here.