Saturday, December 15, 2012

December 15


Saturday was a good day at Forest Hill for a hike with my dog, Remi. The early morning weather was cloudy, hazy with temperature of 31 degrees and no wind. Today, I planned to repeat the Reflection hill circuit that I did back in late June. I planned to slowly circle the hilltop to take in sights and sounds of mid December. Passing the Classroom Building, I headed west and climbed to the top of the hill where my GPS showed an elevation of 840 feet above sea level. I gazed north and noticed how Mallard Marsh was now frozen and more exposed compared to last summer when a dense growth of Cattails and Reed Canary Grass made it hard to see. I followed the snowy trail counterclockwise and recalled out it appeared last summer. Next to the path I spotted some dried up seed pods of Milkweed and recalled last June when this plant was in bloom giving off a sweet aroma. I proceeded along the trail looking for any evidence of Timothy grass, recalling its abundance last summer. Next, I paused, faced west and noticed dead Orchard grass in front of me with Artist Overlook and South Woods in the background while remembering how this view had changed since last June. Continuing around the hilltop, I recalled how pleased I was last summer to see a few Bobolinks flying around up here. Next, I paused again and faced south where I observed the neighbors field and thought about last June when it was covered with a golden wheat crop. Continuing on the path, I noticed how a green Goldenrod gall from last summer had turned brown. Then, I stopped, faced east and looked down on Grebe Pond while recalling this scene from last summer when a family of geese was swimming together. With my binoculars, I counted six muskrat lodges and observed a single muskrat perched on the ice on the far shore. The muskrat is one of several North American animals whose name has Native American origins. Early American colonists originally called the animal a "musquash," which was the name for the animal in the Algonquian language. However, English-speaking Americans then combined the word "musquash" with their own familiar word for a rodent, "rat," to form the modern word "muskrat." In some Algonquin traditions, Muskrat is a female figure who becomes the mother of humankind. Muskrats are considered lucky animals in other tribes, and some folktales include muskrats bestowing wealth or hunting success on humans who treat them respectfully. Looking further east, I saw Native Grassland with its tall, dead prairie grasses. Next, I sat on a bench to scan the pond and listen to the silence of the season. Proceeding onward, I noticed how the dense growth of White Sweet clover had lost its leaves and flowers of summer. Finally, I completed the loop, descended the hill and headed back to the van for our trip home.

Soft as the fall of a beautiful thought,

Or a leaf on the stream,

White as the robe by purity wrought,

Bright as the flow of a dream.

Calm as a sleeping infant's breath,

Cold as the brow just touched by death,

Falleth in many a graceful wreath

Gently, the beautiful snow.
Caught like a robe on the leafless trees,

With diamonds in every fold;

Stepping like sprites where the fallen leaves

Mingle their brown and gold.

Covering over the graves of the flowers,

And those other graves where gems of ours

We laid away in summer hours,

Now resteth the gentle snow.

Mary T. Lathrap

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