January 5

Sunday, Remi and I stayed close to home and hiked in a wooded area behind our neighbor’s house on Luce Road, northwest of Alma city limits.. The early afternoon weather was snowy with a temperature of 23 degrees and a stiff north wind. I left the car and followed a path west through deep snow. Next to the trail, I noticed a few wild grapes still on the vine that had not been eaten by birds due to an over abundance of food sources this fall. I continued west where I found shelter from the wind in a stand of Red Pine and Aspen. Turning north, I hiked along the edge of a clearing used in the summer as a landing strip for my neighbor’s small airplane. On my right, I saw a Cedar tree whose bottom branches had been pruned by browsing deer. Further along, I was not surprised to see a White Oak tree that still had leaves on it. However, I was surprised to see an Apple tree still had apples on it. I turned around and headed south with the wind at my back where I spotted a few red Rose hips still on the vine and the dead seed head of Common Mullein. I continued south and came to a stand of tall Norway spruce where I found shelter on a path that cut through the trees. The trail was narrow as I pushed aside branches drooping from the heavy snow. I turned around and retraced my steps back to a clearing where I heard a few crows and noticed a solitary White Pine tree. Further along, my hike was interrupted by a large Aspen tree that had fallen over the trail. Heading east back to the car, I was intrigued by the snow covering the bracket fungi on a tree trunk. Finally, we made it back to the car for a short ride home.

In the dawn of winter

Snow lays down to rest

Covers the icy pond

Defines the vacant nest

Cleans the forest floor

Coats needles of pine

Hides the bleak field

Hugs twigs and vine

Millions of fragile flakes

Frozen crystals of worth

Whiten the landscape

Blanket mother earth

D. DeGraaf