November 30

On this mid-morning hike in Lumberjack Park, my senses awake to nature’s late autumn landscape. With the temperature just above freezing, I welcome the warming sun that now can reach me through the leafless canopy overhead. I can feel the chill of a westerly breeze that rustles through the towering pines. Stooping down along the edge of the Pine River, my fingers touch the cold, clear water as it flows by. Nearby, on the forest floor, I feel the cushiony soft surface of a moss-covered stump. Mosses have primitive roots that are simply used to cling to the stump. Their primitive leaves absorb all the necessary nutrients and moisture directly from the air. Looking around this late fall landscape, mosses seem to be one of few plants alive and green. Turns out this amazing plant not only survives cold weather but actually thrives. It can even grow in subzero temperatures by producing a type of antifreeze called arachidonic acid. In their role as a decomposers, mosses help in eventually breaking down the stump into soil. In the meantime, my ears welcome the quietude of the forest as I walk through a corridor of stark tree trunks and over a muddy, barren floodplain. I enjoy the sound of a distance crow, the river flowing overs rocks and the wind through the understory. As I follow the trail ahead, the sound of dried oak leaves crunching beneath my feet also pleases. My eyes welcome the artistry of the natural world along the way, such as the sight of sunbeams and shadows that adorn the path before me. Or reflections off the glassy surface water accentuated by the rippling current. Or the beautiful view from my favorite bench, secluded along the north bank. Or the blue sky beyond the needles of White Pine. Or the green of a sedge that colors the beige and browns of the leaf litter. Or a view of Mud Creek as it flows west into the Pine River channel. This 5-mile-long creek is a convergence of drains from farmland and 2 small lakes to the northeast (stock photo). Or the colorful Kingfisher as it perches above the river searching for prey. And then there are samples of leaf litter-wonderful collages of shapes, textures and colors. Sample 1 (Oak & Pine), Sample 2 (Oak, Maple & Aspen). Sample 3 (Mostly Beech).

Once, creatures ran

Now, in lairs they lie

Once, meadows teemed

Now, drab and dry

Once, a dense canopy

Now, open and bare

Once, singing birds

Now, songs are rare

November’s final days

Autumn’s final breath

Gone, season of life

Comes, season of death

 

D. DeGraaf