Shifting Focus

The weather so far has been fairly stable up in these mountains. It is a much gentler winter so far than last year. I have taken full advantage of it and continue my frequent walks up the holler a ways. Winter has it's own unique beauty that I never really appreciated before.

On the surface it looks bleaker, duller than in spring and summer and fall. But wait, Winter is it's own season. Not just a holding period until the other seasons come around again. It is Winter, a special type of "resting" period for the plants, trees and grass. So they can prepare for the renewal. They are sleeping. I have tracked the progression of cycles of the plant life and it was so amazing to me. How could this wondrous phenomena escaped me for so many years. The practical perfection of it is stunning.

The last few days of my walks I have noticed my attention is pulled to the little creek that runs down the mountain. Traveling through the foothills all the way to the "bottom" where it continues between my neighbor's house and mine, under the road and beyond. The sound of it is almost hypnotic to my ears. I seem to catch myself just standing and gazing into the streaming water and listening with a deep fascination.

Everyday I walk along side and watch the water flowing. I notice branches and leaves along the sides..places where it is dammed up a bit with large rocks and large limbs. In that span of time while I walk beside the creek, I am aware of a magical feeling. Everything else slides away from my mind..only the flow of the water is there.

Today on my walk; before I went over the bridge, I grabbed a rake out of the outbuilding where my Dad stored a few tools. I walked to the point where the creek runs through the foothills and began raking out tall grasses, dried out and dead plants, small limbs and rocks. I only meant to spend a bit of time. I became lost in it. It was so satisfying to me. My dog, Evie, finally began getting restless to get back home. I noticed it was starting to get dark. I trudged home muddy, kind of wet and most of all with a very happy feeling that I cannot explain.

As I made my way down the creek I felt joy at the sound and sight of the renewed flow of water rushing past. It sounded louder and appeared to have more volume after my labors.

I can't wait to go back out tomorrow.