A wintry walk in the woods

I took a slight detour from my normal schedule this morning. After feeding the horses their breakfast, I headed west down the lane toward the woods. It's a lovely winter morning here with a new skiff of snow and a general quietness that only the earth's newly initiated slumber can create. I say "general" because the creatures of the earth cannot keep still. Squirrels chirp. Woodpeckers shriek, and dogs feign ferocious growls as they wrestle one another while happily racing down the trail.

The old Ford tractor parked inside the barn this morning reminded me that Bill had started building a bridge yesterday. We are now learning where the water stands and where the water flows as we spend each new day on this place.

A lot of water---rain and snow---has been falling from the skies lately, and a portion of the recent heavy snow has melted during the warmth of some afternoons. So, we can now see several pockets in the pastures where small ponds will remain throughout the winter. We've also kept track of other winding dips where the neighbors' excess water will flow through the Lovestead on its route to bigger dips to create bigger ponds.

One bigger pond is on our neighbor Rob's place to the west. He's probably happy to see Love waters flowing his way, filling his pond for another several months. When we first viewed this place, Rob's pond was full to the brim and home to dozens of geese and ducks. When we moved here in July, it was nearly empty. The long, dry summer and fall kept it dry until just a couple of weeks ago.

Our excess water is forming a small creek leading directly to Rob's pond. I remember pulling up my pant legs last March to jump across this area while we were touring the place. At that time, the creek's pathway was significant. Bill remembers that too, so he decided to be the early bird and get a bridge built before it's too late. He's taken railroad ties and some other big beams to give the structure some height. Today he'll nail down the decking.

That will allow us to cross the creek throughout the winter when we want to take our daily walks in the woods. I have a feeling we'll enjoy those moments of inhaling cool, crisp air, spotting fresh deer tracks or listening to squirrels as they chastise us while jumping from limb to limb. It will also be pure joy whenever the geese and ducks decide that Rob's pond is suitable for their residency.

We still haven't spotted Jim Wood's herd of elk, but we keep hearing that they appear around the neighborhood from time to time. Maybe they'll choose our woods one day, and maybe we'll be walking at the right time to get a glimpse of them as they travel through the area.

We're pretty confident that we'll often see a wild turkey herd, which reminds me that I must tell this Thanksgiving day tale. I do not exaggerate one bit when I say that the very instant I began stuffing Mr. Butterball in our kitchen, Willie jumped from the couch and yelled, "Turkeys! We've got turkeys in the front yard!"

Sure enough, about half a dozen were casually strolling through the yard headed south. I don't know if they did it on purpose, to send a symbolic message, or if they just knew that people would get a thrill from their presence. Whatever their motivation, their visit made a good Thanksgiving show---one we'll never forget. Plus, it gave Mr. Butterball a respite from his upcoming oven fate.

I'm looking forward to many more wintry walks in the woods. We're so fortunate that our next door neighbors, the Meserves, have given us permission to walk through their woods too. Their woods borders a magnificent pond where artistic, huge cedar stumps remind us of days past when this was all Humbird Mill land. I can only imagine how beautiful the sight of that pond will be with this new cover of snow.

For the first time in years, winter promises some grand, new adventures for us Loves. And, considering my experience on this morning's peaceful stroll, it will be an added bonus to the many we've already experienced at this wonderful place.