The Woods, Transformed

Our life-long love affair with trees was crowned
with the discovery of an extensive forested ravine
contiguous to the urban landscape where our new
home resided decades ago. That ravine, in the years
since, has endured as a source of communion with
nature, as close and comfortable as a stroll from
our front door toward its closely aligned entrance.
Daily, the ravine beckoned compelling us, and daily
we eagerly responded, finding respite there from
quotidian concerns and mindless routines holding
far less appeal than the ravine's meandering trails.

In the spring, a succession of wild flowers
coloured the procession of days, growing ever
greener as trees found their leafage and the
warmth and bounty of summer proceeded to
offer edible jewels; strawberries, raspberries,
blackberries, thimbleberries for the delectation
of those who recognized their value. In the
summer, leisurely rambles through the cool
interior, its creeks running swiftly through
the valleys with dragonflies, bees, beetles and
sweet songbirds enlivening the atmosphere.

In the fall months, small furry creatures of
the woodlands bustle about busily storing
up caches of nuts and seeds to see them
through semi-hibernation - and the wild apple
trees shed their bounty of apples, moist and
sweetly-piquant to the intrepid wild-fruit
lover. The woodland trails sifted deep in autumn
leaves, presenting a confetti of bronze, tan,
orange, gold and scarlet. The pines shed a
tonnage of rusty needles which wind and rain
wash in thick layers of valuable compost.

Winter reveals the presence of mice, owls,
raccoons, foxes, hares and grouse, all
leaving distinctive prints in new-fallen snow.
At night, ventures into the ravine's depths
bring the howls of coyotes, competing with the
owls and ravens in hunting prowess, seeking
unaware and escape-tardy morsels. Soft black
velvet of night presents on the ravine's perimeter,
but within, a magical aura of bright shimmering
pink and mauve lights the environment as clear
as day, guiding snow-muffled treads.

A catastrophic ice-storm wrought horrendous
damage to the ice-weighted boughs and tree
limbs, and tree tops came shattering to the
forest floor. The twin, century-old pines that
had stood in binary sentry position amidst a
fork in the trail were impacted, as one lost its
venerable mast, struggled for survival, finally
agonized into death. Its twin, beset by a malicious
infestation struggled to survive, even after youths
set fire to its hollow interior. Alas, municipal
work crews took the initiative and toppled the
majestic tree; our landscape truly transformed.