The Old Bull

A herd of bison graze our north boundary 
They are cautious
Leery of humans

I chanced upon them this afternoon 
Poked my lens between spruce branches and wire fence
Took my shots

Then the old bull turned 
And eye to eye
We met

Fallen Stars

I went in search of spotted coralroot orchids

Found fallen stars instead

Gathered in the roadside ditch

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Star-flowered Solomon’s seal   Maianthemum stellatum (aka Smilacina stellata)

Something Old, Something New

Amid a bed of moss
And leftover leaves
A promise …

 

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Ruffed grouse   Bonasa umbellus

Arrival

In our woods
spring arrives 
in small steps

Beneath overhanging limbs
it does a slow reveal

Peeling snow away
to showcase
shiny feather moss.

 

Drink the Air

Drink the air
Breathe spruce and
The shadowed whiteness of snow
Inhale winter.

Snowy Daydream

Each spring
when the soil has lost its winter chill
I plant sweet peas
propping their stems
against the chicken wire
for support.

I fertilize.
I weed.
I water.
And I wait.

In time
the stems weave up the wire
trailing ribbons of
delicate, sweet-scented colour
in their wake.

 

Fenced in by Winter

Enough with the cold.
The snow.
The wind chill.

Enough!

So I added a little colour.
It’s warmer already.

‘Tis That Time of Year

We are one day past the solstice.
The year’s darkest corner has been turned
and I can feel my spirits lift.

Fresh snow fell this week
and in the woods
silence hangs thick upon the branches.

Sol plays hide-and-seek behind the trees
then suddenly flashes green and red.
Mother Nature’s Christmas card.

 

 

Ice Rink

Weather bounces warm and cold
Snow melts and freezes
Thaws again

If it weren’t for the rocks
I’d get out the skates
And hit the road

Winter Pane

Last night Jack Frost
Blew against my windows
And feathered them with ice