Sunday, January 4, 2015

January 5


This morning I walked the dogs on the familiar field perimeter, starting again through the spruce line and into the edge of the farm field. From there, we typically walk slowly counter clock-wise around the farm using the two-track access roads that go from one field to the next.



The snow from a week ago is still nearly six inches deep, though quite fluffy, and it is amusing to watch the dogs undulate ahead of me through the drifts.

Nothing but a snow ridge distinguishes the separation of the two tracks where the farm truck drives, and here it is a bit more forgiving for walking. I know these roads through all seasons, and while the grasses between the tracks have their own vital appeal, there is still beauty to be found in the snow-covered paths.

On occasion, a sere golden rod or cluster of brown Queen Anne’s Lace pokes through the snow, defiant of being knocked over. It seemed only yesterday that these were filled with the colors of late fall, but here they now stand as a brittle reminder of the season past.

About midway across the field, I found a singular golden rod husk bent over nearly horizontally and lightly touching the snow surface with its remnant flower heads. It was broken at the base so that the wind would cause the plant to shift around in a circle, and when I stood to look just so, I could only see a field of brilliant white powdery snow and the golden rod husk with a series of concentric circles it had made.

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