Winter's Dance

This morning was the most beautiful dawn - a turquoise sky sprayed with clouds of pink-orange foam. The bitter cold had left, replaced by more moderate temperatures and I stood by my car, reluctant to open the door. Reluctant to go inside yet another small box - from my bigger box (apartment) to my smaller box (car) to drive to a larger box (office). I wanted to stay outside - to plant my feet in the snow until the cold seeped through my shoes. To lift my face to the sun feeling it's late winter warmth. I wanted to hear the calls of the birds, answer them and watch their progress across the sky.

I wanted to stay outside.

Sometimes I wonder how many days outside I have left. I look at the wonders around me and doubt that I could ever part from them, even with the extreme fatigue of death. I hope that my Summerland is rich in the nature I see around me everyday. My heaven would be to be a tree in my next life.

After lunch, I watched a squirrel groom - do his afternoon ablutions - cleaning tail, face, whiskers - nibbling at real or imagined fleas on first his right side and then his left. I was totally fascinated with his act - so unconscious and unaware than a being of a "higher" function was watching him in wonder.

I watched the birds as they dance across the snow banks, searching for the bird food I've covertly tossed out. I've watched the snow slowly take on the texture of bird feet doing bird waltzes. I've watched one sparrow sit on a pile of bird food, daring all comers to approach. He pecked at the seed and then flapped his wings, beating his feet and scattering seed around him - as if he calling for a fight. I watched him chase off buntings and other sparrows and only back off when a female cardinal lighted near him.

And now a mocking bird hops around, pecking at the concrete, looking for the last bits of seed.

So many wonders - right outside.

I will bring my laptop home with me this weekend. I'll put the small table at the patio doors. With a dining room chair it should be just the right height - I can write and watch the wonders.