Nature writing, description of May 3rd.
May. 4th, 2006 07:21 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ferineBeltaine and the weekend are ringed in fog, the memories soft and sleepy; then again, perhaps that's a reflection of how I feel at the moment. >;-)
Saturday was bright, the blue sky dotted with herds of clouds. Gusts of warm wind whipped the dry earth, the water, the grasses, the trees and us fiercely. As we rounded the first lake a great blue heron skimmed the surface. We watched it for a moment before pressing on. A mass of small white butterflies darted beside the trail, supping on the dandelions in bloom.
The magic canopy cottonwood tree was as inviting as ever. I have such love for that tree. Cyberwolf found a neat loose branch beside the tree that made us gasp; it made us both think, simultaneously, of stag horns. It's a straight stick with two uniform arms that curve upwards and break into slender branches. I fed the natural packed-dirt altar at the base of the tree the peach nectar I brought for said purpose. Since I can’t physically reach the altar itself, I asked Cyberwolf to bury an old sterling silver triskelion brooch of mine there. The brooch was a last minute offering, as only that morning it struck me to bring it to the tree.
Laying hands on the bark, I wished the tree and the area well. It thrilled me to observe all of the new growth, the bright green baby leaves on the trees and the deep green shamrock-resembling carpet of undergrowth snaking through the blond weeds and last year’s dead leaves.
A magpie flew around us, flitting along until we rejoined the trail. We set off to return to the car, and as we rounded the final lake, the blue heron we had witnessed flying earlier was standing in the shallows. We watched it keenly. Such a prehistoric-looking bird, incredible in size, holding so still! After a time we left. Such loveliness.
Saturday was bright, the blue sky dotted with herds of clouds. Gusts of warm wind whipped the dry earth, the water, the grasses, the trees and us fiercely. As we rounded the first lake a great blue heron skimmed the surface. We watched it for a moment before pressing on. A mass of small white butterflies darted beside the trail, supping on the dandelions in bloom.
The magic canopy cottonwood tree was as inviting as ever. I have such love for that tree. Cyberwolf found a neat loose branch beside the tree that made us gasp; it made us both think, simultaneously, of stag horns. It's a straight stick with two uniform arms that curve upwards and break into slender branches. I fed the natural packed-dirt altar at the base of the tree the peach nectar I brought for said purpose. Since I can’t physically reach the altar itself, I asked Cyberwolf to bury an old sterling silver triskelion brooch of mine there. The brooch was a last minute offering, as only that morning it struck me to bring it to the tree.
Laying hands on the bark, I wished the tree and the area well. It thrilled me to observe all of the new growth, the bright green baby leaves on the trees and the deep green shamrock-resembling carpet of undergrowth snaking through the blond weeds and last year’s dead leaves.
A magpie flew around us, flitting along until we rejoined the trail. We set off to return to the car, and as we rounded the final lake, the blue heron we had witnessed flying earlier was standing in the shallows. We watched it keenly. Such a prehistoric-looking bird, incredible in size, holding so still! After a time we left. Such loveliness.
