Life Cycle
At the marsh yesterday morning, the light was fun, by which I mean it was highly variable, always providing something good but never staying in one place.
Snow In The Woods
New Year's Eve is a challenge. To me, I mean. A personal gauntlet thrown down. A direct challenge, from an unknown, unnamed, unseen, belligerent opposition, to me, personally and directly. A challenge to be faced down and dealt with, or to slink away from in ignominious timidity and humiliation.
The Most Civil Society
I agree with Stevenson. When I start upon a woodland trail, I feel that I am entering very civil society indeed. The trees are friendly and welcoming. The small creatures of the wood scurry all about, rustling leaves, stopping to stare curiously but unperturbed about sharing their living space. Bushes and boughs wave companionably as I wander past. The trees towering above offer me shade and shelter, as well as beauty and comfort.
Driftwood
The course that brought this driftwood here has been long and twisted. Once, it stood strong among a family of trees. But as it aged, it was beaten by wind and storm, until the strain brought it down, broken, to the ground. Relentless, the waters pushed and battered it, sending it tumbling against rocks, catching and clinging for awhile, then torn loose again by the pounding water, until it was disgorged with the stream to lie here upon the shore.