Spring is coming. I have begun to hear geese flying in overhead to the small beaver pond across the road and on Saturday evening the first red-winged black birds. Even though I did not write yesterday, I did get out in the woods twice. I went early in the morning with the dog. I wore a sweatshirt, vest and gloves. Later in the day I walked over to get the dog, and went out again, that time in a sleeveless shirt, although I still wore the rubber boots to keep my feet dry and out of what snow and ice remains in the shadiest parts of the path. Looking up into the tree tops, I noticed the buds beginning to swell and a definite tint of red on the maples. Soon they will be blooming. On my second walk I ventured off the trail to check the vernal pools; all are still covered in ice, although the ice is shrinking quickly. I think the next rain will bring a salamander migration. I am prepared this year, I bought a big flashlight! Usually I forget and go out with a flashlight which is losing its battery power and can’t see much of anything. My sister, in Western Massachusetts, has already witnessed the big night. She went out last Thursday with friends and had 40-50 salamanders congressing at her feet. For those that don’t know, congressing means mating.
This morning, it was chilly and I was a little later than usual, so I turned it into a fast paced walk. Just above the waterfall, I looked up to see the beaver on the bank. He quickly headed into the water and swam until the dog moved. At that point he slapped his tail and dove.
I have some family history regarding the Hudson River painter Thomas Cole, and on these last three walks the lighting was just so that I could not help but think that I was walking in one of his paintings. I felt the spirit of both the land and of “God”. Although I would not say I am a believer in God in the usual sense, I do believe there is something spiritual about the world something much greater than me and all the human inhabitants that live in it.