Sleeping Beauty

The Blue House Site in Summer.

Hush...

It's the middle of August, the whisper of humid air blankets the forest. It's the kind of day that heat stands still and holds even the leaves. Everything seems to be sleeping. I walked home today after organizing and cleaning the school taking the path through the woods. Take time to reflect and heal from what is going on in the country.

As so many teachers do in the weeks leading up to a new school year, we have been rearranging and clearing and Mother Nature has too. She has renovated the course of the creek bed. Yes, she has! There are deep places where there were once shallows and "Dragon Tooth" rock now stands free of debris. All that has washed down stream. Our stretch of creek seems refreshed and even crisp.

The flow of Sligo Creek now completely surrounds the Dragon Tooth Rock. The big storms of the Summer have washed the debris farther downstream.

I stepped over the "deer-chipped" log onto the Blue House Site and saw two squirrels chasing each other across our circle of logs. And there, look, just up on the ridge a young buck high steps, high steps, stops, turning his elegant head to look in my direction. What a show Mother Nature has put on for me!

Everything is frozen. You can see evidence of neighborhood children's play, but the recent rains have sung to the poison ivy vines and in response, they blanket the tops of the pots and pans. The rains have also filled the "Gray Rocks" with water. I heard the trickle first because the ravine is almost hidden behind a freshly sprung screen of pokeweed. I wish the children were here with me to hear and see the show! The water trickles and falls down the ravine towards the creek. 

The stillness of the place is wonderful and is also too much. I need the children here. It is their bustle and hurry, stirring and scooping, shouts and calls, that complete the scene.

Wake up, wake up, Sleeping Beauty, school time is almost here!

The Gray Rock ravine has the trickle of water!