A Rainy Day

This morning, upon the ridge, it was like being in an icy cloud. The day before I had been outside in a t-shirt and hat, splitting wood, and sweating. This morning, upon the ridge, it was cold and raining steadily.

I was out with the dog, Hobbes, without too much of an agenda. It is hunting season, so we are staying outside of the woods proper, and off of the Appalachian Trail. The call of a wild turkey made us turn up the access road to the microwave tower. You hear them calling now and again, but rarely see them in the woods. Hobbes is getting on in years and poses no threat to the birds. The trees are dark, their bark shiny, the lichen green like sage. I want to decorate spoons and bowls that color, the various greens of wet lichen.

Bent wood and rock

I come across this Dali-esque scene of a shattered dead tree draped across the rock. Following the grain of the wood, in a slight spiral, it has delaminated, and its weight has bent it over the rock face.

A naturally occurring barley twist

Here is a naturally occurring “barley twist.” A vine, choking a tree further up, being choked by a smaller vine.

wet wood and lichen

Is this a branch or a vine, looking as if it is coming right through the tree, being in turn crushed and choked by the tree growing back around it?

On this side of the road, there are a lot of white birch trees

On this side of the road, there are a lot of white birch trees.