light, sight

The light today was just beautiful.
I did not have the camera with me this afternoon, but it wouldn't have mattered because I have not yet figured out how to photograph light.  Of course, scientists are still working on a good definition of light.
Anyway, on my walk this afternoon the light was up in the tops of the trees, and the bare branches were making the most wonderful images against the blue sky.  It is a sight to which I have a visceral response - my body and mind react in a way that makes me know that yes, I am alive, and glad to be able to enjoy this world all around me.
I don't feel that on a city street, though I expect that there are those who do.  While I enjoy cities for the cultural activities they offer - theater, museums, etc. - I would be suffocated if I lived there.  I need fresh air and sunshine, and to see the plants growing and the animals' signs.  Every day there is something interesting to see.
This morning, when I was filling the birdfeeders, I noticed a set of tracks in the snow.  They crossed the lawn and went along the house foundation where there is less snow.  I followed them and they disappeared under the front deck.  I suspect that the critter rested there for a while and then left via the walkway, which was shovelled.  I did not see any more of those prints, so maybe it (I think it was probably a fisher) went all the way out the driveway, leaving no more tracks.
Behind my house, near some of the birdfeeders, I saw a few feathers and some spots of blood.  I'm sure some poor little bird met its demise at the claws of a carnivorous hunter.  I looked around, but couldn't find any evidence either to the kind of bird (just a few gray feathers remained) or the hunter (no visible footprints or wing marks).
These are the kinds of stories that intrigue me.  I will never know exactly what happened, but it has given me a little bit of insight into the world around me - into the creatures with whom I share my world.

But even for those who live in urban areas, there is usually some vestige of "nature" not too far away.  Maybe it is a pond, or a park, or just a big old tree that has survived the paving.  And most places have wildlife - mice certainly, and raccoons and deer, and lots of kinds of birds.

Here's an article that should get anybody out - it's not that hard!

Life’s good along the banks of Fresh Pond - The Boston Globe

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