Sunday on the Sou

We can never have enough of nature – John Muir

      Sunday, gale warnings in effect; a good day to head to the Souadabscook Stream.  Come November, Monday through Saturday we avoid streams, and wish deer hunters patrolling their shores success.  Sundays, when hunting is not allowed in Maine, we kayak where we wish, or at least where wind and weather allow. 

      Hermon Pond and the stream were a pleasant respite form the wind we'd faced on the Penobscot River on Saturday.  But the maple trees are all bare now, leaving the shores much grayer than before.  At first the trees appear solemn, a stark autumn vista.

      Paddling along the stream, the reflected branches weren't so much peaceful as warped, a twisted landscape which could be home to any number of Stephen King monsters.

      But rarely all grim outdoors; the bare branches demonstrate preparations for a long winter, and resiliency is shown in other ways.  Cut down a sapling and several others sprout up.  Past predations caused this maple to branch out, creating a giant hand, grasping for the sky.

     Not all the stems will survive on this maple, maimed by an indecisive beaver, but new sprouts will quickly arise.

       Maples are tough, battles with ice have left scars upon these trunks.

            Trees reflect different emotions; solitary trees always seem proud to me.

    Other trees make artistic statements; these branches weave together echoing the mottled clouds above.

     Finally an overwintering eagle reminds us that these maples still host a variety of animal life.

 Outdoor trips are filled with revelations of unexpected beauty and discovery.  In this week, crammed with shopping and cooking, I hope you find some time to enjoy nature as well.