NorthStarNature

Appreciating the Beauty and Wisdom of Nature

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This Season Between Seasons

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I received two gifts this week. They were not placed in a box and wrapped with pretty paper and bows. I doubt the givers even realized their value—one was placed in a text message and wrapped with humble caring, the other a short phone call swathed in humor. Now, I realize that such gifts could have easily slipped away without notice, but not only did I notice, I took them to heart.

Our hike last weekend at Sibley State Park offered us gifts in the form of Nature’s art. Moss was the medium of the day, the stand-out color in the gray woods. A designer-inspired garb wrapped a large Oak with velvet softness and with an accent of flaky, brown grapevine.

Moss art on a tree

A wooly green fleece covered the feet of an elder in warmth and color.

Barnacle-like lichens completely covered a branch in interesting form and texture.

The character and patina of a decaying log offered a rich history of a living, transpiring being that will return once again to the soil it sprang from.

Young, supple stems of Sumac stood up through the amber grasses and sagey perennials on the outskirts of the gray woods.

A stripe of snow accented the lime green moss that seemed to be flourishing in the late November landscape.

And speaking of landscapes….

The muddy, frozen slough water made the perfect cast for an Oak leaf—exquisite design captured…until the sun’s rays or warm-enough temperatures melt it away.

Leaf print in mud ice

Frosty fungi—another new growth lighting up the somber groundscape.

Medullary or pith rays run perpendicular to the growth rings and are prominent in hardwood trees. They create a radiating pattern from the heart of the stem (the pith) to the bark and carry nutrients in this lateral direction. They are what create the intricate and amazing patterns of quartersawn wood.

Stump art

Gray ice, white snow, forest green cedars, and muted gold grasses offer a gesture of grace in this season between seasons…,

…along with a message for those who notice, who can read the lines, who take things to heart.

Nature offers us gifts each and every day—do we notice? In this season between seasons—no longer Fall and not yet Winter—it is easy to believe in the grayness, the ‘dying’ of old vibrancy, and the things that have fallen away. But still there is warmth and new growth that is contrary to the outside illustration. It is all a part of our rich history. The gifts of words wrapped in caring and humor were given from the hearts of two people that radiated out to me. Instead of seeing the decay of Fall and loss, I was able to turn my head slightly and see different things. The gifts were gestures of grace—I noticed them, I received them, and I took them to heart.

The Gift of a Paper Birch Tree

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In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous.  –Aristotle

One of the most marvelous trees in Nature is the Paper Birch.  It thrives in colder-climate regions, is one of the first species to grow after a wildfire in these northern climates, provides food for moose, deer, birds, and porcupines, and the bark is an excellent fire-starter, even when wet, because of its high oil content.  The leaves have been used for centuries by herbalists as a topical for skin problems as well as infusions for a wide array of internal problems.

These beautiful trees have been designated National Memorial Trees for Mothers with one planted at Arlington National Cemetery named the National Mothers’ Tree.  We are fortunate to have one right outside our front door.

The shiny white bark has characteristic ‘dashes’ in light gray, and as the tree grows, the older bark peels off in large curls.

The curls of peeling bark get stuck on the knots where the branches grow and hang on until it gets worked loose.

We also have a pile of logs from an old Birch that had to come down.  The rotting process has begun.  Often the inside wood will rot away leaving an empty shell of tough birch bark.

Fungi, like a stack of morning pancakes with frosty white syrup of snow, grows from one end of a log.

Colorful lichens decorate the ‘eye’ of the log where a branch was cut from the trunk.

There is something almost magical in the bark of a Paper Birch, with its strength, resiliency, and weather-proof properties.

From downed trees, the bark can be peeled off in thick layers.  The Native Americans used the bark for making containers and canoes, and for the shells of wigwams.

But in our household, Chris uses the bark to make ornaments for our Christmas tree and for gifts!

 

A marvelous tree—from beautiful live Mothers’ tree to downed logs to handmade gifts of Nature and Love.  In this season of advent, the ‘old’ is peeling away in anticipation of what’s to come—we make room for the new.  We may get hung up on knots of uncertainty, of doubts and fears, but whether we are ready or not, the Child is born to the Mother of God, the new year greets us, Joy is made available—do we embrace it?  Life is a magical, miraculous gift, and we are the strong, resilient participants, the givers, the receivers, and the gifts themselves.  From our household to yours, we wish you Love, Protection, and Peace!

Unexpected Gifts

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Life is always bringing unexpected gifts.   –May Sarton

I celebrated my birthday this past week—one of those decade ones that seem like kind of a big deal.  The big deal is usually a combination of ‘how can I be this old when I don’t feel like it’ and a very real realization that there is much more life behind one’s self than there is yet to be.  But I choose to make the big deal be a celebration of making it to six decades, because we are fortunate to do so.  So the big deal was mostly in my head.  There was no party planned or expectations on my part.  Then, the day before my birthday, my circle of amazing women friends brought a cake, complete with candles to wish upon and blow out, and sang Happy Birthday to me!  The next day another special friend took me out for lunch, and hours flew by like minutes.  I received cards, presents, Happy Birthday texts and messages, phone calls, and had supper with my dear Chris.  To tell you the truth, I was pleasantly overwhelmed by the unexpected gifts.  I was happy and content as I drank my cup of evening tea.  Just before darkness fell, I went to the kitchen to rinse out my cup and looked out the window.  A Gray Fox was stalking around the front yard, staring into the grass, then pouncing on some little morsel of insect food.  Another unexpected gift for my birthday!  

It’s not often that we see foxes—in the winter, we see their tracks, and at times have seen a glimpse of one as it slips into the woods.  But this beautiful Gray Fox seemed unconcerned that he was out in the open of the yard with plenty of light to see him.

Gray Foxes are members of the canine family, but interestingly, they can climb trees!  Their short, strong legs and extremely sharp, curved claws allow them to climb and jump from branch to branch.  They can descend either tail or head first.  Thus they are known as the tree fox!

Gray Foxes mate for life, have an average litter of four pups or kits in April or May (in Minnesota), and the pups are raised by both the parents.  They have keen eyesight and excellent hearing and smell.  They stalk and pounce on voles, mice, squirrels, and especially love cottontail rabbits.  They also eat small birds, eggs, plants, berries, and insects.

These beautiful creatures have a black stripe down their back and tail ending with a black tip.  The back of their ears and neck are the tawny red color of a Red Fox.

 

I was so pleased to see this fox on my birthday!  What an fantastic creature!  I was pleased to hear from my family and from old friends who I haven’t seen in years but who hold a special place in my heart.  I was happy to share time and laughs with new friends who love books, love God, and love me.  What an incredible gift!  There’s something kind of fantastic about that, isn’t there, Mr Fox?!