Light and Shadow
  • Home
  • The Rains Come
  • ecographs
  • Monochrome

Thanksgiving Day, 2018

11/22/2018

0 Comments

 
Have a happy day. This is the time of traditional harvest festivals, and Thanksgiving, despite its political overtones, is in some sense, a continuation of that tradition. I know, the Pilgrims and Indians scenario is a travesty, a glossing over of a continent lost by indigenous peoples, but I would hope we could all recognize on this day and every day that we have much for which we should give thanks. Blessings.

The Hickory behind our building stands taller than her peers and this morning her golden leaves were backlit like a girl's hair showing highlights in the sun. Catching the sun's rays, the leaves transformed to a transparent aura surrounding her branches. The slightest breeze made them shimmer and they began to fall like butterflies fluttering their wings, descending for a rest. For that moment, I am thankful

Later in the day, I walked to my neighbor's house for a visit. On my way back, I heard a hissing sound, low in the understory trees to my left, along the roadside. A quick glance revealed a Carolina Wren behind the leaves and branches. Perhaps she was the same wren who nested on my porch last summer. The feathers bore a pattern of rich dark brown and beige with lines of black spots on the margins of the tail and wings. The tail was upright, as wrens and chipmunks usually hold their tails. I watched for minute to see what the wren would do when another gave the boisterous call of wrens, behind me. Such enthusiasm for a bird smaller than my hand! I turned to look, and when I glanced back, the wren I had been observing was gone. 

Later still, I drove to a friend's house for Thanksgiving dinner. Some mutual friends arrived and we visited, awaiting the arrival of his family from Georgia. A  houseful of his parents, siblings and nephews and nieces ate dinner with us interlopers, some of us strangers to them. Then I built a fire in the back yard. We gathered around the fire, guitars were pulled out of vehicles and the singing began. After a bit we all departed to separate homes. What a day for which to give thanks. 
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    ​Archives                

    March 2023
    February 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    March 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    October 2012

    Categories

    All
    Environment
    Literacy
    Nature

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly