After shoveling and taking care of the animals on Saturday morning, the first thing I thought of was how much I wanted to take a walk in the Orphaned Woods. I wanted to see how she’d changed since the snow fell. To look for animal tracks and take notice of which branches broke under the weight of the heavy snow, which standing stumps fell over.
But it’s hunting season, till December 15th, I was told by the couple who park their truck on the side of the dirt road where I walk with the dogs this time of year. They spend their afternoons in camouflage with rifles in the tree stand on the edge of the cornfield. “I hope you catch something,” I said to the woman, immediately realizing how ignorant I sounded. Even I know you catch fish, not deer.
My yearning for a walk in the woods was still strong today, so I decided to take a walk around the pasture instead.
I followed the thin trail made by the donkeys and sheep, the width of my boots, side by side, varying in color from snow beige to mud black. Fate stayed behind with the sheep and Zinnia ran ahead, jumping into the pond, and then quickly out.
The animal’s trail was easy to follow when I started out, the edges distinct where the animals had walked. But it became less precise the further I got away from the barn. Near the north most fence it disappeared altogether, becoming thousands of muddy footprints trampling the snow.
I walked under an Adler bent with snow, the tiny pinecones letting me know what kind of tree it was. One or two brown shriveled pears still clung on a high branch of the pear tree. From there I made a bee-line to the Winterberry. Though faded, still brighter than anything else in the pasture.
I could hear the hammers from our neighbors building their new house. I thought how if it was anyone but an Amish family building a house I would have been listening to the thwack and echo of a single nail gun instead of many hammers.
Then the thorny thistle, with its downy fluff caught my eye. The white feathery seeds still packed in the now dried sepal. It looked so soft, I had to touch it.
That’s when I saw the tiny spider silk clothesline strung with snowflakes. I still remember the first time I saw such a thing. It was about 20 years ago when I was walking in a friend’s woods. I didn’t have a way of taking a picture of it then, but I never forgot it.
At the time I thought I’d never see such a thing again. But now I know to look for them, I know they occur more often than I can even imagine.
As I was about to turn back to the barn, Fate showed up. She looked at me eagerly, only wanting to get back to the sheep. When we got to the pasture gate, Zinnia jumped into the pond. Back on dry land, her wet body brushed up against my boots as she ran after Fate who was by now “getting the sheep.”
December 15th and the end of hunting season is a little over two weeks away. The snow may be gone by then, but it’s almost certain that if it is, more will be on the way.
The seeds look very similar to clematis.
You are the second person to say that Kim,which is affirming. thank you!
The flower remains look like a Clematis, probably a wild one. They are lovely when blooming and interesting when dried.
Now I’ll have to look for it in the summer and spring UTa. thank you!
snowflakes on spider silk: EXTRAORDINARY
worthy of being submitted to a photography contest
and thank you for highlighting the quiet and overlooked beauty of this season’s plants
Thank you Sharon. I appreciate that you too see the beauty in the winter plants.
I came back to look at those seedheads, saying to myself at least 3 times I should know what they are. Of course, clematis. So I looked it up (as you know a favorite activity).
There is the native plant virgin’s bower, Clematis virginiana. And there is the Japanese virgin’s bower from Japan and China, Clematis terniflora. It is an invasive vine, I assume that is what I have seen flowing wildly over people’s fences.
I know it as autumn clematis, like the name virgin’s bower much better. You will have no problem finding it when it is blooming, you will smell it before you see it, although it does have a lot of white flowers when not too much is blooming. I assume it is the autumn one since it still has intact seedheads this late in the season. My purple garden clematis had seedheads what seems like months ago.
I looked it up Sharon, and I recognize the flower of the Clematis Virginiana. Thank you! I wouldn’t have thought of it as clematis from just seeing the flowers. It’s interesting that it was more recognizable by the flower after it had gone to seed. I can’t wait to see it in the summer now. Thank you!!
Yeah, it doesn’t register as clematis when in flower but the seedhead is a stunner. Same with goatsbeard, an ordinary looking flower, but the seedhead is a wow.
It so true Sharon, something to look for in the fall and winter. makes me think of Poppies whose flowers and seed pods are so different but equally beautiful.